Springburn Virtual Museum

Railway industry

Entrance to Atlas works, Springburn, c 1920s

This railway works was originally Walter Neilson's second Springburn works, built in 1884 directly across from James Reid's Hyde Park Works. This venture proved unsuccesful for Neilson, failing to get enough orders to sustain production. The works were taken over by Sharp, Stewart and Co of Manchester and renamed the Atlas Works in 1888.

In 1903 the works became part of the North British Locomotive Company (NB Loco), a conglomeration of Neilson, Reid & Company, Dubs & Company and Sharp, Stewart & Company. At the time this company was the largest locomotive building firm in the world outside North America. The NBLC prospered until after the first world war, when the demand for locomotives abroad collapsed. In 1923 the Atlas Works was closed down and offered for sale.

On the left of this picture, a small corner can be seen of the site of the two large sheds which housed the NB Loco's munitions production during the first world war. These were known as the 'Mons' and 'Marne', named after two of the earliest battles of the war. They were built on the site of the Petershill Junior Football Club's then home ground, Atlas Park.

Selections from the above image are shown below in greater detail.

Source: Glasgow City Archives