Forth and Clyde Junction Railway

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 Glasgow to Aberfoyle line.

Opening

The line was opened on 25 May 1856 and operated by the North British 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.

Closure

The line was closed as a through route for passenger traffic on 1 October 1934, quite some years before the Beeching Axe, although the Glasgow to Aberfoyle line 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 Jamestown (this stretch included a bridge over the River Leven 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 Railway at Forth and Clyde Junction
* Scottish Central Railway at Stirling North Junction
* Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway at Gartness Junction and Buchlyvie Junction

External links

* Awdry, Christopher (1990). "Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies". London: Guild Publishing.
* Jowett, Alan. (1989). "Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain & Ireland". Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1.
* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Forth_and_Clyde_Junction_Railway/frame.htm RAILSCOT on Forth and Clyde Junction Railway]

References