Couple of questions

[Bittern]

Hey there,

I just recently found out that the North British Railway had a station in Hamilton, Scotland back in the old days. I have seen the pics that are up at RailScot, but I still have some questions. Google has provided no answers.

First of all, where is the site of the station? Is it near the town center and is there something built on the site now?

Where did trains from this station go? (Larkhall, East Kilbride, Glasgow etc.)

And while I'm here, I may as well as this. What class of locomotives were used on the lines going through Glasgow's Botanic Gardens station?

Thanks!

 

[CarterUSM]

Hi RPM Elite, I have had a look at my pre grouping atlas, and can see the station you mean, it appears to be a terminus with the penultimate stop being peacock cross which as you probably know is very close to hamilton west although this was a caledonian station. After this the line continues to bothwell(NB), with the caledonian railway also having a seperate line and station. The NB metals continue and spilt at bothwell junction, one line heading to bellshill-whifflet-coatbridge central, though this is in addition to and not the current line as this is caledonian also. The other line at bothwell junction veers away to stations, Fallside, uddingston(NB), broomhouse(NB), then crosses over the current whifflet line, and further on joining what is now the current North clyde line just between shettleston and easterhouse. From here it continues through to queen st low level as per today though there was also an old junction at parkhead which carried on through alexandra park, Garngad and joined the current E and G line. Hope this helps a little. Sorry I cannot help with your traction query, though I will look into exactly where the Hamilton station was and get back to you. EDIT: Having just had a look at the railscot site for info, I can tell I have provided you with little or no further fact, my apologies.

 

[Bittern]

Well every little helps. Thanks!

 

[madannie77]

Can't find the exact site of the station, but...

A map in Lanarkshire's Trams (Alan Brotchie (editor)) shows the NBR Hamilton Station as being to the south of Cadzow Street and east of Almada Street. I think the likely site is between Windmill Road and Auchingramont Road.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...5.777273,-4.043097&spn=0.005853,0.013797&z=16

Following the satellite view in a generally westerly direction shows a green strip of land to the south of Montrose Crescent before crossing Union Street and the Caledonian Railway line at Hamilton West.

The first station (Peacock Cross) was on the western side of Milton of Arbuthnott, where (I think) the bridge abutments can be seen

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...&ll=55.776837,-4.056551&spn=0,359.998281&z=19

The trackbed then continues westerly to the south of Linwood Terrace (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...5.777176,-4.059427&spn=0.002812,0.006877&z=17) before turning to the north west by Earnock Street and the modern alignments of Burnbank Road and Glasgow Road.

It crossed the Caledonian line very close to the junction with the former line to East Kilbride and headed north across the River Clyde, where the trackbed can be clearly seen again:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...55.798706,-4.073557&spn=0.00281,0.006877&z=17

Hope this is of use

 

[flymo]

Glancing at the 1922 Bradshaws Timetable, the core services from Hamilton were through Glasgow QS Low Level and on to Partick and Hyndland. Some carried on to Jordanhill and Clydebank (East) after Partick instead of Hyndland and there were occasional services terminating at Shettleston or Glasgow QS and an evening train terminating at Blairhill.

There are times shown for Airdire and Coatbridge shown in the timetable but I guess these are portions which will be attached at Blairhill as there is a 7 - 8 minute wait there.

Also, didn't appear to be a Sunday service in 1922.

 

[Damien1986]

If Scotrail hadn't reintroduced services from Lanark to Glasgow via Hamilton and Holytown would the present 50 minutes past the hour Motherwell to Milngavie via Blantyre service been an hourly 40 minutes past the hour Coatbridge Central to Milnagavie service?

 

[CarterUSM]

If Scotrail hadn't reintroduced services from Lanark to Glasgow via Hamilton and Holytown would the present 50 minutes past the hour Motherwell to Milngavie via Blantyre service been an hourly 40 minutes past the hour Coatbridge Central to Milnagavie service?

I doubt it.

 

[me123]

Who knows? An hourly service to Hamilton may well have picked up, and the services could have continued. However, the hourly Motherwell-Cumbernauld service probably means that such a train is no longer feasible, which is a bit of a shame to be honest.

Although, having said that, Lanark needs 2tph more than Coatbridge needs a train to Hamilton (and a totally unusable 7th hourly train to Glasgow), so fair dos.

 

[Damien1986]

Who knows? An hourly service to Hamilton may well have picked up, and the services could have continued. However, the hourly Motherwell-Cumbernauld service probably means that such a train is no longer feasible, which is a bit of a shame to be honest.

