Sunnyside Junction
Location type
Junction
Name and dates
Sunnyside Junction
Opened on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway.
Opened on the Glasgow and Coatbridge Branch (North British Railway).
Description
This junction is the successor to the original junction between the main line of the Monkland and Kirktintilloch Railway and the Kipps branch, and the line to Glasgow.
With the expansion of the Gartsherrie Iron Works the line north was realigned further east, the Hornock Deviation, the two alignments existing together for some time.
With the opening of the route west to High Street, the Glasgow and Coatbridge Branch (North British Railway), there was further realignment and Sunnyside Junction took form.
The original signal box was on the north side of the line. The Hornock/High Street Junction was to the west and Kipps/Whifflet junction to the east. It was replaced in 1920 with a new box in the 'V' of the west junction.
After 1960 the signal box took over Greenside Junction, further east, until the junction's closure in 1972. Also in 1960 it took over Blairhill's Blairhill and Gartsherrie box.
The box closed in 1991. In its latter days this box was painted yellow, presumably for 'Sunnyside'.
The former main line south is now single and the route north, latterly only serving Gunnie Yard and the cement works, has closed.
To the south of the west to south curve was a yard, altered over the years as the layout of lines changed. This bordered and served the Summerlee Iron Works, now the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life.
The line to the south was singled in 1973 with the strengthening of the bridge by Coatbridge Fountain, this to allow heavier trains to Gunnie Cement.
The line north of Gunnie Yard is now out of use.
Tags
JunctionExternal links
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
Nearby stations Howes Coatbridge Sunnyside Coatbridge Central [NB] Coatbridge Central Blairhill Kipps Gartsherrie [M and K] Whifflet Upper Whifflet Lower Whifflet [NB] Gartsherrie Coatdyke Langloan Whifflet Whifflet [CR] | Other railway and industry locations Summerlee Iron Works Sunnyside Engine Works Summerlee West Signal Box Howes Basin Summerlee East Signal Box Gartsherrie Shed [GGR] Gartsherrie Iron Works Signal Box Gartsherrie Iron Works Gunnie South Signal Box Gunnie Cement Greenside Junction Coatbridge Canal Goods Gunnie Yard [1st] Coal Pit Tourist/other Summerlee Heritage Centre |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Dates
| / /1846 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Sunnyside Junction re-modeled to allow expansion of William Baird & Cos Gartsherrie Ironworks. Contractor for work: William Baird &Co. |
| 09/12/1994 | Glasgow Central Railway The River Kelvin bursts its banks and floods the disused tunnels from Kelvinbridge to Stobcross, where it floods the open Argyle Line railway. The route through Low Level Glasgow Central is closed between Partick and Rutherglen and trains are diverted onto the Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet section of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway for access to Motherwell. This remains in operation for around nine months. |
