Boghead Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Boghead Junction (1898-1967)

Opened on the Torbanehill and Bathgate Branch (Monkland Railways).
Opened on the Boghead to Cowdenhead Branch (Monkland Railways).

Description

This was the first junction west of Bathgate Polkemmet Junction.

Originally this was the end of the main portion of the Torbanehill and Bathgate Branch (Monkland Railways). Lines ran both north west and south from here serving various coal and ironstone mines. Reaching these mines was one of the main purposes of the branch.

To the north west was a coal and ironstone pit.

To the south were Torbane Pit No 2, Torbanehill Pit No 6, Torbanehill Pit No 3, Torbanehill Pit No 7 and Torbanehill Pit No 2.

By 1897 the lines to the south had closed. The northern line had been extended to Boghead Brick and Fireclay Works. Further mines to the north of Boghead House had previously been served and were now closed.

A box opened in 1900 in preparation for the line doubling.

The box was replaced in 1942. The brick works had closed and new mines opened to the south Northrigg Colliery Pit No 2 (formerly Torbane Pit No 2) and Northrigg Colliery Pit No 7 (formerly Torbanehill Pit No 7). The new box was in the 'V' of the junction to the south, on the south side of the main line.

The box survived until 1967. The main line closed in 1982 and re-opened in 2010.

Tags

Junction