Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway

The Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway was opened in 1858 to connect Callander and Doune with the Scottish railway network. When promoters wished to make a connection to Oban, Callander was an obvious place to start, and from 1880 Callander was on the main line to Oban. The railway network was reduced in the 1960s and the line closed in 1965. Oban is now served by a different route.

History

System map of the Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway in 1858

The Scottish Central Railway obtained its Act of Incorporation on 1 July 1845, the same day as the Caledonian Railway. The two railways connected end-on at Greenhill Junction, and together (when they were completed) would connect Carlisle and Perth, and with other railways London and Aberdeen were to be brought into the network.

During the long process of planning their lines, the promoters came to see that extension of their railways would be beneficial, and lucrative, and already in 1845 there was talk of extending through Callander to Dalwhinnie. In the same year the Stirling, Callander and Tillicoultry Railway published a prospectus, with glowing and exaggerated descriptions of the towns this ambitious east-west line would serve, but it came to nothing.

The benefits to townspeople of a railway connection were plain to see, in greatly reduced cost of commodities like coal and lime (for agriculture) and for the delivery of manufactured products, and the residents of Doune and Callander—a weaving village with a population of 1,671 in 1861^[1]—considered how they could get a railway branch line. The topography was well suited for that: the Royal Burgh of Dunblane lay ten miles (16 km) to the east along the valley of the River Teith.

In 1846 the Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway was promoted, with a more moderate line from Dunblane. This scheme obtained its Act of Parliament on 16 July 1846, with authorised capital of £80,000, and power to lease the line to the Scottish Central. However the year 1846 was a time when capital for railway schemes suddenly became impossible to find, and notwithstanding support from local business people, not enough money was put forward to make the line, and the scheme was dropped.^[2]

The Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway scheme was revived in 1856, when an Act of 21 July authorised the scheme, this time with capital of £60,000. The Scottish Central was anxious to encourage a line that might be a launching pad for entry to the highland areas as yet unserved by railway connection, and it subscribed £13,400.^[2]^[3]

The line opened to traffic on 1 July 1858. The significance of tourism to the line is indicated by the fact that the train service was five trains a day in summer and two a day in winter.^[4]

The line was worked by the Scottish Central Railway.

The Company was absorbed by the Scottish Central Railway by Act of 29 June 1865,^[3]^[4] and amalgamated with the Caledonian Railway by Act of 5 July 1865^[2]

On to Oban

If the earlier proposal to launch from Callander into the Highlands of Scotland seemed fanciful, the years following the opening of the Callander line redoubled those ideas, and the Callander and Oban Railway (C&OR) was formed. It was promoted independently, using Callander as its starting point. The C&OR was woefully short of money throughout its existence, and opened to a "Killin" station (later Glenoglehead) in 1870, and finally reaching Oban in 1880. The Callander terminus of the DD&CR was at the eastern edge of the town, immediately to the north of Stirling Road, near the present-day Murdiston Avenue. Built as the terminus of a short local line it was obviously inconvenient for a main line, and the Oban Company constructed a new, larger station behind (and north of) the Dreadnought Hotel. (For a period, this was referred to officially as Callander Dreadnought station, but this designation was not used in timetables.)^[5] The DD&CR station became a goods depot.

The passenger train service in 1895 consisted of three through trains between Stirling (possibly Glasgow or Edinburgh) and Oban and two short workings from Dunblane to Callander.^[6] However substantial goods and perishables carryings took place, and a passing loop was constructed at Drumvaich, half way between Doune and Callander. The section between Dunblane and Doune was doubled in 1902 to improve capacity.

Closure

The Caledonian Railway became a constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1948, and became part of British Railways in 1948.

During the 1960s a report was produced on rationalisation of loss-making railways; this led to the so-called Beeching cuts, and this part of the line was closed on 1 November 1965. Oban continues to be served by another route. A short spur survived at the Dunblane end to serve Springbank Mill, but when the mill closed, this section closed as well, in 1971.

Since closure

Dunblane, Doune and
Callander Railway

Locale	Scotland
Dates of operation	16 July 1846 – 29 June 1865
Successor	Caledonian Railway
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)
Length	10 ¹⁄₂ miles (16.9 km)

Legend

Callander and Oban Railway

Callander(C&OR)

Callander(original terminus)

Callander & Oban Junction

Doune

Scottish Central Railway

Dunblane

Scottish Central Railway

Part of the trackbed south of Doune and another south of Callander have been converted into a footpath and cyclepath. About a mile west of Dunblane, the trackbed has been severed by the A9 Dunblane by-pass, while in Dunblane itself most of the line has been obliterated by new housing.

