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The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway was an early railway built primarily to carry coal to Glasgow and other markets from the Monkland coalfields, shortening the journey and by-passing the monopolistic charges of the Monkland Canal; passenger traffic also developed early in the line's existence. It opened officially on 27 September 1831 using horse traction, and had the track gauge of 4 ft 6 in that had been adopted by the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, with which it was to connect. It was dependent on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway for access to the best areas of the coalfields, but eventually it by-passed this constraint by extending its line southwards through Coatbridge, enabling a direct link with another coal railway, the Wishaw and Coltness Railway. Widening its horizons it changed its name to ''The Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway''. The track gauge originally chosen was now a limitation and it altered its gauge to the standard of 4 ft 8½ in. When the Caledonian Railway advanced on Glasgow, the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge provided a ready-made access route, and the Caledonian company purchased the Garnkirk line. Most of its original route remains open today. ==Origins== In the eighteenth century, the city of Glasgow experienced increasing demand for coal, both for domestic and industrial purposes; the most convenient source was the Monkland coalfield, south of Airdrie, but the distance of over ten miles incurred considerable expense in the absence of an efficient means of transport. The Monkland Canal was opened in 1791,〔Glasgow Courier 18 October 1791, quoted by Martin〕 reducing the price of coal in Glasgow considerably. However a cartel of some of the coal owners attempted to keep prices artificially high, and from 1813 they managed to achieve a near-monopoly of the supply of Monkland coal, with the canal also charging monopolistic prices for carriage. By 1823 the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway (M&KR) was being promoted, connecting the coalfield with the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch. Although this provided a route to Glasgow by-passing the Monkland Canal, "there seems little doubt that the principal intention of the M&KR promoters was the provision of a convenient route for Monkland coal to the Edinburgh market.〔Don Martin, ''The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway'', Strathkelvin District Libraries and Museums, 1981〕 Accordingly it was the principal coal consumers in Glasgow who were dominant in proposing a railway to convey coal directly to Glasgow. The chief sponsors included Charles Tennant & Co, who had their St. Rollox chemical works at Townhead, Glasgow, adjacent to the Monkland Canal. The railway was called ''The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway'', (G&GR) indicating the route and destination of the new railway; although there were extensive fireclay deposits at Garnkirk, it was not an important terminal of the new railway: most of the mineral traffic would originate on the M&KR system. The company was to have authorised capital of £28,497 17s 4d.〔Joseph Priestley, ''A Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain'', Longman, Rees Orme, Brown and Green, London, 1831〕〔 The new company got its Act of Parliament in 26 May 1826, and the Act empowered it to make the necessary connection to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway. The Act stipulated that the company could not issue dividends of more than 10% unless they reduced their tolls to stated amounts. There was a decision to alter the course of the railway, and this involved an additional £11,000 capital.〔 The junction was to be at Bedlay (near modern Muirhead), and would have followed a more northerly route than that actually built. However the promoters decided it would be advantageous to shorten the extent of usage of the rival M&KR line, and to make the gradients more favourable to loaded traffic. Accordingly an new Act was sought, and obtained on 14th June 1827, authorising the junction to be at Gartsherrie, and the Glasgow terminal to be at the "cut of junction" where the Monkland Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal met. The amendment act also authorised increased capital of £9,350. Accordingly, the route was from the junction with the M&KR at Gartsherrie, near the Gargill Colliery, running via Gartcloss, Gartcosh, Garnkirk, Robroyston, Milton, Broomfield, Germiston, Rosebank and Pinkston to terminate at the Glasgow depot at Townhead. The Townhead depot was at the point where Keppochhill Road crossed the Forth and Clyde Canal. The motorway and Springburn Road junction system has obliterated the site, but it was approximately at the present-day western end of Charles Street.〔〔〔Christopher Awdry, ''An Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies'', Patrick Stephens Limited, Wellingborough, 1990, ISBN 1-85260-049-7〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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