Around 1840, Andrew Barclay went into partnership with Thomas McCulloch in an engineering business to make mill shafts in Kilmarnock. Two years later he left to set up on his own and, in 1847, he moved to new premises in the town, which were paid for by the sale of his patent for the manufacture of gas lamps. The money from this sale was not paid however, and consequently the firm, which specialised in winding engines for the local coal industry, was sequestrated in 1848. Barclay soon recovered from this set back and by 1859, when the company produced its first locomotive, the firm was employing 150 people. By 1870, Barclay’s had produced 420 locomotives.

Around 1871 Andrew Barclay established a second locomotive building business, Barclays & Co , for his younger brother, John, and his four sons, James Wilson, Andrew jnr, William and Robert. This business  was based at the Riverbank Works, Kilmarnock . This business remained closely associated with that of Andrew Barclay, who provided most of the plant. The firms were declared bankrupt in 1874  and 1882  respectively. In 1886 Andrew Barclay ‘s business was reconstructed as Andrew Barclay Sons & Co , but Barclays & Co was not revived

Problems were still encountered but in 1892 the firm took on limited liability as Andrew Barclay Sons & Co Ltd . Two years later Andrew Barclay was removed from control of the company by its shareholders. Barclay then sued the company for unpaid wages, eventually settling out of court in 1899. 

In 1912 Andrew Barclay Sons & Co Ltd built the first fireless locomotives in Britain. For more details go to Fireless Locomotives.

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

In 1972 the company was acquired by the Hunslet Group of companies and its name was changed in 1989 to Hunslet-Barclay Ltd.

After going into financial administration in 2007 the company was acquired by Brush Traction of Loughborough and was renamed Brush-Barclay. 

In 2011 Wabtec acquired Brush Traction and the Kilmarnock works became Wabtec Rail Scotland.

Preserved Locomotives

I have only included standard gauge locomotives which are preserved in Britain. 

For details of preserved fireless locomotives built by Andrew Barclay go to Fireless Locomotives.

None of the LMS 4F 0-6-0 locomotives built by Andrew Barclay (44357-44381) have been preserved although three members of the class (44027, 44123 & 44422) have been preserved.

For Andrew Barclay built locomotives preserved outside Britain go to Preserved Outside Britain by Builder – Andrew Barclay

 

Preserved Austerity Locomotives built to the Hunslet Design

In addition to building locomotives to designs produced by Andrew Barclay the company also built fifteen Austerity 0-6-0ST engines for the War Department during 1944-1946 as a sub contractor to the Hunslet Engine Company. Ten (68071-80) of these were bought by the LNER in 1945-46. Of these 68077 and 68078 have been preserved.

One other example of the fifteen built by Andrew Barclay to the Hunslet Engine Company survives – Andrew Barclay Works No 2183 which now carries the name Earl David.

Works No	Built	Name/Number	Location
2183	1945	Earl David	Vale of Berkeley Railway
2212	1946	BR 68078	Hope Farm, Sellinge
2215	1947	BR 68077	Spa Valley Railway

