Canal Junction [Elderslie]

A picture that speaks volumes about changes from manufacturing to service industries, and about automotive traffic on the railways of Britain and beyond. The faded lettering on the bridge says 'TALBOT home of the Avenger and Sunbeam'. The Linwood plant was opened as a Pressed Steel factory and built bodies for Glasgow's Blue Trains; then assembled Hillman Imps see image 48344 and Hunters; then the Avenger and finally Sunbeam, until 1981. Kwik Fit boasts of its 44 year history on the hoarding on the left; but even the Transit van and pickup under the bridge have history with the railways. These were the last model built at the rail-served factory in Southampton. Transits are now built in Turkey. The previous dual sourcing arrangement led to a strange traffic flow, as each Transit plant only had press tools for one type of door. So Ford company trains took right hand doors from Southampton to Turkey, with a balancing flow of left hand doors from Turkey to Southampton. You couldn't make it up.

Location: Canal Junction [Elderslie] (former)

Original line: Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway

Photographer: Ken Strachan

Contact photographer: Ken Strachan

Contact editor

Date: 14/07/2015

Image number: 52190


Other photographs of Canal Junction [Elderslie] on RailScot