I have found...

I have come across some Howard of Bedford machinery for sale at http://www.prestonservices.co.uk or the
actual page is http://www.prestonservices.co.uk/bygones.html

one is a Howards hay flicker

HOWARD
Hay Turner
By James & Fredk Howard Ltd, Bedford.
Price: GBP £350.

the second is a Howards road grader number 294

HOWARD
Road Grader
No.294 by James & Fredk Howard Ltd, Bedford.
An unusually small, towable road grader.
Ideal for vintage demonstration purposes.
In very nice original condition, requiring only replacement wooden platform and seat.
SOLD

and thanks to this find I have been able to make what I think is a quite major breakthrough using the name 

"james and Fredk Howard Ltd" and found this website with more details than I have ever seen about J&F howard in one place its James and Frederick Howard there are some intresting photos and I will go through them and post some later bye.

An advert for J & F Howard

catalogue of Famous Howard ploughs

Howard Hay binder

Howard portable railway, anyone who has a model railway will know how this should fit together, you have the two sections of track and then you have a separate connection piece that slides over the ends of both of them.

Also note that the poster is of a different country most likely India but this could have been exported anywhere.

I would very much like to see a picture of this in situ/action

This is a leaflet for the shunting engine that I have previously posted, the bluebell railway may have one of these it is on their website but i don't know how regularly its updated

This is the plans/an engineering drawing for the Howard traction engine that I have previously posted

This is a Howard 5 ton steam wagon (confirming my suspicions that they produced vehicles at some point)

This is a Howard cultivator at a show in the late 90's

these are two photos of a Howards item, we don't know what it is but we think it has something to do with mining. can anyone please correct/confirm our thinking

I'm very exited tomorrow I'm going to see the gates of the Britannia Iron Works, plenty of pictures on the way.

keep on Howarding Cameron

I am on holiday but...

I just randomly searched Howards of Bedford in Google Images and came up with this,

Its a Howards No 957 built in 1926 it was used for shunting in the Factory yard.


Here is the Bio I lifted from the Bluebell Railway Website the direct Address to the page is HERE

"Built by Howards in 1926, No 957 was used to shunt their agricultural implement and railway wagon factory sidings in Bedford. The Britannia Iron & Steel Works Ltd took over the site in 1932 to make pipe fittings and continued using it until a larger shunting loco was obtained in 1965. Through the intervention of a local enthusiast the company presented 957 to the Bluebell Railway where it was used for light shunting until about 1969. Under the auspicies of the Alf Brown Group an overhaul was begun in the 1970s at Horsted Keynes which had to include new wheelsets, and No.957 made its debut at the Bluebell's 50th Anniversary Gala in August 2010."


here are the pictures

I am going to email their site and ask if they have any additional information about this train, you never know we might even get more information about Howards in general. 

Holiday...

Good evening world,

sadly I am off duty for a while, my account at the place I live has been cancelled for some reason so I need to sort that out, as such you can expect less posts from me as I wont be able to get to a computer as regularly.

I am currently on holiday with my Dad the owner of the genesis plough and he has now been made a joint Author of this blog meaning you could expect some pictures or updates from him as well as me.

In other news we are going back down south on Sunday and our plans are to stop of at Bedford and take some photos of what is left of the Britannia Iron Works watch this space. Ill take them 360o for you.
Below is a picture sourced from Wikipedia of what is left of the Britannia Iron Works

PS: its the front gate

Digitally see you soon folks

Cameron (Owner & Author)

I'm so sorry...

I have not been able to update the blogs Facebook counterpart as the computer I use to update the blog blocks Facebook, I am so sorry for any inconvenience caused

You wont belive what I found...

Good evening everyone,

I am very pleased with myself as I have managed to find a picture of an Howard ploughing engine 110 for you, some of my more avid followers may note that i submited a picture a while back of a ploughing engine in a cataloge this was previosly our only picture of one of these engines.

I will try to contact the owner of this engine and see if they have any information we could use, so withouut further adue the Howards ploughing engine 110 made in Bedfordshire.

I did know that a howards engine exsisted because it (apparently) turned up at the bedfordshire steam and country fair last season, my sorce on this one is my dad

Please note that We will always want pictures and details on Howards products we would even like to hear how your restorations or prodjects are going.

Just wondering...

I have been thinking, do you  have a calaloge or brochure about James Howards products? if you do could you please email me and we could discuss where to go from there they would look something like these on the inside.



We are number 4 on google in a search of "howards of bedford blog" and we've had over 160 page views heres the proof