Leeds nostalgia: British Newspaper Archive open and searchable...

The Yorkshire Evening Post has teamed up with the British Newspaper Archive, meaning we now have unprecedented access to digitised articles going back to the 1700s up to 1955. So, if you’re looking for a lost aunt or just want to know what happened on a certain day in time, let us know and we’ll try to help

As the archive is fully searchable using ‘key words’, we’d like to hear from you, the Times Past readers to help solve any historical puzzles or perhaps discover what happened to a long lost ancestor.

To begin this occasional series, we present an article from February 6, 1923, in response to a query from Duncan Huddlesford, who asked whether we had any information about tram cars for the London Underground being made in Leeds.

The headline ran: ‘Leeds-made underground car. ‘

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The article began: ‘Leeds has chance sharing in a huge engineering order which shortly given out by the Underground Company (The London Electric Railway). The total value of order is approximately three quarters of million. If any portion the contract cornea it will the Leeds Forge Company, and will keep the men at their carriage and waggon shops at Newlay employed for a few months.

‘In August last the Company asked the following five leading British rolling stock manufacturers to construct one tube car each. The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Waggon Company Ltd, Smethwick, Laird and Co Ltd, Nottingham; the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Waggon Co, Leeds Forge Co Ltd, and the Metropolitan Carriage Waggon and Finance Co.

An additional order was placed with the Gloucester firm to construct tube car a design prepared the Underground Company. Subject certain essential features being two three, or perhaps more, firms.

Therefore. there are strong hopes that Leeds may share it. The production the sample oar the Lewis Forge was a smart piece of work. The order received in August lest and days later the ear was presented to the Underground Company’s officials for inspection.’