Old Photograph Whifflet Foundry Scotland

Old photograph of Whifflet Foundry near Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. Founded by a long established local family, R. B. Tennent & Company, it opened in 1857 for roll making. Starting on a small scale they quickly grew to become the largest roll making unit in Britain. At its height the Whifflet Foundry produced 40% of the chilled cast iron rolls and 60% of the cast steel rolls manufactured in the United Kingdom. Their steel rolls were also the largest to be made in the country and were marketed world-wide. Until 1915 they manufactured complete rolling mills. In 1942 the company became a leading partner in the British Rollmakers Corporation. In the early seventies there was a big explosion in the Meadow Work Casting Bay when 3 men died. A water pipe which cooled the mould whilst it was being cast burst and water got into the molten metal causing the explosion. The Whiffiet Foundry was closed down in 1995, although the adjacent Meadow Works (also owned by British Rollmakers) remain in operation.



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