Blane Valley Railway

Locale	Scotland
Dates of operation	12 August 1880 – 5 August 1891
Successor	North British Railway
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)

Legend

Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway

Killearn

Dumgoyne

Blanefield

Strathblane

Campsie Glen

Lennoxtown(new)

Lennoxtown(old)

Campsie Branch

Site of Campsie Glen station

The Blane Valley Railway was a railway line in Scotland to the east of Glasgow. It is now closed. In 1891 the railway company was absorbed by the North British Railway, which had operated the line and been a major shareholder from the start.^[1] When NBR took over the line was in a poor state. The goods shed was inadequate for the amount of traffic, the only crane was too small and siding accommodation was deficient. There was considerable potential for the transportation of cattle in the area but there were no facilities in place. Capital was invested and the line transformed. The locomotives were cleaned and the stations given a makeover. Close attention was given to the cleanliness of staff and the neatness of their uniforms. The railway was the only means of transport for the people living in the area and was a source of much pride.^[2] In 1923 following the grouping it became part of London and North Eastern Railway. Following nationalisation in 1947, it was taken over by British Railways. Unable to compete in the face of road competition, the line was closed to passengers in 1951 and closed completely in 1959.

Part of King Edward VII's Royal Train. Now held at The National Rail Museum, York

Duntreath Castle

History

The Blane Valley Railway, extended the Campsie Branch of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway into the countryside immediately south of the Campsie Fells. In this sparsely populated area the main item of carriage for the line was expected to be milk to be taken to Glasgow.^[1] An act for the new railway was obtained on 6 August 1861. The eight and a quarter miles opened for freight in November 1866 and passengers in July 1867 as far as a station named Killearn. In fact the station was about two miles short of Killearn. When the Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway extended the route in the 1880s a new station was built at Killearn with the previous station of that name renamed as Dumgoyne. A new station was built at Lennoxtown to by-pass the previous Campsie Branch terminus there. Duntreath Castle was close to the line. The Edmonstone family had a railway halt installed at the Castle, Alice Keppel, née Edmonstone, the mistress of Edward VII, lived there. The Royal Train bearing the King was believed to have used the line from time to time.^[2] Throughout its life the line had been used by through trains from Glasgow to Aberfoyle. However, in the closing years, the service terminated at Blanefield with a separate single coach train running to Aberfoyle and back. This service was little used and would sometimes run without a single passenger.^[2]

Closure

By summer 1950 Blanefield was being served by five trains a day. The line closed to passengers the next year, on 1 October 1951. The line north from Campsie Glen closed completely eight years later, with the ending of the remaining goods services in October 1959. In April 1966 the final remaining goods services operated, and the remaining line was closed and the tracks and infrastructure removed. Parts of this railway track are now used by long distance walking routes, the West Highland Way and the John Muir Way.^[3] Parts are also used by the Strathkelvin Walkway - a cycle / foot path.^[4]

References

Notes

1 2 Awdry (1990), page 118
1 2 3 Thomas, John (1976). Forgotten Railways Scotland. David and Charles. pp. 102–108. ISBN 0 7153 7185 1.
↑ "West Highland Way at Laighparks". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
↑ "Blane Valley Railway". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2015.

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 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.
"Blane Valley Railway". Retrieved 18 October 2011.
Alison Dryden (2004). "Strathblane station and the story of the line". Strathblane Historical Society. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
Alison Dryden (2004). "Blanefield station and the story of the line". Strathblane Historical Society. Retrieved 18 October 2011.

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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