Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Wirral Steam Engine Companies

Hello,
My Grandfather used to drive a traction engine and later on a steam lorry for a firm on Wirral, i am trying to find out the name of the company he worked for, dose anyone have any info on firms that operated these type's of vehicles ?.

This picture is from "The Story of the Mersey Tunnel" published to commemorate the opening in 1934. May be some help.

Cheers, Chris.

Spillers the flour millers used Sentinel Steam Wagons up to the '60's. Mainly around the B'head and L'pool docks. I think Pauls (Animal Feeds ?) used them too.

Thank you for your reply's, info of this nature seems hard to come by, there seems to be quite a lot on the net about one firm in Neston but nothing about any others on the wirral at all for some reason.

Liverppol not Wirral, but for those of you with an interest in older trucks etc this is a steam operated version owned by Morris & Jones of Liverppol. Dad was Managing Director of M&J before retirement.

His recollection was that the steam vehicles with solid wheels were ideal for moving heavy loads over the cobbles prevalent in the roads at that time.

The picture is taken from a booklet (an advertising booklet really) which describes the company and a lot of thier transport vehicles. More pics / texts available if anyone has a specific interest.

Snodvan

Two more users of steam wagons on wirral;

Wm Roebuck Haulage Removals of Radnor Avenue and Pensby Road Heswall.



and James Crutchley, Coal Merchant and Haulage Contractor, based at Argyle Street South in Birkenhead.



Both these are 1926 Sentinel DG4 Steam Wagons, but the Roebuck one is the tipper version.

I recall seeing steam lorries being used at a crane-making firm called Abacus, located on Grange Lane, Birkenhead, opposite the Mersey Tunnel, when I was a child in the late 50s-early 60s. It is now long gone.

Correction: The Abacus crane firm was on Grange STREET (not Lane), which was the continuation of Grange Road going towards Chester Street. Sorry, getting forgetful in my old age.

yer steam power QUALITY

Many thanks once again.

I now have a few people to add to the list.

William Booth of Greasby.

Charles Gray of Neston.

Robert Bridson & Son also from Neston.

H.Williams of Bebington. (corn mills)

Grieve Haulage. (not sure of location)

Give posting a picture a try !!!!.

Not sure if the locations on the lorry are for British Oxygen or Grieve Haulage !

Here gose ---

Ferris's Bakery in Market Street Hoylake had flour deliveries using a steam wagon which parked in what was known as Irwins Entry. Squeezing past the hot steaming wagon was quite scary as a child.

Mike Scott

This vehicle looks more like a train,same design/shape apart from the wheels.Amazing pic.

From the number plate, this Grieve vehicle appears to have been registered in Shropshire & no earlier than the 1950's.

I worked for Grieve haulage in the 1960's and the then owner, Rex Grieve, had a photo of a similar steam vehicle coming out of the Mersey Tunnel and he told me that this was before the official opening and was to check that the steam driven wagons could deal with the gradient. Grieve's garage was opposite the Stork margarine works at Bromborough and the office was near the cereal factory but can't remember the road name. Business was taken over by Nuttals after the new tunnel was completed. Grieve had the contract to carry the concrete segments from Wales to the tunnel base at Seacombe.