Leeds Forge Company
A Leeds engineering manufacturer known for corrugated marine boiler furnaces and pressed-steel railway rolling stock.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Leeds Forge Company was an engineering and manufacturing business established at Castleton Field in Armley, Leeds, in 1874. Founded by Yorkshire engineer and inventor Samson Fox, the company initially concentrated on heavy forgings, particularly locomotive axles and crank pins. Its early industrial backing included substantial capital from Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Greenock, connecting the Leeds works with the expanding British marine-engineering sector. The company’s most important early product was the corrugated furnace for marine steam-engine boilers. Fox patented the design in 1877. Instead of using a plain cylindrical furnace tube, the design introduced corrugations that increased the heated surface area and improved resistance to external boiler pressure. The tubes were initially manufactured through heating and swaging and later through a rolling process. This manufacturing improvement, introduced in the late nineteenth century, helped make the furnace commercially viable. Leeds Forge supplied furnaces to British and American vessels, obtained United States patent protection, and licensed production to the German firm Schulz, Knaudt of Essen. After establishing the furnace business, Leeds Forge broadened its activities into railway engineering. Fox developed flanged frame plates and pressed-steel construction for railway vehicles. Traditional railway coaches and freight vehicles often relied heavily on timber, which increased dead weight and required labor-intensive construction. Leeds Forge’s pressed-steel approach used shaped steel components formed in hydraulic presses with male and female dies. The resulting vehicles combined structural strength with lower weight and could be produced more systematically than many comparable timber-built vehicles. The company promoted this technology in Britain and overseas. Engineer and railway promoter E. R. Calthrop became an important advocate of pressed-steel vehicles for narrow-gauge systems, including the Barsi Light Railway in India. The United States became an especially significant market. In 1889, an American operation known as the Fox Solid Pressed Steel Company was established at Joliet, Illinois, under general manager Clem Hackney. By 1893, the works reportedly employed about 400 people and produced approximately 80 tramcars and freight cars per day. A larger plant was subsequently developed in Pittsburgh. Samson Fox sold the American operation to rival manufacturer Charles T. Schoen in 1899; it later contributed to the development of the Pressed Steel Car Company. Leeds Forge continued to produce railway equipment and participate in engineering patent disputes. It successfully brought an action against R. H. Clayton & Sons concerning an improved boiler-flue design. Its later railway work included all-steel sleeping cars for the Blue Trains operating between Calais and the French Riviera, electric carriages supplied to the New South Wales Government Railways in 1924, and three Bo-Bo electric hopper cars manufactured in 1928 for British Portland Cement at Greenhithe on behalf of English Electric. The company remained in operation until Cammell Laird acquired it in 1923. Cammell Laird later closed the Armley works in 1929. Leeds Forge is therefore chiefly remembered for transferring advanced steel-forming techniques from heavy industrial engineering into marine boilers and railway rolling stock, rather than as a continuing consumer-facing brand.
