Caledonian Railway
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- This is about the historical Scottish railway company; for the modern preserved line see Caledonian Railway (Brechin).
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company operating in Scotland. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921.
The company was well supported by Glasgow and Edinburgh shareholders, however more than half of its shares were held in England<ref name=robertson>Robertson</ref>. It was an integrated railway company, in that it built and owned both the railway lines and the trains. It had a locomotive works, St. Rollox railway works, in Springburn, Glasgow, which became part of British Rail and is currently still in use, as a railway maintenance depot.
The company was formed in the 1830s to link local railways around Glasgow and Edinburgh to the railway network in England, at Carlisle. It sought to open the only cross-border main line (it was thought that only one main line was needed). Its empire was then extended to cover the triangle: Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh; and later reached out to serve Oban, Ballachulish, Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen.
In the Scottish Lowlands it competed against both the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) and the North British Railway; but, in the case of the G&SWR, not north of the River Clyde<ref name=pre-groupingatlas>pre-Grouping Atlas</ref>. There was little or no competition north of Oban, Ballachulish, Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen; this area was served mainly by the Highland Railway<ref name=pre-groupingatlas>pre-Grouping Atlas</ref>.
[edit] Early history
The earliest railways in Scotland and England were unconnected. Before the Caledonian railway, the quickest journey between Glasgow and London would have been Glasgow to Liverpool by sea and then Liverpool to London by train. However, from March 1841 it was possible to catch the train between Glasgow and Greenock, then travel between Greenock and Liverpool by sea; and then to London by train (see below) <ref name=thomas>Thomas</ref>.
A railway link from London to the north of England was developed in piecemeal fashion. From about 1838 the London and Birmingham Railway had linked those two destinations; the Grand Junction Railway linked Birmingham to Warrington; the North Union Railway was projected to reach Preston; and the Grand Junction Railway intended to extend the line to both Glasgow and Edinburgh. They got their engineer Joseph Locke to survey a route from Carlisle. The obvious way was to follow Thomas Telford's coach road through Annandale and Clydesdale<ref name=thomas-137-141>Thomas, 137 - 141</ref>. He did not believe a locomotive could climb the hills at Moffat and his preferred route was a longer route through Nithsdale to link up with the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock & Ayr Railway<ref name=thomas-137-141>Thomas, 137 - 141 </ref>. However Locke was persuaded to resurvey the Annandale route<ref name=thomas-137-141>Thomas, 137 - 141</ref>.
This route was opened up as a railway line: The Caledonian Railway. The Caledonian wished to ensue that it was the only railway line built between Carlisle and Scotland, but they did not succeed in this. Two other lines were opened from Carlisle: these rival lines were the Glasgow and South Western Railway to Glasgow and the Waverley Line to Edinburgh.
After the Caledonian main line opened in 1849 it was possible to travel between London and Glasgow, by express train, without needing to change trains. It cut the total journey time to 12.5 hours<ref name=thomas-137-141>Thomas, 137 - 141</ref>.
[edit] The main line
This runs from Carlisle, via Annandale, Beattock and the Clyde valley, to Glasgow. The original Glasgow terminus was, however, at Buchanan Street; it remained the Glasgow terminus until 1897. A junction at Carstairs feeds the branch to Edinburgh.
The main line from Carlisle was opened as far as Beattock on 9 September 1847<ref name=awdry-64>Awdry, Page 64</ref>. The section from Beattock to Edinburgh opened on 15 February 1848; and the section from Beattock to Glasgow, Buchanan Street, opened on 1 November 1849 for passengers and on 1 January 1849 for goods<ref name=awdry-64/>. The final section of the journey was initially via Monklands, on the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge railway, which had opened in 1831.
The main line from Carlisle to Glasgow, (but now to Glasgow Central station) is still in use today, although quite a few of the original Caledonian railway stations have closed. It is now the northern section of the West Coast Main Line; the southern section being the former London and North Western Railway.
