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Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Diesel Engine Works

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Engineering Works (20th Century)

Site Name Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Diesel Engine Works

Classification Engineering Works (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Glasgow, Whiteinch, 739 South Street; Barclay Curle & Co.

Canmore ID 68385

Site Number NS56NW 52

NGR NS 53415 66915

NGR Description Centred on 53415 66915

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/68385

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

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Digital Images

Glasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of Sulzer engine under construction
Glasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of Sulzer engine under constructionGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior General ViewGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of Sulzer pistonGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of punching and shearing machineGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of main bayGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View of N faceGlasgow, general view, showing Mechan and Sons Scotstoun Ironworks and Barclay, Curle and Co. Ltd. North British Diesel Engine Works, South Street. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south-east.Former training school, view from south west with store rooms on rightFormer training school, view from north westGeneral view, main erecting shop (Bay C)Barclay, Curle and Co, Ltd, north British Diesel Engine Works, Whiteinch, Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1950. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north-west. This image has been produced from a damaged and crop marked negative.Barclay, Curle and Co, Ltd, north British Diesel Engine Works, Whiteinch, Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1950. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north-east. This image has been produced from a crop marked negative.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General aerial view.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from South-East of main workshop.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. Exterior view from South-West showing oil storage tanks next to main workshop (right).Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from SE of 150 ton giant cantilever crane and main workshop.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. Babcock & Wilcock Boiler. Detail of steam-powered fuel oil pump, and the end of the main fuel oil tank (lagged).Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Compressor house, 2 air compressor. Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from North-East of main workshop.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from North, looking from the edge of Bay 'B' into Bay 'A' upper floor level, main workshop.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from the South Bay 'A', upper floor. Main Workshop.Barclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View in light machine bayGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior General ViewGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View in the Main BayGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of large latheGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of large Loudon planerGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior General ViewGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of machine shopGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View of service blockGyproc Products Ltd. Works, Gyproc Wharf, Shieldhall and Barclay, Curle and Co. Ltd. North British Diesel Engine Works, South Street, Glasgow. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north-east.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General aerial view.Electricity sub-station, view from northOffice building to south east of bays A-G, view from south eastGeneral view from southGlasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. View of Shipyard - centre NS 525 676.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Main Workshop. View from North-East of bay 'C' showing seadart Missile test bed on site of former diesel engine test bed.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Main Workshop. View from South-East across bay 'C' showing seadart Missile test bed on site of former diesel engine test bed.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Office Block. Exterior view from South-West.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from South showing open store area (stockyard) next to main workshop (note overhead travelling crane).Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from North-West. Left part of building is Power Station, right part is former Blacksmith's shop.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. View of 2 feed water pumps.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. Babcock & Wilcock Boiler. Detail of main stop valve and non-return valve located on top of steam drum.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from South in the power station, showing main switch board and a pair of rotary converters. The rotary converters were still in use in mid 1986.Barclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of latheInterior view of Craven lathe, North British Diesel Engine Works, Glasgow, in 1977.Glasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of Swift latheGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of main erecting bayGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View of N faceGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View of S faceView from E showing NNE and ESE fronts of office blockGlasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from North-East. Bay 'C', main workshop.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from South-West. Bay 'B', Upper floor level, main workshop. On the left hand side of the view, in the foreground a group of milling machines and in the background are capstan and turret lathes, (these lathes are shown in photo No. 1). On the right hand side is a pair of disc grinders, (ready to be installed) above which is located the line shaft electric drive motors and morse chain drive belt, (link type belt) and guard. The drive motor made by Westinghouse Co. Manchester, England). Behind the drive motor stand are several medium size shaping machines. On the right hand side of the shop railway lines a row of vertical boring mills all with individual electric drive motors can be seen. Note the hot air heating duct mounted in the columns along the left side of the bay/ view.View from SW of 150-ton giant cantilever crane, Glasgow, built by Sir William Arrol & Co Ltd in 1920.Former training school, view from southFormertraining school, garages nearest camera. On left, veranda of office block. and garages, view from westBarclay, Curle and Co, Ltd, north British Diesel Engine Works, Whiteinch, Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1950. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north. This image has been produced from a crop marked negative.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. Babcock & Wilcock Boiler, view of iron doors covering 'headers' beneath steam drum.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. Babcock & Wilcock Boiler. Detail of burners (3 for each half/side).Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. Babcock and Wilcox boiler. Detail of gauge end of the steam drum.Barclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View in Main BayGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior Vie of small bending rollsGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View of fitting out craneGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View of light crane outside N front of buildingGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works View of E face of light machine shopGlasgow, 739 South Street, North British Diesel Engine Works View from SW showing materials craneBarclay, Curle and Co. Ltd. Clydeholm Shipyard, South Street and Alexander Stephen and Sons Linthouse Shipyard, Glasgow. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north-west. This image has been produced from a print.Former blacksmiths shop (by 1986 plumber's shop), view from northFormertraining school, view from north eastDetail of roller joint between building frame and floor of erecting shop (Bay C)Barclay, Curle and Co, Ltd, north British Diesel Engine Works, Whiteinch, Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1950. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north. This image has been produced from a crop marked negative.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Main Workshop. Upper Floor level, bay 'B' detail of upper floor articulated base of frame with crane track (right).Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Main office block, exterior view from South.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Detail of former water tank, used with engine test bed (located next to boiler house) behind can be seen circular oil tanks, which were previously Lancashire boilers.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Boiler House. Babcock & Wilcock Boiler. Detail of makers name plate (order No. 15436)Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Power Station. Internal view from South showing modern frequency converter.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. Power Station. Detail of No.1 rotary converter in use. Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view of compressors, located in the South-West end of the power station.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from North-West in the Blacksmith's department.Glasgow, 739 South Street, North British Engine Works. General view from South. Bay 'A', ground floor level, main workshop.Barclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowBarclay Curle Marine Engineering Works, South Street, GlasgowGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of vertical boring millsGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of Sulzer engine under constructionGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of dynamometerGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of punching and shearing machineGlasgow, North British Diesel Engine Works; Interior View of guillotineGlasgow, 739 South Street, North British Diesel Engine Works View from SE showing fitting out craneGlasgow, 739 South Street, North British Diesel Engine Works View showing detail of light machine shopOblique aerial view of the North British Diesel Engine Works, Whiteinch, looking N.

