The date of this shot of a ‘pre-Archer Cowley’ wagon, is not yet available to me. The display board below the Wagon states that it was (presumably) made by The Bristol Wagon Works Co. About whom - see below (from Wikipedia on 22.10.16).
The Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works was a manufacturer of railway carriages and wagons, agricultural machinery and stationary engines, based in Bristol.
History[edit]
In 1851, Albert Fry and John Fowler acquired Stratton & Hughes, a coachbuilding firm. In 1855, Fowler moved to Leeds to establish his own manufacturing company. Albert's brother Thomas joined the firm, which traded as A&T Fry until 1866, when Thomas was elected as an MP.[2]
Albert Fry renamed the company the Bristol Wagon and Carriage Works Ltd in 1866 and the company moved to a new factory on 13 acres at Lawrence Hill. The factory had extensive engineering facilities including foundries for iron and brass, carpentry and coach painting, and supplied rolling stock to railways around the world.[2][3][4] By 1883, the company's Lawrence Hill works employed over 900 people.[4]
Thornycroft Steam Wagon of 1897 built by Bristol Carriage & Wagon Works
With the repeal of the restrictive Red flag traffic laws in the UK in 1896, new opportunities arose in commercial road transport, and the works became involved in building the Thornycroft steam wagon, with their steam tipper wagon being described as built by the Bristol Wagon and Carriage Company but engined by Thornycroft, leaving it unclear which party made the chassis.[5]
Perhaps all Archer and Archer Cowley wagons came from The Bristol Wagon Works, but I have no particular reason to say so. (22.10.16).
This particular wagon appears not to have a seat for the driver, so perhaps that was an option not always needed.