The North British Railway was opened in 1846 as the line from Edinburgh to Berwick-upon-Tweed, and its workshops were initially situated in St. Margarets, Edinburgh. Gradually other railways were acquired, including in 1865 the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, whose works at Cowlairs, Glasgow were better than that at St. Margarets, which were reduced to repairs only and all production moved to Cowlairs.
As is customary, engine classes are organized according to the man who was locomotive superintendent when the class was introduced, and to whom the design is often attributed. The NBR was rather unfortunate in its choice of locomotive superintendents, the first five of whom were sacked or forced to resign either for alleged incompetence or financial scandals.
The NBR's locomotive classification system (introduced in 1913) is not very helpful because the same letter has been applied to several different classes. The North British Railway Study Group has developed its own classification system and a list can be found here. [1]
These are not complete lists, as most engines acquired second-hand and from absorbed companies are not included.
| Numbers | Wheel arrangement | Number built | Builder | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–16 | 0-4-2 | 16 | R & W Hawthorn | 1846 | Original NBR locomotive order (on formation). 10 locomotives for passenger services. One rebuilt in 1857 as 2-2-2 |
| 17–26 | 0-4-2 | 10 | R & W Hawthorn | 1846 | Original NBR locomotive order (on formation). 6 locomotives for freight services. One rebuilt in 1859 as 2-2-2, 2 in 1867-8 as 0-6-0T |
| 27–32 | 0-6-0 | 6 | R & W Hawthorn | 1846 | Original NBR locomotive order (on formation). 6 locomotives for heavy coal freight services. |
| 33–38 | 2-2-2 | 6 | R & W Hawthorn | 1847 | Two rebuilt 1868–69 as 2-4-0 |
| 39–46 | 2-4-0 | 8 | R & W Hawthorn | 1847 | Two rebuilt 1868-70 as 0-6-0 |
| 47–54 | 0-6-0 | 8 | R & W Hawthorn | 1848 | |
| 55 | 4-2-0 | 1 | E. B. Wilson & Co. | 1849 | Crampton locomotive. Later rebuilt as 2-2-2 |
| 57 | 2-2-2 | 1 | R & W Hawthorn | 1849 | |
| 56, 58–63 | 2-4-0 | 7 | R & W Hawthorn | 1851 | |
| 64–71 | 0-6-0 | 8 | R & W Hawthorn | 1850 |
No new locomotives were built during his term of office.
No new locomotives were built during his term of office.
Hurst came from the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, to which he returned after being sacked from the NBR.
There were many variations within the classes listed here, both as built and after subsequent rebuilding.
| 1st built | Wheel arrangement | Number built | Builder | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 0-4-2 | 4 | W. Fairbairn | 1855 | Originally intended for Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway |
| 90 | 2-4-0 | 24 | Neilson (18) Dübs (6) | 1861–68 | |
| 109 | 0-4-0 | 3 | NBR St. Margarets | 1865–66 | |
| 76 | 0-6-0 | 4 | NBR St. Margarets | 1860–61 | |
| 80 | 0-6-0 | 58 | Hawthorn of Leith (6) R. Stephenson (16) Dübs & Co. (36) | 1861–67 | |
| 31 | 2-2-2WT | 2 | NBR St. Margarets | 1856 | 1877 sold to Wigtownshire Railway |
| 20 | 0-4-2WT | 14 | NBR St. Margarets | 1857–64 | |
| 282 | 0-6-0ST | 3 | Dübs | 1866–67 |
