THE days when we actually made things in Glasgow – big, shiny, beautiful things such as this steam locomotive at the North British Locomotive Company.
Look at the attention to detail as these workers give this engine a final inspection before it leaves in November, 1946. It is the 55th of 100 ordered for the LNER railway firm, and would work for nearly 20 years before being scrapped.
For you railway enthusiasts, it is the popular 4-6-0 wheel layout – four leading wheels, six driving wheels and no trailing wheels.
Although the North British, one of the biggest railway manufacturing companies in the world, had two large factories in Springburn, this is actually its Queen’s Park Works at Polmadie.
The obverse says it is painted in standard green, but being a black and white print we have to take the photographer’s word for that.
The North British tried to retool as a manufaturer of electric and diesel locomotives when steam trains began to fade, but was not successful and the works closed. This Polmadie works is now the site of an industrial estate.
I read LNER started naming this type of engine after breeds of antelopes, but then they ran out of antelope breeds, so it became a bit haphazard after that.
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