Although, having said that, Lanark needs 2tph more than Coatbridge needs a train to Hamilton (and a totally unusable 7th hourly train to Glasgow), so fair dos.

Would you agree that 2 trains per hour from Lanark to Glasgow on a Sunday would be a good idea as it would cut down waiting time for next train if you miss the first one? Here are my ideas

1) 06 minutes past the hour Motherwell to Milngavie via Bellshill services will start at Lanark at 42 minutes past the hour and run via Shieldmuir.
2) 40 minutes past the hour Motherwell to Balloch via Blantyre and Yoker will start at Lanark at 12 minutes past the hour and run via Holytown.
3) 39 minutes past the hour Balloch to Motherwell via Yoker and Blantyre is extended to Lanark and will depart Motherwell at 58 minutes past the hour and run via Holytown arriving Lanark at 29 minutes past the hour!

 

[caliwag]

A nice little article can be found in "Forgotten Railways of Scotland" by John Thomas on David and Charles.
The line started life in 1877 as the Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Railway mainly to transport coal to Baird, Beardmore and Whitelaw's ironworks, though it did indeed convey passengers.

It effectively connected Shettleston, at the Glasgow end, to Hamilton with a junction at Bothwell taking a line to Coatbridge, which may well have been NB at the time as the owners, being ironmen and not railwaymen, quickly (1879) amalgamated with the NB.

According to an old Branch line index, produced by the Branch Line Society there are two articles in the journals.

GE Langmuir in the Railway Magazine No 86, pages 7-9, 35...1940
WAC Smith (arguably the man that has published more about the history of Scottish Railways than anyone else) in Railway World No 17, pages 120-124...1956

I expect both articles will be illustrated, with perhaps even a map.

Both these magazines should be available in the Vintage Carriage Trust's back-issue shop at Ingrow on the KWVR

Incidentally that same shop has a large number of recent British Railways Illustrated and Railway Bylines etc alongside which some very thoughtful person has placed an annual index.
All proceeds go to stock restoration...If you can visit you'll spend a very pleasant hour or two there before indulging in a libation in the moving real ale bar.

Happy hunting!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Have found a copy of Jan 1940 RM in my "library"...nice article called "To Hamilton by LNER. Photos of an N2 leaving Mount Vernon on a passenger, Uddinston West Station, a steam sentinel at the Hamilton station of which you enquire, a fine panoramic view of Whifflet showing parallel Caley lines and Caley Airdrie branch running over a viaduct. There is also a splendid anotated map showing the collieries.
We now have a flat-bed scanner so I could endeaver to email a copy of the article to you.

 

[CarterUSM]

Caliwag, i would very much be interested in an e-mail of the article you describe also, if you would be so kind.

 

[Bittern]

Same here.

 

[caliwag]

Fine, but not clever at this stuff so bear with me...!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Article forwarded Carter CSM. Bittern can you PM your email please.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Mmm...I notice that the photos don't come out well and bits of the article are clipped. TBH 1940 magazine repro of photos was never brilliant, but I can send photocopies if either of you wish to PM an address. Cheers guys.

 

[CarterUSM]

Thanks caliwag!

 

[me123]

Would you agree that 2 trains per hour from Lanark to Glasgow on a Sunday would be a good idea as it would cut down waiting time for next train if you miss the first one? Here are my ideas...

Obviously it would depend upon the demand for such a service. If the demand's there, then I don't see why not. It would also provide a Sunday service to Holytown.

However, Lanark doesn't even get 2tph on Sundays in the run up to Christmas, so that may suggest that there's little demand. But I'd be surprised if there wasn't; Wishaw, Carluke and Lanark are pretty important towns.

 

[Damien1986]

Obviously it would depend upon the demand for such a service. If the demand's there, then I don't see why not. It would also provide a Sunday service to Holytown.

However, Lanark doesn't even get 2tph on Sundays in the run up to Christmas, so that may suggest that there's little demand. But I'd be surprised if there wasn't; Wishaw, Carluke and Lanark are pretty important towns.

I also meant to add that the present 41 minutes Milngavie to Lanark via Bellshill and Shieldmuir arriving Lanark at 59 minutes past the hour would remain on the timetable. As well as this the 2241 Milngavie to Motherwell via Bellshill would extend to Lanark arriving at 2359,lets face it whenever Argyle line services are diverted to run to and from Glasgow Central High Level the train runs as the 2307 Glasgow to Lanark arriving in Lanark at 2359!