Other Preserved Andrew Barclay Locomotives

Works No	Built	Name	Type	Location
699	1891	Swanscombe	0-4-0ST	Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
776	1899	Firefly	0-4-0ST	Northampton & Lamport Railway
782	1896	Kinlet	0-6-0ST	Blist Hill, Ironbridge Gorge Museum
807	1897	Bon Accord	0-4-0ST	Royal Deeside Railway
880	1902	Glenfield No1	0-4-0CT	Ribble Steam Railway
885	1900	The Barclay	0-6-0ST	Cambrian Heritage Railway
929	1902	Alexandra	0-4-0ST	Private site at Criggion near Oswestry
945	1904	Annie	0-4-0ST	Whitwell & Reepham Railway
946	1902	No3	0-4-0ST	Thos Muir Haulage & Metal Ltd, Kirkaldy
1015	1904	Horden	0-6-0ST	Tanfield Railway
1047	1905	Storefield No11	0-4-0ST	East Anglia Railway Museum
1069	1906	No22	0-4-0ST	Thos Muir Haulage & Metal Ltd, Kirkaldy
1081	1909		0-4-0ST	Kidwelly Industrial Museum
1116	1910	No16	0-4-0ST	Doon Valley Railway
1142	1908	NCB No29	0-4-0ST	Lathalmond Railway Museum
1147	1908	John Howe	0-4-0ST	Ribble Steam Railway
1175	1909	No 8   Dardanelles	0-6-0ST	Polkemmet Country Park
1193	1910	NCB No6	0-4-2ST	Tanfield Railway
1219	1910	Caledonian Works	0-4-0ST	Williton – West Somerset Railway
1223	1911	Colin MacAndrew	0-4-0ST	Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre
1245	1911		0-6-0T	Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
1260	1911	Forester	0-4-0ST	Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
1296	1912	No8	0-6-0T	Scottish Industrial Railway Centre
1338	1913	NCB West Ayr Area No17	0-6-0T	Tanfield Railway
1385	1914	Rosyth No 1	0-4-0ST	Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
1398	1915	Lord Fisher	0-4-0ST	Yeovil Railway Centre
1458	1916	3 Lady Victoria	0-6-0ST	The National Mining Museum, Scotland
1598	1918	Efficient	0-4-0ST	Ribble Steam Railway
1605	1918	Ajax No38	0-6-0T	Isle of Wight Steam Railway
1614	1918	No19	0-4-0ST	Doon Valley Railway
1619	1919	Toto	0-4-0ST	Mangapps Railway Museum
1659	1920	Stanley No32	0-4-0ST	Tanfield Railway
1680	1920	Nora No5	0-4-0ST	Big Pit Mining Museum, Blaenavon
1719	1920	No 2  Lady Nan	0-4-0ST	East Somerset Railway
1807	1929		0-4-0ST	Thos Muir Haulage & Metal Ltd, Kirkaldy
1823	1924	Henry/Harry	0-4-0ST	Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
1833	1924	Niddrie	0-6-0ST	Ribble Steam Railway
1863	1926		0-4-0ST	Caledonian Railway
1865	1926	Alexander	0-4-0ST	Ribble Steam Railway
1875	1925	Stanton No24	0-4-0CT	Matthew Kirtley Museum, Midland Railway Centre
1889	1926	No3	0-4-0ST	Grampian Transport Museum
1890	1926	Forth No10	0-4-0ST	Fife Heritage Railway
1927	1927	No1	0-4-0ST	East Lancashire Railway
1931	1927	BSC No2	0-4-0ST	Rocks by Rail, Cottesmore
1937	1928	3 Clyde Mill	0-4-0ST	Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
1964	1929	Spitfire	0-4-0ST	Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
1969	1929	JN Derbyshire	0-4-0ST	Ribble Steam Railway
1996	1934		0-4-0ST	Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline
2015	1935	Tom Parry	0-4-0ST	Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
2017	1935	Braeriach No17	0-6-0T	Strathspey Railway
2020	1936	Balmenach No2	0-4-0ST	Strathspey Railway
2043	1937	4	0-4-0ST	Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
2046	1937	BA Co Ltd No3	0-4-0ST	Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
2047	1937	No 705	0-4-0ST	Plym Valley Railway
2068	1939	The Wemyss Coal Co Ltd No20	0-6-0T	Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
2069	1939	Little Barford	0-4-0ST
2073	1939	Daluaine	0-4-0ST	John Dewar & Sons Ltd, Aberfeldy Distillery
2074	1939	Llantarnam Abbey	0-6-0ST	Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
2086	1940	Drake	0-4-0ST	Barclay House, Kilmarnock
2088	1940	Sir Thomas Royden	0-4-0ST	Rutland Railway Museum
2107	1941	Harlaxton No100	0-6-0T	Caledonian Railway
2127	1942	6	0-4-0CT	Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
2134	1942		0-4-0ST	West Coast Railways, Carnforth
2138	1941	Swordfish	0-6-0ST	Quainton Road
2139	1942	Salmon	0-6-0ST	Royal Deeside Railway
2157	1943	Fambridge – ROF No8	0-4-0ST	Mangapps Railway Museum
2168	1943	Edmundsons	0-4-0ST	Rushden Transport Museum
2199	1945	Victory	o-4-0ST	Whitewell & Reepham Railway
2201	1945	Victory	0-4-0ST	Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
2217	1947	Henry Ellison	0-4-0ST	Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
2219	1946	No17	0-4-0ST	Prestonpans Mining Museum
2220	1946	Invicta	0-4-0ST	Chatham Historic Dockyard Railway
2221	1946	No2	0-4-0ST	Dean Forest Railway
2226	1946	Katie	0-4-0ST	Churnet Valley Railway
2230	1947	No1	0-4-0ST	West Coast Railways, Carnforth
2239	1947	Mr Therm	0-4-0ST	Seaton Park, Aberdeen
2244	1947	No10	0-4-0ST	Doon Valley Railway, Dunaskin
2248	1948	Albert	0-4-0ST	Plym Valley Railway
2258	1949	Tiny	0-4-0ST	Keighley Worth Valley Railway
2259	1949	No30	0-4-0ST	Lochore Meadows Country Park
2260	1949	NCB No23	0-4-0ST	Doon Valley Railway, Dunaskin
2261	1949	No6	0-4-0ST	Cambrian Heritage Railway, Oswestry
2262	1949	No7	0-4-0ST	Thos Muir Haulage & Metal Ltd, Kirkaldy
2274	1949		0-4-0ST	Bowes Railway
2284	1949	No21	0-4-0ST	Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange
2292	1951	No17	0-4-0ST	Fife Heritage Railway
2296	1950	National Coal Board Area 3 No17	0-4-0ST	Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
2315	1951	Lady Ingrid	0-4-0ST	Spa Valley Railway
2320	1952	Fishburn Coke Works No22	0-4-0ST	Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
2323	1952		0-4-0ST	Northampton & Lamport Railway
2333	1953	David	0-4-0ST	Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
2335	1953	24	0-6-0T	Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
2343	1953	British Gypsum No4	0-4-0ST	Ribble Steam Railway
2350	1954	Belvoir	0-6-0ST	Rocks by Rail
2352	1954	67 Hong Hong Flyer	0-4-0ST	Tanat Valley Light Railway
2354	1954	Richard Trevithick	0-4-0ST	Swindon & Cricklade Railway
2358	1954		0-6-0ST	Doon Valley Railway, Dunaskin
2360	1954	Brian Harrison No3	0-4-0ST	Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
2361	1954	W.S.T	0-4-0ST	Bowes Railway
2368	1955		0-4-0ST	Doon Valley Railway, Dunaskin
2369	1955	No8	0-4-0ST	Appleby Fordingham Railway

Peckett locomotive Work No 614 of 1896 was rebuilt by Andrew Barclay in 1941 as Works No 5997.

 

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