Stations in Central Coatbridge

Ariel View of Central Coatbridge possibly taken in the early 1930's, showing 1: The Whitelaw Fountain 2: The LNER "Central" passenger station 3: The ex LMS passenger station 4: The ex LNER "Canal" general goods station

Coatbridge Central - North British Railway
 

Access to this station was from Sunnyside Road, a few yards north of Coatbridge Fountain (see left).  The station had a relatively short life, being opened by the North British Railway on the 1st  of May1879 as part of the Glasgow Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge scheme and closed on the 10th of September 1951 following the withdrawal of passenger services over that route.  The station was a simple two platform affair with a subway (which can still be seen today) connecting each side.  As can be seen from the Map, Goods facilities were provided at Canal Goods Station, which unlike the passenger station was at street level. The branch to the Goods station joined the main line at Langloan East Junction, which was in its heyday an important Junction controlling access to the not only the Canal Goods Branch but also the Sheepford Branch (See "North British Consolidation"), which followed the canal as far as Coatdyke, serving many factories on it's route, and the branch into Langloan Iron Works. The Monkland Canal is shown in blue

These are two  interesting views of the road junction locally known as "Coatbridge Fountain".  As can be seen below, the fountain originally stood where the roundabout in the centre of the upper picture is now situated, and marked the spot where the original formation of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway crossed the Monkland Canal and the Glasgow to Edinburgh turnpike road.  The bridge over which the train, a class 303 on a diverted Lanark-Milngavie working in 1991is passing, was part of a later modification to the route, completed in 1872, to avoid congestion with road traffic.  The bridge in the background is the ex Glasgow Garnkirk and Coatbridge line through Coatbridge Central, and the former station building can be glimpsed through the small girder bridge to the right of the view. The fountain is still there, I was standing on the steps leading up to it when I took the upper photograph.  The trams ceased to run in the 1950's There are some other good photographs of this area and other points of interest on the Monkland Canal on James's Canal Page.

Coatbridge Central - Caledonian Railway

The former station building in April 2001.  The restaurant business which took over the building following the de-manning of the station has closed.  Inset photo shows the canopy which once covered the entrance.  Note that the telephone box has been relocated

This station is a pale shadow of it's former self, ironically at a time when it has a far more intensive service than ever.  All of the platform buildings were demolished, and the former main entrance building converted to a restaurant in the early seventies when it was expected that closure of the station was immanent.  This thinking also influenced the positioning of the signals at the North end of the up platform and probably the decision not to electrify the up slow line, and as a result, terminating E.M.U.s from Motherwell which could have been parked in the station (on the slow line), have to be stabled in the down loop adjacent to the Freightliner terminal.  Access to the Southbound platform is by means of a subway, the passage of which, at the best of times is a daunting experience, as it has become one of the towns many drinking dens, frequented by low lives who's favorite "bevvie" is the produce of the monks of Buckfast Abbey. Thankfully the introduction of Closed Circuit TV. has helped.

The bay platform and yard ceased to exist in the early 1960's following the withdrawal of the local service from Buchanan Street to Motherwell in 1962.  From then the only services to call were infrequent expresses from the South to Stirling, Perth and beyond. (See the Timetable page for details)
 

Coatbridge Central Signalbox before and after  introduction of MAS from Motherwell Power Box and electrification.  Note the connections to and from the up slow, now removed, and the down slow points being much closer to the station. (Left: Jim Watson collection)

A view from the south end of the station, showing the timber surface of the platforms on the sections over the bridges spanning East Canal Street and the main A73 Bank Street.  The only building left standing is the pagoda like structure to the left of the photograph. (Jim Watson)	Immediately to the South of Coatbridge Central Station is Coatbridge Junction, shown here before resignalling.  The decision to replace this double junction with a single lead junction was to have an unexpected later consequence.  (see text)  (Jim Watson)
A black 5 approaches the station on the Southbound Aberdeen portion of the West Coast Postal	A green class 40 calls at the station on a northbound afternoon Carlisle - Perth Working.