| 1st built | 1913 Class | Wheel arrangement | Number built | Builder | Date | LNER Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | — | 2-4-0 | 2 | NBR Cowlairs | 1869 | — | |
| 418 | P | 2-4-0 | 8 | NBR Cowlairs | 1873 | E7 | |
| 40 | — | 2-4-0 | 2 | NBR Cowlairs | 1873 | — | |
| 224 | — | 4-4-0 | 2 | NBR Cowlairs | 1871 | — | |
| 420 | — | 4-4-0 | 4 | NBR Cowlairs | 1873 | — | |
| 17 | — | 0-6-0 | 1 | NBR St. Margarets | 1868 | — | Built from parts of earlier locos |
| 251 | E | 0-6-0 | 38 | NBR Cowlairs | 1867–74 | J84 | 20 rebuilt as saddle-tanks from 1889–94 |
| 396 | E | 0-6-0 | 26 | Neilson & Co. (12), Dübs & Co. (14) | 1867–69 | J31 | |
| 56 | — | 0-6-0 | 8 | NBR St. Margarets | 1868–69 | — | "Longback" class. |
| 115 | E | 0-6-0 | 62 | NBR Cowlairs | 1869–75 | J31 | |
| 226 | E | 0-6-0ST | 2 | NBR Cowlairs | 1870 | J86 | |
| 220 | — | 0-6-0ST | 1 | NBR Cowlairs | 1870 | — | |
| 130 | E | 0-6-0ST | 9 | NBR Cowlairs | 1870–73 | J85 | |
| 229 | E | 0-6-0ST | 15 | NBR Cowlairs | 1871–73 | J81 | |
| 32 | — | 0-6-0ST | 6 | NBR Cowlairs | 1874 | — | |
| 394 | — | 0-4-0 | 2 | Neilson & Co. | 1867 | — | Second hand |
| 357 | — | 0-4-0 | 2 | NBR Cowlairs | 1868 | Y10 | |
| 18 | — | 0-4-0ST | 2 | NBR Cowlairs | 1872 | — |
| 1st built | 1913 Class | Wheel arrangement | Number built | Builder | Date | LNER Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 474 | — | 2-2-2 | 2 | Neilson | 1876 | — | Sometimes designated "Berwick" class, after the name of locomotive 475. Two built, for Edinburgh-Glasgow express services. |
| 476 | M | 4-4-0 | 12 | Neilson (8) NBR Cowlairs (4) | 1877–79 | D27/D28 | "Abbotsford" class. |
| 494 | P | 4-4-0T | 3 | Neilson | 1879 | D50 | |
| 72 | R | 4-4-0T | 30 | NBR Cowlairs | 1880–84 | D51 | |
| 157 | P | 0-4-2T | 6 | NBR Cowlairs | 1877 | G8 | All rebuilt as 0-4-4T in 1881 |
| 100 | C | 0-6-0 | 32 | NBR Cowlairs (12) Neilson (20) | 1876–77 | J32 | |
| 34 | D | 0-6-0 | 13 | NBR Cowlairs | 1879 | J34 | "Wee Drummond" class. |
| 497 | D | 0-6-0 | 88 | NBR Cowlairs (83) Dübs (5) | 1879–83 | J34 | "Wee Drummond" class. |
| 165 | R | 0-6-0T | 25 | NBR Cowlairs | 1875–78 | J82 | |
| 546 | G | 0-4-0ST | 2 | Neilson | 1882 | Y9 |
| 1st built | 1913 Class | Wheel arrangement | Number built | Builder | Date | LNER Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 574 | M | 4-4-0 | 6 | NBR Cowlairs | 1884 | D31 | |
| 633 | M | 4-4-0 | 24 | NBR Cowlairs | 1890–95 | D31 | |
| 729 | M | 4-4-0 | 18 | NBR Cowlairs | 1898–99 | D31 | |
| 592 | N | 4-4-0 | 12 | NBR Cowlairs | 1886–87 | D25 | |
| 693 | N | 4-4-0 | 24 | NBR Cowlairs | 1894–96 | D35 | "West Highland Bogie" class. One superheated in 1919, became NBR L class / LNER Class D36. |
| 317 | K | 4-4-0 | 12 | NBR Cowlairs | 1903 | D26 | |
| 586 | P | 0-4-4T | 12 | NBR Cowlairs | 1886–88 | G7 | |
| 566 | D | 0-6-0 | 36 | NBR Cowlairs | 1883–87 | J33 | |
| 604 | C | 0-6-0 | 168 | Neilson (15), Sharp Stewart (15), NBR Cowlairs (138) | 1888–1900 | J36 | 673 Maude preserved |
| 795 | D | 0-6-0T | 40 | Neilson (20), Sharp Stewart (20) | 1900–01 | J83 | |
| 32 | G | 0-4-0ST | 36 | NBR Cowlairs | 1887–99 | Y9 | same as Drummond 546 class. Of this batch, NBR 42 was preserved. |
NBL (the North British Locomotive Company) was a private locomotive manufacturer, distinct from the North British Railway.
