Andrew Barclay Sons & Co.

Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. are a builder of steam and later fireless and diesel locomotives. The company's history dates to foundation of an engineering workshop in 1840 in Kilmarnock, Scotland.

After a long period of operation the company was acquired by the Hunslet group in 1972 and renamed Hunslet-Barclay; in 2007 the company changed hands after bankruptcy becoming Brush-Barclay as part of the FKI Group. In 2011 Brush Traction and Brush-Barclay were acquired from FKI by Wabtec - as of 2012 the company still operates in Kilmarnock providing rail engineering services as Wabtec Rail Scotland.

History

Born in 1814, Andrew Barclay was only 25 years of age when he set up a partnership with Thomas McCulloch to manufacture mill shafts in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was only a couple of years later that he branched out on his own to manufacture his patented gas lamps. In 1847 he set up workshops specializing in the manufacture of winding engines for the local coal mining industry. However, the money from the gas lamp patent sale was never paid and sequestration of the company came the following year.

By 1859 Barclay had recovered from this setback and his newly formed company produced its first locomotive. Sometime around 1871 Andrew Barclay set up a second locomotive building business known as Barclays & Co. He had set up this company for his younger brother, John, and his four sons. This business remaining closely associated with Andrew Barclay. Again not all went well and the companies were declared bankrupt in 1874 and 1882 respectively. Four years after this latest collapse, Andrew Barclay’s business was relaunched as Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. Later Barclays & Co was also revived. Further difficulties arose. In 1892 the firm became a limited liability company as Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., Ltd. Just two years later Andrew was removed from control of the company which bore his name by its shareholders. Barclay sued the company for unpaid wages, a matter which was settled out of court 5 years later.

In 1930 the company bought the business of John Cochrane (Barrhead) Ltd, engine makers and in 1963 it acquired the goodwill of the North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow.

Hunslet-Barclay

In 1972 the company was acquired by the Leeds-based Hunslet Group of companies and its name was changed in 1989 to Hunslet-Barclay Ltd. As such, it operated six ex-British Rail Class 20 diesels to provide motive power for weed-killing trains used on the national rail network. The locomotive interests of Hunslet-Barclay were bought by LH Group, Staffordshire on 31 December 2003, with Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock continuing in the business of design, manufacture and refurbishment of multiple units, rolling stock, bogies and wheel-sets.

Some Barclay locomotives were supplied through Lennox Lange, who acted as an agent for Barclay.

Brush-Barclay

After going into financial administration in 2007 the company was acquired by the locomotive builder Brush Traction of Loughborough through its parent, the FKI Group.^[1] It was renamed Brush-Barclay.^[2]

Wabtec Rail Scotland

On 28 February 2011, Wabtec announced that it had acquired Brush Traction for US$31 million. The Kilmarnock works became Wabtec Rail Scotland.^[3][4]

Products

A brass makers plate from an 0-4-0 Andrew Barclay locomotive of 1925 which worked at a Mauchline colliery in Scotland

Saddle tanks

The company was noted for constructing simple robust locomotives, chiefly for industrial use, and many of its products survive in use on heritage railways, over 100 in Britain. A typical product would be an 0-4-0 with squared-off saddle tank.

Fireless locomotives

Barclay was the largest builder of fireless locomotives in Britain, building 114 of them between 1913 and 1961. Few fireless locomotives are seen in action today. This is due to the low power of the locomotives, the long time needed to charge a locomotive from cold and the low steam pressures available for charging. Perhaps the only exception was "Lord Ashfield" (Andrew Barclay works no. 1989 of 1930) at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester that ran for a while in the 1990s sharing a steam supply with the stationary exhibits in their exhibition hall.

Diesel locomotives

The company built diesel shunting locomotives for industry and for British Rail. Classes included British Rail Class D2/5, British Rail Class 01 and British Rail Class 06.

Export

Over 80 Andrew Barclay locomotives were supplied to railways in Ireland (Irish Turf Board/Bord na Móna), Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka Port Authority).^[5]

Steel Company of Wales No. 206  "Doll" built in 1919, a Barclay at Leighton buzzard narrow gauge railway  "Nora No.5" built in 1912 for the National Coal Board, shown here at the Big Pit in Wales  Ex-military Barclay diesel locomotive at the West Somerset Railway  Preserved no. 446 'Kingswood' at Bitton railway station  Little Barford, built in 1939 taken at the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway  Preserved 0-6-0 fireless steam locomotive, South of Scotland Electricity Board, No. 1  Victory, built in 1945 for the Navy, and presently at Whitwell & Reepham railway station  Sri Lanka Port Authority - Engine No17. Locomotive built 1949 for Bord na Móna. Bought by Irish Steam Preservation Society in 1969 for Stradbally Woodland Railway

See also

• Grant, Ritchie and Company - In 1876, there was a disastrous fire at Andrew Barclay’s Caledonia works in Kilmarnock. At this point, two employees Thomas Grant and William Ritchie, set up Grant, Ritchie and Company at Townholme Engine Works, Kilmarnock to manufacture steam locomotives.^[6][7]

References

Further reading

• Wear, Russell (1990). Barclay 150: a brief history of Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co. Ltd. and Hunslet-Barclay Ltd., Kilmarnock from 1840 to 1990. Kilmarnock: Hunslet-Barclay. 
• Wear, Russell (1977). The Locomotive Builders of Kilmarnock. Industrial Railway Society. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andrew Barclay Sons and Company.

• YouTube video of Kilmarnock Junction, Station and Wabtec Rail works
• Fireless Locomotives
• No.1578 Gertrude
• Locomotive Works Lists 1897-1912