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Rather than closing in one fell swoop, the route of the former Monkland & Kirkintilloch north of Garnqueen South Junction withered quietly away. The first section reported as out of use was between Middlemuir Junction and Bridgend Junction in March 1959, although a short stretch must have been retained between Middlemuir Junction and just beyond Woodilee (or Woodleys) Junction for access to Kirkintilloch Basin, the original Monkland & Kirkintilloch terminus on the Forth and Clyde Canal. The spur from Bridgend Junction to Waterside Junction closed in November that 1959. Seven years later, on the 28th of February 1966, the Garngaber Junction to Chryston section was closed. The branch from Lenzie Junction to Kirkintilloch closed on the 3rd of April, along with the remaining spur to Kirkintilloch Basin Sidings via the headshunt at Woodilee Junction. D2736 having the distinction of hauling the last train away from Kirkintilloch (Basin) the previous day (see photograph below). The section from Bedlay Junction to Chryston remained in use for a further year, possibly to recover coal stocks from Auchengeich Colliery, which had been closed in September 1959 following the disaster, before the construction of the M73 severed the track bed.
Top: This is the bridge built by the Glasgow and Edinburgh Railway to carry their line over the Monkland & Kirkintilloch railway near Garngaber Junction. The stonework is Ashlar, typical of the E&G structures built by the engineers for the line, Grainger and Millar. The two main viaducts on the E&G, the Avon viaduct and the Almond Viaduct and both grade "A" listed buildings |
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| Above Right: The bridge carrying the Glasgow to
Cumbernauld road over the Monkland & Kirkintilloch. When originally
built, it was found to be too low for the first steam locomotive and had
to be rebuilt. The rebuilt bridge was then widened by the addition
of a concrete structure on the North side. Note that the widened
section was built after the line was singled, hence the narrower span.
Both photogaphs taken by and used with the permission of John Power. See http://www.geocities.com/piped_in/OldRailways1.html for more of Johns Photographs. |
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According to the 1921 North British Railway List of Goods Stations,
Sidings etc. apart from the two major collieries, the line served two sand
quarrying sidings, at Avenuehead and Drumcavil, and two public sidings
at Leckethill and Muckcroft.
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Bedlay colliery was opened in 1905, and the mine used steam locomotives
for shunting and transfer duties right up to closure. This view shows
0-6-0T No.9, now preserved at Summerlee, shunting at the Pit. On
the 11th of December 1981, at 12:04 p.m., driver John Todd closed the regulator
N.C.B. 0-4-0PT No.17, after working the last train of coal from Bedlay
colliery to the exchange sidings. This was the end of deep mined
coal in the Monklands.
(Jim Watson collection) |
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| More plundering of other peoples work! I am delighted to include the above four shots of No9 hard at work on the 22 Aug 1978 beautifully taken by Geoff Cryer. Please visit http://www.geoffspages.co.uk - Geoff's Rail Pages and Photo Pages for more excellent railway photography | |
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The colliery branch joined the main line appropriately enough at Bedlay
Junction on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch main line. This view,
looking east towards Glenboig, shows a railtour formed by a Metro-Cammel
DMU visiting the line in the 1960's. The Unit is on the "main" line
and branch line ran behind the box (the line of telegraph posts indicates
the formation) to a set of exchange loops where NCB haulage took over.
The box was closed on the 5th of November 1967 and the site was obliterated
when the M73 motorway was built. The remainder of the branch was singled
and a new formation, allowing branch trains access to the loops without
reversal was built
(Jim Watson collection) |
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A very rare photograph of a Clayton type 1 hauling a brake van en route
to Bedlay to pick up a train. These locomotives were very common
in the area until their withdrawal in the 1980's, but photographs of them
are sparse. One example, D8568 went into departmental use and is
preserved and a photograph can be seen on the "Exiles" page.
(Jim Watson collection)
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Heatherbell Level Crossing is just south of Garnqueen South Junction and is the only remaining level crossing in the district. When converted to the modern barriers it was unusual in having the barriers normally closed over the roadway. Road users requiring to cross had to press button on the panel to alert the signalman at Gartsherrie South Junction to open the gates. |
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Garnqueen South Junction was the northern of the two North British Railway 'boxes on the Caledonian Railway Main Line controlling the 52 chains of N.B owned track, Gartsherrie (LNER) was the other. The box was formally closed in June 1983, but was not demolished........... (Jim Watson collection) |
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............Look Familiar? This is Garnqueen South signal box in it's new role at the Scottish Railway Preservation Society headquarters at Bo'ness having been carefully dismantled and rebuilt at it's new home.. This is very appropriate, as the Bo'ness branch was originally built by the Monkland Railways Company as an extension of the Slamannan Railway |