| 1st built | 1913 Class | Wheel arrangement | Number built | Builder | Date | LNER Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 868 | H | 4-4-2 | 22 | NBL (16) R. Stephenson (6) | 1906–21 | C11 | Commonly known as the "North British Atlantics". Final two built with superheaters. Superheaters added to all others 1915–25. (Those which remained saturated were briefly designated class I or LNER class C10, but all were superheated by 1925 and became class C11.) The largest and most powerful locomotives ever built by the NBR. |
| 1 | M | 4-4-2T | 30 | Yorkshire Engine Co. | 1911–13 | C15 | |
| 438 | L | 4-4-2T | 21 | NBL | 1915–21 | C16 | Superheated |
| 895 | J | 4-4-0 | 16 | NBL (6) NBR Cowlairs (10) | 1909–11 | D29 | "Scott" class. Superheaters added 1925–35 |
| 400 | J | 4-4-0 | 27 | NBR Cowlairs | 1912–20 | D30 | "Scott" class. Superheated. |
| 882 | K | 4-4-0 | 12 | NBR Cowlairs | 1906–07 | D32 | Superheaters added 1923–26 |
| 331 | K | 4-4-0 | 12 | NBR Cowlairs | 1909–10 | D33 | Superheaters added 1925–36 |
| 149 | K | 4-4-0 | 32 | NBR Cowlairs | 1913–20 | D34 | "Glen" class. Superheated. 256/9256/2469/62469 Glen Douglas preserved. |
| 239 | M | 0-4-4T | 12 | NBL | 1909 | G9 | |
| 848 | B | 0-6-0 | 76 | NBL (40) NBR Cowlairs (36) | 1906–13 | J35 | |
| 8 | S | 0-6-0 | 104 | NBR Cowlairs (35) NBL (69) | 1914–21 | J37 | Superheated |
| 836 | F | 0-6-0T | 35 | NBR Cowlairs | 1905–19 | J88 | |
| 858 | A | 0-6-2T | 6 | NBL | 1909–20 | N14 | |
| 7 | A | 0-6-2T | 69 | NBL | 1910–24 | N15 | +30 built by LNER |
All previous incumbents were known as Locomotive Superintendent. Chalmers held the same position, but with the title changed to Chief Mechanical Engineer.
There were no new locomotive designs during the incumbency of Walter Chalmers as Chief Mechanical Engineer. Two new NBR H class locomotives were built under his supervision. Although these were not his design, he had drawn the designs under the direction of W P Reid, having been Chief Draughtsman (the deputy to the Locomotive Superintendent) of the NBR whilst Reid was Locomotive Superintendent.
As with most companies, certain classes of locomotive from the North British Railway were commonly known by distinctive names or nicknames, rather than their official class designations. The following is a guide to these nicknames, with links to articles about the respective locomotive types.
| Common nickname | NBR designation | LNER designation | Wheel arrangement | Design date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longback | - | - | 0-6-0 | 1868 | Withdrawn before any standard class designation system was introduced. |
| Berwick | - | - | 2-2-2 | 1876 | Withdrawn before any standard class designation system was introduced. |
| Eighteen Incher | C class | J32 class | 0-6-0 | 1876 | 673 Maude preserved. |
| Abbotsford | M class | D27 & D28 class | 4-4-0 | 1877 | |
| Wee Drummond | D class | J34 class | 0-6-0 | 1879 | |
| Pug | G class | Y9 class | 0-4-0ST | 1882 | 42 preserved. |
| West Highland Bogie | N class | D35 class | 4-4-0 | 1894 | |
| North British Atlantic | H class | C11 class | 4-4-2 | 1906 | |
| Scott | J class | D29 class | 4-4-0 | 1909 | |
| Superheated Scott or Super Scott | J class | D30 class | 4-4-0 | 1912 | |
| Glen | K class | D34 class | 4-4-0 | 1913 | 256 Glen Douglas preserved. |
| Image | NBR No. | NBR Class | Type | Manufacturer | Serial No. | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 42 | G Class | 0-4-0ST | Cowlairs railway works | 1887 | On static display at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway | |
 | 673 | C Class | 0-6-0 | Neilson and Company | 4392 | 1891 | On static display at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway |
 | 256 | K Class | 4-4-0 | Cowlairs railway works | 1913 | On static display at the Riverside Museum | |
The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) produced several classes of locomotive, mostly to the designs of Nigel Gresley, characterised by a three-cylinder layout with a parallel boiler and round-topped firebox. It produced the most famous locomotive of its day, 4468 'Mallard', the holder of the world steam locomotive speed record. It also built the world-famous 4472 'Flying Scotsman'. However, its locomotive inheritance was much greater than just the 'A4 Class', it also produced highly successful mixed-traffic and freight designs.
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was authorised by act of Parliament on 4 July 1838. It was opened to passenger traffic on 21 February 1842, between its Glasgow Queen Street railway station and Haymarket railway station in Edinburgh. Construction cost £1,200,000 for 46 miles (74 km). The intermediate stations were at Corstorphine, Gogar, Ratho, Winchburgh, Linlithgow, Polmont, Falkirk, Castlecary, Croy, Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs. There was a ticket platform at Cowlairs. The line was extended eastwards from Haymarket to North Bridge in 1846, and a joint station for connection with the North British Railway was opened on what is now Edinburgh Waverley railway station in 1847.
Cowlairs Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works, at Cowlairs in Springburn, an area in the north-east of Glasgow, Scotland, was built in 1841 for the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and was taken over by the North British Railway (NBR) in 1865. It was named after the nearby mansion of Cowlairs, with both locomotive and carriage & wagon works. It was also the first works in Britain to build locomotives, carriages and wagons in the same place. It was located on the western side of the Glasgow-Edinburgh mainline at Carlisle Street.
