page_title: William Foster & Co.
section_title: Agricultural machinery
hierarchical_section_title: William Foster & Co. / Agricultural machinery
caption_attribution_description: English: William Foster &amp; Co. Showmans engine "Robin Hood" s/n 14431 at Cromford steam fair 2008
context_page_description: William Foster & Co Ltd was an agricultural machinery company based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England often called "Fosters of Lincoln." The company can be traced back to 1846, when William Foster purchased a flour mill in Lincoln. William Foster then proceeded to start small scale manufacturing of mill machinery and threshing machinery. The mill was converted to an iron foundry by 1856, thus becoming the original Wellington Foundry. By 1899 the works had moved to the Wellington foundry in New Boultham and the original works were then occupied by William Rainforth. During the First World War Fosters built some of the first tanks for the British Army.
context_section_description: The company was known for producing threshing machines, regarded as among the best available. 
  They also made traction engines, steam tractors such as the Foster Wellington and Showman's road locomotives.
  Foster were briefly involved in a deal to market tractors built by Daimler in Britain but this was dropped after the war. (Little is known about the Daimler tractors which mainly were exported).
caption: Foster showman's road locomotive "Robin Hood"
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