Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway

Introduction

This railway ran east from Glasgow to near Coatbridge, where it met the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway. This line is open, save for the original Glasgow Townhead terminus.

The line was renamed the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway when it was opened through from Gartsherrie to Whifflet via Coatbridge Central in 1844.

This was the first public railway in Scotland and it was also the first to compete with a canal - the Monkland Canal (and to a certain extent the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and Forth and Clyde Canal route to Glasgow).






Dates

  /  /1825Charles Tennant
Charles Tennant, one of the promoters of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, visits the Stockton and Darlington Railway with his family. Local suppliers and mines further afield via the Monkland Canal were struggling to meet the coal demands of the St Rollox Chemical Works.
  /05/1826Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Act receives Royal assent. The promoters were Charles Tennant, Mark Sprot, George M. Nisbett, John Land, James Jeffray, Thomas Sprot, William Dixon [Junior] , Archibald Lamont and James Merry.
  /  /1830Charles Tennant
Charles Tennant, one of the promoters of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, visits the Liverpool and Manchester Railway with his family.
  /  /1831Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Two locomotives provided by George Stephenson.
  /05/1831Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Railway comes into use for mineral traffic. The line is double track, 4ft 6in gauge, and worked by both horses and locomotives. At the western end the St Rollox Chemical Works is served and a coal depot St Rollox Depot is opened.
31/05/1831Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
Coach service between Kirkintilloch Basin and Leaend ceased. This was due to the opening of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway in May and the commencing of a through coach service to Leaend from Glasgow Townhead.
01/06/1831Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow (Townhead) and Gartgill (Gartsherrie) stations opened at either end of the line.
01/06/1831Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
Ballochney Railway
Commencement of a service to Airdrie. Coaches for Airdrie Leaend are disconnected from the trains on arrival at Gartgill/Gartsherrie and taken on by horse to Leaend.
27/09/1831Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow (Townhead) to Gartgill (Gartsherrie) opened officially.
  /  /1832Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartgill station renamed Gartsherrie [GGR].
  /  /1832St Rollox Chemical Works
By 1832 the works is consuming 30,000 tonnes of coal annually, brought to the works along the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway.
31/05/1834Wishaw and Coltness Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Cleland Branch, Holytown [1st] to Newarthill, opened for minerals. (Not long afterwards a passenger service from Newarthill with the carriage joining Glasgow Townhead trains at Gartsherrie [GGR] was introduced. It ran from Newarthill in the morning and back in the afternoon/evening.)
  /  /1837Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartcosh and Garnkirk stations opened.
  /  /1840Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Engine house (locomotive shed) opened, Gartsherrie Shed.
31/08/1840Slamannan Railway Ballochney Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Passenger service from Edinburgh to Glasgow introduced by the Slamannan Railway. A trackboat along the Union Canal from Edinburgh to Causewayend Basin was followed by a train from Causewayend [SR] to Arbuckle along the Slamannan Railway. Running powers were then used from Arbuckle to Kipps via the Ballochney Railway, from Kipps to Gartsherrie [GGR] via the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and Gartsherrie to Glasgow Townhead over the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. (Alternative date 05 August.)
  /  /1841Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway buys land in Coatbridge with the intention of building an independent extension to the town. This later opened as Coatbridge [CR].
  /  /1842Cut of Junction
The portion of canal between St Rollox Depot/Glasgow (Townhead) (Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway) and Port Dundas Basin is improved by increasing the canal depth. This portion was originally only 4ft deep (depth of the Monkland Canal) which prohibited the larger coal boats of the Forth and Clyde Canal reaching St Rollox. The railway depot was rebuilt and enlarged in the 1840s.
  /  /1842Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Extended from Gartsherrie to Coatbridge [CR]. This was built without an Act of Parliament.
  /  /1843Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway renamed the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway for its extension to Coatbridge [CR] (and the still relatively new Summerlee Iron Works of 1836).
  /02/1843Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway
Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway extended from Gartsherrie to new Coatbridge [CR], initially a terminus. (This line later extended through to Whifflet South Junction and was used by the Wishaw and Coltness Railway and the Caledonian Railway to avoid the more tortuous Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway route with level crossings through Coatbridge.)
  /05/1843Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Coatbridge [CR] opened to passengers. Connecting service to Leaend on the Ballochney Railway abandoned. An omnibus continued the journey from Coatbridge to Airdrie.
  /05/1843Slamannan Railway
With the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway opening to Coatbridge [CR] and withdrawing from Leaend the Slamannan passenger service is cut back, running from Rawyards (Ballochney Railway) to Causewayend [SR].
  /  /1844Neilson & Mitchell
Build locomotives for the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway.
  /07/1844Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway
