Dübs & Co. was a

locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

manufacturer in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, founded by Henry Dübs in 1863 and based at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie. In 1903 it amalgamated with two other Glasgow locomotive manufacturers to create the

North British Locomotive Company The North British Locomotive Company (NBL, NB Loco or North British) was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp, Stewart and Company (Atlas Works), Neilson, Reid and Company (Hyde Park W ...

Preserved locomotives

Eleven locomotives built for the

New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining Rail transport in New Zealand, New Zealand's railway infrastruc ...

, numerous others in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

Preserved locomotives in New Zealand

Four members of the

0-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven. The wheels on the earliest four-coupled locomotives were ...

A class built in 1873 have been preserved. A 64 and A 67 are in full operational condition on vintage railways; A 64 resides at The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum in Ashburton. A 67 is owned and operated by the Ocean Beach Railway / Otago Railway & Locomotive Society Inc, while A 62 is in private ownership and it is understood that the

smokebox A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is ...

has been snapped from the

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centra ...

. A 66 (also owned by the Ocean Beach Railway) was damaged by fire when the building in which it was kept on static display was burnt down, it is now on long term lease to a Southland preservation railway. Two members of the C class have survived (only five of the 16 locomotives were built by Dübs). Currently in operation at the Silver Stream Railway is an example from 1875 that originally had the wheel arrangement of

but was converted soon after purchase to

0-4-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. While the first locomotives ...

and is preserved with that wheel arrangement. Another member of the C class, 803, was recovered by the Westport Railway Preservation Society in 1993 from where it had been dumped in the Buller Gorge, West Coast, and was under restoration with the goal of returning it to a fully operational state. It was moved from Westport to the National Railway Museum of New Zealand in 2024. Five members of the

0-6-0 is the Whyte notation designation for steam locomotives with a wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. Historically, this was the most common wheel arrangement used o ...

F class built between 1878 and 1880 have been preserved. Currently in operational condition are F 163 and F 185. F 111 had its boiler condemned in 1980 and its owners, the

Ocean Beach Railway The Ocean Beach Railway (OBR) is a heritage railway that operates in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is located between John Wilson Drive in the suburb of Saint Kilda, New Zealand, Saint Kilda and sports grounds near Forbury Park Raceway, and runs para ...

, have yet to replace it; the Ocean Beach Railway also owns F 150 but it was leased to the Plains Vintage Railway of Ashburton in 1986 where it was unrestored and partially dismantled. In July 2019 it was transported to Invercargill where the Southern Steam Train Charitable Trust is having it restored for occasional use. This is expected to be completed by 2026. F 230 was converted to a wheel arrangement of

on a private industrial line and is on static display at Hamilton Lake Park in a somewhat rundown condition. Other members of the 88-total F class that still exist were built by other manufacturers.

Preserved locomotives in Australia

The oldest steam locomotive in

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

is Dübs No.1415 of 1880. It is a Queensland 4D9 class locomotive and was built to run on

Queensland Rail Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Queensland Rail is owned by the Queensland Government, and operates both Commuter rail, suburban and Regional rail, interurban rail services in South East Queensland, as well ...

ways' gauge. In 1917 the locomotive was sold to the Strahan Marine Board on Tasmania's West Coast, where it was employed in the construction of the breakwater at Hells Gates at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour. The locomotive is now on display (minus cab) at the

Don River Railway The Don River Railway is a heritage railway and museum in Don, Tasmania, Don, Devonport, Tasmania. It operates a service from Don to Coles Beach (operationally known as Don Junction). The current line follows a reconstructed section of the form ...

. On Sunday, 30 December 1900, the

Emu Bay Railway The Emu Bay Railway was a Tasmania, Australian railway company. The railway was significant during full operation, in that it linked the Tasmanian Government Railways system at Burnie with that at Zeehan that further linked to the Mount Lye ...

