Singer Works
Location type
WorksName and dates
Singer Works (1884-1980)Served by the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway.
Description
This was a huge sewing machine factory which was noted for its tall clock tower, 200 feet high, the second highest in the world. It was opened at Kilbowie in 1883/4 for a company based in the United States, the Singer Sewing Machine Company, replacing a smaller factory (of 1867) in Bridgeton, Singer Works [Bridgeton]. When opened the new factory was on a greenfield site with a low local population.
Railways were important to the works with trains running from Glasgow (notably from Bridgeton Cross [NB]) to the works' own terminus, Singer Workers Platforms along with the public Kilbowie [1st] station - in all eight platforms. This was needed for the huge workforce at its height around 12,000 workers, or even as many as 16,000.
Within the works were 2.75 miles of lines serving different parts areas. From the delivery of raw materials to the works, coal for its boilers, gasworks and foundry, lines took away the completed sewing machines. At the east end lines ran in from the goods yard sandwiched between Kilbowie [1st] (to the north) and Singer Workers Platforms (south). This connection was laid in during 1882. These passed through two single track bridges carrying Kilbowie Road after which lines divided to different areas. There was also a western exit for the railways at the east end of Dalmuir [1st] station.
There was a two road locomotive shed in the south east of the works. The company had its own locomotives from the start in 1882 with the last being delivered in 1961 (the 9th).
In 1896 a line was laid from sidings at Kilbowie Road station on the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway to the southern portion of the works. This short line had a swing bridge (Kilbowie Swing Bridge) crossing the Forth and Clyde Canal. This was not able to be used due to a dis-agreement between the North British Railway (which already served the works) and the Caledonian Railway (which wished to).
In 1907 the works was expanded. To accommodate this the North British Railway route was relocated to the north, Singer Deviation (North British Railway). Kilbowie [1st] was closed and was replaced by today's Singer station. A large rail served timber yard was laid out to the west of the works, partly on the site of Lidgerwood Siding. It extended to both the east and west of the Clydebank to Dalmuir (North British Railway).
The works was used for war production in the Great War. Following the war the connection from the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway was seldom used. It was given over to munitions manufacturing for the Second World War.
A major rebuilding and modernisation of the 1960s saw the loss of the tower in 1963. In addition both Singer and Singer Workers Platforms station were included in the north bank electrification scheme. Lines within the works were much reduced to simply serve the gasworks and closed completely in 1971.
The factory was closed in 1980. Afterwards the site was cleared to become an industrial estate. One building remains in the north west of the site, in other uses. Singer Workers Platforms, already cut back, was closed. Singer station remains open to this day, unusual in being named for a closed factory not the area in which it is located.
The sewing machine manufacturer
Singer
and the independent Singer Sewing Machines online shop
Singer Sewing Machines
Tags
Works Sewing machine factory| Nearby stations Singer Kilbowie Singer Workers Platforms Kilbowie [1st] Clydebank Dalmuir Riverside Dalmuir [1st] Clydebank East Clydebank Riverside Dalmuir Drumry Yoker Yoker Ferry Renfrew Wharf Drumchapel | Kilbowie Swing Bridge Singer Works Locomotive Shed Clydebank Central Junction Clydebank Goods Junction Lidgerwood Siding Post Office Submarine Cable Depot Dalmuir Kilbowie Iron Works Dalmuir No 23 Tunnels Royal Naval Stores Depot Dalmuir Dalmuir No 25 Tunnel Clydebank Goods Singer Timber Yard Turners Asbestos Cement Works Clydebank Engineering and Shipbuilding Works North British Chemical Works [Dalmuir] |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Chronology Dates
| / /1884 | Singer Manufacturing Company (US) Build new Singer Works at Kilbowie. |
| 15/06/1896 | Forth and Cart Canal In Clydebank the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway line makes use of some of the former route of the Forth and Cart Canal between Clydebank [CR] and Kilbowie. This swing north under the North British Railway to pass through Kilbowie Road station and then pass back over the NBR was planned to avoid the northern part of the Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard [2nd] and serve the Singer Works. A portion of the canal was left at either end, the southern part on the east side of the Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard [2nd]. |
| 03/11/1907 | Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway Singer station on new loop line skirting round the north of the Singer Works opened. The old course of the line becomes a goods line to the west of Kilbowie Road and the old station becomes a terminus for worker's trains, Singer Workers Platforms, and is expanded to 6 platforms. |
