Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., currently operating as Brodie Engineering, is a railway engineering company, specialising in the heavy maintenance, refurbishment and overhauls for both passenger and freight rolling stock. Based around its works at Kilmarnock, it is the only active rail engineering business in Scotland.[1]
The company's history can be traced back to the establishment of an engineering workshop in Kilmarnock in 1840 by Andrew Barclay. It produced numerous steam locomotives during the nineteenth century and, during the following century, it produced several fireless and diesel locomotives as well. Ownership of the company has been exchanged several times, having become a private limited company in 1892. It was acquired by the Hunslet Group during 1972, after which it was renamed Hunslet-Barclay.
During the twenty-first century, the business has changed hands multiple times, having been purchased by LH Group in December 2003, then becoming part of the FKI Group under the name Brush-Barclay during 2007. Four years later, both Brush Traction and Brush-Barclay were acquired by the multinational railway engineering company Wabtec. During July 2020, the Kilmarnock works was acquired and reopened by Brodie Engineering Ltd after Wabtec had opted to close down the site. In early 2024, Porterbrook took a stake in the business.
The former offices in West Langland Street is now the HQ of development company The KLIN Group
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[when?][citation needed]
The plant under Brush-Barclay ownership
During 2007, the company's poor financial position compelled it into administration. Shortly therafter, the company was acquired by the Loughborough-based engineering company Brush Traction through its parent, the FKI Group.[2] To reflect its change in ownership, it was rebranded as Brush-Barclay.[3]
On 28 February 2011, Wabtec announced that it had acquired Brush Traction for US$31 million. Accordingly, the Kilmarnock works became Wabtec Rail Scotland.[4][5]
During early 2020, Wabtec announced its intention to close the Kilmarnock works and put it up for sale.[6] 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.[7]
During February 2024, it was announced that the rolling stock companyPorterbrook had agreed terms to purchase a 49 percent stake in Brodie Engineering; this move was promoted as bolstering support for multiple train operating companies.[1]
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.
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.[8] 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.
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).[9]
699 "Swanscombe" is the oldest surviving Andrew Barclay locomotive, dating from 1891.1245 represents the 0-6-0 side tank locomotives built by Andrew Barclay.1952 is the only operational Fireless Andrew Barclay in the UK.2139 "Salmon" is one of the 0-6-0 Andrew Barclay saddle tanks.2248 "Albert" is a representative of the more powerful 16 inch Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tanks.2274 (NCB No. 22) is a representative of the 14 inch Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tanks.
A large number of various ABS&Co locomotives have been preserved, proving popular on many Heritage Railways and Railway Centres, as listed below.
No' 807 "Bon Accord" - Preserved and running on the Royal Deeside Railway in Scotland
No' 826 - Built in 1898. The buyer was Davis & Soper of London, presumably an agent for “The Corporation of the City of Cape Town” (Municipality). Preserved and on display on Table Mountain in South Africa.
No' 880 Crane Tank "Glenfield No' 1" - Preserved and currently awaiting restoration at the Ribble Steam Railway in Lancashire
No' 885 - Preserved and awaiting restoration at the Cambrian Heritage Railway in Oswestry, Shropshire
No' 2139 "Salmon" - Preserved and awaiting 10-year overhaul on the Royal Deeside Railway in Scotland
No' 2157 "Fambridge" - Undergoing overhaul at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway in Wiltshire - owned by Bristol & Somerset Locomotive Company Limited[10]
No' 2168 "Edmundsons" - Preserved and under overhaul at the Rushden Transport Museum in Northamptonshire
No' 2183 "Earl David No' 15" - Preserved and running on the Avon Valley Railway in Gloucestershire
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.[13][14]
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.
Administrative centre: Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire Council Headquarters, London Road, KA3 7BU Council structure: Chief Executive: Eddie Fraser; Provost of the CouncilCllr Jim Todd; Leader of the Council Cllr Douglas Reid
