RAILSCOT | Castlehill Branch Junction

Castlehill Branch Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Castlehill Branch Junction (1886-1960)

Opened on the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway.
Opened on the Castlehill Branch (North British Railway).

Description

This was the junction between the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway and the later Castlehill Branch (North British Railway). There was a loop on the original line and a single line led off to the south west for the branch.

The signal box, on the north side of the junction, controlled

- the original line east and west
- the Castlehill Branch (opened 1886 closed 1955)
- Davies Dyke siding (to the east, a former station)
- Kingshill No 1 Colliery (opened 1919, closed 1968 with the washery closed 1974)

The box was replaced in 1913. The second building was in timber. After 1960 the box closed and original line east from Davies Dyke closed, the remaining line retained to serve Kingshill Colliery No 1 by one engine in steam.

The line closed in 1974, it remained mothballed to 1975.

The trackbed remains, rather overgrown. The junction for Kingshill at Davies Dyke is less overgrown.

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map

Nearby stations Davies Dykes Morningside [NBR] Morningside [1st] Morningside [CR] Newmains Stirling Road Hartwood Blackhall Law Junction Cambusnethan Shotts Overtown [2nd] Overtown [1st] Carluke Cleland	Ironstone Mine Ironstone Pit Watsonfoot Colliery Kingshill Colliery Pit No 1 Coal Pit Coal Pit Chapel Colliery Pits Nos 1 and 2 Colliery Coal Pit Chapel Colliery Coltness Branch Junction Darngavel Siding Kingshill Colliery Pit No 3 Morningside Colliery Allanton Iron Foundry
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Chronology Dates

04/04/1949	Castlehill Branch (North British Railway) Carluke [NB] to Castlehill Branch Junction (excluded) closed. A section between Castlehill Branch Junction and a Chapel Colliery remained open until 1955. Part of this line was built on the former course of a waggonway running from Castlehill Iron Works (Carluke).
15/07/1974	Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway Morningside to Castlehill Branch Junction (Kingshill Colliery No 1 and Kingshill Colliery No 3) closed to freight.