Scottish Railway Preservation Society Collections pages

Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co. 0-4-0 locomotive, Works No.2296
Additional notes by Kevin McCallum

In 1948 the National Coal Board Scottish Division, Area 3, Central West, based in Glasgow placed an order with Andrew Barclay for a 16" x 24" 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive similar to one supplied to Warrington Gas Works. The intention was that this locomotive would be allocated to the Twechar Railway system near Kilsyth, as this was experiencing an increase in traffic with an aged locomotive fleet.

Due to materials shortages AB's were not able to deliver the completed locomotive until 1950. The post-war allocation of steel, copper and brass, together with prioritisation of work by the Ministry of Supply, contributed to the delay.

AB works photographs show No.2296 carrying the NCB number "22". This number had been allocated when the locomotive order was confirmed during 1948. Pending AB No.2296's delivery, a locomotive was despatched from a closed colliery in the Central West Area to the pug shed at Twechar to assist in maintaining the Twechar railway's traffic levels. The locomotive was AB 1007 of 1904, an earlier version of the 16" x 24" 0-4-0 saddle tank design. This locomotive had been part of the fleet belonging to the Glasgow Iron & Steel Company Ltd, allocated to their colliery at Broomside near Motherwell. This unit was closed in October 1948 and it is believed that AB 1007 arrived at Twechar during 1949. AB 1007 carried the number "10" in the Glasgow Iron & Steel Company Ltd fleet list and this caused a conflict when transferred to Twechar as that unit already had a pug with the number "10". The solution adopted was to renumber AB 1007 using "22", the next free number. Hence AB 2296 had to be re-numbered when it eventually arrived at Twechar - the next free number in the Central West Area surface locomotive fleet was "17" and this was duly allocated.

AB 2296 remained at Twechar pug shed from 1950 until September 1964 when it was transferred to Gartshore Nos. 9 & 11 Colliery. During its period of use at Twechar it was overhauled on a number of occasions at Twechar Workshops, which had formerly been the central workshops of William Baird's colliery estate. It was provided with electric lighting powered by a steam turbo-generator, which assisted night shift working on the Twechar Railway.

No.17 climbing from Bedlay pit to the exchange sidings.
No.17 climbing from Bedlay pit to the Annathill exchange sidings, 1979. Photo K. McCallum

From 01/01/1962 to 02/03/1967 Gartshore Nos. 9 & 11 Colliery was part of the NCB Scottish Division Central Area, which was an amalgam of the remaining units from the original Central East and West Areas. Gartshore No. 9 & 11 transferred to the new NCB Scottish North Area on 26/03/1967 and the colliery subsequently closed on 08/03/1968, the last day of coal winding.

During May 1968 AB 2296 was transferred to Cardowan Colliery at Stepps, near Glasgow. By September 1972 the locomotive had been transferred to Cowdenbeath Central Workshops for an assessment prior to overhaul.

The overhaul assessment was positive and the locomotive was overhauled and transferred to Bedlay Colliery, Glenboig, by June 1973. The overhaul budget did not extend to re-lagging the locomotive's boiler after the asbestos lagging had been removed. Therefore it ran in an un-lagged condition for the rest of its active life.

On 01/07/1973, due to further rationalisation within the industry, the NCB Scottish North and South Areas were combined to form the Scottish Area. Bedlay Colliery was one of the active units at the time of the creation of the new area structure.

Coal winding at Bedlay Colliery ceased on Friday 11th December 1981. AB 2296 had the dubious honour of being the very last conventional steam locomotive in regular industrial service in Scotland. During April 1982 AB 2296 was transferred to Barony Colliery near Auchinleck in Ayrshire.

No.17 as received at Bo'ness
No.17 as received at Bo'ness.

AB 2296 was steamed at least once at Barony Colliery, but was spare to a diesel fleet on an internal railway system that was in decline. Not long after transfer to Barony an internal re-organisation of the underground workings at Barony and the neighbouring Killoch Colliery resulted in all coal being wound at Killoch. This resulted in the complete closure of the internal surface railway system at Barony Colliery and AB 2296 was placed in open storage. When Barony Colliery closed in 1989, AB 2296 was the last steam locomotive in the ownership of the British Coal Corporation. It was donated to the SRPS and transported to Bo'ness.