The NBR C Class is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotives designed by Matthew Holmes for freight work on the North British Railway (NBR). They were introduced in 1888 with inside cylinders and Stephenson valve gear. A total of 168 locomotives was built, of which 123 came into British Railways ownership at nationalisation in 1948. This was the last class of steam engine in service in Scotland.
The NBR K Class is a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive of the North British Railway. The first batch was designed by Matthew Holmes in 1902 and had 6-foot-6-inch (1.981 m) driving wheels for express passenger work. Three more batches were designed by William P. Reid with 6-foot-0-inch (1.829 m) driving wheels for mixed traffic work. This included perishable goods, such as fish from Mallaig and Aberdeen. They had inside cylinders and Stephenson valve gear. The D34 locomotives, commonly known as Glen Class, were built with superheaters. The LNER later fitted superheaters to all D26, D32, and D33 engines as well. All engines of the K class are sometimes known as Glen Class, although the designation is strictly reserved to the fourth (D34) batch.
The North British Railway (NBR) G Class is a class of 0-4-0ST steam locomotive designed for shunting. Some locomotives were equipped with small wooden tenders to carry extra coal. They were introduced in 1882 and thirty-eight entered service on the NBR between 1882 and 1899. Like most 0-4-0 tanks of the period it has outside cylinders and inside slide valves driven by Stephenson valve gear. The rival Caledonian Railway had the same number (38) of identical locomotives in service. The nickname "Pug" was used on the NBR.
Dugald Drummond was a Scottish steam locomotive engineer. He had a career with the North British Railway, LB&SCR, Caledonian Railway and London and South Western Railway. He was the older brother of the engineer Peter Drummond, who often followed Dugald's ideas in his own work.
William Paton Reid, CBE was apprenticed to the Cowlairs railway works of the North British Railway in 1879 and was Locomotive Superintendent from 1903 to 1919. He was appointed a CBE in 1920. He was born, and died, in Glasgow, Scotland.
Matthew Holmes was Locomotive Superintendent of the North British Railway from 1882 to 1903.
Walter Chalmers was a British engineer. He followed his father into the North British Railway, starting as an apprentice at Cowlairs railway works. In 1904 he became Chief Draughtsman and, from 1920 to 1922, he was Chief Mechanical Engineer.
The NBR Class M was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive of the North British Railway. The class was created during the tenures of William P. Reid and Walter Chalmers by rebuilding three earlier types, the "574", "633", and "729", which had all been designed by Matthew Holmes, and shared many features in common. A total of 48 were produced.
The NBR J Class , commonly known as the Scott class, were a class of 4-4-0 steam tender locomotives designed by William P. Reid for the North British Railway. They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the grouping in 1923. Forty-three were built, of which thirty-five survived into British Railways ownership in 1948.
The NBR 224 and 420 Classes consisted of six steam locomotives of the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement built by the North British Railway (NBR) in 1871 and 1873. No. 224 had three claims to fame: it was the first inside-cylinder 4-4-0 engine to run in Great Britain; it was the locomotive involved in the Tay Bridge disaster; and after rebuilding in 1885, it was the only compound-expansion locomotive on the NBR, and one of just three tandem compounds in Britain.
Jeanie Deans was the name given to at least two railway locomotives naming them after the fictional character, Jeanie Deans, who featured in Sir Walter Scott's novel, Heart of Midlothian.
The NBR A Class (London and North Eastern Railway Classes N14 and N15 were the standard 0-6-2 tank locomotives designed by William P. Reid for freight duties on the North British Railway. The LNER regarded the original locomotives as two separate classes. The final batch of locomotives was on order at the time of the grouping in 1923.
The NBR 141 Class consisted of two steam 2-4-0 locomotives built by the North British Railway (NBR) in 1869. They were the direct antecedents of the NBR 224 Class 4-4-0.
The North British Atlantic, later known as NBR Class H, and then as LNER Class C11 was a class of 4-4-2 steam locomotive of the North British Railway. The class was designed by William P. Reid, Locomotive Superintendent of the NBR, and entered service under his direction. They were the heaviest, longest, and most powerful locomotives ever employed on the North British Railway.
The NBR Class N was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive of the North British Railway. The class was designed by Matthew Holmes and later rebuilt by Holmes's successor, Reid. A total of 12 were produced.
The NBR Class D was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive of the North British Railway, often known as the Wee Drummonds. The class was designed by Dugald Drummond. A total of 101 were produced.
The NBR F Class was a class of 0-6-0 tank locomotives, designed by William P. Reid on the North British Railway. They were used for dockyard shunting duties.