Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life

Summerlee Heritage Park 2009

Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, formerly known as Summerlee Heritage Park, is an industrial museum in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was built on the site of the old Summerlee Ironworks and incorporated the main workshop of the former Hydrocon Crane factory.

It temporarily closed in 2006, but reopened on 26 September 2008 following a £10m refurbishment (pictured right).

The former main hall was completely redesigned by North Lanarkshire Council's in-house Design Team and now includes a stainless steel café pod and futuristic viewing pavilion. The museum aims to show Lanarkshire's contribution to engineering, and incorporates interactive displays and a children's "Discovery Zone".

The museum also incorporates several railway steam locomotives, preserved carriages from a 1960s era Glasgow Class 311 and has a short working tram line.

The site

This contains...

Tramway

The Summerlee Transport Group (STG) was formed in 1988, in order to support the maintenance and operation of the tramway.[1] The original tramway used to terminate only 300 yards from the entrance at the timber shed, before the extension of the Gartsherrie Branch canal bridge and thence towards the Miners' Cottages. As continued tradition, the cars still halt at the timber shed before continuing over the bridge and around the bend.

The tramway was the first operational tramway in Scotland for twenty-six years following the closure of the Glasgow Corporation Tramway in 1962, and continued to be the only tramway in Scotland for another twenty-six until Edinburgh re-opened its tramway in 2014, save from the Glasgow Garden Festival Tramway, which opened six weeks after the Summerlee Line.

Whilst the first two operational trams at Summerlee were continental cars, it has always been the intention to use traditional British cars, preferably with local connections, which is now being realized.

Original System Car Number Built Date Acquired Seats Livery Status Notes Image
Lanarkshire Tramways Company 53 1908 1995 59 Green and white Operational Open topped double decker
Düsseldorf 392 1951 1999 10 Cream Operational Wheelchair access tram from Germany
Glasgow Corporation Tramways (Ex. Paisley and District Tramways) 1017 (Ex. Paisley 17) 1904 ? 20 Orange and cream Operational Single Decker (ex. Double Decker) - Glasgow "School" Car with raised floor. The raised floor promoted better visibility for trainee drivers receiving instruction from the motorman
Glasgow Corporation Tramways 1245 1939 2002 64 Orange, green and cream Currently undergoing long-term restoration Coronation Class Tram
Brussels Tramway Network 9062 1959 1988 unknown Cream Scrapped in 2004 after act of vandalism First operation tram at Summerlee, and first operational tram in Scotland for 26 years.
Graz Tramway Network 225 1949 1988 unknown Purple Sold to the Brighton Tram 53 Society in 2010 Restored to its former glory whilst at Summerlee, but later deemed surplus to requirements. It has since fallen into disrepair again.

Railway Rolling Stock

Name Number Builder Type Date Works number Livery Notes Image
11 Gibb and Hogg, Airdrie 0-4-0ST 1898 16 Dark Green Worked for Fife coal company and later N.C.B. Fife area. Later displayed in Pittencrief Park, Dunfermline. Only surviving locomotive from this builder. On display in exhibition hall.
9 Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T 1909 895 Light Green Worked for Fife Coal company and later N.C.B. Fife area. Open air display alongside mainline railway.
Springbok 4112 North British Locomotive Co. 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt 1956 27770 Black 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge South African Railways GMAM Class. Repatriated c.1988. Open air display outside exhibition hall. Owned by Springburn Museum.
Robin Sentinel 4wVB 1957 9628 Blue Worked at R.B. Tennants, Whifflet Foundry, Coatbridge. Open air display alongside mainline railway.
5 Barclay 0-4-0DH 1966 472 Red Open air display alongside mainline railway.
Unit Number Builder Type Date Livery Notes
936103 (311103) 977844 (76433) Cravens BDTCOL 1967 Blue Designated "historically important" by the Railway Heritage Committee.
936103 (311103) 977845 (62174) Cravens MBSO 1967 Blue
936103 (311103) 977846 (76414) Cravens DTSO 1967 Blue Scrapped August 2006 by CF Booth, Rotherham. Bogies sold to VSOE for use under pullman coaches. This vehicle contained the sandite tank.

Other transportation

See also

References

  1. "The Summerlee Transport Group". The Summerlee Transport Group.

External links

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Coordinates: 55°51′59″N 4°01′51″W / 55.86639°N 4.03083°W / 55.86639; -4.03083

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