Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway

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Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway
Locale Scotland
Dates of operation 15 July 1837 – 9 July 1847
Successor line Caledonian Railway
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
KBFa
Gourock
BHF
Fort Matilda
TUNNELa
Fort Matilda Tunnel
tHSTR tUKRZo tHSTR
   Greenock and Ayrshire Railway   
TUNNELe
BHF
Greenock West
BHF
Greenock Central
BHF
Cartsdyke
BHF
Bogston
LUECKE STR
   Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway
STRlf ABZlg
BHF
Port Glasgow
BHF
Langbank
TUNNEL1
Bishopton Tunnel
BHF
Bishopton
eBHF
Houston
exKDSr eABZrf
exSTRrg eABZrd
Walkinshaw N & S Junctions
exLUECKE STR
   Paisley and Barrhead District Railway
BHF
Paisley St James
LUECKE STR
   Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
CPICl CPICr
Paisley Gilmour Street
ABZrg STRrf
LUECKE
   Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway

The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway was an early railway, which merged with the Caledonian Railway. It was created to provide train services between Greenock and Glasgow.

Contents

[edit] History

The railway company was formed by Act of Parliament on 15 July 1837; and the line opened on 31 March 1841, having been delayed from the previous year after difficulties constructing a tunnel at Bishopton[1]. The contract for the first seven miles of the railway was agreed in 1839, the engineer being Joseph Locke and the contractor Thomas Brassey.[2][3] This was to be the first work of Locke in Scotland; and Brassey's fourth contract.[3]

The company was set up to provide through train services between Greenock and Glasgow. Its line originally ran from Greenock to Paisley, where it joined the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway: a line it jointly owned with the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.[1] Both companies received their Act of Parliament on the same day, and had been advised that the necessary Acts of Parliament to build their lines between Glasgow and Paisley could only gained by forming a joint company to build and run that portion.[1] The anticipated problem was obtaining the necessary agreement from the land owners.[1] Due to the failure of the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal to be completed beyond Johnstone, both railway companies were required to start work from both ends of their respective lines.[1]

The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway merged with the Caledonian Railway in 1847.[1]

[edit] Extension to Gourock

The Caledonian Railway bought Gourock Pier and the surrounding land in 1869; and obtained an Act of Parliament on 21 March 1878 to build a railway line and a quay.[1] It built an extension to the existing line, which was opened on 1 January 1889. The line provided several new stations from Greenock to Gourock, and allowed the Caledonian Railway to have their own rail-connected steamer pier in the area, directly competing with the Glasgow and South Western Railway's Princes Pier.

[edit] Connections to other lines

[edit] Current operations

Today, this line together with the former Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway is fully operational as the Inverclyde Line; with Georgetown/Houston station on the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway, and various stations on the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway, having closed.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Thomas, Chapter VII: The River Clyde and Loch Lomond
  2. ^ Helps, Arthur (1872).The Life and Works of Mr Brassey. Republished Nonsuch, 2006, page 106. ISBN 1845880110
  3. ^ a b Webster

[edit] Further reading

  • Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199. 
  • Robertson, C.J.A. (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722-1844. Edinburgh: John Donald (Publishers). ISBN 0-85976-088.
  • Jowett, Alan (1989). Jowett's railway atlas of Great Britain and Ireland : from pre-grouping to the present day, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137. 

[edit] See also



v • d • e
Historical Scottish railway companies:
Primary companies: Caledonian Railway • Glasgow and South Western Railway • Great North of Scotland Railway

Highland Railway • North British Railway
Caledonian lines: Aberdeen Railway • Alloa Railway • Alyth • Arbroath and Forfar • Busby Railway • Callander and Oban • Cathcart District • Cleland and Midcalder • Clydesdale Junction • CR Main Line • CR Douglas Branch • CR Hamilton Branch • CR Hamiltonhill Branch • Crieff Junction • Crieff and Comrie • Crieff and Methven Junction • Dunblane, Doune & Callander • Dundee and Perth • Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen • Forfar and Brechin • General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour • Glasgow and Garnkirk • Glasgow Central Railway • Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock • Greenock and Wemyss Bay • Hamilton and Strathaven • Killin Railway • Lanarkshire and Ayrshire • Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire • Leadhills and Wanlockhead • Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie • Paisley and Barrhead District • Perth, Almond Valley and Methven • Polloc and Govan • Rutherglen and Coatbridge • Scottish Central • Scottish Midland Junction • Scottish North Eastern • Solway Junction • Symington, Biggar and Broughton • Talla Railway • Wishaw and Coltness
Glasgow and South Western lines: Ardrossan Railway • Ardrossan and Johnstone • Ayr and Dalmellington • Ayr and Maybole Junction • Ayr to Mauchline • Ayrshire and Wigtownshire • Barrhead Branch • Bridge of Weir Railway • Cairn Valley • Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction • Castle Douglas and Dumfries • Dalry and North Johnstone • Darvel Branch • Girvan and Portpatrick Junction • Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle • Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr • Greenock and Ayrshire • Kilmarnock and Troon • Largs Branch • Maidens and Dunure • Maybole and Girvan • Paisley and Renfrew • Paisley Canal Line
Great North of Scotland lines: Aberdeen and Turriff • Aboyne and Braemar • Alford Valley • Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction • Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla • Boddam Branch • Deeside Railway • Denburn Valley • Formartine and Buchan • Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction • Keith and Dufftown • Moray Coast • Morayshire Railway • St Combs Light Railway • Strathspey Railway
Highland lines: Buckie and Portessie Branch • Dingwall and Skye • Duke of Sutherland • Findhorn Railway • Fortrose Branch • Inverness and Aberdeen Junction • Inverness and Aviemore Direct • Inverness and Nairn • Inverness and Perth Junction • Inverness and Ross-shire • Kyle of Lochalsh Extension • Perth and Dunkeld • Sutherland and Caithness • Sutherland Railway

Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway
Dornoch Light Railway • Wick and Lybster Light Railway
North British lines: Ballochney • Bathgate and Coatbridge • Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company • Coatbridge Branch • Edinburgh and Bathgate • Edinburgh and Dalkeith • Edinburgh and Glasgow • Edinburgh and Hawick • Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction • Forth and Clyde Junction • Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh • Glasgow and Milngavie Junction • Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank • Kincardine Line • Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton • Monkland and Kirkintilloch • Monkland Railways • Mallaig Extension • North British, Arbroath and Montrose • Stirling and Dunfermline • Strathendrick and Aberfoyle • Slamannan • Slamannan and Borrowstounness • West Highland Railway • Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness
Joint lines: Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction • City Union • Dundee and Arbroath • Glasgow and Paisley Joint • Glasgow and Renfrew District • Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint • Kilsyth and Bonnybridge • Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint
Other lines: Brechin and Edzell District • Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway • Denburn Valley Line • Dundee and Arbroath • Glasgow City and District • Invergarry and Fort Augustus • Lochaber Narrow Gauge • Perth, Almond Valley & Methven • Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway