Chryston Tunnel Bridge
Location type
TunnelNames and dates
Bedlay Tunnel (1826-1832)Chryston Tunnel Bridge (1832-1967)
Opened on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway.
Description
This was a tunnel under the Cumbernauld turnpike road with a clearance of 9ft over the rails. The tunnel might also be referred to as Bedlay, Chryston or Moodiesburn. Bedlay House was just to the west, Chryston beyond, and Moodiesburn to the east.
The tunnel was on the main route of the railway opened in 1826. It was opened out in 1832 and a bridge installed over the new cutting to carry the turnpike Road. The bridge was known as 'Tunnel Bridge'.
The line was doubled in the 1829-1832 period.
Closure of the railway here was in 1967.
The turnpike road is today the A80 dual carriageway, the railway is now a footpath, the Strathkelvin Railway Path.
Tags
Tunnel footpath03/12/2020
| Nearby stations Bedlay Halt Bridgend [M and K] Garnkirk Gartcosh Garnqueen Glenboig Stepps Woodley Kirkintilloch [1st] Stepps [1st] Gartsherrie Gartsherrie [GGR] Gartsherrie [M and K] Lenzie Back O Loch Halt | Avenuehead Iron Pit Avenuehead Quarry Drumcavel Quarry Drumcavel Rock Sand Works Bedlay Junction Auchengeich Colliery Leckethill Junction Bedlay Colliery Siding Bridgend Junction Heathfield Pit No 3 Heathfield Fireclay Works Gartcosh Fireclay Works Russell Depot Gartcosh Tourist/other Avenuehead Signal Box Gartcosh Brickworks Signal Box |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
First Act of Parliament giving the right to operate locomotive enginesThe Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway's Act of 1824 was the first in Britain to grant the right to operate locomotives. It became the first Scottish company to successfully operate locomotives (a trial of a locomotive on the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway was not successful). The railway opened in 1826 with horse traction. In 1831, in the face of increasing competition from the Monkland Canal and the impending opening of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, the company bought the first two locomotives manufactured in Glasgow. The builder was Murdoch, Aitken & Co. Unfortunately there was insufficient clearance at Bedlay Tunnel and although the locomotives could be used to either side of the tunnel horses were used through the tunnel itself. One locomotive was used to the north and the other to the south. The tunnel was opened out in 1832 to remove the bottleneck. Locomotives 1&2 remained in use until the 1840s. |
Books
| The Monkland & Kirkintilloch and associated railways |
