Flowerclub
History of the Glasgow railway is just the ticket
East Kilbride Probus Club introduced guest speaker Robert Gardiner at its latest meeting.
He had been a civil and chartered engineer and had worked mainly in the railway industry, involved from bridge design to land protection.
Having retired in 2011, he is still involved with the National Rail Heritage Awards and a member of the Railway Heritage Forum.
Mr Gardiner went on to talk about the Glasgow Central Railway. In the 1880/90s, Glasgow was becoming the second city of the Empire. Trade with the Americas, in particular the sugar, spices and tobacco trades, were booming.
The raw materials and finished goods had to be moved about and canals were a slow means as opposed to a railway; hence the expansion of the Glasgow Central Railway.
These expansions were to cost in the region of £1.5 billion and were centred on the then Argyle line and expanded outwards to places like Rutherglen and Stobcross. In 1831, the first terminus was at St Rollox up by the Forth and Clyde Canal near Port Dundas.
Indeed, this became an engine building centre sending trains all over the world. Eventually the lines stretched down to Ayr in the south and to Greenock in the west.
There was steady growth over the next 61 years from 1831 – initially for freight but soon a growing demand for passengers to seaside resorts.
Glasgow Central station opened in 1879 but by 1886, further expansion gave them coverage fully east and west, with the Caledonian company pushing through into Lanarkshire.
Of course, it was not easy on the civil engineering side as they had to move or avoid water pipes, sewage pipes, gas and electricity supplies, construct bridges and build tunnels.
There were other challenges such as rockpiling, underpinning, compressed air working as well as having to cope with tidal movements which affected both Stobcross and Central low-level station as they were relatively near the River Clyde.
Ventilation was also having to be provided for these underground lines on the Glasgow Central low-level line, as in the early days the trains were all steam (and smoke) driven. A range of burns like the Molendinar burn and the Calmachie burn and small waterways, still vital to factories at that stage, had to be piped in.
Two of the early lines were Rutherglen, Trongate and St George’s Cross running east and the Glasgow Cross, Maryhill and Dawsholme running north.
Meanwhile, while the railways were expanding, the Glasgow city fathers decided to build an underground which opened in 1896, serving the west and central Glasgow in a closed loop.
It was firstly cable hauled then in 1935 it was electrified. There have been various upgrades with one in particular seeing the carriages all sleek and modern in a bright orange colour.
And the penchant that the Glasgow man has for landmark nicknames christened it (unofficially) as the clockwork orange.
Mr Gardiner had referred to this as a secret masterpiece because most of these lines are hidden and is a testament to the quality and design of the system and is seen as a lasting legacy to Glasgow and the railway builders of the years gone by.
A vote of thanks was given by Bill Haig, who said he himself was connected with a railway – namely the miniature one that can be found in Strathaven’s George Allan Park. The next meeting of East Kilbride Flower Club will take place on Wednesday, December 12.
Julia Louden from Earlston in the Scottish Borders will give a demonstration entitled ‘A Winter’s Tale’.
Get along to the Calderwood Hall on Blackberries Road at 7pm for 7.30pm. There will be a tombola, raffles, Christmas hamper and supper.
It is £5 for visitors who are most welcome.