Records of the Pollok & Govan Railway, and the Clydesdale Junction Railway, Scotland

Scope and Content

  • Act allowing the construction of the Clydesdale Junction Railway from the Pollok & Govan Railway at Rutherglen to Hamilton 1845
  • Act for making a railway from the Pollok & Govan Railway to the harbour at Broomielaw with amending act 1830-1831
  • Act for maintaining the Pollok & Govan Railway 1837

Administrative / Biographical History

In 1811, William Dixon Ltd , coal and iron master of Govan, Glasgow, purchased land from the Glasgow Corporation to build a tramway on which to convey coal from his Govan works to the Ardrossan Canal Basin at Port Eglinton. Nearly 20 years later Dixon promoted the Pollok & Govan Railway which was in effect a partial realignment of the tramway and its extension to Rutherglen, Glasgow in one direction and to Windmillcroft on the south bank of the river Clyde in the other. Although there was opposition to the railway from Glasgow magistrates, the line opened in 1840  . The line was extended from Tradeston to Windmillcroft Quay and finally extended by the Clydesdale Junction Railway on to Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.

The Clydesdale Junction Railway was opened in 1849  with William Dixon being a major shareholder. The line linked the Polloc & Govan Railway with the Wishaw & Coltness Railway at Motherwell and offered a direct route into Glasgow.

The Caledonian Railway purchased both the Pollok and Clydesdale companies in 1847  . The lines now forms part of the West Coast Main Line.

Arrangement

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Loan : Mitchells, Johnston & Co : Glasgow : prior to 1966

Other Finding Aids

The archive forms part of the Scottish Railways Collection held by Glasgow University Archive Services, finding aid reference GB 248 UGD 008

Digital file level list available in searchroom

Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S)1631) and London (NRA21659)

Alternative Form Available

No known copies

Conditions Governing Use

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use & condition of documents

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248 procedures

Custodial History

Held by Mitchells, Johnston & Co , solicitors, Glasgow

Accruals

None expected

Related Material

GB 248 UGD 008 The Scottish Railway Collection

GB 248 UGD 008/5 Records of the Wishaw & Coltness Railway

GB 248 UGD 008/7 Records of the Caledonian Railway Co

GB 248 UGD 001 Records of William Dixon Ltd

For contact details of all repositories with a GB code, see the Archon repository search page

Bibliography

J R Kellet,Railways and Victorian cities(London, 1979)

Additional Information

This material is original

No alterations made to date