Clyde Engineering Explained

Clyde Engineering
Type:publicly listed
Industry:Engineering
Successor:Evans Deakin Industries (1996–2001)
Downer Rail (2001–present)
Foundation:September 1898
Defunct:15 July 1996
Location City:North Sydney
Locations:Granville
Kelso
Somerton
Eagle Farm
Rosewater
Subsid:Martin & King

Clyde Engineering was an Australian manufacturer of locomotives, rolling stock, and other industrial products.

It was founded in September 1898 by a syndicate of Sydney businessmen buying the Granville factory of timber merchants Hudson Brothers. The company won contracts for railway rolling stock, a sewerage system, trams and agricultural machinery. In 1907 it won its first contract for steam locomotives for the New South Wales Government Railways. By 1923 it had 2,200 employees. After contracting during the depression it became a major supplier of munitions during World War II.[1]

In 1950 it was awarded the first of many contracts for diesel locomotives by the Commonwealth Railways after it was appointed the Australian licensee for Electro-Motive Diesel products.[2] Apart from building locomotives and rolling stock, Clyde Engineering diversified into telephone and industrial electronic equipment, machine tools, domestic aluminium ware, road making and earth making equipment, hydraulic pumps, product finishing equipment, filtration systems, boilers, power stations and firing equipment, car batteries, hoists and cranes, door and curtain tracks and motor vehicle distribution.[1]

In July 1996 it was taken over by Evans Deakin Industries.[3] [4] [5] In March 2001 Evans Deakin was taken over by Downer Group to form Downer EDi.[6] [7]

Products

Amongst the classes of locomotives built by Clyde Engineering were:

Steam locomotives

Commonwealth Railways

New South Wales

South Australia

Tasmania

Diesel locomotives

Commonwealth Railways / Australian National

New South Wales

Victoria

Queensland

Western Australia

Mining

New Zealand

Electric locomotives

Queensland

Diesel railcars

South Australia

Electric multiple units

New South Wales

Electric tramcars

New South Wales

Other non-rail related products

Manufacturing Facilities

Non rail products

Because of capacity constraints, in the 1990s Clyde leased Australian National Industries' Braemar factory to fulfill its order for FreightCorp 82 class locomotives.[12]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Clyde publishes company history. Railway Digest. December 1992. 455.
  2. http://www.downergroup.com/Investors/ASX-Announcements/View-Announcements.aspx?year=2012 Downer & Electro-Motive Diesel Sign New Agreement
  3. Web site: Clyde Industries door handle, 1972 - 1996. Powerhouse Museum.
  4. http://www.delisted.com.au/company/clyde-industries-limited Clyde Industries Limited
  5. "EDI Wins Clyde Takeover Battle" Railway Digest September 1996 page 10
  6. http://www.delisted.com.au/company/evans-deakin-industries-limited Evans Deakin Industries Limited
  7. http://www.downergroup.com/Documents/Investors/AGM,-Financial-Results--Reports/200001/Annual-Report/2001_ANNUAL_REPORT_20080811044448.pdf Annual Report 30 June 2001
  8. Stokes . Jim . Dix . Andrew . P1 - the TGR's 2-6-2 tank locomotive . Tasmanian Railway News . January 2008 . 237 . 13–15.
  9. Web site: Peats Ferry Road Bridge over Hawkesbury River. Heritage and conservation register, Roads & Maritime Services. Government of New South Wales. 15 August 2005. 14 January 2015.
  10. Web site: Carol. Jacinta. Former Downer EDI site sells. Western Advocate. 26 June 2015.
  11. Clyde Engineering's Brisbane (Eagle Farm) Plant Closes. Railway Digest. May 1995. 16.
  12. "Clyde Set to Lease Mittagong Factory" Railway Digest June 1993 page 221