Mike Macdonald's Transport History Pages

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The following Archives & Libraries contain printed, manuscript, and/or photographic records of Scottish railways. A Subject Index is being developed of the various types of records which they hold.  To see a short bibliography of Scottish railway station and branch line photographs, click: bibliography

Aberdeen University Archives. There is a reference in the Railway & Canal Historical Society's website: http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/users/ms/rchs/archives to the O'Dell Transport Collection in the Queen Mother Library of Aberdeen University, Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB9 2UE; tel. (01244) 272579. The Collection is said to include items on the Great North of Scotland Railway, and the G W Wilson Collection of Railway photographs.

Clinker's Register of Closed Railway Stations 1830-1980 (Reprint)
by C.R.Clinker, published by Avon Anglia (1988) ISBN 0 9054 6691 8

Dundee Art Galleries & Museums, McManus Galleries, Albert Square, Dundee, DD1 1DA

The collection includes photographic prints of transport subjects, including aeroplanes at Dundee airport, railways, road transport vehicles (horse-drawn carts, lorries), and ships. The photographs are attached to cards which give details of the subjects, including dates. Among the railway subjects are Dundee West station (east frontage, with horse-drawn vehicles), Dundee East station (exterior), Magdalen Green station (exterior), Tayport station, and the first and second Tay Bridges. See also "Dundee District Libraries".

Dundee District Libraries, Wellgate Centre, Dundee

The main photographic collection is the Wilson Collection of glass negatives, taken in Dundee and neighbourhood, 1880s-c1914. They include transport: railways, road transport and ships, including the Tay ferries and excursion ships. Black + white prints from the Wilson ship negatives are displayed in clear polythene files; the quality of the images is excellent.

Catalogue. The subjects in the Wilson Collection are listed in a card catalogue. Railway subjects include a number of stations in Dundee and district, "N.B.Rly locomotive + coaches (no date)"; "Railway shed (not identified) 21 April 1974", and "Steam locomotive at Dundee Gasworks (no date"). Road transport views include "Ayr Corporation electric tram No. 2 in Ayr High St., 1903"; "Clepington Road/Victoria Terrace, Dundee, showing trackless trolley No. 68, c1913"; Harbour, including "arch" (various views, late 1880s); "Nethergate, Dundee, with electric tram (no date)"; "Sinderins, showing horse-drawn tram (n.d.); "Trackless trolley at Maryfield, 1912", and other views of trackless trolleys, and early electric trams.

Dundee University Archives: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/archives/mrailway.htm/ hold records of the Newport Railway Co., the North British Railway Co. (relating to the Tay Bridge Disaster, etc.), the Dundee & Perth Joint Rly. and the Kirkcaldy & District Railways.

GCL = Glasgow City Libraries, Glasgow Room, Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow

G3 7DN. Telephone: (0141) 221 7030. Fax:

e-mail: history_and_glasgow@cls.glasgow.gov.uk

website:

GUA = Glasgow University Archives, Business Record Centre, Thurso Street, Glasgow G11 6PE. Tel: (0141) 330 5516 or (0141) 339 8855. Fax: (0141) 330 4158.

e-mail: dutyarch@archives.gla.ac.uk

website: http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/arcbrc/resource/source.html This opens the "Subject Source Lists" page; click on "Locomotives & Railways" to see lists of railway archives. Among the collections are the photographs of W F Jackson, general manager, North British Railway Company (DC111), which include Scottish railway stations. To see an extract from the list of Jackson railway subjects (click). To see an extract from the list of Jackson "steamer" subjects (click)

Highland Railway Archive Records in North Highland Archive, Wick: Reference at http://www.caithness.org/links/railways.htm Describes the contents of these archives, including Iain Sutherland's notes and drafts for his book The Wick & Lybster Railway, material relating to the extension of the railway to Wick, 1872, and selection of photographs.

HRA = Highland Regional Council Archives Service, Inverness Library, Farraline Park, Inverness IV1 1NH. Telephone: (01463) 220330. Fax: (01463) 711128.

IM&AG = Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, Castle Wynd, Inverness IV2 3ED, Scotland.

Telephone: (01463) 237114 Fax: (01463) 712850.

MLM = Motherwell Library, Museum & Heritage Section, Hamilton Road, Motherwell, ML1 3BZ. Telephone: (01698) 251311. Fax: (01698) 254543.

The principal photographic collection is the negatives and albums of Hurst, Nelson & Co. (rolling stock builders). The history of the company is described in the A5 booklet by Price, JH: Hurst, Nelson Tramcars. Nemo Productions, 1977. The company was taken over in 1958 by Charles Roberts & Co. of Wakefield, the Motherwell factory was closed 1958/59, and the company was wound up in 1960.

There are about 38 albums of Hurst, Nelson photographs, with about 50 prints per album. Copyright belongs to Motherwell Museum. Each album is prefaced by a hand-written list of contents, giving the name of the customer, e.g., LMS Railway, Jodhpur Railway, Alloa Town Council, and description of the vehicle.

A card catalogue lists Name of Customer, and other headings include "Wagons. Open. Planks (2, 3, 4, 5)", "Wagons. Tank", with reference number to the appropriate negative/print. There is also a catalogue of tramcar photographs by type. The original wagon drawings are deposited ...... Charges are made for supplying copies of photographs. Please consult the Museum for current prices.