With the extension to Coatbridge [CR] in use the line is renamed the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway. An Act of Parliament authorises the Gartsherrie to Summerlee Iron Works and Coatbridge section along with the extension to the Wishaw and Coltness Railway at Whifflet. Alteration of the gauge is also authorised.
01/03/1845Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Passenger service from Glasgow Queen Street to Coatbridge [NB] and Airdrie (Commonhead?) begins around this date. This used the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, Garngaber Curve (Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway), Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and Ballochney Railway. The Monkland line was upgraded for this service and began to use steam hauled passenger trains. This new service ran in competition with that from Glasgow Townhead over the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway to Coatbridge [CR] with a road coach connection to Airdrie.
  /  /1848Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Caledonian Railway buys land at St Rollox. This will later be the site of the St Rollox Works.
01/11/1849Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow (Townhead) to Milton Junction closed to passengers.
  /  /1854Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
The Caledonian Railway opens the St Rollox Works between the original line's alignment and the new Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway). The works built and maintained locomotives and rolling stock. (Alternative date 1856.) Greenock Works and Shed on the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway - workshops abandoned.
  /  /1865Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Authorisation to stop up the Gartgill Level Crossing at Gartsherrie North Junction directly west of Gartsherrie station. The road is relocated to the west to cross a bridge.
  /  /1866Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartsherrie Shed [GGR] closed on the opening of Motherwell Shed.
  /  /1870Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Villas start being built at Steps Road.
  /  /1878Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Level crossing to the east of Steps Road is stopped up and replaced with a bridge.
  /  /1882Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
St Rollox Works extension opened.
  /  /1886Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
St Rollox Works remodelled and enlarged.
  /09/1887Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway)
St Rollox Goods ceased to forward mineral traffic.
01/11/1898Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Original Robroyston station opened.
  /  /1924Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Steps Road renamed Stepps [1st].
  /  /1930Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Cardowan Colliery opened by line at Stepps.
28/10/1940Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartsherrie station closed.
  /  /1948Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Coatbridge [CR] station renamed Coatbridge Central.
11/06/1956Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Robroyston station closed.
07/03/1960Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Garnkirk station closed.
  /  /1962Aberdeen Joint (Caledonian Railway) Aberdeen Railway Arbroath and Forfar Railway Scottish Midland Junction Railway Scottish Central Railway Caledonian Railway Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway)
A4 Pacifics introduced on the Aberdeen to Glasgow Buchanan Street 3 hour Grampian run.
05/11/1962Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartcosh station closed.
05/11/1962Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Whifflet [CR] station closed.
05/11/1962Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartcosh Junction to Gartsherrie South Junction closed to regular stopping passenger services.
03/09/1966Aberdeen Joint (Caledonian Railway) Aberdeen Railway Arbroath and Forfar Railway Scottish Midland Junction Railway Scottish Central Railway Caledonian Railway Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway)
A4 Pacifics from Aberdeen to Glasgow Buchanan Street withdrawn.
24/07/1968Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow (Townhead) to Milton Junction closed.
24/07/1968Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Townhead (St Rollox Goods West) to St Rollox Works closed to goods.
30/11/1968Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Sighthill East Junction to Germiston Junction Low closed.
03/05/1976Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartcosh Junction to Gartsherrie South Junction re-opened to passengers.
11/08/1981Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Wishaw and Coltness Railway
Coatbridge Freightliner Terminal to Mossend Marshalling Yard electrified.
  /  /1987Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
British Rail Engineering Limited stop using St Rollox Works. MC Metals continue to use the sidings for asbestos removal from stock and locomotives.
15/05/1989Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Stepps station opened. Served by the Springburn to Cumbernauld services, and Greenfaulds opened on the same day.
04/10/1993Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Whifflet station opened
  /05/1999Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Gartsherrie South Junction signal box closes - last signal box in the Monklands.
30/01/2013Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Caledonian Railway
Carillion wins contract to electrify the line to Cumbernauld.
19/05/2014Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Caledonian Railway
Electric passenger services begin operating between Glasgow and Cumbernauld following commissioning of 50 km of 25 kV 50 Hz electrification between Springburn and Cumbernauld.
12/08/2018Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Work begins to open a new Robroyston station. The station cost £14m to re-build.
15/12/2018Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Robroyston station opened.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Glasgow to Gartsherrie