First 100 images shown. See the Collections panel (below) for a link to all digital images.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Glasgow, City Of
  • Parish Govan (City Of Glasgow)
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District City Of Glasgow
  • Former County Lanarkshire

Recording Your Heritage Online

Recording Your Heritage Online

North British Diesel Engine Works, 739 South Street, 1913, Karl Bernardt, executed by John Galt

Steel-framed brick and glass building modelled on AEG turbine factory, Berlin by Peter Behrens on which the German architect-engineer Bernardt had also worked. Tall main workshop fronting river, with flattened mansard roof. Gable ends originally glazed. Large central aisle with east gallery, two layers of travelling cranes. On quayside, Titan Crane, 1920, Sir William Arrol. Original for the 'Meccano' model.

Taken from "Greater Glasgow: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Sam Small, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

Further Details

Archaeology Notes

NS56NW 52 534 668

"...built 1913-14 for Barclay, Curle and Co, J Galt, architect (?44,458). The main shop is a steel framed structure, clad in brick and glass, with a flattened 'mansard roof', having a strong resemblance to Peter Behren's AEG factory. The office block is a three storey, 10 bay structure, faced with terra-cotta brick, with a flat roof".

J R Hume, 1974

"the machine hall['s]...portal frame of the main space was translated externally as a long, low multi-facteted roof over a brick 'arch' infilled with glass...While it is generally acknowledged that John Galt -a Glasgow architect- supervised the erection of the factory, recent research has suggested that the designer was a German engineer, Karl Bernhard, who worked with Peter Behrens on the design of the AEG Turbine Factory (1909) in Berlin - which would account for the clear similarities between the two buildings."

1984

During the early 1980's the engineering firm of Sir William Arrol & Co. Ltd., appear to have been contracted to supply roll-on roll-off ramps for an unspecified ferry pier on the Skye Triangle at Uig, Lochmaddy or Tarbert. Information extracted from Hansard for 1988, Column 1196, notes that 'Link spans for roll-on roll-off purposes have been built at Uig, Tarbert, Lochmaddy, Lochboisdale and Colonsay. Work is proceeding on a linkspan at Castlebay in Barra. A total of 22 million GBP has been paid out in pier grants throughout Scotland since 1979'.

Information from RCAHMS (MKO), July 2001.

Further Details

Activities

Laser Scanning (22 July 2014 - 31 July 2014)

A laser scan survey of the electric overhead travelling crane inside the former Barclay Curle North British Diesel Engine Works was carried out in 2014. The laser scan survey was carried out to provide control for drawing work prior to the crane being dismantled and removed.

Further Details

Field Visit (2014)

See digital file WP007441 for fuller report.

The former Barclay Curle North British Engine Works in South Street, Glasgow (1) was probably built in 1913 to manufacture marine diesel engines. A large giant cantilever crane by Sir William Arrol and Co. Ltd (NS52NW 52.01) was added in 1920 to enable the diesel engines to be lowered into ships being fitted out.

The form of this building closely relates to its function but manages to exhibit an industrial aesthetic reminiscent of the German electrical industry and buildings of companies like Osrams, AEG and Siemens in Berlin with an emphasis on modernity, new combinations of building materials, design and the use of electrification.

This building was visited by RCAHMS’s Threatened Buildings programme as the owners of the site were applying to remove the southernmost of the two Electric Overhead Travelling (EOT) cranes which are original to the engine works. See digital file WP007441 for fuller report.

Visited by Survey and Recording Section, Industry and Architecture (M.McDonald), Heritage directorate, HES, July 2014.

Further Details

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