Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Ltd
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Thomas Hill Ltd was a company which repaired and sold steam road vehicles, diesel and electric road vehicles and railway locomotives. It later made its name building and rebuilding diesel locomotives.
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[edit] History
The Company was founded by Mr. Thomas A. Hill in 1937 with small premises at Whiston, near Rotherham, and was principally concerned with repair and maintenance of steam road vehicles, and in particular Sentinel steam waggons which were popular in the area. The Company also became involved in battery electric vehicles built by Douglas (Kingswood) Limited, and was incorporated in 1942 as Thomas Hill (Steam and Electric Vehicles) Limited, TH(SEV).
Around this time the Sentinel company was developing a diesel engined road vehicle fitted with a Sentinel horizontal diesel engine. This innovative vehicle attracted the attention of TH(SEV) and in 1946 an agency agreement were signed between the two companies.
In 1947 Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd offered TH(SEV) to extend the agreement for diesel vehicles to include their range of steam locomotives and an agency was accepted by TH(SEV) for sales and servicing.
Thomas Hill were now engaged in sales and servicing of Sentinel diesel road vehicles, Sentinel steam road vehicles and Sentinel steam rail locomotives. In consequence of the diesel vehicles now being included in the Company's portfolio it was decided to change the Company's name to Thomas Hill (Commercial Vehicles) Limited.
None of these vehicles where wholly conventional in their design and this presented a challenge to the salesman. Managers and engineer buying vehicles tended to be conservative and not only did they have to be convinced that this was the better way to do it but also that it was worth paying more money for the Sentinel products. It became clear that the best way to convince buyers was to demonstrate the appropriate vehicle in the buyer's own works carrying out the actual duties required. This became the general sales strategy for many years, and involved moving locomotives from site to site in the United Kingdom. The locomotives travelled on British Railways and under their own power where possible. The demonstrations created considerable interest, two locomotives, one 100 hp and one 200 hp were continuously employed moving from one site to another, particularly within the National Coal Board and Steel Works.
By 1950 the Sentinel locomotive franchise was considered by Thomas Hill's to be the most important part of their business and whilst sales had been were rather slow to start, future prospects were good.
In 1952 18 locomotives were delivered, 12 being to the National Coal Board.
In 1953 the locomotive agreement was due for renewal. This was renewed but the diesel vehicle agency was relinquished, with all efforts concentrated on the steam locomotive and battery electric vehicles.
To avoid confusing locomotive customers the Company's name, this time to Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Limited, TH(R). In order to better entertain and impress the more senior executive from major commercial undertakings offices were taken at Effingham Chambers in the centre of Rotherham and occupied by the middle of 1953.
[edit] Diesel locomotives
Sales of Sentinel steam locos continued to grow peaking at 20 locomotives delivered in 1956. Despite the good sales turnover, TH was, by now, experiencing sales resistance to the steam locomotive and in conjunction with Sentinel (Shrewsbury) Ltd had developed an oil fired system for the 200 hp loco, ten of which were supplied to steel works in 1956.
The move to diesel locomotives started in 1956 with a temporary verbal agreement to sell 'Planet' locomotives built by F. C. Hibberd, on a commission basis to any non Hibberd customer. A new Planet loco was sold within a few weeks, the co-operation developed leading to a formal agreement was signed in April 1957.
The take over of Sentinel (Shrewsbury) Ltd by Rolls-Royce Ltd in 1956 for the manufacture of the Rolls-Royce diesel engines put the future locomotive production of any sort at Shrewsbury in doubt. Rolls-Royce had agreed to complete the steam locos on order, and four steam receiver locos ordered by Dorman Long in 1956, but only after much discuss did Rolls-Royce decide in 1957 to design and build a diesel locomotive of similar weight and power to the 200 hp steam locomotive. Thomas Hill's would assist in the design and development of these diesel machines and become the Sole distributor.
In 1958 the last two Sentinel steam locos were delivered. The prototype Sentinel diesel loco was now in build and was to commence trials on the S & M Railway early 1959.
The prototype Sentinel operating on the S & M met with general approval from prospective customers and before the end of the year 17 locomotives had been sold and delivered. Production was geared up to complete four locomotives a month.
