This line, now closed, provided Glasgow with a new superior and better located terminus Glasgow Buchanan Street. It opened just after the Caledonian Railway main line was completed becoming the terminus for trains from England as well as local services. The station replaced the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway's Glasgow (Townhead) terminus station which was inconveniently located outside Glasgow up a hill. For trains from England it replaced the South Side [CR] terminus located on the south side of the River Clyde. It was built by the Caledonian Railway. There was an approach line and terminus at the top (north) end of Buchanan Street for locations such as English destinations, Aberdeen, Perth, Dundee West, Stirling and, later, Oban. Services which previously ran to this station were diverted to Glasgow Queen Street High Level on closure. There were very extensive goods yards at this station which have also closed. The very large site of the former passenger and goods stations are now occupied by the Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotrail house, a number of carparks and some vacant land. The southern portal of the tunnel which passed under the Monkland Canal still exists - the canal now being replaced by the M8 motorway. The approach to the station was double track and there were four passenger platforms. The platforms were canopied - the canopies being taken from the rambling Ardrossan North station when Buchanan Street station was re-built. The Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway had attempted to extend its line as a rope-worked incline to central Glasgow via a viaduct but this was considered too high an approach to Glasgow by the Caledonian Railway when it took over - so this alignment was abandoned and the Buchanan Street line planned. A stub of line remains, serving the St Rollox Works. Also known as Crofthead Extension (Caledonian Railway).
This line is divided into a number of portions.
This was a major terminus in Glasgow. It was located at the north end of Buchanan Street. This was the station for the north with destinations such as Stirling, Oban, Dundee West and Aberdeen. It is particularly associated with the 3 hour expresses to Aberdeen hauled by A4 Pacifics in the 1960s.
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This was the most important goods station in Glasgow having grown from a single goods shed (on the south side and alongside the Buchanan Street passenger station) to an enormous facility far larger than the passenger station. Latterly this was a huge stone built goods shed and warehousing.
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This two road locomotive shed was just outside Buchanan Street station. It was on the north east side of Dobbies Loan and the north west side of the railway between the station and Buchanan Street Tunnel. There was a trailing connection to the railway at the point where the fan out of lines to the passenger station and Buchanan Street Goods began. A small 20ft turntable was located ...
More detailsThis signal box, originally Buchanan Street North Signal Box, was renamed from North to West, a more geographically correct name. It was at the western end of Buchanan Street Tunnel where the lines emerged and fanned out to approach Buchanan Street station, Buchanan Street Goods and Buchanan Street Shed.
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This was a double track tunnel which ran west under the Monkland Canal (now the M8) to Pinkston Road. About mid way there was an airshaft just to the north of the St Rollox [1st] depot.
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This signal box, originally called Buchanan Street Tunnel South, was east of Buchanan Street Tunnel. It was renamed from South to East, a more geographically correct name.
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This was a two platform station opened with the major expansion of the St Rollox Works. It was located in a cutting to the north of the works.
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This was the short lived connection between the Glasgow Buchanan Street to Milton Junction [Glasgow] alignment and the Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway).
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Originally the Caledonian Railway's Sighthill Junction.
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This was the junction between the Buchanan Street to Milton Junction line and the line to Balornock Junction with lines to Dumbarton Central, Robroyston West Junction and south to Rutherglen by The Switchback (Caledonian Railway). The link, and the line to Buchanan Street, closed in 1966.
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This 14 road shed replaced the cramped sheds at St Rollox Works and Buchanan Street. It was known as Balornock Shed in Caley and LMS days and St Rollox by British Railways.
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At this junction the lines from the original Glasgow terminus of the 1831 Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway at St Rollox [1st] was met by the later (1849) line to the more suitable terminus at Glasgow Buchanan Street. The former, the southern pair of lines, also served the St Rollox Works. The latter, the northern pair of lines, also served Balornock Shed. After the opening of ...
More detailsOriginally the Caledonian Railway's Sighthill Junction.
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This goods yard was to the south of the Buchanan Street line and north of the line serving St Rollox Works This yard had cattle sheds, sidings, pens and a group of holding sidings at the east end. The western end was just south of St Rollox station. To some extent it competed with the much larger Sighthill Goods to the north of that station.
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This locomotive shed opened at the St Rollox Works to augment the smaller shed at Buchanan Street Shed which was in a very constrained site. It also allowed all of the St Rollox Works to be dedicated to heavier repairs and continued locomotive maintenance during the complete reconstruction of the works site.. The much larger Balornock Shed (also known as St Rollox although over a ...
More detailsThis is a railway works located in Springburn, north of Glasgow. It can 'carry out service, maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrades on all train types'. Traditionally it has been called 'The Caley' after the company who built it. 3,000 to 3,500 people worked there at its height.
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