Caledonia Works
Location type
WorksName and dates
Caledonia Works (1847-1990)Served by the Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co.
Description
This was a locomotive works on the south side of West Langlands Street in Kilmarnock. The works was established by Andrew Barclay and rebuilt several times. The company was Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co.
The works began in 1847 with the acquisition of the site. The first locomotive was built in 1858 for the Portland Iron Works in nearby Hurlford. The two storey red block on West Langlands Street dates from 1906. Other older parts of the works also stand, although completely rebuilt internally, on West Langlands Street, North Hamilton Street and Park Street. An overhead crane stands as a memorial in what is now a car park.
The works was relocated to the north side of West Langlands Street (Caledonia Works [2nd]) to occupy the site of the former Kilmarnock Goods yard in 1990, when the works was awarded the contract to convert Class 155s to 153s.
The works specialised in industrial steam locomotives, fireless locomotives and ultimately diesel locomotives. Well over 2000 locomotives were built here.
Tags
Locomotive works locomotive manufacturer locomotive builderAliases
Barclay WorksExternal links
Canmore site recordNLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
Facilities
Listing: B
A locomotive builder's hobbyA double dormer window at the top of the oldest building, on the corner of West Langlands Street and North Hamilton Street, may be Andrew Barclay's observatory. Windows face north and south. A minnow swallows a whaleAfter closure of the North British Locomotive Company in 1963 the smaller Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co company bought the goodwill and briefly altered its paperwork to read 'Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co incorporating the North British Locomotive Co'. NBL had been in the habit of passing small orders of shunters to Barclays for years. |
Chronology Dates
| / /1990 | Hunslet Barclay Caledonia Works closed and new works opened on the site of the former Kilmarnock Goods yard (used as exchange and other sidings by the works before relocation). |
News items
| 13/06/2022 | Official opening of the Caledonia Works [Brodie Engineering] |
| 20/08/2020 | First Arrival at Brodie Engineering's Caledonia Works [Brodie Engineering] |