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Endnotes

Nationalisation
Vesting day for the nationalised coal industry was 01/01/1947. The National Coal Board was managed through a divisional and local area structure. The Scottish Division comprised five areas and the Central West Area was one of these. Initially each Scottish area reflected the geographic split and also the dominant coal owner within that part of the Scottish coalfield. Back to main text
The Twechar Railway
The Twechar Railway was originally owned and operated by William Baird & Company, latterly trading as Bairds & Scottish Steels Ltd prior to nationalisation of the coal industry on 01/01/1947. The railway served the following sites: Gartshore No.3, Gartshore No.1, Twechar No.1, Dumbreck Colliery & Coking Plant, Haugh Coal and Ironstone Pits. St Flannan's Colliery and a connection to J Watson's private railway to Colzium Quarry. A central workshops, wagon repair shop and pug shed were located at Twechar. Back to main text
Operating history of AB 1007 of 1904
AB 1007 supplied new to Parkneuk Colliery, Motherwell (closed 1935), to Broomside Colliery (closed 10/1948) then to Twechar during 1949, Wester Auchengeich c.1950, Twechar c.1951, Wester Auchengeich c.1956, Auchengeich c.1957, Twechar c.1959, Bedlay c.1961, Wester Auchengeich c.1962, Twechar c.1962, Auchengeich c.08/1963, Twechar c.01/1964, Wester Auchengeich c.04/1964, Twechar c.05/1964, Polkemmet c.12/1964 and scrapped on site c.07/1973. Back to main text
Gartshore Nos. 9 & 11 Colliery
Sunk in 1873 for ironstone and 1893 for coal, owned by William Baird and then Bairds & Scottish Steels prior to nationalisation. Anthracite and coking coal were produced. No.9 shaft was 229m deep and No.11 shaft was 302m deep and during the 1950s a surface drift mine was driven at a gradient of 1 in 4 for a distance of 1200m. Coal winding ceased on 08/03/1968 and the colliery was abandoned during the summer of 1968. Back to main text
Cardowan Colliery, Stepps
Sinking commenced in 1924 and was completed in 1928 with two shafts both to a depth of 626m. The original owner was James Dunlop & Co Ltd. The NCB undertook a major modernisation scheme at this unit, which included the sinking of a third shaft serving two horizons and saw the original shafts converted to ventilation and pumping duties with all coal and materials using the new No.3 shaft. A new coal preparation plant was constructed at the same time. Gas, manufacturing, house and coking coals were produced. This colliery was one of the gassiest mines in Europe and methane gas was sold to Scottish Gas Board and Buchanan Distillers. Coal winding ceased in the autumn of 1983 and the colliery was abandoned in 1984. This was the last operational deep mine in the county of Lanarkshire. Back to main text
Bedlay Colliery, Glenboig
Sinking commenced in 1905 and eventually three shafts were in use. Owned by William Baird and then Bairds & Scottish Steels prior to nationalisation. Coal winding ceased on 11/12/1981 and the colliery was abandoned during 1982. Coking, manufacturing and house coals were produced. At one time coke ovens were also operated at this location, but were closed after nationalisation when the NCB was modernising the colliery. Back to main text
Barony Colliery, Auchinleck
Barony Colliery, Auchinleck-sinking prior to 1910 with production commencing during 1910 with two shafts (No's 1 & 2). Owned by William Baird & Co until 1931 and then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd prior to nationalisation. Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd commenced the sinking of the No.3 shaft in 1945 and the NCB completed this in 1950 and the distinctive German style head frame remains as monument to coal mining in Ayrshire. In 1962 No's 1 and 2 shafts collapsed with the loss of 4 staff and for a time production was halted until a new shaft (No.4) was sunk in 1965 to the south of the colliery complex. The new shaft was for ventilation and emergency man winding purposes. The colliery was linked underground to the neighbouring Highouse Colliery by the NCB and after 1974 was linked underground with Killoch Colliery at Ochiltree. The colliery ceased coal winding during 1989 and was abandoned in the same year. Back to main text

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