94-469: The Barrhead Branch was a branch line built by the Glasgow and South Western Railway in Scotland. It connected Potterhill railway station on the south side of Paisley with a new Barrhead Central railway station . The line was sometimes known as the Barrhead Central Railway . It was made in reaction to competition for local passenger traffic, and for a time a circular service operated from Glasgow via Paisley and Barrhead . However income from
188-582: A factory for the confectionery manufacturer Cadbury was established with a private siding connection. The line closed to all traffic on 2 March 1970. A rail tour operated by the Stephenson Locomotive Society ran on the line on 1 September 1951. The train started at Paisley East Goods on the Paisley and Barrhead District Railway at Cecil Street and ran to Barrhead South. It then travelled via Elderslie and Johnstone to Paisley West, and from there to
282-500: A feature of workmen's trains". The tramway was authorised, and the desperate struggle to compete for local passenger business was obviously lost; the Caledonian reviewed its position, and although the passenger stations were substantially complete, it decided not to open the line for passengers. The western section, from Paisley St James to Blackbyres and Lyon Cross was opened in 1905 for goods traffic only. The eastern section suffered
376-551: A full passenger service over the line. In the intervening period the supposed advantages of Portpatrick as the ferry port for the north of Ireland had dissipated, and Stranraer was now considered the better port. The G&PJR was financially exhausted and weak, operating a long main line with little local business. The financial situation worsened and the company was taken over by the Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Railway Company (A&WR) on 1 August 1887. The new ownership appears to have been
470-475: A further extension railway to reach Girvan and develop the harbour there, possibly as a ferry port for Ireland: a Maybole and Girvan Railway was formed in 1855; it got its authorising Act on 14 July 1856. All of these local initiatives received the promise of cash support from the G&;SWR. The Maybole and Girvan line opened on 24 May 1860; the old Maybole station, east of Redbrae, was unsuitable for an onward route and
564-448: A general central passenger station had waned, and the northwards exit from St Enoch station was only used by local G&SWR trains to Springburn. On 29 June 1883 the station and the immediate approach lines were transferred from the CGUR to the G&SWR. This was followed by partition of the CGUR; the section south and west of College Junction (near High Street, NBR) went to the G&SWR, and
658-580: A line from Glasgow to Kilmarnock. Shareholders of both companies objected to the wasteful duplication, and in 1869 an act of Parliament was obtained for the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway , owned jointly by both companies, running from Neilston on the GB&;NDR. It opened in 1873, with a branch from Lugton to Beith. A connection into the St Enoch line was opened shortly afterwards. As well as supporting
752-499: A line from its Potterhill terminus to Barrhead, there joining the GB&KJR. The line opened in 1902 and a circular passenger service was operated from Glasgow. This was preceded on 6 August 1897 when the Paisley and Barrhead District Railway was authorised by the Paisley and Barrhead District Railway Act 1897 ( 60 & 61 Vict. c. clxxv). It was nominally independent, but friendly to
846-590: A new passenger station at St Enoch, a large goods station in land vacated by the University of Glasgow and a connection at West Street to the General Terminus goods branch on the bank of the Clyde. Construction was slow and costs overran heavily; on 12 December 1870 the first trains ran from Shields Road to a temporary central passenger terminus at Dunlop Street. On 1 June 1871 the line was extended to Bellgrove, joining
940-493: A provisional Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway (CD&DR) was gaining momentum. It was independently sponsored, although it was seen as a possible first step in opening up the entire region; it was authorised on 21 July 1856. This prompted the G&SWR to relocate the Dumfries station to a point north of St Mary's street; the former "temporary" station was relegated to goods status. The new station opened on 13 September 1859: it
1034-481: A quayside transfer to steamers at Greenock, and a price war with the established CR line broke out, eventually resolved with a traffic sharing agreement: the G&SWR received 42.68% of receipts. In 1872 the G&AR was absorbed by the G&SWR. The Greenock Harbour Trustees further developed Albert Harbour, constructing Princes Pier with extensive berthing facilities for steamers, and the G&SWR renamed their own station Princes Pier in 1875. Further extension to
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#17328522994731128-406: A rail connection to it was provided from the line, becoming the only part of the network still in use. That link was closed in 1984. Paisley had long been an important manufacturing town, especially in the textile industries. When main line railways in the west of Scotland were being planned in the 1830s, it was natural that the town would be considered an important intermediate point, and in 1840