The period when the Caledonian main line was closed during the daytime for electrification work further curtailed services, with only the overnight sleepers remaining in the timetable as through services.  During the day a bizarre service was worked from Perth to Glasgow Central in the morning and back in the evening, calling at Coatbridge Central in both directions. The route between Coatbridge and Glasgow was via the then freight only Rutherglen and Coatbridge, although on at least one occasion the train was mis-routed at Rutherglen Junction and had to travel via the Hamilton Circle!  The service was formed by a three car class 101 Met-Cammell D.M.U. and one of three single car Gloucester R.C.& W. class 122's, no's SC55013-SC55015 which had been internally stripped for parcels traffic and reclassified as class 131.  Whether the parcels traffic was the main reason for running the train or there was a statutory obligation I do not know, as, not surprisingly, it was not well patronized by passengers from the South who probably found it more convenient to cross to Queen Street.  I remember trying to buy a ticket at Glasgow Central to go on this train to Coatbridge Central and found it impossible to convince the clerk that there was a service available,- and there were certainly no tickets printed.
 
 

314207  has terminated its service from Motherwell and is seen working ESC to the down Loop line adjacent to the Freightliner depot to be stabled prior to its next Southbound duty.	A pair of immaculate Transrail branded class 37's, Numbers 37221 and 37156  pass through Coatbridge Central with the Royal Train conveying Princess Anne back to the South following an engagement at Oban on 19th July 1995.
A pair of class 85's make their way towards the Freightliner terminal to pick up a Southbound service.  4th August 1981	A class 27 wheels an Oil train northwards between the station and the Freightliner Terminal on 4th August 1981.
The up slow line still sees some use, it's purpose being to act as a holding point for Mossend yard during busy periods.  Mainline blue 37798 is recessed awaiting a path on during the summer of 2001 while hauling the 17:05 Linkswood -Mossend Tanks (Gary Lennon)	On 22nd May 1994, preserved Black 5 no 44747 "Stephenson" departs for Edinburgh at the head of an SRPS charter from Carlisle. The steam loco worked the train as far as Springburn.

Following the completion of the W.C.M.L. electrification in 1974, through services briefly re-appeared with the flagship "Clansman" service from Inverness to London via Birmingham,  plus other dated services and a retained evening Carlisle - Perth "stopper".  The old morning Perth to Carstairs and it's early evening return service were not reinstated.
One problem with Coatbridge Central station was that the up platform was shorter than the down platform, and neither were long enough for a full length express.  The "Clansman" for example normally was formed of 11 coaches and it was common practise for the "up" train to overshoot by about four coaches so that the rear seven (the second class) coaches were in the platform.  I travelled First Class from Aviemore on this train on one occasion and was unaware of this arrangement, and the conductor/guard neglected to inform me. There then followed an undignified scramble back through the train laden with luggage - including the buffet car where meals were being served - to reach the platform.  A similar problem existed with the overnight sleepers.
After this initial flurry of post "sparks-effect" enthusiasm, changes in travel patterns led to a rethink of services over the route , and the "Clansman" was diverted to work via Edinburgh in May 1987 before disappearing altogether.
The evening 1S81 20:50 Carlisle-Perth stopping service was an interesting train, the formation was normally two sparsely occupied Mk1 coaches, a postal sorting van (SX), and sundry parcels vans needing moved from Carlisle to the north.  In later days these vans were few and far between, and the combination of a driver keen to get off duty in charge of a 3000+ horsepower electric locomotive towing as little as two coaches could be the cue for some fast acceleration and high speeds to Mossend.  Sadly this service ended on the eleventh of May 1985, with 86315 doing the honours from Carlisle to Mossend, and the affection held by enthusiasts for the train was marked by the specially arranged haulage of 20125 and 20209 from Mossend to Perth.  Last to go were the overnight sleeper services, which were re-routed away from the Greenhill Junction - Motherwell line in May 1989 leaving Coatbridge without any long distance passenger services for the first time since 1848.

On 11th August 1981 the electrification from Mossend to Coatbridge Container terminal was officially commissioned, although electric trains had been running for at least a week, the primary reason for this work being to avoid having to change engines at Mossend. Strathclyde P.T.E. took advantage of the extension of the wires and introduced an experimental service from Motherwell, which was found to be successful enough to be fully integrated with Argyle Line and Hamilton circle services.
The electric services were augmented on May 26th 1996 with a Cumbernauld - Motherwell D.M.U. service which despite initial doubt over its viability has been sustained.  The Station was to have a third service, that being the new service over the Rutherglen and Coatbridge to Glasgow Central.  The reason that this service was routed to Whifflet instead of Coatbridge Central was that the double junction at Coatbridge Junction had been replaced with a single lead junction in 1973, and following the head-on collision at Bellgrove, single lead junctions came under a great deal of criticism for the absence of "flank protection".  Whifflet North Junction had retained it's double junction formation so was more "politically acceptable" for passenger use.