Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway facts for kids
The Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway (C&DJR) was a railway in Scotland. It opened in 1850, connecting the towns of Bowling and Balloch through Dumbarton. The company originally wanted to build a line all the way to Glasgow, but they couldn't get enough money.
Later, other railways reached Dumbarton. The bigger Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway took over the C&DJR in 1862. It then became a smaller part of the larger North British Railway network.
When a rival company, the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway, planned a new line very close by, they made an agreement. Part of the old C&DJR line became jointly owned by both companies in 1896. This new shared line was called the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway.
Most of the original C&DJR railway line is still used today.
Important note: The spelling Dumbartonshire was used in official documents back in the 1800s. Later, the county's name changed to Dunbartonshire.
History of the Railway
Early Days and Planning
In 1770, William Stirling started a textile factory near Renton, by the River Leven. Other textile businesses soon opened nearby. The area between Balloch and Dumbarton quickly became a hub for making fabrics, especially famous for Turkey red dye.
Dumbarton was also an important town on the route from the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow. Shipbuilding also grew into a major industry there.
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway (E&GR) started running trains in 1842. This showed how useful railways could be between cities. Many new railway plans appeared in 1845. The Caledonian Railway and other Scottish lines got permission to build. A railway network was starting to form across Scotland.
Seeing the benefits, people in 1844 suggested a railway line. It would run from the E&GR line near Cowlairs (north of Glasgow) through Dumbarton to Helensburgh and Balloch.
Building the Line
Quick facts for kids Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway Act 1846 |
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| Citation | 9 & 10 Vict. c. lxxxi |
On June 26, 1846, the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway (C&DJR) got permission from Parliament to build its line. They were allowed to raise a lot of money, but it was hard to get people to invest.
The company faced serious money problems. Many investors didn't pay what they promised. So, the company had to make their railway plan much smaller. They decided to build only from Bowling to Balloch. Even then, they only got half the money they needed for this smaller plan.
The railway was saved by George and James Burns. They were successful steamboat operators. They agreed to lease the railway in exchange for a large amount of cash. This money helped build the line. The Burns Brothers also built piers at Balloch and Bowling. This made it easy to transfer goods and passengers between trains and steamboats.
The railway line officially opened on July 15, 1850.
Running the Railway
The small railway did surprisingly well, thanks to the Burns Brothers. They ran eight fast steamboat trips daily from Glasgow to Bowling. These trips connected with trains there. A journey from Glasgow to Loch Lomond took only 90 minutes.
Day trips to Loch Lomond became very popular as tourism grew. Once, 600 tourists from Edinburgh visited Loch Lomond in a single day. They traveled by the E&GR, then by Clyde steamboat, and finally by the C&DJR. Coal from mines was brought to Bowling by canal. This made costs much lower for businesses along the railway and Loch Lomond.
Steamboats on Loch Lomond could reach Inverarnan. It was even possible to travel from Glasgow to Oban in one day by combining train, steamboat, and coach.
Connecting to Glasgow
The C&DJR only ran from Bowling to Balloch. People still wanted a railway connection from Glasgow to Dumbarton and Helensburgh. So, a new company, the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway (GD&HR), was formed. They got permission to build their line on August 15, 1855.
This new line ran from the Edinburgh and Glasgow line near Cowlairs. It went through Maryhill, Dalmuir, and Kilpatrick to Bowling. It also went from Dalreoch to Cardross and Helensburgh. This line opened on May 31, 1858. The C&DJR, GD&HR, and E&GR agreed to share their earnings. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway operated the trains on the new line.
Bigger Railways Take Over
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was already running trains on both the C&DJR and GD&HR lines. It made sense for them to take over these smaller lines. The E&GR did this on August 14, 1862.
Then, the E&GR itself was taken over by the North British Railway on August 1, 1865. The C&DJR line became just a branch line of the much larger North British Railway network. It helped bring passengers and goods to the main railway routes.
The Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway Arrives
In 1889, a new railway was proposed. It was called the Dumbarton, Jamestown and Loch Lomond Railway. This line would run up the east side of the River Leven. Then, in 1890, the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway (L&DR) was announced. It would run from Glasgow to Dumbarton. It would also connect to the Dumbarton, Jamestown and Loch Lomond Railway there.
The L&DR would serve many factories and shipyards along the north side of the River Clyde. Many factory owners strongly supported it. This new line would also connect to the Caledonian Railway network for goods.