(EBR) took delivery of three Dübs 4-8-0 locomotives to run on the

Melba line The Melba railway line is a narrow-gauge railway on the West Coast, Tasmania, West Coast of Tasmania. The line was originally constructed as a private railway line named the Emu Bay Railway and was one of the longest-lasting and most successfu ...

from

Burnie Burnie ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#North, pirinilaplu/palawa kani: ''Pataway'') is a port city located on the North West Tasmania, north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately north ...

Zeehan Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan and neighbouring mining towns of Rosebery and Queenstown. History The greater Zeehan a ...

. The locomotives were EBR Nos. 6 (3854/1900), 7 (3856/1900) and 8 (3855/1900). No.7 was taken out of service in 1959 and scrapped in 1963. In 1960 No.6 was named ''Murchsion'' and No.8 was named ''Heemskirk'' and both locomotives were repainted from drab black to a striking two tone blue livery to haul the new '' Westcoaster'' train, which transported buses and cars (and their occupants) from Burnie to Rosebery. No.6 is now on display at the West Coast Pioneers Museum at Zeehan, where its drab black (2006) has recently (2013) been replaced by the striking blue livery mentioned above. No.8 is preserved (in black) in running order at the

preservation society at Devonport, Tasmania. Abt Tank Engine Leaving the Shed at Strahan in Tasmania

Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on 29 March 1893, most commonly referred to as ''Mount Lyell''. Mount Lyell was the dominant copper mining company of the West Coast, Tasmania, West Coast from 1893 to 1 ...

purchased five 0-4-2RT (rack tank) locomotives to run on their gauge railway from

Queenstown, Tasmania Queenstown is a historic mining town in the West Coast, Tasmania, West Coast region of the island of Tasmania, Australia. It is in a valley on the western slopes of Mount Owen (Tasmania), Mount Owen on the West Coast Range. At the , Queenstown h ...

Strahan, Tasmania Strahan ( ) is a small town and former port on the west coast of Tasmania. It is now a significant locality for tourism in the region. Strahan Harbour and Risby Cove form part of the north-east end of Long Bay on the northern end of Macquarie ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, using the Abt

Rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...

system. The first four of these were built by Dübs and the first three are still in existence. Mount Lyell No.1 (3369/1896) and Mount Lyell No.3 (3730/1898) operate on the

West Coast Wilderness Railway The West Coast Wilderness Railway is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Mount Lyell railway in Western Tasmania between Queenstown and Regatta Point, Strahan. The railway is significant because of its Abt rack ...

. The third example, Mount Lyell No.2 (3594/1898) has now also been restored and operates on the

. No. 3730, built in 1898, is used by the

between Strahan and Queenstown. It was locally fitted for the Abt

system.

Victorian Railways The Victorian Railways (VR), trading from 1974 as VicRail, was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companie ...

No. 2 steam crane, built 1890 by Dubs, works number 2711, is on display at the Newport Railway Museum,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Preserved locomotives elsewhere

In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, 1901-built Dübs crane tank No. 4101 is preserved at the Foxfield Light Railway,

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

. It was operational and saw frequent use by late 2012. In

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, 5 Slieve Callan is preserved at the West Clare Railway.

Natal Government Railways The Natal Government Railways (NGR) was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal. In 1877, the Natal Government Railways acquired the Natal Railway Company for the sum of £40,000, gaining the line from the Point to Durban and from Durban ...

'A' Class 4-8-2 tank locomotive No. 196 (Works Number 3819 of 1899) returned to the UK for preservation by the NBL Preservation Group on 12 May 2011. It is on display at the Mizens Railway near Woking in Surrey. Full details can be found on www.nbloco.net On the

Isle of Man Railway The Isle of Man Railway (IMR) is a narrow gauge steam locomotive, steam-operated railway connecting Douglas, Isle of Man, Douglas with Castletown, Isle of Man, Castletown and Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The line is Narrow gauge railway, ...