1222-473: A railway across difficult and sparsely populated land had been a challenge. Encouraged by the CD&;DR authorisation, at the end of 1856 promoters resolved to build a British and Irish Grand Junction Railway , 62 miles (100 km) from Castle Douglas. Government assurances were given about the use of the sea route for mail and improvement of the tiny harbour at Portpatrick, and suddenly rival railways including
1316-458: A similar fate; it was opened in 1906 from Paisley East station, some distance south of the Joint Line at Gallowhill, to Blackbyres. The west and east curves that would have linked to the joint line were formed, but never connected. The line of route was therefore: Paisley East station was chiefly used as a coal depot for Paisley. Barrhead South station may never have been fully formed, although
1410-504: A speculative move, but the A&;WR was no more solvent than its predecessor. In 1892 the G&SWR purchased the company for £270,000 (on 20 June). It introduced corridor coaching stock was on the boat trains in 1899. The Portpatrick Railway (PR) had its established line from Dumfries to Stranraer, also a long line through difficult terrain with little intermediate business, but achieving significantly better financial results. The arrangement with
1504-519: A triangular junction immediately east of Paisley Gilmour Street, running south and joining the other section at a junction at Blackbyres, a short distance north of Barrhead. This section would give access for coal traffic from the Lanarkshire pits directly to Paisley, and was to be double track to handle the heavy trains. Construction of the line started on 15 August 1898. The route had been designed to skirt existing heavily built up areas, and construction
1598-622: A year. In 1865, four railways were absorbed, effective from 1 August; they were the Bridge of Weir Railway (from Elderslie, opened in 1864), the Maybole and Girvan Railway (described above; it had never made money and had run out of cash to finish the buildings and ancillary works on the line); the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway (CD&DR); and the Kirkcudbright Railway . The CD&DR and
1692-639: The Caledonian Railway respectively. The two larger companies were keen rivals and over time expanded their area of influence in Scotland. The Barrhead and Neilston areas were already the home to much industrial activity, especially in the valley of the Levern Water , and in 1848 the Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway opened. In 1873 that line was extended to Kilmarnock and transferred to joint control of
1786-496: The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway . Already established in Ayrshire, it consolidated its position there and extended southwards, eventually reaching Stranraer. Its main business was mineral traffic, especially coal, and passengers, but its more southerly territory was very thinly populated and local traffic, passenger and goods, was limited, while operationally parts of its network were difficult. It later formed an alliance with
1880-404: The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway opened; the following year the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway opened its line too. The two companies shared, and jointly operated, a route between Glasgow and Paisley, the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway . Those two railway companies were later merged with others, and became part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) and
1974-587: The Liverpool and Manchester Railway as an inter-city line, and then the Grand Junction Railway reaching northwards, caused railway promoters in the west of Scotland to consider that one day, there might be a through railway line to London. The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&AR) was authorised in 1838, and opened its line to Ayr in 1840. It was a locomotive railway, and in due time it opened its branch line from Dalry to Kilmarnock, with
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#17328522994732068-513: The North British Railway (NBR) there, and forming the north-south connecting link, which was heavily used for transfer goods trains. It was not until 1 May 1876 that St Enoch station opened and through trains to London ran from there. The station was universally regarded as magnificent, and in 1879 the accompanying St Enoch Hotel, the largest in Scotland, opened too. By now the NBR enthusiasm for
2162-620: The Rootes Group constructed a motor car manufacturing plant at Linwood in 1961, a railway connection was laid in to serve it; it ran from the District Railway between Walkinshaw and Ferguslie. The Pressed Steel Company had opened a plant at the site making car bodies for Rootes, and they also produced body shells for railway passenger vehicles. The line south of the Linwood connection to Ferguslie closed on 30 September 1968. The Linwood Plant
