Coltness Branch, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
This photo was first uploaded as a GUESS THE LOCATION.
ANSWER : Coltness or Watsonhead branch, just north of Garriongill Junction where it branches off the west coast mainline south east of Wishaw.
WINNERS : Correctly guessed by;
David & Pauls Photographs, and backed up by 20312.
Highly commended to; Barking Bill (right area) and Oliver Turner (correct ! Scottish pink ballast).
Big thanks to colleague "Zug12A" for not giving the game away.
CAPTION NOTES. (added 10.00 on 5th July 2011).
This view is of the former Coltness freight branch looking north east from the Wishaw to Law Junction line over bridge. The route is a very old one and was first projected as the Garion & Garturk Railway but on parliamentary approval the company was incorporated as the Wishaw & Coltness Railway in June 1829. The unusual gauge of 4'6" was chosen and it opened in part as a single line in 1833 from Chapel Colliery, Morningside and was horse worked. Further extensions came in 1834 to Jerviston and Cleland in 1841. The 11.3 mile route was completed in March 1844 to Gartsherrie where it made a connection with the Monkland & Kirkintiloch Railway. Steam traction took over from November/December 1840 and in 1847 the line was re-gauged to standard gauge prior to take over by the Caledonian Railway on 28th July 1849.
The bulk of the route (Garriongill Junction to Motherwell) is now part of the west coast mainline but the branch from Garriongill seen here running in a north easterly direction lost its passenger service in 1853. The Caledonian Railway Co. line made an end on connection with the North British Railway Co. line at Morningside but never operated as a through route. It remained as a freight line serving Chapel Colliery (closed 1950's), Kingsmill Colliery (closed 1974) and Coltness Works. When the Kingsmill Colliery line closed on 15th July 1974 the line beyond Morningside Stirling Road Ground Frame was abandoned leaving just the three quarter mile industrial railway branch to Coltness concrete works off the former CR line. This site was operated by Costain Concrete Co. (later Tarmac Plc) and manufactured concrete bridge beams and concrete railway sleepers. The branch was served by a daily (M-F) trip freight from Mossend T12 which produced a single class 20 or 37 which ran out and back during the morning to collect primarily concrete sleepers. By 1998 the concrete plant was in decline and the remainder of the branch (Coltness to Garriongill Junction 1m 21ch) closed from 1st March 1999. The closure was short lived though as the mothballed line was resurrected in 2000 to serve the ambitious Watsonhead Opencast mine close to the site of Chapel Colliery. Plans were put forward for major extraction of coal destined for Cockenzie and Longannent Power Stations in Scotland with initially a three year life span. However mine expansion plans were thwarted and the reopening was short lived as the line soon fell into disuse again.
The reason the trackbed in the foreground isn't in the same condition as that into the distance under the Gillhead lane bridge is that during 2010 the rail bridge over the branch was replaced. To do this the line was lifted to allow heavy plant to access the bridge from trackbed level. After completion the disused line was subsequently relaid and tamped to useable condition but is unlikely to ever see a train again.
I think I am correct in say the last train to traverse the branch was probably the Branch Line Society 'Firth to Firth' railtour on 11th August 2001.
Coltness Branch, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
This photo was first uploaded as a GUESS THE LOCATION.
ANSWER : Coltness or Watsonhead branch, just north of Garriongill Junction where it branches off the west coast mainline south east of Wishaw.
WINNERS : Correctly guessed by;
David & Pauls Photographs, and backed up by 20312.
Highly commended to; Barking Bill (right area) and Oliver Turner (correct ! Scottish pink ballast).
Big thanks to colleague "Zug12A" for not giving the game away.
CAPTION NOTES. (added 10.00 on 5th July 2011).
This view is of the former Coltness freight branch looking north east from the Wishaw to Law Junction line over bridge. The route is a very old one and was first projected as the Garion & Garturk Railway but on parliamentary approval the company was incorporated as the Wishaw & Coltness Railway in June 1829. The unusual gauge of 4'6" was chosen and it opened in part as a single line in 1833 from Chapel Colliery, Morningside and was horse worked. Further extensions came in 1834 to Jerviston and Cleland in 1841. The 11.3 mile route was completed in March 1844 to Gartsherrie where it made a connection with the Monkland & Kirkintiloch Railway. Steam traction took over from November/December 1840 and in 1847 the line was re-gauged to standard gauge prior to take over by the Caledonian Railway on 28th July 1849.
The bulk of the route (Garriongill Junction to Motherwell) is now part of the west coast mainline but the branch from Garriongill seen here running in a north easterly direction lost its passenger service in 1853. The Caledonian Railway Co. line made an end on connection with the North British Railway Co. line at Morningside but never operated as a through route. It remained as a freight line serving Chapel Colliery (closed 1950's), Kingsmill Colliery (closed 1974) and Coltness Works. When the Kingsmill Colliery line closed on 15th July 1974 the line beyond Morningside Stirling Road Ground Frame was abandoned leaving just the three quarter mile industrial railway branch to Coltness concrete works off the former CR line. This site was operated by Costain Concrete Co. (later Tarmac Plc) and manufactured concrete bridge beams and concrete railway sleepers. The branch was served by a daily (M-F) trip freight from Mossend T12 which produced a single class 20 or 37 which ran out and back during the morning to collect primarily concrete sleepers. By 1998 the concrete plant was in decline and the remainder of the branch (Coltness to Garriongill Junction 1m 21ch) closed from 1st March 1999. The closure was short lived though as the mothballed line was resurrected in 2000 to serve the ambitious Watsonhead Opencast mine close to the site of Chapel Colliery. Plans were put forward for major extraction of coal destined for Cockenzie and Longannent Power Stations in Scotland with initially a three year life span. However mine expansion plans were thwarted and the reopening was short lived as the line soon fell into disuse again.
The reason the trackbed in the foreground isn't in the same condition as that into the distance under the Gillhead lane bridge is that during 2010 the rail bridge over the branch was replaced. To do this the line was lifted to allow heavy plant to access the bridge from trackbed level. After completion the disused line was subsequently relaid and tamped to useable condition but is unlikely to ever see a train again.
I think I am correct in say the last train to traverse the branch was probably the Branch Line Society 'Firth to Firth' railtour on 11th August 2001.