Manx Northern Railway The Manx Northern Railway (MNR) was the second common carrier railway built in the Isle of Man. It was a steam railway between St John's and Ramsey. It operated as an independent concern only from 1879 to 1905. History When the people ...

no. 4 ''Caledonia'' was built in 1885 (works no. 2178), renumbered 15 when brought into IoMR stock in 1904 (Boyd 1996; p. 188-192). Cale returned to service to commemorate its part in building the Snaefell Railway when a third rail to 3' gauge was laid to facilitate a return to Snaefell, and 15 has just undergone a major overhaul and returned to service after a brief absence. Nos. 1 and 2 of NSB class XXI, built 1894, are preserved at the Setesdal Line museum railway,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. No. 1 has been out of service since the closure of ordinary activities at the Setesdal Line in 1962; no. 2 has been in regular use on the Setesdal Line since 1894 and until recently, both during ordinary activities and, since 1964, at the museum railway. It was undergoing a general service in August 2005. Locomotive No.3 built for the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

in 1882 is owned by the Prairie Dog Central enthusiast railway of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

. It underwent a thorough restoration, completed in early 2009. Built in 1882 for

(NGR), a predecessor to South African Railways, is Class-A No.88, restored and preserved by Umgeni Steam Railway (Durban, South Africa). It is used on the 3.2 km (2 mile) route from Durban to Point Road and later on the 23-hour trip from Durban to Johannesburg. Built in 1888 for former

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian CP (unknown numbering) and later having been an industrial locomotive at Frigorífico Bordon is Dubs #2351, a 2-6-4T of gauge, completely restored for static exhibition at Museu de Tecnologia de São Paulo (São Paulo Technology Museum in

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, SP.

A JGR Class 2100 0-6-2 locomotive, built in 1891 and numbered 2109, is preserved in working order at the Nippon Institute of Technology in Saitama, Japan. Its production number, 2774, is on the maker's plate attached to the locomotive. It was used on the three-kilometre Seino Railway in

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

to transport limestone until 1966. After being preserved on the Oigawa Railway, the Institute received the locomotive in September 1993. The 0-6-2T locomotive No. 17 ''Urdaneta'', part of the Manila Railway Dagupan class was built in 1888 was built for the Manila Railway Company. It entered service in 1890 and was retired in 1927. ''Urdaneta'' was one of the only four steam locomotives to be preserved by the

Philippine National Railways The Philippine National Railways (PNR) (; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation, state-owned railway company in the Philippines which operates one commuter rail service between Laguna (province), Laguna and Quezon, and local servic ...

, its modern-day successor. This locomotive is now on display in Dagupan.''Today's Railways and Preserved Steam in the Philippines''
International Steam. Retrieved 18 December 2019.

References

* Anon. (1951) "The North British Locomotive Co. Ltd", ''Railway Magazine'', 97
Part 1
p. 3–8; an
Part 2
p. 82–90 & 92–93 * Boyd, J.I.C., (1996), ''The Isle of Man Railway: Volume 3, An Outline History of the Isle of Man Railway including the Manx Northern Railway and The Foxdale Railway'', The Oakwood Press, * Durrant, A.E. (1989) ''Twilight of South African Steam'', David & Charles, * Heath, Bateman, and Stott, Bob (1993) ''Classic Steam Locomotives Of New Zealand'', Vol. 1, Grantham House,

External links

List of Existing Dubs & Co. Steam Locomotives

Silver Stream Railway's preserved locomotives page - includes a section on the preserved member of the C class
* Umgeni Steam Railway - steam railway preservation group, Durban, South Africa

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dubs And Company Locomotive manufacturers of the United Kingdom Defunct manufacturing companies of Scotland Manufacturing companies based in Glasgow 1863 establishments in Scotland 1903 disestablishments in Scotland Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1863 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1903 British companies established in 1863 British companies disestablished in 1903