This was the Glasgow terminus of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. It was on the north bank of the Monkland Canal just east of the Port Dundas Basin. The depot was chiefly a mineral depot with several sidings serving coal staithes on the canal, very much expanded in the 1840s after the site ceased to serve passengers - a curve in the line betrays where the westwards extension began. ...

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See also
Port Dundas Branch (Caledonian Railway)
Monkland Canal


This was an early passenger terminus in Glasgow opened in 1831. Known variously as
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Timber sleepers in diggings from recently excavated sub-soil test pits on the track bed of the lines to Port Dundas Basin West of Townhead. This area ...
Martin MacGuire 18/05/2016
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A shed and works existed on the east side of Glebe Street and north side of the railway close to the Glebe Street terminus. It was replaced by Inchbelly Works to the east.
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This mineral depot was east of Glebe Street (Pinkston Road) and approached from the east. The fan of lines was north of the Garnkirk line. Glebe Street Works was located by the street. To the south, over the railway, was the St Rollox Chemical Works. An extension of the works was built to the north of the goods depot. Waste material was deposited to the north.
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This large chemical works, once the largest in the World, was in the north of Glasgow (229 Castle Street). It started by producing bleaching chemicals for cloth. The works was built on the north bank of the Forth and Clyde Canal / Monkland Canal Cut of Junction (the link between the canals). It was most famous for it's huge chimney dating from 1842, the 'St Rollox Stalk', which was 435.5 ...

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Monkland Canal


This gate box was at the Inchbelly Level Crossing in Glasgow, on the former 1831 Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway east of the original Glasgow terminus.
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This locomotive shed and works was opened by the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway to replace a small shed and works at Glebe Street Works. The name is contrived, it was probably just known as the Glasgow shed and works of the Garnkirk company.
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This junction was formed between the 1831 Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway and a connection to the 1849 Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway) at Sighthill East Junction. The connecting line had several uses:
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This location was between Locomotive Sheds Junction (to the west) and Germiston Junction High to the east on the original Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway approach to the St Rollox Depot. After the opening of Buchanan Street this became a goods only route. There were a pair of looped sidings on the north side of the line.
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This was the junction between the Milton Junction to St Rollox [1st] (the original terminus) line and The Switchback line south to Rutherglen. This curve closed in 1962.
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See also
Blochairn Steel Works Branch (Caledonian Railway)
A3 Pacific 60094 'Colorado' brings the 1.15pm Glasgow-Dundee past Germiston High junction on 7th May 1963. ...
Robin McGregor 07/05/1963
On 29th October 1966, one week before services from Glasgow’s Buchanan Street station came to an end, B1 61330 was photographed passing ...
Robin McGregor 29/10/1966
A clear exhaust from A4 Pacific 60004 'William Whitelaw', accelerating the 5.30 pm three-hour Glasgow - Aberdeen express past Germiston High Junction ...
Robin McGregor 27/07/1963
Standard Class 5 73098 heads towards Buchanan St with the 4.40 pm arrival from Inverness in July 1963. Waiting at Germiston High junction to follow ...
Robin McGregor 27/07/1963
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At this junction the lines from the original Glasgow terminus of the 1831 Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway at St Rollox [1st] was met by the later (1849) line to the more suitable terminus at Glasgow Buchanan Street. The former, the southern pair of lines, also served the St Rollox Works. The latter, the northern pair of lines, also served Balornock Shed. After the opening of ...

