Sentinel
In the Victorian and Edwardian eras; Glasgow was synonymous with heavy industry including steam railway locomotives, and Alley & MacLellan entered steam road waggon building in 1906 by introducing a 5 ton vertical boiler wagon, featured a 2 cylinder undertype engine and chain drive. The company also had another side of the business which built steam railway locomotives and some railcars, for the LMS and industrial customers.
Following a move to Shrewsbury in 1915 the company changed its name to Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd, though there were several slight changes to the names over the years when further injections of capital were required to stave off financial problems.
The highly successful 5 tonner was replaced by the “Super” about 1920, and a direct development the DG4 appeared in 1926; quickly followed by a six wheeler (DG6) and a DG8 four axle version in 1929, the first British “eight legger” though in practise it carried no more than a six wheeler because of weight restrictions of the time.
By 1930 there was pressure on the remaining steam road vehicle builders, though Sentinel were able to introduce an improved “S” type as late as 1934, designated S4, S6 and S8 and production continued to some extent until the outbreak of the war.
Sentinel finally accepted that diesel trucks were the future, and their first effort the DV44 appeared in 1948. A light six wheel version (DV46) soon followed and the DV66; 6 cylinder 6 wheeler appeared in 1952. Sentinel was still not finished with steam however, as 100 steam dump trucks were supplied to the state owned Argentine Mining Corporation (YCF) in 1950/1. Argentina had used Welsh coal prior to 1939, but supplies were soon cut off, and a coal field was opened in Rio Turbio close to the border with Chile. A railway was proposed, but a road quickly built and operation commenced with petrol lorries. Poor performance saw them replaced by Sentinel steamers which used a large proportion of their load in the 320 mile round trip to Rio Gallegos. Some lasted until about 1960 on short trips, but the railway eventually opened in the mid fifties. A couple survive locally in preservation there.
Customers for the diesel trucks were becoming sparse and in 1956 the company decided to pull out of truck production. The factory passed to Rolls Royce for diesel engine production. The last batch of vehicles, built after the Rolls Royce take over were aircraft tugs were completed for the RAF, at least one of which survives in preservation today.
Sentinel's main agent North Cheshire Motors Ltd., purchased the remaining stocks of vehicles and parts and set up its own company TVW - Transport Vehicles (Warrington) Ltd in 1957 using Sentinel's designs. Most sales went to a group of former Sentinel customers who had financially supported the venture. Best products were an eight wheel platform truck and a 24 ton gvw tractor unit. In 1961 the company closed having built about 100 trucks.
