NEILSON AND COMPANY

'Neilson and Company' was a locomotive manufacturer in Glasgow, Scotland.
The company was started in 1836 at McAlpine Street by Walter Neilson and James Mitchell to manufacture marine and stationary engines. In 1837 the firm moved to Hyde Park Street and was known as 'Kerr, Mitchell and Neilson' and, in 1840, 'Kerr, Neilson and Company', becoming 'Neilson and Mitchell' in 1845.
Locomotive building began in 1843 for the local railways. In 1855 production of marine and stationary engines discontinued and the company changed its name again to 'Neilson and Company.'
Among those who later became notable in the field were Henry Dübs and Patrick Stirling.
By then, the company was building four-coupled tank engines, along with 2-4-0 and 0-4-2 tender locos. Some of these were for Cowlairs and St. Rollox, but many more went to India.
By 1861, business had increased to such an extent, that a new works was built at Springburn, also named "Hyde Park Works." In 1864, Henry Dübs set up in business on his own at Queens Park Works, as Dübs and Company, taking a number of key staff with him. James Reid, who had previously worked for Neilson, however, returned and became a partner. Through the 1870]s considerable numbers of 0-4-4 tank engines were built for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, the Midland and the Great Eastern. Many other types were built for railways at home and abroad, including fifty 0-4-2s for India. The company's first eight-coupled locos were built in 1872, also for India.
In 1879 the first 2-6-0s to run on British rails were built for William Adams of the Great Eastern. One of these was named "Mogul" and this became the name applied to all locomotives of this wheel arrangement. (However, the name had already been employed in the USA about ten years earlier.)
More overseas orders followed, with engines for South Africa and South America. In 1884, Neilson left to form a new company at Clyde Locomotive Works but, though Reid became the sole owner, it was not until 1898 that the company changed its name to 'Neilson, Reid and Company'.
However, by this time, intense competition from America meant that small companies were unable to survive. There was a need for amalgamation, and in 1903 Neilson Reid combined with Dübs and Company and Sharp Stewart and Company to form the North British Locomotive Company, the largest locomotive company in the world, outside of the United States .

Contents

In fiction

Reference

See Also

External links

In fiction

A character in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry is based on a Neilson prototype. ''Neil'' is a 'box tank' locomotive, who worked on the Sodor & Mainland Railway between 1853 and 1901.

Reference

★ Lowe, J.W., (1989) ''British Steam Locomotive Builders,'' Guild Publishing

See Also

★ North Woolwich Old Station Museum

★ Finnish Railway Museum

External links

★ Finnish Railway Museum

★ Steam Locomotives in Finland Including the Finnish Railway Museum