2256-479: The Barrhead Central Line, crossing over it in two places. The Barrhead Central Railway opened from Potterhill to Glenfield Works on 21 August 1899, for goods only. It was extended to Barrhead Central and open for all traffic on 1 October 1902. The north to east spur at Barrhill closed in 1910, and the section between Potterhill and Barrhead Central closed to passengers on 1 June 1913. Barrhead Central station
2350-640: The Bridge Street station as the G&SWR Glasgow station became ever more strained, and a nominally independent central terminus was proposed; this would involve constructive the first railway bridge over this part of the Clyde—there had previously been no connection across the river in Glasgow. The G&SWR and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway were partners, and invited the Caledonian Railway to join in, but
2444-460: The CD&DR and offered to work the Portpatrick line for 72% of gross receipts. The G&SWR had recently announced that it worked its own railway for less than 38%, and the Portpatrick line decided the proposed charge was too much; on 28 March 1860 they decided that "the board should retain the working of the line under their own management". The G&SWR had been certain that its terms for working
2538-505: The CR declined. The City of Glasgow Union Railway obtained Parliamentary authorisation on 29 July 1864; the capital was £900,000 with the G&SWR and the E&;GR taking one-third of the shares each. (The following year the two existing companies agree to take all the stock themselves.) The line would run from a junction with the Paisley joint line at West Street to Sighthill on the E&GR, with
2632-630: The CR for that company to work the line expired in 1885 and the PR considered who might take up the work. Both the CR and the G&SWR were candidates, and two English railways, the London and North Western Railway and the Midland Railway were interested in extending their influence to Stranraer to capture Irish business. The Wigtownshire Railway was in effect a branch of the PR, running south from Newton Stewart to connect good quality farming land around Wigtown and
2726-404: The Caledonian and the G&SWR companies; the extended line was called the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway (GB&KJR). In the later decades of the nineteenth century, there was considerable further industrial development in areas not directly served by the earlier lines. This was particularly the case in Paisley, where much industry was established south of the town, and in 1885
2820-483: The Caledonian, and was intended as a competitive response to the G&SWR route. It was to be a complex system amounting to over 12 miles (20 km), making several linkages with existing lines. It was supported by the Caledonian Railway: £132,000 of the £188,000 capital was provided by the larger company. Its route was to leave the Caledonian Railway's Greenock line at Paisley St James and turn south to
2914-486: The City Union line, in 1864 the G&SWR proposed a large number of branch lines, most of them tactical in respect of competition with the Caledonian Railway. This caused considerable disquiet among shareholders—the same was true within the Caledonian company—and some moderation of the proposals took place. As part of the rapprochement, the G&SWR was granted permanent powers to run between Gretna and Carlisle , for £5,000
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3008-410: The Clyde ferries grew considerably. The G&SWR wished to secure a share of this valuable traffic, and the Bridge of Weir Railway had been a move in that direction. The friendly Greenock and Ayrshire Railway (G&AR) was heavily supported (£300,000 out of £350,000 share capital) by the G&SWR, and opened its line from Bridge of Weir to its Albert Harbour station at Greenock, in 1869. This gave
3102-617: The English Great Northern Railway were hastening to put up money for a share. With a capital of £460,000, the line looked well supported and got its act of Parliament on 17 August 1857, retitled the Portpatrick Railway . The construction, through difficult terrain, went ahead, and as completion became near, the Portpatrick Railway planned the arrangements for the working of its line. The G&SWR were working
3196-572: The English Midland Railway and ran express passenger trains from Glasgow to London with that company, in competition with the Caledonian Railway and its English partner, the London and North Western Railway , who had an easier route. In 1923 the G&SWR formed a constituent of the London Midland and Scottish Railway group. Much of the network remains active at the present day; Glasgow commuting particularly has developed, and parts of
3290-438: The G&SWR and the Caledonian Railway (CR); both companies had a presence at both Paisley and Barrhead, and in 1897 the CR obtained Parliamentary authority to build the Paisley and Barrhead District Railway , serving the district between the two towns. The G&SWR had a Barrhead station on the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway (GB&KJR) but the station there was inconveniently located, and on 19 August 1898
