Craigendoran Pier Deviation

Introduction

This deviation of the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway opened in 1882 to serve Craigendoran Pier, the North British Railway's new pier on the north bank of the Clyde from which it ran paddle steamers to various Firth of Clyde piers. The course of the original route was abandoned. The new pier provided a quicker train to steamer connection than the walk between Helensburgh Central and Helensburgh Pier. It operated in direct competition with the Glasgow and South Western Railway's Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] and (after 1889) the Caledonian Railway's Gourock Pier. The pier closed in 1972 but the deviation, and the Craigendoran platforms on the deviation, remain open. Craigendoran Pier, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly derelict.






Dates

  /  /1879Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway
Combined Craigendoran Pier and Craigendoran authorised on a new loop, Craigendoran Pier Deviation, on the south side of the line, east of Helensburgh station. Original alignment abandoned.
  /  /1894Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway
Craigendoran Pier Deviation
West Highland Railway
Craigendoran signal box closed and replaced by Craigendoran Junction signal box.
  /  /1939Craigendoran Pier Deviation
Ferry services cut back (just prior to the outbreak of the World War II). With the war, PS Lucy Ashton became the only vessel operating out of Craigendoran Pier to Helensburgh Pier, Kilcreggan Pier, Gourock Pier, Kirn Pier and Dunoon Pier.
28/03/1960Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway
Craigendoran Pier Deviation
West Highland Railway
Craigendoran East signal box closed, control passed to Craigendoran Junction signal box renamed Craigendoran.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Craigendoran station

The deviation ran from west of Craigendoran station, through the station to Craigendoran Junction. Craigendoran Pier, to the south, was served by a third platform, a branch from Craigendoran Junction. The original alignment was abandoned.

On the Helensburgh side of Craigendoran were a pair of carriage sidings. These were on the east side of the line, connecting to the Glasgow bound line by the northern platform end and overlooked by the 'pagoda' signal box on the West highland Railway.
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The name Craigendoran comes from a farm which was located on the shore side of the original alignment. This was demolished for the alignment of the new deviation.
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Blue train arriving at Craigendoran in the early 1960s, displaying headcode 16, indicating it is an Airdrie all stations via Yoker service. ...
Brian Haslehust //1963
A BRCW Type 2, later Class 27, heads a suburban carriage set on the pier platform at Craigendoran. The photograph was taken on a rather ...
Brian Haslehust 09/05/1964
A Helensburgh to Edinburgh service makes its first stop on 7 October 2020. Craigendoran station is not what it once was, but to be fair, Craigendoran ...
David Panton 07/10/2020
A 1965 photograph of a Clyde Hover Ferries SRN6 hovercraft arriving at Craigendoran, probably with a service from Greenock. Some railway features ...
Brian Haslehust //1965
4 of 29 images. more


Craigendoran Pier was a pair of piers of unequal length served by a single platform terminus station directly alongside the main Craigendoran station. The northern pier was the longer and the southern was rail served with a single goods siding. The station had a long curving single platform on the north side of a run round loop.
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PS 'Waverley' at Craigendoran in May 1965, with MV 'Maid of Argyll' approaching. ...
Brian Haslehust 29/05/1965
PS 'Caledonia' is moored quietly at Craigendoran, but peace is being disturbed by an upstart bit of competition appearing from the gloom, in the shape ...
Brian Haslehust //1965
A photograph taken from the pier at Craigendoran of a Clyde Hover Ferries SRN6 hovercraft approaching the Craigendoran shoreline a gloomy autumn day ...
Brian Haslehust //1965
A bracing morning at Craigendoran Pier, with the 'Maid of Skelmorlie' taking on a good passenger complement. The picture is thought to date from 1963. ...
Brian Haslehust //1963
4 of 38 images. more


The pier platform lines met the Helensburgh line east of Craigendoran station. This was remodelled in 1894 into a junction proper when the West Highland Railway opened. This was a double track junction, the West Highland becoming single track north of Craigendoran Upper station.
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See also
West Highland Railway
Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway
A pair of Class 334s run along the sea wall at Craigendoran Jct on a Helensburgh to Edinburgh service on 2 July 2021. The view is eastwards with the ...
John McIntyre 02/07/2021
Northbound freight train and fluffy clouds at Craigendoran Junction in August 2018. ...
Beth Crawford 09/08/2018
A tree stump on the Waitrose service road is excellently placed to give a better view over the lineside fence at Craigendoran Junction. 334004 leads a ...
Mark Bartlett 30/07/2017
What should have been the Oban and Mallaig to Glasgow train on 27 January 2022, actually was only 156457 from Oban, with the Mallaig portion failing ...
John McIntyre 27/01/2022
4 of 52 images. more