1920 Craighead Viaduct from Blantyre
Remarkably, this photo may be the only known one of trains actually travelling over Craighead Viaduct. Photographed almost 100 years ago in 1920, a train is captured going over the top of the viaduct, captured from an elevated point on the embankment at the Blantyre side, not far from Craighead.
In the background is Dunclutha House in Bothwell, with other grand homes lining the Clyde on the right heading towards Bothwell Bridge, which would be just out the photo to the right.
Today, one solitary pillar remains, the rest demolished for “Safety reasons”. The photo was sent in to the paper in 1920 by Mrs Rumgay of Moorfield Road, Glasgow. Thanks to Gordon Cook for forwarding this on.
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Alistair Morrow The vehicle is a Sentinel Railcar, which the LNER only started to mass purchase in 1925 following trials of earlier prototypes, so the date of the photo may be slightly out. Brilliant photo all the same, I think I have only seen the one photo of the viaduct in situ. The house visible on the opposite bank next to the railway line is “Dunclutha”, which is where the houses in present day Dunclutha Drive are situated. The other building to the right barely visible is probably Northbank. Another two “Lost Houses of the Clyde Valley”
The Blantyre Project Thanks Alistair. That great historical knowledge of the railways is great for helping date these old photos more accurately. Well done.
Michael Mcginley I have walked along the Tunnel underneath the rail bridge
Gord Fotheringham Remember this well……walked over and under…..remember the race horses coming off the train to go to Hamilton ……we (maw&me) walked along the Clyde and up the bing was usually a great day out…..the view from viewfield ave was spectacular to me