3384-424: The G&SWR obtained an Act of Parliament for a number of developments, including an extension of the line from Potterhill to a new central station at Barrhead, with a spur to join the GB&KJR, facing Glasgow. The line opened on 1 October 1902; the new Barrhead station was named Barrhead Central. A circular passenger service was operated from Glasgow St Enoch via Paisley, Potterhill, Barrhead Central and Nitshill;
3478-466: The G&SWR opened the Paisley Canal Line which ran from Glasgow to Elderslie on a more southerly alignment than the Joint Line. The following year it extended that line by a branch to Potterhill, and in doing so served a considerable area of industrial activity. The centres of Paisley and Barrhead are about five miles (8 km) apart, and the spread of Paisley industry towards Barrhead, and
3572-500: The G&SWR providing some funding and in most cases working the line when it was completed. The Ayr and Dalmellington Railway Act 1853 was passed on 4 August 1853. At this time the G&SWR Ayr station was north of the River Ayr, and the A&DR was to run from Falkland Junction, a short distance north of the station, and round the east side of the town. The new line had an Ayr passenger station (a temporary structure at first), but it
3666-446: The GB&KJR main line, the branch turned south-west to cross under the GB&KJR, reaching Barrhead Central station terminus, lying south-east of the main line. A north to east spur gave access for goods trains from Potterhill towards Glasgow, and a connection from Barrhead Central station also gave access in that direction. When the Caledonian Railway opened its Paisley and Barrhead District Railway line in 1902, it ran very close to
3760-458: The GD&;CR had completed construction of its line. The GPK&AR extended as far as Horsecleugh (between Cumnock and New Cumnock) and the GD&CR reached an end-on junction there, completing the through line on 28 October 1850. Accordingly on 28 October 1850 the G&SWR was formed. Although this was described as a merger, the reality was that the penniless GD&CR was dissolved, its operation
3854-456: The GPK&;AR formed the definite intention of merging; at first the GD&CR demanded terms that were excessive, particularly as their own financial situation was weak: they were funding construction of their line with money loaned by the GPK&AR. However more realistic expectations emerged later, and by acts of Parliament of 1846 and 1847 it was determined that the two companies would merge when
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3948-574: The GS&;WR acquired this line. By 1866 the primitive technology had become an embarrassment and pressure from the Burgh of Renfrew caused the G&SWR to upgrade the line to locomotive haulage, converting it to standard gauge, and connecting it to the main (joint) line at Greenlaw, east of Paisley, and facing Glasgow. The work was completed by September 1867 and through passenger trains between Glasgow and Renfrew were instituted. As traffic increased, dependency on
4042-621: The Kilmarnock line diverged) and the decision was taken to duplicate this section of the route by a new line on the north of the lochs in the Garnock Valley. The scheme upgraded the Johnstone North line, and ran from its terminus (upgraded and relocated) to Brownhill Junction, north of Dalry, by way of Lochwinnoch. This was the Dalry and North Johnstone Line , which opened in 1905. The capacity relief
4136-579: The Kirkcudbright Railway were now operated as the Kirkcudbright branch as a single unit from Dumfries. The Caledonian Railway was granted running powers between Dumfries and Castle Douglas for trains it ran between Lockerbie and Stranraer . From the outset, Greenock had been served by the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway , allied to the Caledonian Railway . The port developed and carried increasing volumes of goods, and passenger traffic for
4230-450: The Portpatrick Railway delayed too, but finally completed the line from Stranraer to Portpatrick on 28 August 1862. Although some use was made of the route, the anticipated major sea crossing never materialised, and in time Stranraer became the more important port. Before the existence of the G&SWR, its predecessor, the GPK&AR had acquired the Paisley and Renfrew Railway , a horse-operated railway with track on stone blocks, and
4324-399: The anti-clockwise service was described as the inner circle and the other direction was the outer circle . Barrhead Central was a terminus, and the circular service involved a reversal there. While the more frequent service found some success in the Glasgow and Paisley urban areas, competing against omnibuses and street tramways, patronage on the more rural area between Barrhead and Paisley
4418-545: The city centre accommodation. Industry was expanding too in Johnstone, on the north side of the town in areas not served by the main line. As well as mineral extractive industries, there were extensive textile mills along the Black Cart Water, and a short branch line from Cart Junction to Johnstone North was opened in 1896. The traffic congestion problem was also experienced on the main line between Elderslie and Dalry (where