The station building at Doune was demolished in 1968, although the former station master's house survives; the site is now occupied by housing, as is the site of the original Callander station. Callander engine shed, closed in 1924, was demolished in 1974. The former goods yard at Dunblane is now occupied by a car park, a supermarket and some sheltered housing.

Many of the underbridges along the route have been removed, but the stone bridge over the Keltie Water south of Callander and some of the metal bridges south of Doune survive.

Topography

Despite following the River Teith, the line had challenging gradients. From Dunblane the line climbed for a mile at 1 in 107, and then fell at a ruling gradient of 1 in 105 to Doune. From there the line climbed steadily to Callander at a ruling gradient of 1 in 127.^[7]

Connections to other lines

Scottish Central Railway at Dunblane
Callander and Oban Railway at Callander and Oban Junction

References

↑ John Thomas and David Turnock, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 15: North of Scotland, David & Charles (Publishers), Newton Abbot, 1989, ISBN 0 946537 03 8
1 2 3 Peter Marshall, The Scottish Central Railway, The Oakwood Press, Usk, 1998, ISBN 0 85361 522 5
1 2 E F Carter, An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles, Cassell, London, 1959
1 2 John Thomas, The Callander & Oban Railway, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1966
↑ M E Quick, Railway Passenger Stations in England Scotland and Wales—A Chronology, The Railway and Canal Historical Society, 2002
↑ Bradshaw's General Steam Navigation and Railway Guide, 12th mo, (December) 1895, reprinted by Middleton Press, Midhurst, 2011, ISBN 978 1 908174 11 6
↑ Railway Gradients of the British Main-Line Railways, the Railway Publishing Company, London, 1947

Sources

Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063.
Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
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 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.
Railscot on Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway

Historical Scottish railway companies

Primary companies	Caledonian Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Great North of Scotland Railway Highland Railway North British Railway

Caledonian Railway	Aberdeen Railway Alloa Railway Alyth Arbroath and Forfar Busby Railway Cathcart District Clydesdale Junction Crieff Junction Crieff and Comrie Crieff and Methven Junction Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Dunblane, Doune and Callander Dundee and Perth Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Forfar and Brechin General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Garnkirk and Glasgow Glasgow Central Railway Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Greenock and Wemyss Bay Hamilton and Strathaven Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Leadhills and Wanlockhead Lesmahagow Railway 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 Lines built by the Caledonian Railway Balerno line CR Cleland and Midcalder CR Main Line CR Douglas Branch CR Hamilton Branch CR Hamiltonhill Branch CR The Switchback Independent lines worked by the Caledonian Railway Callander and Oban Killin Railway

Glasgow and South Western Railway	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 Dumbartonshire 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 Railway	Aberdeen and Turriff Aboyne and Braemar Alford Valley Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Boddam Branch Deeside Denburn Valley Formartine and Buchan Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Keith and Dufftown Moray Coast Morayshire St Combs Light Railway Strathspey Railway

Highland Railway	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 Dornoch Light Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway

North British Railway	Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick Anstruther and St Andrews Railway Ballochney Bathgate and Coatbridge Blane Valley Border Counties Railway Border Union Railway Campsie Branch Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company Charlestown Railway and Harbour Company Coatbridge Branch Devon Valley Railway Dunfermline and Queensferry East of Fife Railway Edinburgh and Bathgate Edinburgh and Dalkeith Edinburgh and Glasgow Edinburgh and Hawick Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway Edinburgh and Northern Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Esk Valley Eyemouth Railway Fife and Kinross Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Gifford and Garvald Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Glasgow City and District Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Glasgow and Milngavie Junction Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Kelvin Valley Railway Kincardine Line Kinross-shire Railway Kirkcaldy and District Railway Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton Leven Railway Leven and East of Fife Railway Macmerry Branch Monkland and Kirkintilloch Monkland Railways Montrose and Bervie Mallaig Extension Newburgh and North Fife Railway (worked by NBR) Newport Railway North Berwick Branch North British, Arbroath and Montrose Peebles Railway The St. Andrews Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Slamannan Slamannan and Borrowstounness Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway West Highland Railway West of Fife Mineral Railway Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness

Joint lines	Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction City Union Dundee and Arbroath Darvel and Strathaven 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 Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway Dundee and Arbroath Hagdale Chromate Railway Invergarry and Fort Augustus Lealt Valley Diatomite Railway Lochaber Narrow Gauge Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Rothesay and Ettrick Bay Light Railway Skye Marble Railway Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway

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