Location type

Works

Names and dates

Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard [2nd] (1870-1899)
Clydebank Engineering and Shipbuilding Works (1899-1996)
Kvaerner Energy (1996-2001)

Note: text in square brackets is added for clarity and was not part of the location's name.

Served by the Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Railway.

Description

This was the shipyard which built the Queens (RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth 2) and many other famous ships such as the HMS Hood, RMS Lusitania and RMS Aquitania. It is the yard which lent its name to Clydebank itself and, along with the Singer Works to the north, defined Clydebank. For many, the works was John Brown Engineering.

Of the shipyard the Titan Crane on the west side of the fitting out basin remains and more famously the RMS Queen Mary is a hotel and the Queen Elizabeth 2 is about to open as one (October 2018).

In 1871 J. & G. Thomson relocated their company from Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard [1st] to a new shipyard at West Barns O' Clyde and, to maintain continuity, retained the name 'Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard'. The location was in farmland on the north bank of the Clyde, opposite the River Cart and with the Forth and Cart Canal on its eastern edge. Being so far out of the city and with the employees still living in Govan a commuting service was setup involving a ferry crossing and a wholly self contained passenger service on the Stobcross Railway, Whiteinch Railway and new Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Railway to reach the shipyard, the terminus being Clydebank [1st] (later Clydebank East). The railway continued beyond the terminus' goods yard to the works crossing the Forth and Cart Canal and Glasgow Road

The yard was laid out with slips to either side of the fitting out basin and the works bordering those and Glasgow Road. (Those to the east were first)

The Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway opened in 1896, partly following the route of the Forth and Cart Canal. Clydebank [CR] (later Clydebank Riverside) opened to the east of the yard. This had additional platforms on the west side for the shipyard, approached from Glasgow. There were two connections into the yard. The eastern one was reached from the small marshalling yard in the goods yard of Kilbowie station. This connection met the line from Clydebank East. The second connection (opened as the yard expanded west) was from the yard to the east of Dalmuir Riverside station. Within the works sidings served most buildings and quaysides.

The yard was bought by Sheffield steel makers John Brown and Company in 1899.

The 'Titan' crane, by William Arrol's Dalmarnock Iron Works, on the west side of the basin dates from 1905/6.

As the yard built larger and larger vessels launching across the Clyde and into the Cart allows the vessel size to increase.

The railway connection from Clydebank East closed in 1964. The connection from Kilbowie probably closed around 1976 and that from Dalmuir Riverside just after. Both may have closed earlier.

Conventionl shipbuilding ceased in 1972 and the site built rigs until 2001 when it closed under UiE. The last marine work was the fitting out of the Bleo Holm around 1999. The engineering part of the yard continued with power station work until 2000.

The shipyard cranes largely came down in the 80s and 90s and the remaining building were demolished in the 2000s.

Reuse of site is not complete (2018) with much of the yard still vacant. The Titan Crane has been restored, the West College of Scotland has a campus and a leisure centre has been opened.

To the north west was the Dalmuir Naval Construction Yard and to the south east is the Rothesay Dock.

The works was rail served by a short extension of the line from Clydebank East, terminus of the Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Railway, and had an extensive private railway system served by company owned locomotives. It was later additional served by the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.

Local

Titan Clydebank

West College Scotland

Clydebank Leisure Centre

The Queen Mary

Queen Elizabeth 2

Tags

Shipyard engineering works

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map

Nearby stations Clydebank Clydebank East Clydebank Riverside Kilbowie Singer Workers Platforms Kilbowie [1st] Singer Yoker Drumry Yoker Ferry Dalmuir Riverside Renfrew Wharf Dalmuir [1st] Dalmuir Renfrew Fulbar Street	Clydebank Goods Clydebank East Shed Clydebank Goods Junction Clydebank Central Junction North British Chemical Works [Dalmuir] Rothesay Dock Singer Works Locomotive Shed Kilbowie Iron Works Kilbowie Swing Bridge Clydebank Junction RHI Refactories Singer Signal Box Post Office Submarine Cable Depot Dalmuir Singer Works Tourist/other Titan Crane [Clydebank]
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.