Monkland & Kirkintilloch Ry.

[philipmartin]

This Wiki article contains a number of interesting facts about this pioneer railway.



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monklan ... ch_Railway" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[george matthews]

This Wiki article contains a number of interesting facts about this pioneer railway.



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monklan ... ch_Railway" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That was a period before there was any regulation of railways - at the very beginning of this industry. Later legislation prevented the adoption of non-standard gauges for tracks connected to the main system. (Probably Brunel's megalomania was the main factor encouraging the legislation for a uniform gauge.) By the time the rail network had grown to its present level this small non-standard line was merely inconvenient. Though I note that its gauge was enlarged fairly early. Glasgow continues to have the biggest urban network in the country after London. But it still suffers from the non standard gauge circle line of the Underground, which has never been able to expand like the London system. It cannot be enlarged because the tunnels are too narrow.

I was interested to note the mention of Clarkston, as my mother's sister lived near there and it was a place where the Glasgow trams reached when we visited her. I am reasonably sure that it was when we were staying there that we saw the celebrations of the end of the second world war, probably VE Day - Victory in Europe day. The gas street lights came on and I saw them for the first time.

[philipmartin]

No. Brunel wasn't a maniac, he was more like a genius.
Video - the end of Glasgow trams. http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/0987" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
See Glaswegians in action! The good and the bad: see a horse tram in action. See the rails being pulled up and the cars torched.

[george matthews]

No. Brunel wasn't a maniac, he was more like a genius.
Video - the end of Glasgow trams. http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/0987" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brunel's advocacy of the seven foot gauge was not sensible, and was in fact a financial disaster - after his death.