4512-488: The coast to Largs. It experienced resistance at first, the Largs Branch opened in stages between 1878 and 1885, with stations at West Kilbride, Fairlie and Largs. A Fairlie Pier station was opened: the station roof was built using materials recovered from the temporary Dunlop Street station. Bitter and destructive competition for the ferry traffic to island locations developed. The G&SWR had reached Girvan in 1860 with
4606-416: The construction was much more difficult than expected. The railway was to reach Stranraer by joining the Portpatrick Railway at Challoch Junction, continuing over that line for 10 miles (16 km). However the Portpatrick line was being worked by the Caledonian Railway (CR), and the CR was hostile to the G&PJR, which it saw was an ally of the G&SWR. It took until 5 October 1877 to inaugurate
4700-463: The construction, but when the line was nearly complete, tramway competition had become obviously dominant for local passenger journeys, and the Caledonian decided not to start the intended passenger service. The line opened for goods trains only in 1905 and 1906, and served industrial sites on the route. Most of the line had become moribund by the 1950s, but when the Linwood motor car factory opened in 1961,
4794-411: The convenience of stopping places in town and village centres, and the cheap fares were major advantages to which local railways could not respond. In May 1905 the Caledonian opposed the Paisley tramway operation's proposed route from Paisley to Barrhead: it said that the District Railway was to open on 1 June 1905, and that the company had spent £720,000 on the Paisley lines; the company said that it "made
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#17328522994734888-509: The first half-year. A pooling agreement was finalised in 1853 which mitigated some of the worst toll charges, but routing of goods traffic via the CR was made obligatory in many situations. The agreement included a comprehensive limitation on encroachment by either railway into the other's territory. In the years immediately following the formation of the G&SWR, the shortage of capital meant that no definite steps were taken for further expansion. Local initiatives were encouraged, however, with
4982-511: The foot of the Gleniffer Braes , then east, turning south again to enter the centre of Barrhead. Unlike the G&SWR scheme, it was to continue beyond Barrhead, and was to join the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway , authorised in the same Parliamentary session, at a junction between Neilston and Cathcart. A second arm of the network was to connect with the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway by
5076-460: The former City of Glasgow Union Line at Shields Junction, where it joined the Joint Line, and ran via the southern part of Paisley to Elderslie, where it rejoined the Ayr main line. At this time Paisley was enjoying very considerable industrial growth and the new line was able to serve the relevant areas. Following the route of a contour canal involved many meandering curves, the worst of which were eased by
5170-547: The goods station at Gleniffer Depot on the Barrhead Branch. The line started at Potterhill railway station , which had opened in 1886 on a branch from the Paisley Canal Line . The line ran approximately south-east; shortly there was a facing junction, Thornly Park Junction, where the short Gleniffer Branch diverged, turning south and then west to serve the Glenfield works of Fulton Textile Mills; this closed in 1966. Approaching
5264-400: The goods yard was in use; it would have been a basic conventional two platform station, located close to the present-day Deanston Avenue. Barrhead (New) was a conventional two-platform station, but Dykebar was an island platform station. Paisley South was also a two-platform station. Ferguslie, Staneley and Dykebar were to be island platform stations forming passing points on the single line, but
5358-416: The harbour facilities took place at the eastern side of Greenock, at Garvel. The G&SWR built a connecting line eastwards from Lynedoch, opening on 5 August 1886. G&SWR trains had to reverse twice to reach the harbour on a steep incline. The branch cost £262,467. In 1870 and the following years, a network of lines was opened connecting Ayr with mineral-bearing districts in east Ayrshire. The first line
5452-433: The help of allied local companies. Continuing from Girvan to Portpatrick, for the crossing to the north of Ireland was still an aspiration, but this section was the most difficult, and sparsely populated terrain. After some false starts, friendly promoters put forward a Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Railway (G&PJR) obtained an authorising act of Parliament on 5 July 1865 to close the gap. Raising money, and carrying out
5546-549: The intention of extending to Carlisle to meet up with whatever railway might reach that city from the south. The GPK&AR had anticipated constructing its authorised line and then the extension, but by 1846 there was a frenzy of competing schemes that threatened to destroy the Company's core business. Few of these were realistic, but the GPK&AR itself felt obliged to promote numerous branches, many of them tactical, in order to keep competing schemes out. This period of railway promotion
