From Foot To Car To Foot!
Whilst there has been a ferry between Yoker and Renfrew since about 1790 the development of private motoring led to the installation of a chain hauled car ferry.
Also notable were two huge pylons carrying electricity from the Yoker power station high across the river to keep the wires clear of big ships. 
The hyper pylons are long gone.
As well as cars, the ferry was busy carrying workers to and from the docks and other industrial premises on the banks of the Clyde.
In 1984, the car ferry was withdrawn and replaced with a small passenger boat run by Strathclyde PTE.
In 2010 the PTE withdrew the service and it was taken on, without subsidy, by a private operator.
One slightly unrealistic contender for the privatised business was Stagecoach with an amphibious bus.
Generally, nowadays the crossing has an ambiance of decay! Even the pub on the Renfrew side is closed.
Access to the boat is uninviting at Renfrew ...
... and thoroughly off-putting at Yoker!
But there are development plans for both sides of the river and, to aid the regeneration, work is under way on a replacement bridge. And it looks very smart!
As can be seen, it is a road bridge ...
... and will swing, making it the first swing bridge to operate on the Clyde west of Glasgow.
It took fbb some patient research to discover where the bridge would be, Here is the site of the ferry ...
... looking from Renfrew to Yoker. Zoom back ...
... and you can see the former rectangular dock as in the upper picture (top right). Move left (westbound) and there is another man made inlet, this time more boat shaped. The new bridge is to the left thereof.
A new road network will run through woodland to the left of the warehouses as seen in the Google Earth view below.
As yet there are no published plans for buses across the new bridge but you might expect McGills, innovative as ever, to be ready with something spectacular!
The idea was not pursued.
From Feeble Ferry To Beautiful ...
Bus Nostalgia At Renfrew
It will be a far cry from the old way, with buses galore running from Paisley to the Renfrew slipway.
McGills (the original)
Patons
Barrhead Motors 
Cunninghams
Grahams? Did their buses run to Renfrew Ferry?
and Western Scottish and its successors.
... where you will find the reborn McGills (no connection with the original) service 26. 
If you walk a bit further towards Paisley, you could catch a First Glasgow 77 at Renfrew Cross ...
... and you could ride to the Airport or slightly faster than the 26 into Glasgow.
Tomorrow, as part of a weekend variety blog, fbb will look at the second new swing bridge on the Clyde.
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There was no doubt that the resurrected Jesus was there as he talked to his former team and showed them his SCARS.
Indeed all the various resurrection happenings are lacking in effusive euphoria; it was as if the disciples were trying hard to come to terms with the new reality.
Today, many would challenge that word "reality" but, as ever, what may be unreal in the limited experience and scientific rules of humanity can always be very real in the hands of a God who is not restricted by soayce and time.
Here are two men who found coming to terms with "events" was almost beyond them.
They simply had not ...
Not very trendy gear, their clothes!
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Next Variety blog : Saturday 6th April
I'm sure that I have previously pointed out to FBB that the current McGill's Bus Service Limited is the original company that was incorporated on September 2nd 1949 to take over the business of motor service vehicle operators carried on by Mrs Isabella McGill.
ReplyDeleteIt has had different owners in recent times but is still the same company.
Barrhead Motors? That's a McGill's bus in the picture!
ReplyDeleteIt is highly unlikely that there will be bus services over the new bridge. There is still sufficient river traffic to cause delays to any service when the bridge is opened.
ReplyDeleteGrahams didn't run to the ferry. Patons and Cuninghams both sold out to Western in 1979.
ReplyDelete