A New Preserved Glasgow Underground Rail Grinder..............

[jonnorail]

Hi all. Yesterday (Thursday 22nd October) I arranged a visit to Glasgow's River Clyde Boatyard at Rothesay Dock East in Yoker, Glasgow. The visit was not just to take photographs of derleict boats and ferries among other water purpose veicles. On site there is a former two - part Glasgow Underground Rail Grinder vehicle which was moved there just over a year ago. The vehicle is in a bad state, lying derelict as it was vandalised a few years back prior to orignally going for scrap at Christies Scrapyard in Renfrewshire being sent there by S.P.T. before S.P.T. later saved their own vehicle by buying it back from Christies. I am working alongside the press office at S.P.T., gathering as much information as possible about the rail grinder's history and what its future holds.

I have an interview with a man who knows all the ins and outs of the history and hopeful future for the vehicle so I will be sure to update you all. The more than likely plan (which is what S.P.T. are hoping and wanting to happen) is to have the vehicle restored either to mainline working to work on a preserved railway or to have it stored as an exhibition at a local museum (the new Transport Museum currently being built in the Glasgow Harbour, Partick in Glasgow's West End due for completion next year for example).

I have suggested to S.P.T. that a number of enthusiasts would be happy to volunteer on working to getting the locomotive back to a good state again and it is something they would defenitely consider so if any of you are interested / would consider being involved making a big project a success contact me off group so I can get a rough idea as to how many of you would be happy to volunteer.

Photographs of the vehicle from yesterday's visit to Rothesay Dock East:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712066.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712067.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712068.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712069.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712070.html
A side view showing fire damage an wheelsets missng:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712071.html
A side - front view of the drivers cab:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712072.html
What would have been the second mans seat in the drivers cab:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712073.html
Two photographs showing the head / tail lights still partially intact:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712074.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712075.html
The Drivers Cab Photographs - panels and wires are still present though not connected:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712076.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712077.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712078.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712079.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712080.html

Railway History - Photographs showing evidence of the former Rothesay Dock Branch railway line which served the Rothesay Dockyard (as it was formally known in the bygone years from the former Scotstoun West Junction (part of the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway Line):
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712065.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712085.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712086.html

For those of you interested in boats, rigs and tugs e.g., my visit was for another purpose - to the first out of the two S.P.T. Renfrew- Yoker Ferries out of service and receiving an overhaul - their yearly annual service which involves renewing everthing underneath the ferry and a complete and fresh repaint:
'Yoker Swan':
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712097.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712098.html
Pulling the ferry to be docked into place securely:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p61712100.html

The rest of the collection can be found in the link below:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/c1771537_1.html

Best Regards

Jonathan McGurk

Railway and Freelance Photographer

www.jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net