their transport medium. J & G Thomson promoted the idea of a railway, at first to be called the Glasgow, Yoker and Dalmuir Railway, but the Forth and Cart Canal, a branch of the Forth and Clyde Canal proved awkward, and the idea was cut back to reach Clydebank only. Glasgow Yoker and Clydebank On 4 July 1878 the Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Railway obtained its authorising Act of Parliament, to build a line connecting the Clydebank site with the Stobcross Railway. Local industrialists who would benefit from the line subscribed £65,000, and the remaining £17,500 was put forward by the North British Railway. The railway opened as a single line on 1 December 1882, with stations at Partick (on the Stobcross line) and Yoker. Partick could be reached by the Govan Ferry, and the Yoker station was not far from the Renfrew ferry. Goods traffic was of course significant, and the passenger service was not connected to the rest of the railway network for the time being; there was no passenger station at Stobcross. The passenger trains were not run at suitable times for the workers at first, and they continued to use the steamer. The line was worked by the North British Railway. The construction appears to have exceeded its estimated cost, for in 1888 debentures were redeemed by a preference share issue at a face value of £28,241. Singer sewing machines A year after the opening of the Clydebank line, the Singer Manufacturing Company opened the plant that became their sewing machine factory adjacent to Kilbowie, on the GD&HR line nearby. This plant grew immensely, and encouraged other industries to set up in the area, so that Clydebank in general, served by both lines, became an important industrial complex. Glasgow City and District Railway The North British Railway network had suffered from the circuitous connection from Queen Street passenger terminal and College goods station to get access to the north Clyde lines, and in 1886 a great improvement was made when the Glasgow City and District Railway opened. This ran east to west through the city as a sub-surface line, connecting with the original Stobcross Railway end on; a new passenger station named Finnieston was provided there. This transformed the access for suburban passenger trains but also for goods and mineral traffic which could now run direct from Sighthill. A rival line The Caledonian Railway had long