This interesting branch, originally serving Dundyvan Iron Works, was a torturous line of sharp curves and poor track work leading to various industrial concerns.  The branch was taken out of use on the 21st of April 1980 following the closure of it's last customer, British Steel Corporation's British Tubeworks but the alignment is now part of the Edinburgh to Glasgow long distance cycle path.  As late as the 1970s the branch provided employment for one of the last class 06 shunters to be allocated in West Central Scotland.  My thanks go to Edward Kitchen for kindly supplying me with some very rare photographs of the branch.

The branch was originally two lines as shown on the 1864 map above, the eastern section from the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Main line, originally only went as far as as the Dundyvan Iron and Steel Works, the western section, identified on the 1864 O.S. map as the "Souterhouse Railway" linked two coal mines with the iron works but came to a halt just about the end of the "Long Row" where there was a coal pit.  A connection had been established from the Caledonian's Rutherglen and Coatbridge Line before the branch was joined up and the line would appear to have been under joint administration with both companies having access to the line.  The 1864 map also shows a North to West spur from the branch to the M& K line.
 

This extract from the O.S. map of 1899 shows the branch leaving the former M&K line at photograph 1, curving past the Timber yard (photograph 2) to pass under the Caledonian Main Line as in photograph 3.  Dundyvan Iron Works occupied the land shown as Eglinton Silica Brick Works and the adjacent field until closure in 1868, being the first iron works to close. The steelmaking facility however survived for a good few years, later becoming the site for Barnes and Bell's scrap yard.  From the Steelworks the new link joins the east and west sections of the branch to take the line between the Long Row and the C.R. Rutherglen and Coatbridge Branch to the bridge over Dundyvan Road (photograph 4).  The line then curves to cross the Luggie Burn (photographs 5 and 6) then there is the connection to the C.R., removed sometime in the 1960s before the line passes under the C.R. spur to Whifflet.  Just beyond the bridge is the slaughterhouse siding and a siding into Dundyvan Foundry then the British Tube Works.  The line continues on an arc over private sidings past Dundyvan Rivet Works to join the Caledonian line at Langloan Station.  This section was privately owned as there was a gate over the line just before the junction.  In later years P & W McLelland and T.W.Ward had yards disposing of steam locomotives in this area.
Photograph 1 (© Edward Kitchen). The branch left the former M&K Main line just to the North of Whifflet.  Entrance to the branch had originally been via a yard worked loop line stretching from Whifflet East Junction to Dundyvan Junction. Following rationalisation and control of the area being passed to Motherwell Signaling Centre entrance to the branch was controlled by a ground frame.  The branch was formally taken out of use on the 21st April 1980, and this view shows the partially dismantled trackwork where the ground frame once was. Photograph 2 (© Edward Kitchen)  Once the branch left the main line it curved sharply past the timber yard.  According to the map the branch was once double track at this point but had long since reverted to single when the branch closed.  Further evidence of dismantling work can be seen in the foreground.
Photograph 3: Turning 180° from photograph 2, this view shows the bridge which carried the Caledonian main line over the branch at the southern end of Stobcross street.  The area has been landscaped and it is hard to believe that this was once a heavily industrialised area. The tracks passed under the span to the left of the photograph at a level not that much lower than the existing datum.  There was a severe dip going under the bridge, and in later years the track was in terrible condition. Photograph 4: Further down the branch towards the British Tubeworks is this interesting double bridge over Dundyvan Road.  The upper bridge carries the Langloan Junction - Coatbridge Junction Spur.
Photograph 5 (© Edward Kitchen)  Evidence of the general poor trackwork and undulating formation with another sharp dip to pass under the Whifflet to Langloan line.  The points beyond the bridge marked the start of a loop which ran as far as the British Tube Works Photograph 6 (© Edward Kitchen) Slightly further to the North and East of the previous view.  The one time connection to the Caledonian lines, which lasted into the 1950s  branched off just beyond the culvert that carried the line over the Luggie Burn
	Industries Served by the Souterhouse Branch in 1915.  Both the Caledonian and North British Railways show these customers as being served by their lines British Tube Works Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd,  Tube Manufacture Coatbridge Iron Works The Scottish Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. Bar Iron Making Dundyvan Foundry Marple & Gillott Ltd. Scrap Iron &c. Dundyvan Iron Works Wm Martin  Sons & Co. Bar Iron Making Dundyvan Rivet Works Shanks & McEwan Building Contractors Dundyvan Silica Brick Works Eglinton Silica Brick Co. Ltd. Brick Manufacture Lochrin Wire Mills Wm Bain & Co. Ltd. Wire Making Slaughterhouse Siding Coatbridge Burgh Commisioners Live Stock Souterhouse Siding W.S. Chisholm & Co. Ltd. Scrap Iron &c.   Photograph 7 (Left © Edward Kitchen) A view of the British Tube Works from the branch.  The plant specialised in coating pipes for gas mains with a distinctive yellow material  in it's later years, but the buildings were antiquated and the process was later moved to the Calder Works before plastic gas mains became the industry standard.