History
Leeds Forge Company was founded in 1874 at Castleton Field, Armley, Leeds, by Samson Fox. Fox had trained in the Leeds engineering industry and had worked as a travelling representative before establishing his own manufacturing enterprise. Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Greenock supplied much of the capital required to establish the works, giving the new company a connection to the shipbuilding and marine-boiler market. The business initially made locomotive axles and crank pins by hammer forging. Its direction changed after Fox patented the Corrugated Furnace in 1877. The invention used corrugated iron, and later steel, furnace tubes. The corrugations increased the heated surface available for transferring energy to water in a marine boiler while also strengthening the tube against pressure. An early order came from James Humphreys of Barrow-in-Furness for six furnaces. Orders for American ships followed, and United States patents were secured by 1880. In the same period, Schulz, Knaudt of Essen began licensed production in Germany, while Leeds Forge declined licensing approaches from several other engineering companies. A major manufacturing refinement came in 1898, when Fox introduced a rolling process for producing the corrugated tubes. This helped turn the furnace into a widely used commercial product. Leeds Forge furnaces were installed in ships in both Britain and the United States, making the company an important specialist in marine boiler equipment during the steam era. Fox subsequently applied the company’s engineering capabilities to railway vehicles. In 1887 Leeds Forge exhibited a flanged frame plate for rolling stock at Newcastle. The design formed part of a broader pressed-steel construction system intended to replace or reduce the use of heavy timber frames and superstructures. Steel sections could be shaped in hydraulic presses using matched dies, producing strong, comparatively light components with less reliance on labor-intensive hand construction. The company found a strong supporter in E. R. Calthrop, who promoted pressed-steel rolling stock for narrow-gauge railways. Leeds Forge vehicles were used on the Barsi Light Railway and the company sought opportunities in overseas railway markets. The United States proved particularly receptive. In 1889, the Fox Solid Pressed Steel Company was established at Joliet, Illinois, with Clem Hackney, formerly associated with the Union Pacific Railroad, as general manager. The American works grew rapidly, producing tramcars and freight cars. A larger facility was later built in Pittsburgh. Samson Fox sold the American operation to competitor Charles T. Schoen in 1899; Schoen subsequently became associated with the Pressed Steel Car Company. Leeds Forge also defended its technical intellectual property. The company successfully sued R. H. Clayton & Sons over infringement involving an improved boiler flue. Its later production record included steel sleeping cars for the Blue Trains running from Calais to the French Riviera, as well as electric rolling stock. In 1924 it constructed 50 electric carriages for the New South Wales Government Railways. The carriage bodies were shipped to Australia in disassembled form and assembled at Eveleigh Railway Workshops and Clyde Engineering; they became the first all-steel carriages used in Australia. In 1928, Leeds Forge produced three Bo-Bo electric hopper cars on behalf of English Electric for British Portland Cement at Greenhithe, Kent. These vehicles illustrate the company’s continuing involvement in specialized industrial and electric railway equipment during its final years. Cammell Laird acquired Leeds Forge in 1923. The Armley works continued for several years under the new ownership but closed in 1929. The company’s historical importance lies in its combination of forging, steel forming, boiler engineering, and railway manufacture. Its corrugated furnace improved marine steam-boiler performance, while its pressed-steel vehicle work helped demonstrate the advantages of lighter steel construction in railway and tramway equipment.
- 1929
Armley works closes
[1]Cammell Laird closed the Leeds Forge works at Armley.
- 1928
Bo-Bo electric hopper cars produced
[1]Leeds Forge manufactured three Bo-Bo electric hopper cars for British Portland Cement on behalf of English Electric.
- 1924
Electric carriages built for New South Wales
[1]The company built 50 electric carriages for the New South Wales Government Railways, shipped for assembly in Australia.
- 1923
Acquired by Cammell Laird
[1]Cammell Laird acquired Leeds Forge as the business entered its final corporate phase.
- 1922
Steel sleeping cars supplied for the Blue Trains
[1]Leeds Forge supplied all-steel sleeping cars for services operating between Calais and the French Riviera.
- 1899
American operation sold to Charles T. Schoen
[1]Samson Fox sold the American pressed-steel operation to rival Charles T. Schoen.
- 1898
Rolling process improves furnace production
[1]Samson Fox introduced rolling for manufacturing corrugated furnace tubes, supporting the product’s commercial success.
- 1893
Joliet works reaches substantial production
[1]The American works reportedly employed about 400 people and produced approximately 80 tramcars and freight cars per day.
- 1889
American pressed-steel operation established
[1]The Fox Solid Pressed Steel Company was established at Joliet, Illinois, to manufacture pressed-steel tramcars and freight cars.
- 1887
Pressed-steel railway construction exhibited
[1]The company exhibited a flanged frame plate for railway rolling stock at Newcastle, promoting its steel vehicle-construction technology.