5640-517: The interested larger companies, the G&SWR, the CR, the MR and the LNWR. The arrangement was ratified on 6 August 1885; the sale value was £491,980. The line was worked by the G&SWR and the CR in tandem. As traffic developed, especially the mix of heavy mineral traffic and passenger trains, line capacity became increasingly a problem. This was particularly the case on the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Line where
5734-466: The line had been fed from the Walkinshaw end only, that would have been a very roundabout route. A signalbox is shown, and the junction is named Lyoncross Junction. That is repeated on the 1946 plan. and 25-inch plans of the same period. The 1939 revision shows the Paisley and Barrhead line as being reduced to single track. According to Alisdair Wham, the section of track between Barrhead South and Lyoncross
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#17328522994735828-404: The line to Paisley East as can be seen in the bridge photograph on this page. Having subscribed two-thirds of the original capital of the company in 1898 the Caledonian put in a further £80,000 in 1900, and obtained an act of Parliament giving authority for an extension of time for construction in 1901. It acquired the company outright in 1902 (by act of Parliament of 31 July), while construction
5922-499: The line was disappointing, and the passenger service was cut back, finally closing in 1917. As a goods-only route it remained open until 1970. None of the line is open now. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Directors of the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) realised that the emphasis for suburban passengers had moved away from infrequent services to main population centres. Moreover, in urban area, new competition
6016-401: The line would have to be accepted; it had promised a further £40,000 towards the capital cost of the Portpatrick Railway, and on a pretext it now declined to make that payment, further alienating the Portpatrick Railway. The line opened, stoutly independent, on 12 March 1861 as far as Stranraer. The Government had implied a promise to improve the tiny harbour at Portpatrick and was now delaying;
6110-427: The location of much of Barrhead industry on the Paisley side encouraged the idea of linking them. As well as the goods traffic that might be captured, suburban passenger business could be assumed to be attracted. Residential traffic had been increasing in other localities; moreover a circular service from Glasgow through both towns had operational benefits. In 1898 the G&SWR obtained an act of Parliament authorising
6204-464: The loop at Staneley was never connected. Some sources suggest that the line was never completed to Lyon Cross (sometimes spelt Lyoncross) where it would have joined the L&;AR line. However the six-inch Ordnance Survey map of 1915 (revised 1911) clearly shows both routes as double track with a full junction connection. This is the route by which coal for Paisley was brought in from the Lanarkshire pits; if
6298-554: The network have been electrified. Many of the earlier mineral workings, and branches constructed to serve them, have ceased, and many local passenger stations in rural areas have closed. In 1921 the G&SWR had 1,128 miles (1,815 km) of line (calculated as single track extent plus sidings) and the company’s capital was about £19 million. In the early 1830s, there were already several mineral railways operating in Scotland; local in extent, they were mostly built to serve coal mines and other mineral activity. The successful operation of
6392-519: The sea ports of Garlieston and Wigtown. Their line was being worked by an independent contractor, Thomas Wheatley and his son. After considerable negotiation, the decision emerged not to form a further working arrangement for the PR, but instead to merge the PR and the Wigtownshire Railway. The combined network formed the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway , purchased by a consortium of
6486-500: The section north and east of Bellgrove went to the NBR. These changes were enacted on 29 June 1883. In the 1890s it became obvious that expansion of St Enoch was essential, and on 18 August 1898 the Glasgow and South Western Railway Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. clix) for the extension of St Enoch station was passed. A second arch roof and six further platforms were built; they were brought into use progressively from 1901. The extension
6580-551: The southern extremity of the GPK&AR to Carlisle; their route became known as the Nithsdale Route . Opposing promoters put forward a so-called central line via Carstairs and Beattock, that had the advantage of a shorter mileage, and the capacity to serve Edinburgh directly, but the disadvantage of much heavier gradients and running through a less populous area. This route became known as the Annandale Route . The GD&CR
