Polloc and Govan Railway
Introduction
This once coal carrying line is partly open and now forms a section of the West Coast Main Line.
Why built
This railway line replaced the 1811 earlier alignment which had extended Dixon's private railway (from the Govan Colliery through the Govan Iron Works) on to Port Elginton Basin (Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal) and the West Street Coal Yard (by Windmillcroft Quay on the River Clyde).
The new line was a public railway and, although it bypassed the iron works to which it was connected, it directly linked the colliery to the canal and river.
Dates
| / /1830 | Polloc and Govan Railway Act receives Royal assent for a line from near Rutherglen to the River Clyde with a branch to the Port Eglinton Basin. |
| / /1831 | Polloc and Govan Railway Authorisation to extend east to Rutherglen. |
| / /1837 | Polloc and Govan Railway Extension of time granted for line construction. |
| 20/08/1840 | Govan Waggonway
Polloc and Govan Railway Course of the Govan Waggonway partly incorporated into the under construction Polloc and Govan Railway. |
| / /1842 | Polloc and Govan Railway Rutherglen to Windmillcroft Quay opened to goods. (Opened to passengers at unknown date.) |
| / /1842 | Polloc and Govan Railway Around 1842 branch opened to Port Eglinton Basin to goods. |
| / /1845 | Clydesdale Junction Railway Act receives Royal assent. The line was authorised from Glasgow, using the Polloc and Govan Railway to reach Hamilton with a branch to Motherwell [1st], the forks dividing at the later Newton station. The line would bring coal from pits in the Hamilton area, owned by the Dixons amongst others, to the Govan Iron Works. The Motherwell branch was authorised to not to be opened until the Caledonian Railway reached the Wishaw and Coltness Railway. |
| / /1846 | Polloc and Govan Railway
Caledonian Railway Polloc and Govan Railway merged with Caledonian Railway. |
| / /1846 | Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway Approval for link between Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway and the Polloc and Govan Railway near Gushetfaulds - the curve is the Victoria Junction to Cathcart Road Junction (the former was later called Langside Junction and the latter is now Larkfield Junction). |
| / /1846 | Polloc and Govan Railway Clyde Terrace (south bank of River Clyde) branch approved. Not built. (General Terminus opened instead.) |
| / /1846 | Polloc and Govan Railway
Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway Branch from the Polloc and Govan Railway to the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway authorised (superseded by the General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway). |
| / /1848 | Polloc and Govan Railway Locomotive shed opened at South Side. |
| 01/06/1849 | Clydesdale Junction Railway Line opened between Rutherglen [1st] and Motherwell [1st]. The Caledonian Railway begins running trains from the Glasgow terminus South Side [CR] station. Station opened to goods, passengers and minerals. This station opened on a short branch from the former Polloc and Govan Railway at Gushetfaulds. The terminus was immediately alongside the Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway terminus. Stations opened at South Side [CR], Rutherglen [1st], Cambuslang, Uddingston [1st]. |
| 01/06/1849 | Polloc and Govan Railway Gushetfaulds Junction to West Street Junction upgraded for goods in addition to minerals. |
| / /1857 | Polloc and Govan Railway New locomotive shed opened in Govan Colliery. Called South Side. |
| 14/03/1867 | Polloc and Govan Railway Line along West Street to Windmillcroft Quay lifted for a length of 35 chains. Stub of line is left at southern end from West Street Junction serving the Tradeston Destructor |
| / /1872 | William Smith Dixon
Polloc and Govan Railway William Smith Dixon gives the railway permission to build a new locomotive shed (Polmadie Shed), so long as it did not disturb Dixons own railway (Govan Iron Works Railway) which ran through an old quarry and was used for dumping slag and a level crossing over Polmadie Road to part of the Govan Colliery. |
| / /1872 | Govan Iron Works Railway Dixon's Private Railway or Govan Iron Works Railway authorised to pass underneath the Polloc and Govan Railway on a new alignment (replacing an older alignment) west of Polmadie Shed, running from Govan Iron Works (north) to the colliery (south). |
| 25/09/1873 | Polloc and Govan Railway Decide to build the new Polmadie Shed discussed with William Dixon Ltd. |
| 30/12/1873 | Polloc and Govan Railway Railway buys land for a new Polmadie Shed, Rutherglen, from William Dixon Ltd for £12,750. |
| 29/12/1874 | Polloc and Govan Railway Signal box at the new Rutherglen shed under construction called Polmadie Shed. |
| /07/1875 | Polloc and Govan Railway Rutherglen shed, built in timber, renamed Polmadie Shed, partly brought into use. |
| 16/09/1875 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed fully open. |
| / /1910 | Polloc and Govan Railway Authorisation to lengthen Polmadie Road Bridge near Polmadie Bridge Signal Box to accommodate line widening. |
| / /1910 | Polloc and Govan Railway
Clydesdale Junction Railway Opening out of Rutherglen Tunnel - Glasgow Road Bridge lengthening and stopping up and diversion of New Street authorised. |
| / /1923 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed starts to be re-built in brick. |
| / /1924 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed re-building in brick complete. |
| / /1934 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed turntable replaced with 70ft. |
