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Bathgate, Whitburn Road, Balbardie Steel Works

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Foundry (Period Unassigned), Steel Works (20th Century)

Site Name Bathgate, Whitburn Road, Balbardie Steel Works

Classification Foundry (Period Unassigned), Steel Works (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) North British Steel Foundry Company Ltd; Edgar Allen Ltd

Canmore ID 294873

Site Number NS96NE 159

NGR NS 97259 68347

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/294873

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

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Digital Images

View from south of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419) orignally used as a pattern store.
View from south of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419) orignally used as a pattern store.View along north east elevation maintainence, construction and machine shop.View from south west of 'new' pattern shed (NO97371 68475).View from north east looking towards rear of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419), originally pattern store with castings ('frogs' which allow two railway lines to cross at a junction or switch)Detail of north west corner of the 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419), originally pattern store.View of No.1 Machine Shop from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 8View of the loading bank, from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 15View of the power house, from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 16View of original mess hall from north west.View from south west looking towards 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419) orignally used a s a pattern store.View from north east looking towards rear of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419), originally pattern store with castings ('frogs' which allow two railway lines to cross at a junction or switch)View of sculpture alongside public path of line of dismantled railway with back view of foundry buildings from south.View of foundry buildings from south west.View of foundry buildings from south west.View of foundry buildings from south west.Aerial oblique view of Balbardie Foundry covering 30 acres from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 2north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south-west.north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south.View of office block from north west.View of main gate from south east.View from south east of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419) orignally used as a pattern store.Interior. View from north east looking along loading bay with machine shop, castings and loose moulding section to right and dressing, cutting and reheating to left.View from north west looking towards former stores. with drawing office over, offices to left and pattern store to right.Interior. View of 'new' pattern shed (NO97371 68475) from east.View loking along north east frontage of foundry buildings.Voew of sculpture alongside public path of line of dismantled railway with back view of foundry buildings from south.View of the fettling shop with sandblasting chambers and pneumatic tool equipment from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 7View of No.3 Machine Shop on right, from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 10Bathgate, general view, showing north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south.View looking towards office block and mess hall from north west with abutment for dismantled railway to left.View from north east pattern shop and stores.View from west of 'new' pattern shed (NO97371 68475). the castins in the foreground are treads for large quarry vehicles for a Canadian customer.View of foundry buildings from south west.View of the forge and constructional department, from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 11north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south-west.North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south-west.View from north east of rear of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419) orignally used as a pattern store.View from north west of stores with former drawing office above.View from north east of former pattern store area.View of office block from south (NO97265 68413).View from west of 'new' pattern shed (NO97371 68475).View of sculpture alongside public path on line of dismantled railway.View of foundry buildings from south west.View of foundry buildings from south west.View of patternmaking shop from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 8View of drawing office and template store from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 18Bathgate, North British Steel Foundry Company Ltd, oblique aerial view.View from north east pattern shop and stores.View of new pattern sheds (NO 97261 68212 and NO 97260 68185) from west.View of the woodworking shop, from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 13north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Whitburn Road and Bathgate Golf Course, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing east.north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing west.View from north east looking towards rear of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419), originally pattern store with castings ('frogs' which allow two railway lines to cross at a junction or switch)View of foundry buildings from south west.View of the foundry, from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 6View of the railway signal department, from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 12North British Steel Foundry Co. Ltd. Works, Whitburn Road, Bathgate. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing east.north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south.north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south.View from west looking towards 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419, orignally used as a pattern store) with remnants of internal rails serving the site from the now dismantled railway sidings.View from north east of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419) orignally used as a pattern store (right) and looking towards the maintennce and construction shop.View from north east of maintennce and construction shop area.View from north west of pattern shop.View from north east of pattern shop.View from south east looking towards front elevation of 'hangar' building (NO 97333 68419), originally pattern store.View of foundry buildings from south west.View of No.2 Machine Shop equipped with bullards, gear cutters, asquith radials etc. from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 9View of 'fire-proof store showing customers' patterns in our care' from North British Steel Foundry Ltd, Castings, page 19north British Steel Foundry Ltd, Balbardie Steel Works, Paulville, Bathgate, west Lothian, Scotland, 1949. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.

Administrative Areas

  • Council West Lothian
  • Parish Bathgate
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District West Lothian
  • Former County West Lothian

Archaeology Notes

NS96NE 159 97259 68347

Edgar Allen to close site late 2008/early 2009. Relocated to Queensferry.

Information from RCAHMS (MMD), 17 December 2008.

Further Details

Activities

Note (12 July 2012)

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

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