The original stations between Carlisle and Carstairs were: Rockcliffe, Floriston, Kirkpatrick, Gretna, Kirtlebridge, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie, Nethercleugh, Wamphray, Beattock, Elvanfoot, Crawford, Abington, Lamington Symington and Thankerton<ref name=pre-groupingatlas>pre-Grouping Atlas</ref>. Of these, only Lockerbie is still in use, and the Lockerbie-Carstairs section is still the longest stretch of UK railway uninterrupted by a station.
The line from Carstairs to Edinburgh (Glasgow to Edinburgh via Carstairs line) is also still in use today, but the Edinbugh terminus of the Caledonian railway at the west end of Princes Street has closed and the line diverts to former North British Railway Edinburgh Waverley railway station at the other end of Princes street. The railway hotel building which formed the street frontage of the Edinburgh Princes Street Station was well known as the Caley Hotel, and is still in use as a hotel today.
The main line at Quintinshill, near Gretna Green was the site of the Quintinshill rail crash, which occurred on 22 May 1915 <ref name=rolt-207-213>Rolt, 207 - 213 </ref>. Two rival lines connected to the Caledonian Railway near this point: the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway, at Gretna, later to become the Glasgow and South Western Railway, and still in use today as the Glasgow South Western Line; and the North British Railway's Waverley Line, currently closed in its entirety.
[edit] Branches in Dumfries and Galloway
A branch of the Caledonian railway, known as the Solway Junction Railway, at Kirtlebridge, led down to Annan and crossed the Solway Firth, by a 1,940 yard (1,791 metre) viaduct, to Bowness-on-Solway and Whitrigg<ref name=awdry-103>Awdry, Page 103</ref>. The line was opened, with Caledonian Railway backing, completely by 8 August 1870. The Scottish part was bought by the Caledonian Railway on 5 August 1873; and the whole line on 6 July 1895<ref name=awdry-103/>. It joined up with the Maryport and Carlisle Railway. This line sought to bring iron ore, hematite, from Cumberland to the Lanarkshire steelworks. It was successful, but the iron ore started to run out by the end of the 19th century.
Another branch of the Caledonian railway at Lockerbie, known as the Dumfries, Lochmaben & Lockerby Railway (sic), led to Dumfries, with intermediate stations at Lochmaben, Shieldhill, Amisfield and Locharbriggs<ref name=awdry-72>Awdry, Page 72</ref>. The line opened on 1 September 1863, with Caledonian Railway backing, and it was bought by the Caledonian Railway on 31 July 1865<ref name=awdry-72/>.
The Caledonian gained running rights over the Glasgow and South Western Railway between Dumfries and Castle Douglas; and hence from Castle Douglas to Portpatrick, Stranraer and Stranraer harbour over a jointly owned line, the Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Joint Railway, which was formed on 6 August 1885<ref name=awdry-99>Awdry, Page 99</ref>. This allowed the Caledonian to run Irish boat trains from the south without having to go though Ayrshire.
A branch, the Moffat Railway, just over one mile and 5 furlongs long, ran between Beattock and Moffat<ref name=awdry-94>Awdry, Page 94</ref>. It was opened on 2 April 1883 and was taken over by the Caledonian, by Act of Parliament, on 11 November 1889<ref name=awdry-94/>.
[edit] Branches in Peebles and South Lanarkshire
The Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway Company led from the main line at Symington to Broughton. The Caledonian acquired it in 1861 and the line was extended to a new station at Peebles West, the extension opening in 1864.<ref name = awdry>Awdry, Page 106</ref> They ran the "Tinto Express" in competition with the North British Railway's "Peebles-shire Express".
[edit] Clyde Coast branches
On 9 July 1847 the Caledonian amalgamated with the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&G); which allowed it to gain access to coastal shipping services at Greenock and to enter into direct competition against the G&SWR's shipping services. The section between Glasgow and Paisley, the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, which opened in 1841, was jointly owned with the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&A) (later to become part of the G&SWR). Both the GP&G's and the GPK&A's Glasgow terminus was Bridge Street station, adjacent to the River Clyde; and this remained so for another 60 years due to difficulties in obtaining agreement from the Admiralty to build bridges over the Clyde.