6674-403: The stations on the line to Clyde Coast destinations in the 1950s. A rail tour operated by the Stephenson Locomotive Society visited the line on 1 September 1951. The train started at Paisley East Goods at Cecil Street and made its way to Barrhead South returning through the west branch to Paisley Gilmour Street. Rowand says: "Alas for the promoters of the railway, in the same year [as
6768-446: The traffic of the rival Caledonian Railway had to be dealt with. In 1881 the G&SWR submitted a parliamentary bill to drain the defunct Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal and build a railway on it. The bill passed as the Glasgow and South Western Railway Act 1881 ( 44 & 45 Vict. c. cxlix), and the G&SWR started work on what became the Paisley Canal Line . The new line left
6862-469: The use of earthworks. The line opened fully on 1 July 1885, and some through passenger trains used the line as well as local and mineral trains. Capitalising on access to industry in Paisley, a spur off the Canal Line to Potterhill was opened in 1886. In 1894–5, new carriage sidings were constructed at Bellahouston on the Canal Line, while new engine sheds at Corkerhill were constructed, to relieve pressure on
6956-403: Was still in progress. The G&SWR Barrhead Central station, on its line from Paisley, opened on 1 October 1902. A further extension of time for the Paisley and Barrhead District Railway was obtained in 1904. For some time street-running tramcars had been making heavy inroads into urban and suburban passenger railway business, and electric tramcar routes were proliferating. The frequent trams,
7050-487: Was a booking clerk given accommodation at Carlisle Citadel passenger station. This was granted on an undertaking that the G&SWR would never interfere with the business of the CR or the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway , and tolls were charged for use of the line from Gretna, and for bulk goods passing through Carlisle, whether transshipped or not. The CR ensured that all traffic between south of Carlisle and Glasgow or Edinburgh
7144-412: Was arising from omnibus services and street tramways. They responded by planning frequent services on suburban routes, calling at new stations close to developing industrial sites. In 1885 the Paisley Canal Line opened, with stations on the south side of Paisley, and in 1886 a short branch southwards to Potterhill was opened. For the time being this remained a terminus. There was bitter rivalry between
7238-474: Was authorised by act of Parliament, but the rival Caledonian Railway (CR) had already had authorisation for building its line on the Annandale route; the GD&CR's financial position led it to abandon its intention of building an independent line to Carlisle, and it altered its plan so as to join the CR at Gretna Junction, relying on negotiating running powers for its trains to reach Carlisle. The GD&CR and
7332-475: Was authorised to reach Maybole by a junction from the Ayr and Dalmellington; the junction was to be called Maybole Junction, but was named Dalrymple Junction when the line opened to goods traffic on 15 May 1856. Passenger opening was delayed until 2 August 1856 because of the Board of Trade Inspecting Officer's dissatisfaction with the works at first. This line too was worked by the G&SWR. There were discussions of
7426-512: Was built, it crossed the canal by a bridge. The canal was long defunct, and a new line was built passing under the bridge and running to Cart Junction, eliminating the conflicting move. This opened in 1906. Paisley and Barrhead District Railway The Paisley and Barrhead District Railway was a railway in Scotland that ran between the towns of Paisley and Barrhead . It was intended to serve industrial premises and develop local passenger and goods business. The Caledonian Railway managed
7520-446: Was by-passed, the new passenger station being at Culzean Road. The Ardrossan Railway had long been allied to the G&SWR and by an act of Parliament of 24 July 1854 it was vested in the G&SWR, effective on 1 August 1854. The line ran between Ardrossan Harbour and Kilwinning, with mineral branches extending further east. The wide space of countryside west of Dumfries and south of Girvan still lacked any rail connection. In 1856
7614-401: Was closed to passengers on 1 January 1917. Glasgow and South Western Railway The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) was a railway company in Scotland. It served a triangular area of south-west Scotland between Glasgow , Stranraer and Carlisle . It was formed on 28 October 1850 by the merger of two earlier railways, the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway and
7708-414: Was completed in 1904, at a cost of £2,500,000. The GPK&AR had declined to give Kilmarnock a direct route; it opened its line via Dalry in 1843. In 1848 the Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway (GB&NDR) opened from a South Side terminus in Glasgow. The line was friendly to the Caledonian Railway. In 1865 both the Caledonian Railway and the G&SWR obtained Parliamentary authority to build
7802-406: Was continued at Dalry by quadrupling the track from Brownhill Junction, and the junction itself was a flying junction, the first in Scotland. Much more traffic took the diverging route at Elderslie towards Cart Junction—all of the new line traffic, as well as the fast Greenock boat trains—and the opportunity was taken to provide a burrowing junction at Elderslie for this route: when the Ayr main line