[edit] The Kilnhurst Works
Thomas Hill's had acquired a site at Kilnhurst for a new works with rail access and this new works met with immediate success. Orders were obtained for the rebuilding of steam locomotives as diesel hydraulic machines in addition to a considerable amount of work transferred from the Whiston works. In consequence work was put in hand for stage 2 which was to double the size of the workshop.
In 1960 the factory began to build a number of diesel locomotives. Based on Sentinel steam locomotive chassis dimensions they were powered by Rolls-Royce engines and called Vanguards.
The agreement with F.C Hibberd expired at the end of March 1960 and was not renewed. This was mainly because Hibberds believed that Thomas Hill's would sell the locomotives they built themselves in preforence to the 'Plant' locomotives. The sale of Planet locos had averaged around eight locos per year. However during 1960 the Thomas Hill's completed four major steam to diesel conversions at Kilnhurst and seven in 1961 plus one new Vanguard loco, more than equating the lost Planet turnover.
New loco sales peaked in 1963 with 48 Sentinel locos and 12 Vanguards being delivered. Two locomotives, an 0-4-0 and an 0-6-0 were constantly employed on demonstration particularly in steel works.
[edit] Thomas Hill becomes Rolls-Royce subsidiary
In 1962, negotiations were started with Rolls-Royce Ltd to take a financial interest in the Company. These negotiations were concluded in April 1963 with Rolls-Royce Ltd taking a 51% controlling interest and Thomas Hill became a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce, Diesel Engine Division, Shrewsbury.
Also in the early 1960s, it became known that United Steel Companies (USC) were to close their wheel and axle works, 'Baker and Bessemer' at Kilnhurst, and discussions regarding this matter between Thomas Hills and USC revealed that the Yorkshire Engine Company (YEC) Locomotive business might be disposed of. Rolls-Royce opened negotiations with United Steels which continued throughout 1964 and finally in 1965 Rolls-Royce acquired the stock and goodwill of the Yorkshire Engine Co and all locomotive production at Meadow Hall ceased. Three diesel hydraulic locomotives in stock at YEC, together with a consignment of spare parts were transferred to Thomas Hill's. Rolls-Royce undertook to build any future YEC diesel electric locomotives that might be required. Three Janus locomotives for USC at Scunthorpe plus one smaller locomotive for GEC and a similar powered diesel-electric for Zambia. Rolls-Royce insisted at that time in dealing with any export enquiries direct, a process that did not work and no further YEC design locomotives were built.
Thomas Hill's was able to make money by supplying parts for Yorkshire Engine Company locomotives and carrying out repairs and maintenance work. The Thomas Hill service department now had two full time representatives on the road selling parts and service agreements. The sudden addition of around 700 locomotives to the potential market in the UK provided a great boost, although frustrated for some years by a policy laid down by Rolls-Royce that Thomas Hill must supply diesel engine spares only for Sentinel and Vanguard locos and refer all Yorkshire locomotive users to Cripps (the Rolls-Royce main distributor) for engine parts.
[edit] Falling Sales
The market for new locomotives in the UK showed a downturn since 1963 as far as the Sentinel was concerned. Unfortunately British Railways, started selling off redundant shunting and trip locomotives. This process was to continue for many years and damaged the sales of many locomotive builders. The new Sentinel 'Steelman' design of locomotive was all but killed off by these sales.
UK sales of Sentinel locos were now less than 10 per year, their only overseas success had been to licence the build of 36 0-6-0 locomotives for the railways in Portugal in 1965/6. Other than the one loco for Zambia, no Yorkshire locomotives had been sold overseas despite many tenders.
[edit] Locomotives
After building 'specials' and rebuilding existing locomotives, Thomas Hill Ltd started building their own locomotives. When Rolls-Royce closed their locomotive business, Thomas Hills took their place in the market place with similar but improved locomotives.
[edit] Sentinel Rebuilds
[edit] Fowler Rebuilds
[edit] Vanguards
Thomas Hill at Kilnhurst was building around 15 new 0-6-0 "Vanguard" locos per year. This arrangement had been agreed by Rolls-Royce in respect of the 0-4-0s but Thomas Hill were selling 0-4-0s in tandem and even "Tridem" which RR considered was to the detriment of Sentinel 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 sales. In addition a number of 0-6-0 specials had also been built at Kilnhurst.
