Chris Pulham Railway Artist
Charles Roberts and Co. Ltd. was established in 1856 in Wakefield and moved to Horbury Junction in 1873 and registered in 1899 as a wagon building business located at the junction of routes of the Manchester and Leeds Railway (present Caldervale Line) and the Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Goole Railway Company (leased and later transferred to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) (present Hallam Line).
The company produced a variety of railway wagons, tank wagons and components.
In addition to freight rolling stock, the plant produced bodyshells for the British Rail Class 60 during the Procor period, and British Rail Class 92 during Bombardier's ownership. During the Second World War the factory was involved in the production of the Churchill Tank.
The plant was involved in the passenger vehicle construction and refurbishment. In the 1950s tram bodies were constructed for Blackpool Tramways 'Coronation Cars', and Sheffield Tramways. In the early 2000s Bombardier Voyager trains were built at Horbury and at Bombardier's BN plant in Bruges, Belgium. Refurbishment of GNER's Mark 4 coach fleet took place at Horbury in the mid-2000s.
Charles Roberts - Wakefield
