The Caledonian Railway. ...

Certainly historic, nostalgic and partially abandoned! ...

Wikipedia tells us that “The Caledonian Railway (CR) was one of the two biggest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping. It was formed in 1845 with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh and Aberdeen, with a dense network of branch lines in the area surrounding Glasgow. It was absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Many of its principal routes are still used, and the original main line between Carlisle and Glasgow is in use as part of the West Coast Main Line railway (with a modified entry into Glasgow itself).”

The linked article looks at the development of the Caledonian Railway. ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/03/20/the-caledonian-railway/

Other articles which focus on different parts of the Caledonian Railway include:

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/12/22/the-callander-and-oban-railway/

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/07/16/the-caledonian-railway-rail-motor-car/

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/01/01/the-ballachulish-railway-line-part-1/

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/01/02/the-ballachulish-railway-line-part-2/

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/01/05/the-ballachulish-railway-line-part-3/

 

Thanks Roger. You say the Caledonian was "absorbed" into the LMS. As you may know, the 1921 Act separated the pre-1923 companies subject to the Act into Constituents and Subsidiaries, the Caley being the former and the Cathcart District Railway Company (which you mention) as an example, being the latter. The term"absorption" was reserved for the process to bring the Subsidiaries into the new groups, achieved through "Absorption Schemes", and the Constituent companies were "amalgamated" under "Amalgamation Schemes". The process was effectively identical, the assets and liabilities of the old companies were transferred into the new entity (for the Caley the LMS of course) and the old companies dissolved. The Caley could not agree terms with the LMS (represented pre-incorporation by the LNWR (which at that stage was the new entity created following amalgamation of the "old" LNWR with the LYR) and had agreed amalgamation terms with the Midland and the other constituents (other than the Knotty)) and the terms of the amalgamation (how much and in what category of LMS stock were existing equity and debt holders of the Caley to be compensated) were set by the Amalgamation Tribunal after several days of hearings with both sides lawyered up with an array of KCs. The "Amalgamation" with the Caley (and Knotty) became effective on 1 July 1923 (at which time the LMS was also dissolved and instantly re-incorporated).

 

Thank you for the correction huochemi, and explanation. A change is needed.