Glasgow Riverside Museum is a remarkable building filled with historic artifacts relating to Glasgow automotive, railway, and maritime industries. Riverside Museum has a large collection of finely crafted ship models and, moored alongside the museum, is the restored Tall Ship Glenlee, a three-masted barque launched from the Bay Yard, Port Glasgow, in December 1896.
Historic iron and steel bridge and ship fabrication employed some of the same craftsmanship, tools, and materials. In their fabrication, the industrial riveting process was an essential tool for assembly. Sir William Arrol’s hydraulic riveter (on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh) was invented and first used in the fabrication of the 1890 Forth Railway Bridge in Queensferry, Scotland, then used in Britain’s historic shipyards. The Glenlee was likely riveted with an Arrol hydraulic riveter.
As we were touring the Glenlee, a ladder leading to the lower deck of the ship appeared to be open to the public, and I started down. But emerging from the ship’s chain locker, a Glenlee staff member informed us this was currently a staff-member-only area. After explaining our interest in the fabrication and riveting of the Glenlee, we had a pleasant and informative conversation with the Tall Ship Glenlee Ship Manager, Andrew Aire. Aire has a thirty-year history with the Glenlee and was very knowledgeable about the riveting process and the preservation work required to bring the ship back to its original condition and seaworthiness as a sailing vessel.
