Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Railway

[v · d · e]Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Railway (also known as Dumbarton & Balloch Joint Railway)

Legend Balloch Pier Balloch Central (closed 23 April 1988) Balloch (opened 24 April 1988) Forth and Clyde Junction - - Forth and Clyde Junction Railway Alexandria Renton - - Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway Dalreoch Junction - junction Dalreoch Dumbarton Central Dumbarton Joint Line Junction - junction with Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway Dumbarton East (L&DR) (connecting line opened in 1960) Bowling (L&DR) - - Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway Bowling - - Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway

The Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Railway, also known as Dumbarton & Balloch Joint Railway, was built to connect Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond down the course of the river Leven to Dumbarton, and east along the north bank of the River Clyde to Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, at the end of the Forth and Clyde Canal. The railway network subsequently connected to this line at Bowling railway station and at Dalreoch Junction.

History

The railway act for the proposed railway received Royal assent in 1846. A turntable was installed at Balloch in 1850, and on 15 July 1850 the line was opened. Steamer services on Loch Lomond ran from Balloch Pier railway station, and at the south end of the line Bowling railway station gave access to Clyde steamers providing connecting services along the River Clyde to Glasgow and the Firth of Clyde.^[1]

In 1858 the Bowling station terminus became a station on the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway, which connected to the Balloch line at Dalreoch Junction. In 1862 the GD&HR was absorbed into the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway,^[2] which was in turn absorbed into the North British Railway in 1865.

The joint railway was formed by an agreement on the 31 October 1891 between the Caledonian Railway and the North British Railway. Amongst other things, this line enabled the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway to gain access to Balloch. This occurred as a result of the Caledonian Railway proposing a parallel route between Dumbarton and Loch Lomond under the title of the Dumbarton, Jamestown and Loch Lomond Railway. As the Caledonian Railway pre-empted the opening of the L&DR, they were unprepared for the joint ownership of the line in 1896.^[3]

Connections to other lines

• Forth and Clyde Junction Railway at Forth and Clyde Junction
• Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway at Dalreoch Junction and Bowling
• Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway at Dumbarton Joint Line Junction and Bowling Link Line

Current operations

The line is still open as part of the North Clyde Line with the exception of two sections:-

• Bowling railway station to Dumbarton Joint Line Junction (abandoned in favour of the parallel Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway during electrification in 1961).
• Balloch to Balloch Pier.

References

1. ^ "RAILSCOT | Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Railway". http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Caledonian_and_Dunbartonshire_Junction_Railway/frame.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-10. 
2. ^ "RAILSCOT | Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway". http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Glasgow_Dumbarton_and_Helensburgh_Railway/frame.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-10. 
3. ^ Awdry

Sources

• Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. 
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137. 
• RAILSCOT on the Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Railway