At one time Barrhead had three major stations very close to each other in the centre of the town, two of them virtually next door. This is from A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain
"The ill-fated Paisley
railways left the district, and especially Barrhead, , with ugly,
decaying railway properties. The town centre of Barrhead was a
clutter of mouldering stations, rusty abandoned bridges and
weed-covered embankments, memorials to the suburban service that
never was.In the end the local council dumped the town refuse on
the abandoned railway site."
Barrhead
New Station was demolished in the early 1950s. The pictures
below are of the derelict station and the adjacent bridge.
A massive stone viaduct was also
constructed on the outskirts of Barrhead which is still there
next to the Tesco supermarket on the road to Neilston (below) .
Yesterday and today.
This is Barrhead South station which was actually McDonald's coal
depot.
Another spectacular viaduct is south of Barrhead between Barrhead
South and Lyoncross
Barrhead
Central Station (Potterhill Line) was demolished in the
early 1950s
The
the main Barrhead station (Glasgow - Kilmarnock line) is still
open , below it can be seen in the 1950s.
1951 dummy railway enthusiast's trip
s excursion
Glenfield
Ferguslie Station
Lacy Street and Barrhead South
There are also anecdotal stories of Sunday school trips and a
Glasgow Univerity railway enthusiasts journey.
This is the text from Railway magazine November 1951.
S.L.S. Paisley Area Tour
A TOUR of great interest over little-used lines in the Paisley and Barrhead districts was arranged for Saturday, September 1, by the Scottish Area of the Stephenson Locomotive Society. The four-coach special train, hauled by the ex-Caledonian Railway 0-6-0 No. 57266, started from Paisley East Mineral Depot, and proceeded past Blackbyres junction to Barrhead South, and thence through Glenfield to Gilmour Street Station, Paisley. A complicated journey, via Elderslie and Johnstone, necessitating two reversals, brought the train to Paisley West, whence it was propelled along the steeply graded branch to the goods station at Gleniffer. On the return journey, the train called at Paisley for some of the passengers to alight, and then continued to Glasgow (St. Enoch) for the benefit of those who had come from farther afield. Despite a signal stop outside the terminus, the train arrived slightly before its scheduled time.
November, 195 1
THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE
S.L.S. Paisley Area Tour (See paragraph on page 784)
[G. Robin Photo] = photo 3 above
The special train used for the Stephenson Locomotive Society's
tour of thee
Paisley district on September 1 at Glenfield Station, which is
now used as aa
dwelling house. The tenant has turned part of the platform into a
vegetablee
garden, seen in the foregroundgarden, seen in the foreground
[Ian Coonie Photo] = photo 2 above
The former Caledonian Railway 0-6-0 locomotive No. 57266 heading
the train att
Paisley Eastt
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