Andrew Barclay Sons & Co.

Background

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. Several years later, Barclay chose to branch out on his own to manufacture his patented gas lamps. During 1847, he set up workshops specializing in the manufacture of winding engines for the local coal mining industry. However, the money from the sale of a patent granted to the company's gas lamp design was never paid, leading to sequestration of the company during the following year.

By 1859, Barclay had recovered from this setback and his newly formed company produced its first steam locomotive. Sometime around 1871, Barclay set up a second locomotive building business known as Barclays & Co, which he had set up for his younger brother, John, and his four son, yet this business remained closely associated with Andrew Barclay. Neither company enjoyed good fortunes, as they were both 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 on, Barclays & Co was also revived. During 1892, the firm became a private limited 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, after which he sued the company for unpaid wages, a matter which was settled out of court five years later.

During 1930, the company purchased a rival engine making business, John Cochrane (Barrhead) Ltd. In 1963, it acquired the goodwill of the North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow.

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. Its manufacturing output in this period included eight additional centre trailer cars for the Glasgow Subway, which were delivered in 1992.

Twenty-first century

The locomotive interests of Hunslet-Barclay were purchased by the Staffordshire-based conglomerate LH Group on 31 December 2003; thereafter, Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock continuing in the business of design, manufacture and refurbishment of multiple units, rolling stock, bogies and wheel-sets. Several Barclay locomotives were supplied through Lennox Lange, who acted as an agent for Barclay.

During 2007, the company's poor financial position compelled it into administration. Shortly thereafter, the company was acquired by the Loughborough-based engineering company Brush Traction through its parent, the FKI Group. To reflect its change in ownership, it was rebranded as Brush-Barclay.

On 28 February 2011, Wabtec announced that it had acquired Brush Traction for US$31 million. Accordingly, the Kilmarnock works became Wabtec Rail Scotland.

During early 2020, Wabtec announced its intention to close the Kilmarnock works and put it up for sale. Several months later, the Kilmarnock firm Brodie Engineering acquired the site, after which it started operating two facilities within Kilmarnock, the other being at the Bonnyton Rail Depot within the Bonnyton Industrial Estate.

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. They were used in munitions factories during WW1, and the closure of the Gretna munitions factory at the end of WW1 saw an 0-4-0 Barclay fireless loco of 2 foot gauge, and two 0-6-0 Barclay fireless locos of standard-gauge up for tender. 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).