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Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway)
GNSR 4-4-0 No.49 'Gordon Highlander' restarts after a pause at Milton Junction, on its way towards Glasgow Buchanan Street with the 'Scottish Rambler' ...
Robin McGregor 19/04/1965
Standard Class 3MT 2-6-0 77005 brings the Scottish Rambler No 5 brakevan railtour past Milton Junction on a murky 8th April 1966.
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Robin McGregor 08/04/1966
A4 Pacific 60019 Bittern was making a fast start out of Buchanan St with the 5.30pm three-hour express to Aberdeen, and I was surprised to see steam ...
Robin McGregor 19/04/1965
Standard Class 3MT 2-6-0 77005 brings the Scottish Rambler No 5 railtour past Milton Junction on Saturday 8th April 1966, when the weather was just ...
Robin McGregor 08/04/1966
4 of 9 images. more


This junction was named Millerston Junction for one year. It was the western approach to Robroyston station and Robroyston Yard.
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Robroyston Marshalling Yard and Colliery Branches (Caledonian Railway)


A new station opened at Robroyston in 2019, a little east of the original station. Work started in September 2018. The new station will be built on the site of its predecessor with the car park on some of the former Robroyston Yard. It will be Glasgow's 60th station.
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Robroyston, showing the new station complete with lifts on its opening day. ...
John Yellowlees 15/12/2019
Robroyston - a first day ticket. ...
John Yellowlees 15/12/2019
All dressed up but nobody is here yet. The new Robroyston station ready for action 12 hours before the first passenger service was due to call. ...
Colin McDonald 14/12/2019
Robroyston was officially opened by Michael Matheson MSP on the 16th of December. The station features a 263 space car park close to the M80. ...
John Yellowlees 16/12/2019
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This junction predates the former Robroyston Yard to its west. This was the junction for a mineral line serving Robroyston Coal Pit, the branch being approached from the east.
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Robroyston Marshalling Yard and Colliery Branches (Caledonian Railway)
View east towards Robroyston East Junction in 2000. Robroyston Yard was on the left hand side of the line behind the camera. ...
Ewan Crawford //2000
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This station was on the east side of Cumbernauld Road, for which it was briefly named, close to the road bridge. It was a two platform station in Caledonian style with the main building on the westbound platform.
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Looking east over the site of the first Stepps station in 1988, the second station was to open a year later at the distant road bridge. The first ...
Ewan Crawford //1988
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This is a two platform station.
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66738 'Huddersfield Town' brings the Forth William to North Blyth Alcan tanks through Stepps on 3rd May 2019. ...
Alastair McLellan 03/05/2019
385122, with an Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen St service, calls at Stepps on 3rd May 2019.
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Alastair McLellan 03/05/2019
385015 departs from Stepps with a Glasgow Queen St to Edinburgh Waverley service on 3rd May 2019. The Black and White Whisky Tower can be seen in the ...
Alastair McLellan 03/05/2019
Stepps could be in the Steppes for all the custom this Edinburgh service is attracting. Somebody got off though. ...
David Panton 22/06/2019
4 of 9 images. more


The original signal box was on the north side of the line and in the 'V' of the junction of the line leading to Cardowan Fireclay Works, approached from the east.
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A view taken on the 31st of August 1985 from a railtour from Edinburgh to Dumfries hauled by 44767 and diesel pilot 37188. The train is eastbound at ...
Bill Roberton 31/08/1985
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Sources vary for the opening date of this works, with some suggesting a clay works here predated the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway of 1831 which was built alongside and which served it. Certainly it was open by 1832 when the Garnkirk Colliery and Brickfield Company was formed. Mark Sprot of Garnkirk House and the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway was involved. The clay dug for and used ...

