Location type

Names and dates

Description

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.)

This was initially a relatively simple location on the 1840 Polloc and Govan Railway where the sidings for the Govan Iron Works, on the north side of the railway to the west, left the railway. The junction was formed under the Polmadie Road bridge, which was to be chosen as the name of the signal box.

West of the bridge the railway passed over private mineral lines, the Govan Iron Works Railway, which ran south from the Govan Iron Works to collieries.

A little further west the Queens Park Locomotive Works opened in 1863 on the south side of the line. It was approached from the west. (Opposite on the north side of the line and south of the iron works lines was the small Gushetfaulds Goods Yard, a set of closely packed parallel sidings approached from the east.)

Polmadie Mineral Sidings developed to the east of this junction, the east side of the Polmadie Road Bridge. These were laid out on either side of the railway, by now increased to a four track wide line.

In 1875 Polmadie Shed opened to the north of the mineral sidings, it was served from the east from a loop laid on the north side of the yard.

The bridge was authorised for lengthening in 1910.

The shed was rebuilt in 1923 and its yard altered.

Further rebuilding of the shed in the 1940s had far more impact. Much of the northern part of the Polmadie Mineral Sidings were taken over for a coaling plant and inspection pits. This use of the mineral sidings site was necessary as the shed site was constrained to the north by the Govan Colliery Railway. Polmadie Bridge box closed in 1940.

The new Polmadie Signal Box was a very plain solid looking building, built in a time of war. The box was on the north side of the line just east of the Polmadie bridge.

The box survived the closure of the depot to steam in 1967.

The box closed in 1973, replaced by Glasgow Central Power Box, in the run up to electrification.

To the west of the junction, on the north side, were British Oxygen Company (BOC) sidings.

Polmadie Depot is on the site of the former shed, on the north side of the line.

Sidings on the south side were used for locomotive stabling, both diesel and electric.

The stabling sidings remain on the south side, with a compound (two sidings protected with a fence) and a wheel lathe.

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