The Hamiltonhill Branch was constructed by the Caledonian Railway

Caledonian Railway

The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...

 in 1894 with the intention to provide a large goods yard at Hamiltonhill on the Forth and Clyde Canal

Forth and Clyde Canal

The Forth and Clyde Canal crosses Scotland, providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. The canal is 35 miles long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...

. There was also a branch to the Saracen Foundry

Saracen Foundry

The Saracen Foundry was the better known name for the Possilpark, Glasgow based foundry company W MacFarlane & Co. Ltd, founded and owned by Walter MacFarlane. Macfarlane's was the most important manufacturer of ornamental ironwork in Scotland....

 but this had to be closed as it was in breach of an agreement with the North British Railway

North 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:...

.

History

The Hamiltonhill yard closed at an early date, however the section of the line was extended by the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway

Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway

- Early days :The Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was authorised in 1891, and opened in stages between 26 November 1894 and 1 October 1896.On 16 August 1909 the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was absorbed into the Caledonian Railway...

 to Dumbarton and gave the Caledonian Railway access to Balloch, linking through to the Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway

Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway

The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway was incorporated on 26 May 1826 and was ceremonially opened on 27 September 1831. It was built to the Scotch gauge of...

 to the east. Part of the route between Eastfield and Possil was built along the course of an old waggonway which had run from pits at Eastfield to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Ruchill.

Much of the former trackbed is still visible to this day.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en-GB&q=EH12+9DN&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Edinburgh+EH12+9DN,+United+Kingdom&ll=55.888406,-4.226046&spn=0.035138,0.111151&t=k&z=14

Connections to other lines

• Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway
  Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway
  - Early days :The Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was authorised in 1891, and opened in stages between 26 November 1894 and 1 October 1896.On 16 August 1909 the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was absorbed into the Caledonian Railway...
  
   at Possil Junction
• Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway
  Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway
  The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway was incorporated on 26 May 1826 and was ceremonially opened on 27 September 1831. It was built to the Scotch gauge of...
  
   at Balornock Junction
• The Caledonian Railway Switchback
  The Switchback (CR)
  The The Switchback was constructed by the Caledonian Railway between 1864 and 1891.-Connections to other lines:* Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway at Balornock Junction* Hamiltonhill Branch at Balornock Junction* Glasgow Central Railway at Strathclyde Junction...
  
  at Balornock Junction