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This station had two platforms, the eastbound platform being an island with possibly a second face on its north side. The main station building and signal box were on the westbound platform.
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This signal box was west of Gartcosh station. It controlled access to the Gartcosh Fireclay Works siding which was on the south side of the line and approached from the west with an exchange siding laid alongside the main line.
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This fireclay works, making firebricks and a wide range of other objects such as garden ornaments, fountains, roof tiles and pipes, was opened by James Binnie in 1863. The works closed in the 1950s.
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This is a modern minimal two platform station. It was opened in 2005 on the site of the previous Gartcosh station, closed in 1962.
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A Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston service enters a wet Gartcosh on 25 October 2018. These services are soon to be electrified and extended ...
David Panton 25/10/2018
A Falkirk Grahamston - Glasgow Queen Street service westbound, seen shortly after leaving Gartcosh station on 25 September 2007. [Ref query 19 June ...
John Furnevel 25/09/2007
A train from Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow Queen Street via Cumbernauld comes off the curve on the eastern approach to Gartcosh station on 25 ...
John Furnevel 25/09/2007
A Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow Queen Street service calls at Gartcosh on 2nd
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David Panton 02/09/2017
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This is the junction between the line west to Glasgow via Stepps and east to Cumbernauld (to the north east) and Coatbridge Central (to the south east). The Cumbernauld route is double track, Coatbridge Central route single track.
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See also
Hayhill Branch (Caledonian Railway)
Gartcosh Steelworks (British Steel Corporation)
Gartcosh Junction and box in a view to the east. The Hayhill branch to Garnqueen North Junction curves off to the left and ahead is the route to ...
Bill Roberton 31/08/1985
The sun sets on Gartcosh Junction signalbox in 1999, not long before its final closure. ...
Ewan Crawford //1999
Rear view from a Cumbernauld-Springburn DMU passing Gartcosh Junction. Signalbox now demolished. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
Gartosh Junction and Gartcosh steelworks. I was an employee of BSC at the time. Access by kind permission of British Steel Corporation. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
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This signal box was located between Gartsherrie North Junction to Gartcosh Junction and provided access to Kilgarth Slag Hill which was within the triangle of lines formed by Gartcosh Junction - Garnqueen North Junction - Gartsherrie South Junction.
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A view from the site of Gartsherrie North Junction looking to Gartsherrie South Junction.
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Alastair McLellan 29/07/2017
66739 'Bluebell Railway' snakes through the realigned junction at Gartsherrie with the northbound Alcan Alumina tanks on 29th June 2019. ...
Alastair McLellan 29/06/2019
A long girder bridge crosses the line to Glasgow at Gartsherrie. In the 1990s the bridge featured this graffiti which fans of Monty Python might ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
View east to Gartsherrie South Junction from Gartsherrie North Junction in 1989.

The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway's 1831 alignment was a little ...
Ewan Crawford //1989
4 of 4 images.









Port Dundas West Goods Branch

This very short branch extended north from St Rollox Depot up the east side of the Port Dundas Basin.

This was the Glasgow terminus of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. It was on the north bank of the Monkland Canal just east of the Port Dundas Basin. The depot was chiefly a mineral depot with several sidings serving coal staithes on the canal, very much expanded in the 1840s after the site ceased to serve passengers - a curve in the line betrays where the westwards extension began. ...

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See also
Port Dundas Branch (Caledonian Railway)
Monkland Canal


This power station generated electricity for the Glasgow Corporation Tramways. It was located on the east side of the Forth and Clyde Canal's Port Dundas Basin and the west side of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway where it entered Cowlairs Tunnel.
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Port Dundas Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)