清光緒元年(1875),清政府命令李鴻章督辦北洋海防，開始籌建北洋水師(即北洋海軍),并繼上海、福州建筑船塢之后，不久又創(chuàng)辦大沽船塢。光緒五年(1879),李鴻章在天津首先設(shè)立海軍營(yíng)務(wù)處，負(fù)責(zé)主持籌建海軍事宜。在創(chuàng)建海軍的過程中，先后從英國(guó)、德國(guó)購(gòu)買了破舊軍艦25艘，并依靠英國(guó)和德國(guó)人作為教習(xí)，開始訓(xùn)練海軍。但是所購(gòu)艦船需要隨時(shí)進(jìn)行修理，才能投入使用。初期，每有損壞，都需要到上海、福州船塢去修理，途程很遠(yuǎn)，往返需要的時(shí)間長(zhǎng)，假如遇到戰(zhàn)事，很難很快修好，恐怕貽誤軍需。為了使北洋水師的艦船能夠就近修理，李鴻章奏請(qǐng)?jiān)谌A北建造船塢一座，朝廷予以批準(zhǔn)。
光緒六年(1880)正月，李鴻章委命前津海關(guān)道鄭藻如、道員許鈐身，會(huì)同天津海關(guān)稅務(wù)司德璀琳督辦，在東沽海神廟一帶購(gòu)地110畝，創(chuàng)辦船塢，命名為“北洋水師大沽船塢” (今新河船泊修造廠) ; 二月，開始動(dòng)工； 五月，經(jīng)李鴻章推薦，清政府正式委任羅豐祿為大沽船塢總辦； 并聘請(qǐng)英人葛蘭德、安的森、斯德朗分別為船舶、輪機(jī)總管及收支委員，使船塢的生產(chǎn)、技術(shù)和財(cái)政大權(quán)，一開始就為英國(guó)人所控制。
大沽船塢創(chuàng)辦之初，搭蓋席棚3座，只有活動(dòng)機(jī)器8部，馬達(dá)、鍋爐、汽錘各一部，廠房設(shè)備非常簡(jiǎn)陋。不久又從國(guó)外購(gòu)買了機(jī)床20部，動(dòng)力機(jī)、抽水機(jī)、臥式鍋爐各一臺(tái)。并建筑了相應(yīng)的廠房、機(jī)房、辦公房等。到年底，船塢基本工程竣工，有工人600余名，工匠300余名，正式投入生產(chǎn)。
船塢生產(chǎn)之始，是承修北洋水師的艦船； 光緒九年(1883)又開始兼營(yíng)造船。主要是制造軍用輪船，如“飛鷹” 、“飛艇”等小火輪及挖泥船、駁船等小型船只；有時(shí)也從國(guó)外購(gòu)進(jìn)主要機(jī)件，裝配制造較大的輪船。

·1880年建立的大沽船塢

從光緒十年(1884)起，并承修大沽海口的海防工程。光緒十一年(1885)船塢增至6座。光緒十六年(1890),開始生產(chǎn)軍火，仿造了德國(guó)一磅后膛快炮90余尊，解往北京香山武庫(kù)； 轉(zhuǎn)年在船塢興建炮場(chǎng)，增添機(jī)器，從事生產(chǎn)大炮。甲午戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)期間，船塢除承修損壞的艦船外，還趕制軍火。并為后來設(shè)在船塢內(nèi)的北洋水師水雷營(yíng)兼造水雷等。
大沽船塢不僅是我國(guó)北方第一座近代船舶修造廠，而且是中國(guó)第一批使用機(jī)器生產(chǎn)的近代化軍工企業(yè)。
In 1875,the Qing Government ordered Li Hongzhangto supervise Beiyang coast defense and to build BeiyangNavy. Following the construction of docks in Shanghaiand Fuzhou,a new one was built in Dagu of Tianjin. In1879,Li set up the Navy Affairs Department in Tianjinfor preparatory work. To found the Beiyang Navy,hebought 25 warships from UK and Germany and hiredBritish and German officers as instructors of training.For the sake of combat readiness,the warships need tobe repaired at any time. At the beginning,whenever aship went wrong,it had to be sent to Shanghai or Fuzhoufor repair. Due to the remote distance,plenty of timewas wasted on the way. If the war broke out,militarysupplies would be in danger due to the inconvenienceof ship repairs. To repair warships of Beiyang Navyexpediently,Governor-General Li Hongzhang appliedto and got approval from the court to build a dock in thenorthern China.
In January 1880,Li appointed Zheng Zaoru,ex-director of the Tianjin Customs,Xu Qianshen,a Magistrate,and Dertring,director of TaxationDepartment of Tianjin Customs as supervisors to takecharge of the construction of the dock. They bought110 mu of farmland in the area of Sea-god Temple ofDonggu to build "the Dagu Dock of Beiyang Navy" (nowthe Xingang Dock). In February,the project broke earth.In May,the Qing Government appointed Luo Fengluas director-general of the Dagu Dock project under therecommendation of Li Hongzhang. Three British peoplewere employed in charge of building,technology andfinance separately,so the dock was controlled by theBritish since the beginning of its operation.
During the construction of the Dagu Dock,thesituation was limited and all the equipments includedonly three sheds,eight machine tools,one motor,oneboiler and one steamed hammer. Later,20 machinetools,a power engine,a pump and a horizontal boilerwere bought from overseas. Workshops,machine roomsand offices were also built. By the end of 1880,theconstruction of the dock had been finished. There were600 workers and 300 technicians when the dock cameinto operation.
At the beginning,the dock only repaired shipsfrom the Beiyang Navy. In 1863,it began to build ships,especially small ships for military use. What`s more,italso assembled larger ships after importing parts fromabroad.
From 1884,the dock began to build coastal defensefor the Dagu Emplacement. In 1885,the numberof docks grew to six. In 1890,it began producingammunitions. In 1891,it bought machines to producecannons. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895,personnel with the dock helped repair the damagedwarships and produced ammunitions. It also producedtorpedoes for the Torpedo Barrack of the Beiyang Navy.
The Dagu Dock is not only the first modern shiprepair factory in north China,but also one of the firstmodern factory of military industry which adoptedmachines in China.

·1882年大沽船塢從英國(guó)進(jìn)口的大汽錘