Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Encyclopedia
The Forth and Clyde Junction Railway was a railway line in Scotland
which ran from Balloch
to Stirling
.
It shared a short stretch from Gartness Junction to Buchlyvie
Junction with the Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
.
.
It is unlikely that the line was ever particularly viable, since it ran through a rural area without any town of any size, largely following the route of an old military road. Some of the stations were not particularly near the village they served e.g. Drymen
station was really in the smaller village of Croftamie
, and Balfron
station was not very near Balfron (probably the largest village on its route) which led to a hamlet of Balfron Station growing up at the station.
, although the Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
remained open for passenger traffic until 1951. The various sections were then progressively closed to passengers and freight:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
which ran from Balloch
Balloch, West Dunbartonshire
Balloch is a small town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, at the foot of Loch Lomond. The name comes from the Gaelic for "the pass".Balloch is at the north end of the Vale of Leven, straddling the River Leven itself. It connects to the larger town of Alexandria and to the smaller village of...
to Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
.
It shared a short stretch from Gartness Junction to Buchlyvie
Buchlyvie
Buchlyvie is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is 24 km west of Stirling, south of Flanders Moss in the Carse of Forth. The village lies on the A811, which follows the line of an eighteenth-century military road...
Junction with the Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
The Glasgow to Aberfoyle Line was a railway line in Scotland, now closed.Starting from the Queen Street terminus in Glasgow, it wound through Strathblane taking in Killearn and Balfron, ultimately depositing travellers in Aberfoyle, where they could change to road transport to reach the Trossachs...
.
Opening
The line was opened on 25 May 1856 and operated by the North British RailwayNorth British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
.
It is unlikely that the line was ever particularly viable, since it ran through a rural area without any town of any size, largely following the route of an old military road. Some of the stations were not particularly near the village they served e.g. Drymen
Drymen
Drymen is a village in Stirling district in central Scotland. Drymen lies to the west of the Campsie Fells and enjoys views to Dumgoyne on the east and to Loch Lomond on the west...
station was really in the smaller village of Croftamie
Croftamie
Croftamie is a small village near Drymen in Scotland.The village was traditionally part of Dunbartonshire, but a minor change in boundaries means that it is now under Stirling Council....
, and Balfron
Balfron
Balfron, is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is situated near Endrick Water on the A875 road, 18 miles west of Stirling and 16 miles north of Glasgow. Although a rural settlement, it lies within commuting distance of Glasgow, and serves as a dormitory town.-History:The name...
station was not very near Balfron (probably the largest village on its route) which led to a hamlet of Balfron Station growing up at the station.
Closure
The line was closed as a through route for passenger traffic on 1 October 1934, quite some years before the Beeching AxeBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, although the Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
The Glasgow to Aberfoyle Line was a railway line in Scotland, now closed.Starting from the Queen Street terminus in Glasgow, it wound through Strathblane taking in Killearn and Balfron, ultimately depositing travellers in Aberfoyle, where they could change to road transport to reach the Trossachs...
remained open for passenger traffic until 1951. The various sections were then progressively closed to passengers and freight:
- 1 November 1950 - Closed for freight: Drymen to Gartness Junction; and Buchlyvie Junction to Mye Siding
- 29 September 1951 - Closed for passengers: Gartness Junction and Buchlyvie Junction
- 1 December 1952 - Closed for freight: Mye Siding to Port of Monteith
- 5 October 1959 - Closed for freight: Gartness Junction to Buchlyvie Junction; Jamestown to Drymen; and Port of Monteith to Stirling
- 1 September 1964 - Closed for freight: Croftengea Siding to JamestownJamestown, West DunbartonshireJamestown is a village in the Vale of Leven conurbation in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.Located on the east bank of the River Leven, it is sandwiched between Balloch to the north and Bonhill to the south....
(this stretch included a bridge over the River LevenRiver Leven, DunbartonshireThe River Leven is a stretch of water in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, flowing from Loch Lomond in the North to the River Clyde in the South...
which is now a footbridge). - 9 April 1965 - Closed for freight: Forth and Clyde Junction to Croftengea Siding
Connections to other lines
- Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction RailwayCaledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction RailwayThe 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...
at Forth and Clyde Junction - Scottish Central RailwayScottish Central RailwayThe Scottish Central Railway was formed in 1845 to link the Caledonian Railway near Castlecary to the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at Perth...
at Stirling North Junction - Strathendrick and Aberfoyle RailwayStrathendrick and Aberfoyle RailwayThe Glasgow to Aberfoyle Line was a railway line in Scotland, now closed.Starting from the Queen Street terminus in Glasgow, it wound through Strathblane taking in Killearn and Balfron, ultimately depositing travellers in Aberfoyle, where they could change to road transport to reach the Trossachs...
at Gartness Junction and Buchlyvie Junction