Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.
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Andrew Barclay & Sons Co. was a steam and later diesel locomotive builder based in Kilmarnock, Scotland founded in 1840.
[edit] History
Born in 1814 Andrew Barclay was only 25 years of age when he set up a partnership with Thomas McCulloch in the manufacturer of mill shafts in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It it was only a couple of years later that he branched out on his own in the manufacture of his patented gas lamps. In 1847 he set up workshops secializing 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 the company and sequestration came the following year.
By 1859 Barclay recovered from this set back and his newly formed company produced its first locomotive. Sometime around 1871 Andrew Barclay set up a second locomotive building business which was known as Barclays & Co., for his younger brother, John, and his four sons, this business remaining closely associated with that of Andrew Barclay. Again not all went well and the companies were declared bankrupt in 1874 and 1882 respectively. Four years after this last collapse Andrew Barclay’s business was relaunched as Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., Barclays & Co was being revived. Problems were not over, however, but in 1892 the firm took on limited liability 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. However, in 1972 it was acquired by the Leeds – based Hunslet Group of companies and its name was changed in 1989 to Hunslet-Barclay Ltd.
[edit] Products
The company was noted for constructing simple robust locomotives and many of its products survive in use on heritage railways. It was the largest builder of fireless locomotives in Britain, building 114 of them between 1913 and 1961.
[edit] External links
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