Products and positioning
Industrial engineering manufacturer focused on forged and pressed-steel components, marine boiler technology, and lighter, stronger railway vehicles.
Marine boiler equipment · 1877
Corrugated Furnace
A corrugated iron or steel furnace tube patented by Samson Fox in 1877 for marine steam-engine boilers. Its corrugations enlarged the effective heated surface and improved the tube’s ability to withstand boiler pressure. Leeds Forge initially formed the tubes by heating and swaging and later adopted rolling. The product was supplied to ships in Britain and the United States and was also manufactured under licence in Germany.
Railway vehicles · 1887
Pressed-steel railway rolling stock
Railway vehicles built from flanged and hydraulically pressed steel components rather than predominantly timber frames and superstructures. The method aimed to reduce dead weight while retaining structural strength and offered a more standardized alternative to labor-intensive hand-built construction. Leeds Forge supplied pressed-steel vehicles for British, American, and overseas railway applications.
Tram and freight rolling stock · 1889
Pressed-steel tramcars and freight cars
The American Fox Solid Pressed Steel operation manufactured tramcars and freight cars using pressed-steel construction. The Joliet works reported substantial output by 1893, and a larger Pittsburgh facility was later established. The American business was sold to Charles T. Schoen in 1899.
Passenger railway vehicles · 1922
All-steel sleeping cars
Steel sleeping cars supplied in 1922 for the Blue Trains operating between Calais and the French Riviera. They represented the company’s continued application of steel construction to passenger rolling stock.
Electric railway vehicles · 1924
Electric railway carriages
A batch of 50 electric carriages built in 1924 for the New South Wales Government Railways. Their bodies were exported in knocked-down form and assembled at Eveleigh Railway Workshops and Clyde Engineering in Australia.
Industrial electric rail vehicles · 1928
Bo-Bo electric hopper cars
Three electric hopper cars manufactured in 1928 on behalf of English Electric for British Portland Cement at Greenhithe, Kent. Their Bo-Bo wheel arrangement suited industrial materials-handling service.
Brand decisions
1923
Accept acquisition by Cammell LairdM&ABackground
Leeds Forge continued operating as a specialist engineering and rolling-stock manufacturer into the interwar period.
Action taken
Cammell Laird acquired the company.
Aftermath
The Armley works operated for several more years before being closed in 1929.
1899
Sell the American pressed-steel operationM&ABackground
The United States operation had developed into a substantial manufacturer serving the tramcar and freight-car market.
Action taken
Samson Fox sold the Fox Solid Pressed Steel Company to rival Charles T. Schoen.
Aftermath
The operation became part of the competitive American pressed-steel-car industry and was associated with the later Pressed Steel Car Company.
1898
Adopt a rolling process for corrugated furnace tubesGeneration changeBackground
The original swaging process was improved to support more efficient and commercially scalable production.
Action taken
Samson Fox introduced rolling in the manufacture of corrugated furnace tubes.
Aftermath
The revised process contributed to the furnace’s commercial success and broader use in marine boilers.
1887
Expand from boiler equipment into pressed-steel railway vehiclesStrategyBackground
After the success of its marine furnace, Leeds Forge sought additional applications for its forging and steel-forming capabilities.
Action taken
The company exhibited flanged steel frame plates and promoted hydraulic pressing as a method for constructing lighter railway rolling stock.
Aftermath
The technology gained domestic and overseas applications, including tramcars, freight cars, passenger vehicles, and specialized electric rolling stock.
1877
Commercialize the Corrugated FurnaceProduct launchBackground
Marine steam boilers required furnace designs that could transfer heat efficiently while resisting pressure. Samson Fox developed and patented a corrugated furnace tube.
Action taken
Leeds Forge patented the design, accepted early orders, pursued United States patent protection, and arranged licensed German production.
Aftermath
The furnace became the company’s principal marine-engineering product and was installed in vessels in Britain and the United States.
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