| / /1935 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed coded 27A. |
| / /1940 | Polloc and Govan Railway Second 70ft turntable installed at Polmadie Shed. |
| / /1940 | Polloc and Govan Railway Northern part of the Polmadie Mineral Sidings (Shawfield Yard) traffic sidings incorporated into Polmadie Shed during re-construction of the shed. A new coaling plant was erected. |
| / /1949 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed coded 66A. |
| 13/06/1960 | Polloc and Govan Railway
General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway Line closed to passengers between Gushetfaulds Junction and Shields Junction No 1. |
| 15/11/1965 | Polloc and Govan Railway Gushetfaulds Freightliner Terminal opened. First train leaves London Maiden Lane to Gushetfaulds at 2005, followed by a southbound equivalent leaving at 2017. |
| 28/05/1967 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed closed to steam. |
| /04/1970 | Caledonian Railway Wishaw and Coltness Railway Clydesdale Junction Railway Polloc and Govan Railway Glasgow Central Station (Caledonian Railway) West Coast Main Line electrification authorised. |
| / /1974 | Polloc and Govan Railway Polmadie Shed closed when West Coast Main Line electrification reaches Glasgow. The site was re-developed as a carriage depot. |
| 06/05/1974 | Caledonian Railway
Wishaw and Coltness Railway
Clydesdale Junction Railway
Polloc and Govan Railway
Glasgow Central Station (Caledonian Railway) Glasgow Central to Carlisle electrification complete. |
Locations along the line
These locations are along the line.
This quayside depot was on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow at Windmillcroft Quay.
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More detailsThe basin was the eastern extreme of the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal. It opened in 1811. The Glasgow and South Western Railway owned the canal from 1869.
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More detailsThis junction was between the Polloc and Govan Railway's Windmillcroft Quay line (1840) and the General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway (1849). The facilities at General Terminus were superior to those at Windmillcroft Quay, which it replaced entirely in 1867.
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See also
General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway
This double track tunnel runs east from the site of West Street Junction [CR] to near Larkfield Junction. Above it are (from west to east)
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Bill Roberton 20/07/2021
This junction opened in 1877. It is a double track junction, the eastern end of a chord opened between Langside Junction on the Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway of 1848 and the Polloc and Govan Railway of 1840. The curve is marked on OS maps as the 'Polloc, Govan and Kilmarnock Joint Line Connecting Branch'.
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Bill Roberton 25/12/2021
Bill Roberton 25/12/2021
Bill Roberton 20/07/2021
Robin McGregor 18/07/1964
This junction was formed in 1849 when a short detached portion of the Clydesdale Junction Railway was opened from the former Polloc and Govan Railway (which the Clydesdale had purchased and upgraded) to a new terminus at South Side [CR]. This was an important new terminus in the south side of Glasgow, from 1849 the terminus for trains from England via the Caledonian Railway. ...
More detailsSee also
Clydesdale Junction Railway
Ken Browne 09/06/1962
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G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 27/07/1955
This locomotive works was located on the south side of the Caledonian Railway main line into Glasgow, this portion being the former Polloc and Govan Railway. It was the Glasgow Locomotive Works owned by Dübs & Co which became part of the North British Locomotive Company with the combination of several companies in 1903. Following this the location was officially the Queens Park ...
More detailsSee also
North British Locomotive Company
This signal box controlled a complex of lines where Polmadie Road crossed over the railway. (See Polmadie Shed for images to the east of the bridge, where the box was located.)
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Robin McGregor 02/07/1966
Robin McGregor 08/02/1967
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 08/08/1964
This was the works of Alley and MacLellan. It was located on the east side of Polmadie Bridge, south of the West Coast Main Line (former Polloc and Govan Railway) opposite the Polmadie Depot.
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More details
Ewan Crawford //2000
This was an important single ended shed with 16 roads, approached from the east. It was located north of the former Polloc and Govan Railway. It was an important shed around two miles south east of Glasgow Central, ideally located where many lines met.
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Colin Kirkwood 22/01/1967
Colin Kirkwood 17/05/1964
Robin McGregor 28/04/1967
Robin McGregor 02/07/1966
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More detailsThis location is to the east of Polmadie Depot and Polmadie Down Sidings, it is west of Rutherglen West Junction.
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See also
Clydesdale Junction Railway
Robin McGregor 20/05/1967
Ewan Crawford //2000
Bill Jamieson 19/05/1970
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More detailsBooks
