Strathclyde Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Strathclyde Junction (1877-1993)

Opened on the Glasgow Central Railway.
Opened on the Dalmarnock Branch (Caledonian Railway).
Opened on the Dalmarnock Branch Extension (Caledonian Railway).
Open on the Argyle Line.

Description

This seemingly grandiosely named junction was named for the Strathclyde Print Works which was on the north bank of the River Clyde by Dalmarnock House. In 1866 the Dalmarnock Branch (Caledonian Railway) opened from Dalmarnock Junction, Rutherglen, north to Bridgeton Goods, the line passing along the western boundary of the works. The junction was formed in 1877 when the Dalmarnock Branch Extension (Caledonian Railway) extended the line north to London Road [Glasgow], leaving Bridgeton Goods on a short branch on the west side of the new line.

Strathclyde Street crossed over both lines north of the junction (probably a level crossing originally).

The junction was to become increasingly complicated.

Between the Bridgeton Goods line and London Road [Glasgow] line a further siding, and small yard, was laid which ran north and then turned west under the London Road line to reach Dalmarnock Gas Works.

On the west side a siding was laid into a tube works, also acting as a headshunt to Strathclyde Foundry. This siding was later extended to a coal yard on Swanston Street.

In 1895 the first part of the Glasgow Central Railway was opened. This was built on the west side of the existing lines until reaching the River Clyde. Here a new bridge, Clyde Viaduct [Rutherglen] opened, and the existing lines were moved east onto this bridge. The older bridge, Clyde Viaduct [Rutherglen] [1st] was then used for the Glasgow Central Railway.

The Glasgow Central Railway opened completely in 1896.

In 1914 the Dalmarnock Power Station opened to the east, served by a new siding from the Dalmarnock Branch (Caledonian Railway). An exchange yard was laid out between the main line and the power station siding.

The signal box was replaced in 1959, a resignalling which stretched west to include Bridgeton Cross and Stocross East Junction. The new box was a BR flat roof style box.

The line west closed to passengers in 1964. It closed completely to Partick Central (excluded) in 1965. Bridgeton Goods also closed in 1965.

The signal box was reduced to ground frame status around 1968.

The box closed in 1973, replaced by Glasgow Central Power Box.

Dalmarnock Power Station closed around 1979.

In 1979 the Argyle Line opened, a partial revival of the Glasgow Central Railway. This is a double track electrified railway which has a triangular junction with the West Coast Main Line at Rutherglen.

Strathclyde Junction ceased being a junction, the connection between the reopened line and London Road [Glasgow] branch being made south of the river at Rutherglen North Junction.

London Road [Glasgow] closed around 1993. The line was cut back to provide a headshunt for the Bridgeton Bank Yard.

Tags

Junction
11/08/2019



Chronology Dates

05/10/1964Glasgow Central Railway
Partick Central to Rutherglen closed to passengers. Partick West, Glasgow Central Low Level, Glasgow Cross, Bridgeton Cross [CR], Dalmarnock and Rutherglen closed. Bridgeton Cross [CR] to Carmyle to Newton closed to passengers. Bridgeton Cross [CR], Parkhead Stadium, Tollcross and Carmyle closed. Partick Central (excluded) to Strathclyde Junction (excluded) closed to all traffic. Bridgeton Cross [CR] to Tollcross (excluded) closed to all traffic. (The Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway also closed to passengers.)
05/11/1979Glasgow Central Railway
The Argyle Line; Stobcross to Strathclyde Junction and Rutherglen Junction re-opened to passengers. Stations at; Finnieston [2nd], Anderston, Glasgow Central Low Level, Argyle Street, Dalmarnock and Rutherglen.