Cleland Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Cleland Junction (1869-1941)

Opened on the Wishaw and Coltness Railway.
Opened on the Cleland and Midcalder Line (Caledonian Railway).

Description

This junction was formed in 1869 when the Cleland and Midcalder Line (Caledonian Railway) opened. It met the much older 1834 Wishaw and Coltness Railway Cleland branch here, built to serve collieries and the Omoa Iron Works (1789-1868).

The Midcalder line ran east from the junction, the original line running (via several reverse curves) south east before splitting. The junction was immediately east of Carfin station.

Both lines were double track. The W&C line had been upgraded and re-routed for the opening, in 1864, of the Cleland to Morningside Line (Caledonian Railway) which was double track as far east as Omoa Junction. Portions of the older line were retained to serve collieries such as the line to Cleland Colliery Pit No 3 for which an exchange yard was close to the junction.

The signal box, opened with the junction, was on the north side of the junction.

East to Omoa Junction was singled in 1917.

To Newmains was closed in 1941. An alternative date suggests closure as far as Cleland [1st] in 1935.

The box survived until 1957, after the various colliery lines closed. It signalled Carfin station.

Tags

Junction
03/07/2019

Chronology Dates

01/12/1930Cleland to Morningside Line (Caledonian Railway)
Morningside [CR] to Holytown (Cleland Junction) closed to passengers.

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Scotland - The Lowlands and the Borders v. 6 (Regional railway history series)

Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Old Newmains and the Villages Around Wishaw

Old Wishaw

Vanished Railways of West Lothian

Wishaw 1896: Lanarkshire Sheet 18.03 (Old O.S. Maps of Lanarkshire)