Reid family: Neilson & NBL also William Lorimer
James Reid
Accordiing to Marshall James
Reid was born in Kilmaurs on 8 September 1823 and died on the golf course
at St Andrews on 23 June 1894. He had an extensive background in engineering,
both in Scotland, and with Sharp, Stewart in Manchester which he joined in
1858. In 1863 he became Manager of Neilson & Co. in Springburn, Glasgow.
James and his sons made North British Loco
into a huge family business..
There
is a Glasgow website with page devoted to James Reid (includes
a portrait of the man who had become a very senior figure in Glasgow public
life.
Hunt, David. Locomotive builders to the Midland
Railway. Midland Record, (21), 111-26.
Includes a portrait of James Reid
Andrew Thompson Reid
Marshall states born in Glasgow on 17 July 1863 and died in City on
16 September 1940. Son of James Reid. Educated Glasgow
Academey, Loretto School and Glasgow University. Became a Partner in firm
in 1893.
Hugh Reid
Marshall states that Hugh Reid
was born in Manchester on 9 February 1860 and died in Glasgow on 7 July 1935.
He was the son of James Reid and was born whilst his
father was working for Sharp Stewart, but in 1863 he returned to Scotland
to manage the Neilson & Co. In 1893 he was joined by his four sons, including
Hugh. On the death of his father in 1894 he became senior partner of the
firm which in 1903 became part of the North British Locomotive Company of
which he became Deputy Chairman and Chief Managing Director. He was the
co-inventor of the unfortunate Reid-Ramsay steam turbine electric locomotive,
and subsequently the Reid-McLeod design. He also patented a bogie steam
locomotive which appeared to conflict with the Garratt patents. He received
the freedom of the City of Glasgow in 1917 and was created a baronet in 1922.
Searching for the work of others at this time has shown that the Reid family
had widespread interests which extended to improvements to road vehicles..
Patents
262,244 Improvements relating to locomotives,
with North British Locomotive Co. Applied 18 November 1925. Published
9 December 1926.
This invention relates to locomotives of the double bogie type in
which the whole weight of the upper structure, including the boiler and the
cab, the water tank and the fuel tank or bunker, is carried on a main frame
pivoted towards its ends to two-self-driving bogies.
237,640 Improvements in or relating to
locomotives with James MacLeod. Applied 12 April 1924. Published 6 August
1925.
237,338 Power transmitting mechanism with James MacLeod.
Applied 23 April 1924. Published 23 July 1925.
216,401 Improvements in connection with
locomotive engines, with North British Locomotive Co. Applied 10
August 1923. Published 29 May 1924.
The invention relates to locomotive engines of the double bogie type
in which the whole weight of the upper structure, including the boiler, water
and fuel tanks and cab, is carried on a main carrying frame pivoted towards
its ends to two self driven bogies as in the "Fairlie" type of locomotive
engine; and the invention, while retaining the important advantages of the
control of the bogies in lateral movement from the main frame of the "Fairlie"
type of engine, and of having rigid (water and liquid fuel) pipe connections
between the tanks and boiler, has for its object to provide an improved
construction of the carrying frame so that whilst a large boiler may be used
its centre of gravity may be kept low, and so that the water and fuel tanks
and other structures may be carried on the outer ends of the carrying frame
the end portions of which are directly over the bogies, thus giving free
access to the boiler and at the same time permitting of the boiler with the
mid portion of the carrying frame being removed to facilitate repair or overhaul
without disturbing the water and fuel tanks
187,786 Improvements in or relating to locomotives
with James MacLeod. Applied 2 September 1921. Published 2 November
1922.
182,356 Improvements in or relating
to locomotives with James MacLeod. Applied 18 August 1921. Published
6 July 1922.
178.881 Improvements in or relating to locomotives. with
James MacLeod. Applied 9 December 1920. Published 10 April 1922.
19664/1905 Improvements in locomotives,
with David MacNab Ramsay. Applied 29 September 1905. Published
13 September 1906.
10311/1904 Improvements in locomotives with David MacNab Ramsay.
Applied 5 May 1904. Published 4 May 1905.
[Sir] John Reid
Marshall states born in Manchester on 28 October 1861: son of James
Reid. Died 25 January 1933. Educated Glasgow Academy, Herbertshire Castle
School and Glasgow Mechanics Institute. Apprenticed Neilson Reid. Taken into
partnership in 1893. Knighted 1918.
References to:
Bradley, Rodger P.
Giants of steam the full story of the North
British Locomotive Co. Ltd. Oxford Publishing. 1995.
198pp.
Foreword by Sir Hugh Reid (son of subject),
President of the North British Locomotive Preservation Group.
Tufnell, Robert
Prototype locomotives. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1985.
112pp.
Chapter 3: Turbine condensing locomotives,
Lorimer, Sir William
Biography by Sheila Hamilton in ODNB
calls Lorimer a locomotive engineer and industrialist: KPJ: it would
seem that there is no evidence to call Lorimer an engineer. William Lorimer
was born on 4 November 1844 in Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, son of William Lorimer,
house factor, and Margaret Whigham. He attended the local parish school and
at the age of fifteen joined the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company, probably
as an apprentice or clerk. In 1864 he moved into locomotive engineering as
a cashier in the newly founded business of
Dübs & Co. Lorimer made
an impression on Dübs and was made his
principal assistant in 1867. By 1875 Lorimer was made a partner in the firm
and only one year later Dübs died, leaving the business in the hands
of his two sons, Henry and Charles, and William Lorimer. As managing partner
Lorimer held a key role in the firm with the Dübs sons assuming a lower
profile.
In 1874 Lorimer began a long association with the Steel Company of Scotland Ltd. He acted as its general manager, in a caretaker role between 1874 and 1878. He then joined the board, following Henry Dübs, who had also been a director. From 1878, under the chairmanship of Sir Charles Tennant, the company went through a period of technical innovation and expansion, but this brought over-expansion and near bankruptcy. When Tennant resigned in 1895 it was Lorimer who took over as chairman and restored business confidence and a measure of stability.. He resigned in 1918, but was then given the position of honorary president. KPJ: it is interesting that this gives some hint of near vertical integration in the locomotive supply industry..
Such qualities of leadership also led to Lorimer's appointment as chairman of the North British Locomotive Company in 1903. Lorimer's interest in the welfare of his workers was marked during the 1903 amalgamation by his conveyance to trustees of a large number of shares in the North British Locomotive Company to provide pensions for aged and infirm workmen. He was a director of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company. He was elected a member of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland in 1896 and also was a member of the West of Scotland Iron and Steel Institute. From 1900 he was chairman of the Locomotive Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain. Education was close to his heart and Lorimer served on several bodies. He was a governor of the Royal Technical College of Glasgow, a governor of Hutcheson's Education Trust and was closely associated with Glasgow University: he received an honorary degree of LLD in 1910. In 1911 Lorimer was appointed to the dominions commission, a body set up to survey the natural resources of the overseas dominions and to assess the possible trade links.
Lorimer was a man of simple tastes and outlook. When young he developed an interest in literature and through his membership of several literary societies and clubs became a keen collector of books. Two sons followed their father into locomotive engineering; and in 1903 Lorimer passed the day-to-day running of the Queen's Park works to his son William, one of the joint managing directors. He received a knighthood in 1917, and died on 9 April 1922 at home in Glasgow. He was buried in Cathcart cemetery on 12 April.
2008-02-25