There is a "card" index to items in the Motherwell Times (1883- ) and the Wishaw Press. The relevant subject headings include "Actions", i.e. legal actions against Railway Company; "Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (Motherwell branch)"; "Industrial Companies", including references to Hurst, Nelson & Co.; "Industry. Railways"; "Railway Accidents"; name of Railway Company, e.g., "Wishaw Central Railway. Accidents"; name of local station, e.g., "Wishaw Station", etc. The bulk of these references appear to be to Line Deaths.

There is an "Ephemera" file on "Railways". This includes photocopies of magazine and newspaper articles on railways around Motherwell, e.g., "The Approach to Glasgow" (Railway Magazine Jan/Feb 1947); "With the Caledonian Railway from Hamilton - Some Railway By-Ways in South-west Lanarkshire" by G.H.Robin (Railway World Feb/Mar 1955).

Biro-written copy of handbill for "Wishaw & Coltness Railway Passenger Trains from Glasgow in connection with Glasgow, Garnkirk & Coltness Railway, 1847 ...."

Photocopies of pages MOS-MOT from Handbook of Railway Stations, 1910 and 1923 editions, including "Mossend", "Motherwell", "Burnhouse Manure Siding", etc.

Typed notes, 2/3 A4 sides, on the Glasgow, Bothwell & Hamilton Railway, by A.G.Dunbar, dated 7/11/1983.

Photocopies of old Bartholomew street maps of the Motherwell area (8vo), showing railways (no date).

Untitled, unattributed typescript, six 8-vo pages plus bibliography, (post-1960), gives chronology and description of early railways in Lanarkshire.

Typescript, 2 sides A4, unattributed, lists "Industrial Locomotives Motherwell Area - take( ) sic from Caledonian Railway", dated 1922. This gives details, for example, "Auchlochan & Caprington Coal Coy., Coalburn. Engine Auchlochan No 1 worked in the colliery sidings. Driver Wm. Munro", and a number of other industrial locomotives are described, likewise.

A red ring-binder/file entitled "Railway", which looks like a project guide for local schools, includes some photocopies of articles on railways in the local press.

There are some reproductions of photographs of local railways.

P&KCA = Perthshire & Kinross Council Archives, A.K. Bell Library, York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP, Tayside. Telephone: (01738) 444949. Fax: (01738) 646505.

There are three main collections of written records: Railway Papers (PE19), the Porritt Papers, and the papers of Col. Williamson of Lawers.

Railway Papers (PE19) are documents of Perth Town Council relating to various projects for railway access to Perth. Apparently, the 19th century Town Clerks ("Writers to The Signet") acted not only on behalf of the Town, but might also act, through their private legal practices, on behalf of one or other railway promoter.

The (Les) Porritt Papers are the collection of a railwayman and life-long enthusiast. They include railway plans and Acts relating to Perth, letters (by/to LP??) relating to early Scottish railways, railway Appendixes and Working Timetables, operating instructions, various brochures and leaflets, and press cuttings. The papers were not yet catalogued (Autumn 1995).

The Col. Williamson of Lawers Papers (1891-1896) relate to the Crieff-Comrie Railway.

To see list of some of the items, click Subjects (A-I) or (K-Y)

PM&AG = Perth Museum & Art Gallery, George Street, Perth, Tayside, PH1 5LB.

Telephone: (01738) 632488. Fax: (01738) 443505.

Contains the Wood and Magnus Jackson Collections of glass negatives of early railways and stations of Perthshire, including Perth station, Almondbank, Balquhidder station (1905), Bankfoot, etc. Written and printed records include pre-Grouping railway timetables and rule books, etc. To see list of some of the items, click Subjects (A-I) or (K-Y)

The Railway & Canal Historical Society's website:

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/users/ms/rchs/archives has links to other railway historical websites, including those of the Cumbrian Railways' Association, Darlington Railway Centre & Museum (Ken Hoole Study Centre and North Eastern Railway Association), Great Western Trust, the Irish Railway Record Society, etc.

The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society, Scottish Branch: http://www.rcts.org.uk/ holds the large Nigel Mundy Collection of negatives of British railway stations and signal boxes.

SRO = Scottish Record Office (known officially as "The National Archives of Scotland"), West Register House, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DF

Telephone: (0131) 556 6585. Fax:

e-mail: wsr@nas.gov.uk

website:

Stead, Neville: 14 NORMA CRESCENT, WHITLEY BAY, TYNE & WEAR, NE26 2PD

Gammell, C J: Scottish Branch Lines, Oxford Publishing Co., 1999.

Garratt, Colin: The Railway Photography of Henry Priestley, Sutton Publishing, 2000.

Morrison, Gavin: Scottish Railways Then & Now, Ian Allan, 1999.

Sanders, Keith & Douglas Hodgins: British Railways Past & Present series: No. 19, South West Scotland, Past & Present Publishing Ltd, 1993, 1995; No. 9, South East Scotland

Smith, W A C & Paul Anderson: An Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways, An Illustrated History of Edinburgh's Railways, and other titles from Irwell Press, 1993-

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Ó Mike Macdonald, 2000-2002. Page last modified: 01 February 2003