Callander and Oban Railway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Callander and Oban Railway
|
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Callander and Oban Railway company was formed in 1864 with the objective of linking Callander, Scotland to the west coast port of Oban over challenging terrain, particularly at Glen Ogle and the Pass of Brander at Loch Awe. Callander had been reached in 1858 by the Dunblane, Doune & Callander Railway (soon to be absorbed into Scottish Central Railways and then Caledonian Railway). Starting in 1866, the single track line passed Killin in 1870, reaching Tyndrum in 1873 and Dalmally in 1877. Following completion in 1880, Oban developed as a fashionable resort, though economically the railway was never really profitable.
In 1923, the Railway became part of LMS.
Contents |
[edit] Branch lines and connections to other lines
Major constructions came when a branch line was built to Ballachulish.
There were also connections to the:
- Dunblane, Doune & Callander Railway at Callander railway station
- Comrie, St Fillans & Lochearnhead Railway at Balquhidder Junction
- Killin Railway
- West Highland Railway at Crianlarich
[edit] Dunblane, Doune & Callander Railway
The Dunblane, Doune & Callander Railway had opened in 1858. It was formally closed with the eastern section of the Callander and Oban Railway on 5 November 1965.
[edit] Killin Railway
The five mile Killin Branch opened on 13 March 1886. The branch to Loch Tay at Killin was privately owned and funded by local landowners as the Killin Railway required viaducts over the rivers Dochart and Lochay.
[edit] Ballachulish Branch
The 1903 branch to the Ballachulish slate quarries spanned Loch Etive with a spectacular cantilever bridge at Connel, and also Loch Creran.
[edit] Comrie, St Fillans & Lochearnhead Railway
The Comrie, St Fillans & Lochearnhead Railway connection (following the take-over by the Caledonian Railway) from Crieff along Loch Earn reached Balquidder Junction on 1 May 1905 with the Kendrum Viaduct over Glen Ogle at Lochearnhead.
[edit] West Highland Railway
The chord between Crianlarich Upper and Crianlarich Lower Junction was opened in 20 December 1897, connecting to the West Highland Railway, however it did not see its first regular passenger services until 23 May 1949.
[edit] Ben Cruachan Quarry Branch
The Ben Cruachan Quarry Branch was a short freight-only line that connected east of Loch Awe railway station. It closed in 1916.
[edit] Closures and current operations
Only the Crianlarich - Oban section remains today as a branch of the West Highland Railway. The eastern section was scheduled for closure on 5 November 1965, however the section between Callander and Crianlarich was closed following a landslide in Glen Ogle on 27 September 1965 and never reopened.[1][2] Much of the eastern section has been converted to a cycle path known as the Rob Roy way, with the Kendrum viaduct restored in 2001 (the girders spanning the river having been scrapped).
The Ballachulish branch closed on 28 March 1966. Connel Bridge and Creagan (Loch Creran) Bridge are now used for road traffic, the latter following an almost complete reconstruction in 1999.
[edit] References
[edit] Sources
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063.
- Jowett, Alan (1989). Jowett's railway atlas of Great Britain and Ireland : from pre-grouping to the present day, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.
- Sanders, Keith; Hodgins, Douglas (1993). British Railways Past and Present No 31 - North West Scotland. Kettering: Past & Present. ISBN 1-8589-5090-2.
- Thomas, John (1976). Forgotten Railways: Scotland, 1st edition, Newton Abbot: Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7185-1. OCLC 3103506.
- Thomas, John (1981). Forgotten Railways: Scotland, 2nd edition, Newton Abbot: Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8193-8. OCLC 13641185.
| Major constituent railway companies of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway: |
|
Caledonian | Furness | Glasgow & South Western | Highland | Lancashire & Yorkshire | London and North Western | Midland | North Staffordshire |
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Primary companies: | Caledonian Railway • Glasgow and South Western Railway • Great North of Scotland Railway |
| Caledonian lines: | Aberdeen Railway • Alloa Railway • Alyth • Arbroath and Forfar • Busby Railway • Callander and Oban • Cathcart District • Cleland and Midcalder • Clydesdale Junction • CR Main Line • CR Douglas Branch • CR Hamilton Branch • CR Hamiltonhill Branch • Crieff Junction • Crieff and Comrie • Crieff and Methven Junction • Dunblane, Doune & Callander • Dundee and Perth • Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen • Forfar and Brechin • General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour • Glasgow and Garnkirk • Glasgow Central Railway • Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock • Greenock and Wemyss Bay • Hamilton and Strathaven • Killin Railway • Lanarkshire and Ayrshire • Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire • Leadhills and Wanlockhead • Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie • Paisley and Barrhead District • Perth, Almond Valley and Methven • Polloc and Govan • Rutherglen and Coatbridge • Scottish Central • Scottish Midland Junction • Scottish North Eastern • Solway Junction • Symington, Biggar and Broughton • Talla Railway • Wishaw and Coltness |
| Glasgow and South Western lines: | Ardrossan Railway • Ardrossan and Johnstone • Ayr and Dalmellington • Ayr and Maybole Junction • Ayr to Mauchline • Ayrshire and Wigtownshire • Barrhead Branch • Bridge of Weir Railway • Cairn Valley • Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction • Castle Douglas and Dumfries • Dalry and North Johnstone • Darvel Branch • Girvan and Portpatrick Junction • Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle • Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr • Greenock and Ayrshire • Kilmarnock and Troon • Largs Branch • Maidens and Dunure • Maybole and Girvan • Paisley and Renfrew • Paisley Canal Line |
| Great North of Scotland lines: | Aberdeen and Turriff • Aboyne and Braemar • Alford Valley • Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction • Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla • Boddam Branch • Deeside Railway • Denburn Valley • Formartine and Buchan • Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction • Keith and Dufftown • Moray Coast • Morayshire Railway • St Combs Light Railway • Strathspey Railway |
| Highland lines: | Buckie and Portessie Branch • Dingwall and Skye • Duke of Sutherland • Findhorn Railway • Fortrose Branch • Inverness and Aberdeen Junction • Inverness and Aviemore Direct • Inverness and Nairn • Inverness and Perth Junction • Inverness and Ross-shire • Kyle of Lochalsh Extension • Perth and Dunkeld • Sutherland and Caithness • Sutherland Railway
Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway |
| North British lines: | Ballochney • Bathgate and Coatbridge • Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company • Coatbridge Branch • Edinburgh and Bathgate • Edinburgh and Dalkeith • Edinburgh and Glasgow • Edinburgh and Hawick • Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction • Forth and Clyde Junction • Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh • Glasgow and Milngavie Junction • Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank • Kincardine Line • Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton • Monkland and Kirkintilloch • Monkland Railways • Mallaig Extension • North British, Arbroath and Montrose • Stirling and Dunfermline • Strathendrick and Aberfoyle • Slamannan • Slamannan and Borrowstounness • West Highland Railway • Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness |
| Joint lines: | Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction • City Union • Dundee and Arbroath • Glasgow and Paisley Joint • Glasgow and Renfrew District • Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint • Kilsyth and Bonnybridge • Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint |
| Other lines: | Brechin and Edzell District • Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway • Denburn Valley Line • Dundee and Arbroath • Glasgow City and District • Invergarry and Fort Augustus • Lochaber Narrow Gauge • Perth, Almond Valley & Methven • Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway |
