Bathgate, Whitburn Road, Balbardie Steel Works

Originally opened in 1907 on a greenfield site abut 0.5km to the south west of Bathgate, Balbardie Steel Works (latterly owned by Balfour Beatty through Balfour Beatty Rail Track Systems Limited and trading using the name Edgar Allen) latterly specialised in switches and crossings (frogs) for main line railway, light rail, tramway, docks and harbours. It was bounded on the west and east by railway lines and to the south, by the Bog Burn (see DC 56214). The site closed in 2009 and this aspect of Balfour Beatty relocated to South Queensferry.

The factory had passed through many owners such as the founding Menzies family, North British Steel Foundry Company, AN Industries, Smorgen, John Mowlem plc, Corillion and Aurora plc (North British Steel Group Ltd). By the 2000s, the land was owned by Mowlem plc who wished to develop the site and the factory was owned by Edgar Allen (Balfour Beatty).

The Works mostly used magnesium steel. The works consisted of Track Moulding Shops, a Loose Moulding section, Track After-Cast area, Melting Shop, Casting, Cutting and Dressing shops, Machine Shop, Pattern Shops and Stores, Heat Treatment department and Paint Spraying Department. The original 1907 buildings survived with evidence of expansion probably in the 1920s/30s and 1960s to south and east. The steelworks covered an area of some 1.1 acres (4.4 square metres) in 1907, and in excess of 5 acres (20,000 square metres) by time of closure in 2009.

The process carried out within the Works: Patterns were taken from the pattern stores, the pattern was put into the mould in the Track Moulding area. The casting sand was packed into the mould. The pattern was removed and the mould was sent to the Casting bed. The steel was melted in the Melting Shop and was added to the moulds. Once cooled, the casting was knocked out and heat treated in the Heat Treatment department gas furnace.

Once cooled the casting was sent to Fettling Department where excess metal was removed and the casting x-rayed to carry out a metal particle inspection (MPI). The casting was also sent to the Cutting shop where risers were removed and recycled. The casting also underwent crossing, grinding, welding and dressing in the Dressing Shop and thence to Dispatch.

The Machine Shop undertook boring, and turned the castings (flywheels, axles, drive shafts and crown gear were made here in the past). There were also lathes, cranes and general stores. These areas were within the original 1907 buildings in the north-west portion of the site.

RCAHMS undertook some survey photography at the site through the Threatened Buildings Programme/ Industrial Survey. RCAHMS was not allowed access to photograph the interiors. The site was closed in 2009 and the buildings were demolished in 2010.

Information from RCAHMS (MMD) 12 July 2012