Location type

Works

Name and dates

Atlas Works (1839-1851)

Description

Rowan & Co's Atlas Works was located north of Buchanan Street station on (in 1858, 1866, 1868) the south side of East Milton Street. The works was a general iron works, boiler and engine (stationary and marine) makers and foundry. This was probably the first works in Scotland to introduce the Bessemer process (patent 1856). It was also an early locomotive works which built locomotives for many of Scotland's first railways between 1839 and 1851. The works both predated and postdated this work. Also known as Atlas Iron Works and Atlas Steel Works.

Names associated with the works, (in 1856, 1866), were John Martin Rowan and Frederick J Rowan.

The works had no direct railway connection.

1839 Two 'Singles' built for the Slamannan Railway. These were named 'Boanerges' and 'Borealis'.

1840 Three George Dodds designed 0-4-0s for the Wishaw and Coltness Railway (based on his design for the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway.)

1842 Three 0-4-0s built for the Polloc and Govan Railway.

1843 An 0-4-0 built for the Wishaw and Coltness Railway, named 'Meteor'.

1851 Possible that two 0-4-0s were built for the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway.

1851 Two 0-4-0 tender locomotives built for the General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway.

1856 Thomas Craddock joins as works manager.

1857 The compound engine, boilers and condensers for the John Scott's built Thetis were manufactured.

1880s Rail motor cars built for Russian railway.

The site was later the Milton Pottery.
Even later it was William McEwen & Co's rail served bottling warehouse by Buchanan Street station.

It is now a building called Northgate.

Issues

The names Jas M Rowan or Jas M Rowan & Co are often given for the works - this is likely to be a transcription error for John Martin Rowan.

The location is often described as Springburn, the site of the 1886 Clyde Locomotive Works, later again renamed the Atlas Works [2nd]. However the works is not shown on any maps at this location and does not feature in Railway Clearing House diagrams or lists. Although unlikely, it may, perhaps, given the small site at East Milton Street, have relocated to Springburn just before becoming the Clyde Locomotive Works. More likely there has been a confusion over the name.

Possibly related

Company possibly associated with the later David Rowan & Co, later part of Lithgows. And J G Rowan & Co.

Tags

Works locomotive works iron works iron foundry

Aliases

Atlas Iron Works,Atlas Steel Works

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map

Nearby stations Buchanan Street Cowcaddens [Subway] Glasgow Queen Street Low Level Glasgow Queen Street High Level Buchanan Street [Subway] Glasgow (Townhead) Glasgow Central Glasgow Central Low Level Charing Cross [GC and DR] Argyle Street St Georges Cross [Subway] High Street Glasgow St Enoch College [1st] St Enoch [Subway]

Port Dundas Foundry Buchanan Street Shed Port Dundas Engine Works Bergius Engineering Works Buchanan Street Goods Pulteney Street Engine Works Cowlairs Tunnel London Wharf [Port Dundas] Crawford Street Chemical Works Hamburgh Wharf [Port Dundas] Carron Wharf [Port Dundas] Leith Wharf [Port Dundas] Rotterdam Wharf [Port Dundas] Tourist/other Buchanan Street Tunnel West Signal Box Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.