In 1873 the Caledonian Railway finally obtained a Act to build a railway bridge across the Clyde, and initially planned to widen Glasgow Bridge and use part of this; however, their plans were changed in 1875, when a new Act was obtained to build a separate railway bridge. A, four track, railway bridge was built by Sir William Arrol across the Clyde. By 1879 construction work had been completed on Glasgow Central station and Bridge Street station was also rebuilt. The Caledonian Railway mainline services to London were transferred from Buchannan Street station to Central Station. Bridge Street station however remained the terminus of the Caledonian Railways Clyde Coast services until Central Station was rebuilt 1901 - 1905. It then closed.
In 1862 the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway was authorised, it opened on 13 May 1865 and in August 1893 it amalgamated with the Caledonian Railway, having been operated by the Caledonian Railway since its opening<ref name=awdry-78>Awdry, Page 78</ref>.
The opening of the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway by the G&SWR in 1869, against the opposition of the Caledonian Railway, led to a price cutting war between the Caledonian Railway and the G&SWR<ref name=awdry-78/>.
[edit] Lines around Glasgow and Paisley
The Glasgow Central Railway was a six mile underground railway passing through Glasgow from east to west.<ref name =thomas>Thomas</ref>
[edit] Edinburgh and Lothians
[edit] The Central Scotland lines
The core of the Central Scotland Lines came as a result of the absorption of the Scottish Central Railway in 1865.
[edit] Argyle and Perth
[edit] Callander and Oban Railway
The Callander and Oban Railway was an independent railway company but it was supported by the Caledonian Railway<ref name=awdry-64-65>Awdry, 64 - 65</ref>. The Caledonian railway company ran the train services, but the line remained independent until it was taken over by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at Grouping<ref name=awdry-64-65/>. An extension from Connel Ferry to Ballachulish was authorised on 1 August 1896 and opened on 24 August 1903<ref name=awdry-64-65/>.
[edit] The Crieff Lines
[edit] Crieff Junction Railway
The Crieff Junction Railway connected the main line from Stirling to Perth at Gleneagles to Crieff.
[edit] Perth, Almond Valley & Methven Railway; and Crieff & Methven Railway
Around one and half miles north of Perth, was the junction with the Perth, Almond Valley & Methven Railway. This line was added to by the Crieff & Methven Railway to reach Perth from the east.
[edit] Comrie, St Fillians & Lochearnhead Railway
This line connected Crieff to the Callander and Oban Railway at Balquhidder Junction south of Lochearnhead
[edit] See also
- List of early British railway companies
- Caledonian Railway Single
- Caledonian Railway 72 Class
- Caledonian Railway 498 Class
- Caledonian Railway 782 Class
- Caledonian Railway 812 Class
[edit] Notes
<references/>
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- No Author, (1980). British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. 5th Edition, Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3.
- Awdry, Christopher, (1990). Encyclopedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing.
- Heap, Christine and Riemsdijk, John van, (1985). The Pre-Grouping Railways: Their development, and individual characters, Part 3, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 0-11-290432-7.
- Nock, O.S. and Cross, Derek, (1960). Main Lines Across the Border. Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. (Revised in 1982, ISBN 0-7110-1118-4).
- Rolt, L.T.C., (1966). Red for Danger: The Classic History of British Railway Disasters, (Extended Edition). Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd.
- Robertson, C.J.A., (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722 - 1844. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers. ISBN 0-85976-088-X.
- Thomas, John, (1971). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume 6, Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5408-6.
The "Big Four" pre-nationalisation British railway companies
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Great Western • London Midland & Scottish • London & North Eastern • Southern | ||
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GWR constituents:
Great Western Railway •
Cambrian Railways •
Taff Vale Railway | ||
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See also: History of rail transport in Great Britain 1923 - 1947 • List of companies involved in the grouping | ||
