Elderslie Junction
Location type
JunctionName and dates
Elderslie Junction (1864-1983)Opened on the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.
Opened on the Bridge of Weir Railway.
Description
This junction was formed in 1864 between the 1840 Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway and the Bridge of Weir Railway.
Approach to the Bridge of Weir [1st] line was from the east, from Paisley Gilmour Street and Glasgow.
The branch was extended to Greenock Princes Pier in 1869, the signal box perhaps opening about this time.
The Paisley Canal line reached Elderslie from the east in 1885.
The Kilbarchan loop opened in 1905. This led to the establishing of a quadruple section between Cart Junction, Elderslie Junction and Canal Junction [Elderslie] and the Elderslie Flyunder. The box was replaced in 1907, built on the south side of Elderslie Junction. It was renamed Elderslie No 2, No 1 being at Canal Junction [Elderslie].
The junction was cut back considerably until the Kilmacolm branch closed in 1983 and the location ceased to be a junction. (The Paisley Canal line closed to goods in 1984.)
The box closed in 1985.
Tags
Junction
Chronology Dates
| 01/07/1885 | Paisley Canal Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway) Opened from Port Eglinton Junction to Elderslie Junction. The line uses much of the former route of the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal, the line runs skew across a former aqueduct bridge at Paisley Hawkhead. The canal route under the main line at Elderslie was used for a link to the Bridge of Weir Railway so that Greenock Princes Pier [1st] bound trains did not have to cross the track used by Ayr to Glasgow trains. The former Port Eglinton Basin becomes the Port Eglinton Goods depot. |
| 08/01/1983 | Greenock and Ayrshire Railway Kilmacolm line closed completely from Kilmacolm to Elderslie Junction (excluded). |
Books
 Scotland’s Lost Branch Lines: Where Beeching Got It Wrong |