7896-473: Was described as "equal if not superior in lightness and beauty to any in Great Britain". The CD&DR line opened on 21 July 1856. For many years schemes had been put forward to reach Portpatrick . There was a small harbour there and ferry crossings to Donaghadee provided the shortest route to reach the north of Ireland. Mail, cattle, and soldiers had been conveyed that way, but reaching Portpatrick with
7990-569: Was disappointing. On 1 October 1907 the circular passenger service was discontinued, and trains worked from St Enoch to Barrhead Central via Paisley and Potterhill, and separately from St Enoch to Barrhead Central via Nitshill. The line between Potterhill and Barrhead Central was closed to passenger services on 1 June 1913 . Operation of these services did not pay, and on 1 January 1917 under the stress of World War I conditions, both Potterhill and Barrhead Central stations were closed to passengers. The through line continued in use for goods services, and
8084-528: Was easy except in the approaches to Barrhead and Paisley East: here the possible alignment was limited by the hilly topography, the River Levern, the existing Kilmarnock line, and the authorised G&SWR line. Two massive stone viaducts were required in Barrhead. (The town of 9,000 inhabitants was to have four passenger stations.) An enormous stone wall was built along the length of Lacy Street in Paisley to take
8178-433: Was followed by a slump, when money was difficult to come by, and these factors prevented the GPK&AR from bringing its Carlisle extension into reality. Enthusiasm for a connection to English railways continued, however, and was intensified by the promotion of other schemes to link central Scotland and England. Interests friendly to the GPK&AR formed the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway (GD&CR) to extend from
8272-573: Was from Ayr to Mauchline through Annbank, and this was followed by a long loop from Annbank to Cronberry on the Muirkirk line, and a connection to Holehouse Junction on the Dalmellington route. Although the Mauchline connection facilitated some passenger journeys, mineral traffic was more important than passenger operation on these lines. Ardrossan had long been reached, but the G&SWR wished to extend up
8366-516: Was less convenient than the old terminus; until January 1860 the old G&SWR terminus station continued to be used by some trains. There were important ironworks owned by the Houldsworth family, and ironstone and coal deposits, in the lands near Dalmellington. The independent A&DR company was worked by the G&SWR and later absorbed on 1 August 1858. On 10 July 1854 the Ayr and Maybole Junction Railway
8460-603: Was never used. Although the envisaged passenger service never ran, the line continued for many years to serve industrial premises; at the southern end this included the Arthurlie Dyeworks and a public goods yard at Barrhead South. Beyond that point to Lyon Cross the line closed by 1952, and the Paisley arm of the line closed on 31 December 1960. Meikleriggs Goods Yard closed on 6 September 1954. The section from Ferguslie Chain Road to Barrhead South closed on 28 October 1963. When
8554-535: Was not commercially successful, and the siding connection and therefore the whole of the Paisley and Barrhead District Railway closed on 21 October 1984. The entire Paisley and Barrhead District Railway network was closed and the only remnant of its existence is the wide space between the tracks at Lyon Cross on what is now the Neilston line, intended for the junction station there. The train shed in Dykebar Hospital
8648-511: Was routed over its own line. The accounts for the first half-year, produced in March 1851, showed gross income for the six months to be £87,186 and a 2¼% dividend was declared. The Company owned 72 engines, 171 passenger coaches, and 2,416 non-passenger vehicles. Good enough as the results were, the long main line to Gretna was not producing much, due to the dominance of competing route of the Caledonian Railway, and business in general declined following
8742-452: Was still in existence in 2007, and the course of the hospital branch line can be discerned in aerial photographs. Parts of the line are now a cycle track, built along the route of the trackbed from Glenburn to Barrhead. Glenfield station was at the bottom of the hill, a short distance up Glenburn Road from where the cycle track ends. Although the line was never used for ordinary passenger trains, occasional Sunday school outings started from
8836-420: Was taken over by the GPK&AR, and the latter company changed its name to the G&SWR. The GPK&AR had been working the GD&CR's line for it since it (partially) opened. The new company had lines: The trains on the Dumfries line now ran through to Carlisle, an arrangement having been made with the Caledonian Railway to permit this. However the CR did not encourage the G&SWR and only on 1 March 1851
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