I've been obsessed with dismantled railways ever since my dad took me as a small boy for a tramp along some of the old lines around my home town of Lochgelly. Over the years I've developed a sixth sense for sniffing out the contours of abandoned infrastructure while out and about. Just before the internet kicked in, I purchased a few late-period Victorian maps and formally traced the original local network, visiting a few locations here and there. The advent of online mapping (with overlaying) really raised the bar and that's when I became a dedicated railway explorer. The Old Fife Railways page on Facebook is a great place for sharing information about these exploits.
I ran the gauntlet of the Glenfarg tunnels in Perthshire many years ago. I've also walked through the impressive Neidpath tunnel in Peebles. There is a huge amount of railway relics to explore in Greenock - unusually with tracks still in place. I discovered this by chance during a previous visit to the town. I was on my way to the start of the Greenock Cut reservoir trail and happened to notice an abandoned deep cutting and gated tunnel mouth while walking along the street. Later research revealed the existence of several tunnels, bridges and viaducts. The longest tunnel curved through a wide arc and even crossed the bore of a live line. This was starting to get interesting. I vowed to return and put boots on the ground. That must have been three years ago but now I found myself at a loose end and decided to drive through early on a Sunday morning. The dry spell was advantageous because sunken railway engineering tends to get very muddy. It does of course pay to do your research prior to setting out on a mission. I had identified an access point near an old viaduct with ample parking close by.
The railway I was investigating originally formed part of a connection between Glasgow and Greenock Princes Pier. The passenger boat trains ceased in 1965 and services to Greenock were subsequently concentrated on the alternative line that approaches the town along the riverside. A leftover stub carried freight to the harbour until the early 90s, which explains the rusting rails in situ. From the outskirts of Greenock, the old route now functions as a cycle path to Paisley, while the urban section has been left to decay. I found the opening that led up to the viaduct. Access to the decking was barred by a steel fence therefore I had to proceed along the trackbed in the other direction. Almost immediately I came across the overgrown platforms of Greenock Lynedoch Station, closed in 1959. I made good progress along the tracks, dodging the usual debris lying around. At 9am on a Sunday morning there wasn't another soul around, although I did spot a few rabbits and a pair of bullfinches. I passed through a lovely brick-lined cutting and high above me was a stone arched bridge hoisting a road over the tracks. I could see the entrance to a tunnel looming beyond and dug a torch out of my pocket.
Unless a tunnel is very short, you are greeted by the pitch black face of the entrance portal as you approach. Some tunnels are curved and therefore dark in the middle. Others follow a straight course and you see light spilling in at the far end as you walk. Trafalgar Street tunnel was somewhere in between, following an S-shape bore of 420 yards with partial illumination creeping round. It was still pretty gloomy inside though and a flashlight was helpful. I noticed water ingress here and there but nothing too serious. I pointed my torch downwards at the sleepers and proceeded with a steady rhythm. The tunnel was almost a quarter of a mile long and my first with actual tracks on the floor. They say veteran submariners never truly get used to the weird popping noises made by the hull when deep below the waves and even the toughest recruits can be brought to their knees. Pings and rumbles do echo down long tunnels and it can certainly be unnerving. I've heard stories of people bricking it in the centre and I know there are those who wouldn't enter under any circumstances. Eventually I emerged at the opposite end.
There was an impressive amount of infrastructure on view and walking below street level gave a splendid feeling of urban isolation and also provided a bit of soundproofing from the hustle and bustle going on above. Streams of water flowed along the edges of the tunnel floor but the raised profile of the trackbed ensured a dry passage. Back among the greenery, I found the underfoot conditions becoming increasingly boggy and I had to pick my way carefully. These conditions are normal for overgrown lines and I've certainly seen worse. At one point I was using the exposed rail as a base for my left foot while I decided where to plant my right. I didn't trust my balancing skills to glide along the steelwork like a gymnast on a high beam. Another tunnel loomed ahead, this one relatively short at 150 yards and slightly curved. Interesting, if unspectacular.
Everything had gone to plan so far but when I reached the final tunnel entrance, it was blocked by a sharpened palisade fence. This was a disappointment as I knew it to be the monster that ran for over 700 yards and passed either above or below a much longer bore on the existing line to Gourock. I had also read online reports of people walking this tunnel in years gone by. However it wasn't a total surprise as I'd seen similar fencing at the port end when walking in the area. I did however watch a few guys penetrate the blackness on YouTube when I got home. They seemed to be experienced urbexers and no doubt had the proper kit to get over the spikes (although they didn't show this part). Presumably you need a short ladder and some sort of protective saddle, then you drag the ladder over the fence behind you (or pull it through the gaps, or take two ladders, or position one in advance, something along these lines anyway). I had spotted a little plastic climbing aid behind the barrier. People with more know-how than me. The video footage revealed the final tunnel to be very wet and the explorers didn't venture too close to the far end. Port Authority land is one of the few instances where Scots law can hit you with a trespass charge. One of the good things about linear tunnel walks is you get to do it all over again, so back along the tracks I headed.
The towns of Gourock and Greenock merge into each other and there is a lovely promenade walk between the two. I parked the car and had a look at the huge cruise ship sitting in the dock. A cargo terminal perhaps isn't the prettiest stopover point for tourists but the deep water facilities required to handle these vessels are few and far between. Not needing a tender to shuttle passengers back and forth must increase the efficiency of the operation and - in any case - Greenock is close enough to Glasgow and Ayrshire to allow onward connections for a nice day trip. The scenic county of Argyll is easily reached by ferry across the Clyde from Gourock. Further down the Renfrewshire coast, the Isle of Bute can be accessed from Wemyss Bay. I drove into Gourock, finding a seat near the famous outdoor swimming pool with lovely views across the firth. I then took a seaside stroll, passing a row of little palm trees.
Time was pressing and I was expecting a visit from our neighbour and cat sitter Liz. I hit the road and pulled in at Forth Valley Hospital for a quick bite to eat. Their restaurant is open to the public and offers several choices of main course. There is ample seating and you can easily fill up here for less than a tenner. It was nice to relax and sift through my pictures from a great day's exploring. Having already surveyed most of the dismantled railways in Fife and surrounding areas, it was nice to go further afield into unknown territory. Many old routes have of course been converted to walking and cycling paths over the intervening years. While it's good to have easy access to these lines, there's something special about roaming across railway land that has simply been left to the ravages of time. Provided of course you can find a way through.
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