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Aberdeen, Wellington Road, Craiginches Ironworks
Iron Works (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Aberdeen, Wellington Road, Craiginches Ironworks
Classification Iron Works (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Harpers Ltd; East Tullos Industrial Estate
Canmore ID 289123
Site Number NJ90SW 270
NGR NJ 94525 04294
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/289123
- Council Aberdeen, City Of
- Parish Aberdeen
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District City Of Aberdeen
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ90SW 270 94525 04294
Louis Harper, architect and engineer designed the Craiginches Ironworks for his father, John, in 1892 in an area that is now known as East Tullos Industrial Estate. Harpers Ltd (which was the first Aberdeen factory to instal electric light) manufactures included rope and belt pulleys, flywheels, steel shafting, toothed gearing and bearings. The premises had 28 travelling cranes on 2 miles of overhead rails and 28 electric motors with a roof area of 3 acres. The foundry had 5 bays altogether (35 feet, 25 ft and 3 bays of 18 feet wide) all of which were 260 feet long. There were 2 cupolas melting 9 and 6 tons of iron per hour respectively and numerous gear-wheel moulding machines and rope-pulley grooving machines capable of an output of 100 tons of castings per week. The 'Turnery' (machine tool shop) was connected to the foundry with bogie rails for the rapid movement of castings to the tool shop and was equipped with all sorts of specialist equipment, all driven by four lines of shafting. The Caledonian Railway connection allowed the import of pig iron and the export of finished castings.
Harpers Ltd also produced light iron suspension bridges designed by John Harper Snr. (See RCAHMS MS/3071)
The Engineer, 1907
