RAILSCOT | Cowlairs West Junction

Cowlairs West Junction: Deltic 55014 'The Duke of Wellington's Regiment' seen unexpectedly passing Cowlairs signal box with a parcels train in February 1980. Photographed from the Eastfield shed sidings.
Colin Alexander /02/1980

Cowlairs West Junction

Location type

Junction

Names and dates

Cowlairs Junction (1855-1878)
Cowlairs West Junction (1878-)

Station code: CWR National Rail
Opened on the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway.
Opened on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
Opened on the City of Glasgow Union Railway.
Opened on the Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway).

Description

This is a four way junction. The 1842 Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway is met by the 1855 Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) and the 1858 Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway. The City of Glasgow Union Railway's north end reached here in 1875. In addition the Cowlairs Works was to the south, on the west side.

With the opening of a west (Cowlairs North Junction) to north curve (Cowlairs East Junction) in 1878 the junction was renamed from Cowlairs Junction to Cowlairs West Junction.

A signal box opened here in 1876. It was replaced in 1887 with a new box on the west side of the line, south of Hawthorn Street, which also controlled access to Cowlairs Works. This closed in 1956 when replaced by Cowlairs Panel Box.

Originally also known as 'Light Hill junction'.

Aliases

Light Hill junction
08/05/2020

Nearby stations Eastfield Platform Ashfield Cowlairs Springburn Possilpark and Parkhouse Possilpark (Private) Possil North Barnhill St Rollox [2nd] Glasgow (Townhead) Bishopbriggs Garngad Cowcaddens [Subway] Buchanan Street St Georges Cross [Subway]	Ironstone Pit Cowlairs Panel Box Cowlairs Shed Cowlairs North Junction Eastfield Tip Cowlairs East Junction Eastfield TMD Cowlairs Carriage Sidings Cowlairs Works Eastfield Viaduct West of Scotland Signalling Centre Turkey Yard Ironstone Pit Possil Junction Sighthill West Junction
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Chronology Dates

28/05/1858	Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway Opened as single track from Cowlairs Junction to Bowling and Dalreoch Junction to Helensburgh. Due to a disagreement over station access charges between the company and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway the first trains ran to Buchanan Street using the Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) and a connection at St Rollox (Sighthill West Junction) with the Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway) line. The disagreement was resolved a month later. (Alternative date 31st.) Stations opened at (eastern portion) Maryhill, Dalmuir [1st] and Kilpatrick, and (western portion) Cardross and Helensburgh.
/09/1904	Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Eastfield Shed opened north of Cowlairs West Junction. The shed replaced the running shed at the Cowlairs Works
/ /1991	Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) Slow, goods, lines to south/west of Springburn station - Cowlairs West Junction to Sighthill Junction - lifted.