Ballochney Railway - Inclines

Inclines

Whishaw describes the rope-worked incline: "There is a self-acting plane of 1200 yards in length on that portion of the line next the Monkland Railway; the lower part being a single way, the middle part double, and the upper part formed with three rails. The ascending train consists usually of four loaded wagons and the descending train of six or seven empty wagons; the time occupied in the ascent is 3•50 minutes; the rope used is about 4½ inches circumference; the sheeves are of 14 inches diameter, and are placed at intervals of 21 feet."

There was an accident on the incline on 25 April 1859 (in Monkland Railways days) and the Inquiry report describes operation of the incline. He explains that the Ballochney main line has two inclines on it, with a space of about 100 yards of comparative level between them "at a place called Common Head", and that the Airdrie branch diverges there.

At the foot of the second incline, there is about 330 yards of line used by up and down trains, and at the east and west extremities of this portion of single line there are sets of points facing to all trains descending the second incline. The construction of these incliens is also very peculiar and such as I have not hitherto met with. At the lower end of each incline, the up and down lines of railway, or rather the north and south lines of railway, since from the mode of working they are alternately used for up and down trains, are placed at an interval of about 4 feet apart; but at 397 yards from the top of the first, and 413 yards from the top of the second incline, this interval or space is altogether done away with, and the single centre rail serves for the inner wheels of ascending or descending tracks, carriages, &c. The two inclines are separately worked, in each case by means of a wire-rope, with a short piece of chain at each end; the loaded waggons going down the incline serving, by means of the wire-rope passing over a wheel or drum at the head of the incline, to bring up the waggons from below. Rollers are placed between the rails for supporting these wire-ropes as they are drawn up or down. The rope at the tail of each descending train being cast off, as soon as the train reaches the comparatively level portion of line at the foot of each incline, and before it descends so low as to foul the upper end of the wire-rope at the wheel or drum. The mineral traffioc is sent down the inclines in trucks, without the assistance of a locomotive enigne in front; but all the passenger traffic and the goods traffic proceeding from Rawyards to Airdrie is preceded by a locomotive. Two breaksmen or inclinemen go down the inclines with every mineral train; and all passsenger trains, if not consisting of more than six vehicles, have one break in front and another in rear of the train, independent of the break on the tender. The goods trains usually have a separate breaksman, besides the two inclinemen, and this breaksman, whose duty it is to assist in shunting the goods trains, generally rides down on the engine. The waggons belonging to the Monkland Railway are said to be mostly provided with breaks, but a large proportion of those, not belonging to the Company, are said to be without them. In such cases spraggs of wood are used to skid the wheels when trains are decending the inclines. There are three passenger trains from Glasgow to Airdrie, two from Airdrie to Glasgow, and two each way between Bathgate and Airdrie, in the course of each day.

The actual accident being reported on took place when a locomotive descending the upper incline cast off teh rope at the foot, but was pushed by the weight of wagons behind onto the lower incline without being able to attach the rope for that incline.