Despite the fact that it has not swung since replacement - it lifts - it is always referred to locally as the "Swing Bridge". It is still in use to provide access to at least one company that sends big loads by ship out to the Clyde.
Modern Inchinnan is on a dead-end road off the current A8. It became "dead end", but "through" for buses only, to prevent the Old Greenock Road being used as a rat run between the "new town" of Erskine and Glasgow.
Erskine development began in 1971 with the building of both privately owned and rented accommodation which boosted the town's population by around 10,000. Having established itself as a thriving commuter town, the 1990s saw the building of larger and more expensive housing, aimed at more affluent property buyers.
But the original Inchinnan wasn't as shown on the map above. It was at the original forded crossing of the White Cart and Black Cart Waters a short distance from their confluence with the Clyde.
The cross on the map marks an old "place of worship", Inchinnan parish church ...
... which was demolished in 1964 to clear a flightpath of the new Glasgow Airport.
Something remains in the graveyard, however, according to Google's aerial view.
Between old Inchinnan and new Inchinnan is a small community ...
... called variously Town of Inchinnan Town or Townhead of Inchinnan.
Braehead gives its name to a pub ...
... yet another Braehead, the third in this series of blogs! Beardmore Cottages ...
... are named after William Beardmore ...
... a Glasgow industrialist and shipbuilder.
The company also made railway locomotives, airplanes, motor cars and, notably, airships.
Just along the A8 from the pub was the HQ and factory of the India Tyre company ...
... now beautifully preserved as a general office block.
But at the junction of the Old and New Gourock Roads, at Townhead of Inchinnan, is a bus garage.
Originally Western Scottish, then Clydeside ...
... then Arriva ...
... it now houses a hearty chunk of McGills fleet.
fbb would be interested to hear from any blog reader as to the origin of this depot. When was it built? Was it always a bus depot - it has the look of something built for military purposes during WW2?
Be that as it may, it is Inchinnan depot that operates service 26, Glasgow, Breahead, Paisley and Nethercraigs. And it is depot workings that provide yet another puzzle on the printed timetable.
We will try to solve that puzzle and complete our examination of the noble route 26 in tomorrow's blog.
Next Perplexing Paisley blog : Friday 10th May
The bridge dates from 1923,it gained listed status in 1994
ReplyDeleteBeardmores also built the amazing Bennie Railplane.
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ReplyDeleteAccording to "The Western Way" published by TPC in 1983, Inchinnan was opened in the 1920s by R&W Ferguson who traded as Victoria; they were acquired by Western SMT in 1932.
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