On August 5, 1891, the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway got permission to build its line. However, many people thought building two railways so close together was too expensive. Local people also objected.
So, a compromise was reached. The North British Railway's line from Dumbarton to Balloch would become a "joint" line. The L&DR and the Caledonian Railway would also share in managing it. The North British Railway didn't like this, but they had to agree. This agreement was made official on June 27, 1892.
The Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway
The L&DR took some time to reach Dumbarton. It finally did so on June 15, 1896. The Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway officially started on October 1, 1896. It was managed equally by the North British Railway, the Caledonian Railway, and the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.
The pleasure steamboats on Loch Lomond, which had been run by the North British Railway, also became part of the Joint Company. The North British Railway received £30,000 for them. The steamers were very fancy and offered excellent service to places on Loch Lomond. They connected well with the trains at Balloch Pier.
The new joint railway was part of the earlier GD&HR line. This seven-mile route had over eleven miles of extra tracks for loading and unloading goods. This shows how important industry was in the area.
Both the North British Railway and the Caledonian Railway wanted to run fast passenger trains. These trains were for people who lived by Loch Lomond and traveled to Glasgow for work. However, this practice became less common over the years. By 1922, only one train on Mondays left Balloch Pier.
The railway also improved access to the factories in the Leven Valley. The textile printing industry was very busy then. There were many extra tracks on both sides of the line, especially near the River Leven and in Dumbarton.
Later Years and Modern Times
On August 1, 1909, the L&DR was taken over by the Caledonian Railway. Since the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway was equally owned by the Caledonian, the L&DR, and the North British Railway, the Caledonian now owned two-thirds of the line and the steamboats.
In 1923, the main railways in Britain were combined into larger groups. This was due to the Railways Act 1921. The Caledonian Railway became part of the new London Midland and Scottish Railway. The North British Railway became part of the new London and North Eastern Railway. These two big companies continued to compete for passengers to Balloch. The joint ownership of the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway continued.
In 1948, the railways were taken over by the government. The line simply became part of British Railways. The two routes from Balloch to Glasgow continued to operate. More than twenty trains ran daily on the old Caledonian route, and about 16 on the old North British route. However, fewer trains went all the way to Balloch Pier. Also, fewer people traveled by train on weekends. More and more people started using roads to travel from Loch Lomondside.
In 1960, electric trains began running on the line between Glasgow, Balloch, and Helensburgh. They used the old North British Railway route. However, between Dunglass and Dumbarton Junction, they used the Caledonian line. A new connection was built there. The full electric service started on October 1, 1961.
Steam trains continued to run on the Caledonian route until 1964, when that line closed.
Use of Balloch Pier station dropped a lot in the following years. For some time, there were no regular passenger trains. The last passenger trains ran in September 1986.
Today, electric passenger trains run from Balloch to Glasgow and beyond. They usually run every half hour and are operated by ScotRail.
The Maid of the Loch
From the very beginning, steamboats on Loch Lomond worked with the trains. For much of the time, the railway companies owned these boats.
In 1953, PS Maid of the Loch started operating. She was the largest ship ever built for inland waterways in Britain. She was also the last paddle steamer built in Britain. Because she was so big, she had to be put together right on the loch. She stopped operating on the loch in 1981.
Stations on the Line
The original stations on the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway were:
- Bowling canal basin (for goods)
- Bowling; the station moved on May 31, 1858, when the line to Glasgow opened.
- Dumbarton; a new station was built on May 31, 1858. It was made bigger in 1896 for the joint line.
- Dalreoch; trains started stopping here in May 1852.
- Renton
- Alexandria
- Forth and Clyde Junction; where a line from Drymen joined (from 1856).
- Balloch
- Balloch Pier
The stations on the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway were:
- Dumbarton Junction; where the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway lines met.
- Dumbarton Central
- Dalreoch; where the North British Railway line to Helensburgh branched off.
- Renton
- Alexandria; between 1935 and 1962, it was called Alexandria and Bonhill.
- Forth and Clyde Junction; where the line from Drymen joined (until 1934).
- Balloch; renamed Balloch Central in 1962. It moved south of Balloch Road in 1986 to remove a level crossing and was renamed Balloch.
- Balloch Pier; closed on September 29, 1986.
All these stations are still in use today, except for the Bowling (L&DR station) and Balloch Pier.
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
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 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
- Railscot on the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
