Springburn Virtual Museum

Railway industry

Cowlairs works, c 1910

The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened on 21 February 1842, and the Cowlairs works was originally intended for repair and maintenance of its own stock. However, new locomotives were built here from 1844. In 1866, Cowlairs became the main workshop for the new owners, the North British Railway Company.

By 1923, a total of 850 locomotives had been built, and the works occupied almost 167 acres. However, in that year, Cowlairs passed into the ownership of the London and North-Eastern Railway, no more engines were built, and the works reverted to repair and maintenance. After nationalisation in 1948, the works became the property of British Rail, who used steam locomotives until 1968.

The works closed in 1968, and contracts were transferred to St Rollox, which was renamed the Glasgow works. Of the origins of Cowlairs, only the Glasgow-to-Edinburgh main line remains.

Source: Glasgow City Archives