History
Thomas A Hill
and the Vanguard works at Whiston and Kilnhurst
It was about 1937 that Thomas A. Hill
began his
Steam Road Vehicle repair and maintenance business in Whiston. Later Hill's were also dealing with Battery
Electric Vehicles. ( By the 1940s, Battery powered vehicles were used on milk delivery rounds, replacing the traditional horse drawn milk wagons.)This eventually led to him building a factory at Kilnhurst, and becoming a
subsidiary of the Rolls-Royce Diesel Engine Division.
It has been suggested that he was based at Lisle Road, Broom, which in 1937 was part of Whiston.
Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Ltd were no doubt helped in their success because of their relationship with Sentinel - they had been Sentinel's steam waggon agent from the 1930s.
Due to uncertainty after the war in its luxury car market, Rolls Royce in 1948, began work on the design and development of a range of diesel engines for automotive, railway, earth-moving and marine use. In 1956 diesel engine activities were expanded by the acquisition of Sentinel (Shrewsbury) Limited.
In 1963 a controlling interest was acquired in Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Limited, who at this time were manufacturing diesel shunting locomotives at Kilnhurst, Rotherham.
As well as supplying industrial locomotives mainly to Sheffield steel works and the National Coal Board, Thomas Hill dealt with many other large industrial customers both at home and abroad.
In September, 1966 Norman Parry was appointed Director and Mr. L. W. Harris served on the Board.
In 1971 when Rolls Royce had financial problems, all locomotive work, including the Yorkshire Engine Company designs, and those for Rolls Royce locomotives passed to Thomas Hill at Kilnhurst.
A Rolls Royce Company Report of 1973 stated that ' ... Diesel engines are expected this year to contribute 19 per cent of the groups profits, from about one sixth of turnover in this division comes from Thomas Hill of Rotherham, makers of industrial locomotives they are controlled by the company and take chassis frames and engines from the diesel division ... '
Thomas Hill's other activities now included the manufacture of machinery for adding filter tips, the fabrication of sheet metal components for gas turbine engines (one of the continuing links with aerospace) and spares for the Meteor tank engine.
The Kilnhurst Depot closed in August, 1989
Rotherham Archives:Plans of wagons, HP steam loco etc from 1940s, of Vanguard Works, Whiston and Kilnhurst. Reference: 139/B/1/1
©2004