Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)

Introduction

This was the joint committee, later company, which managed the joint railway between Dumbarton Central and Balloch Pier and the railway owned steamers on Loch Lomond. The line had begun as the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway before becoming part of the North British Railway. The Caledonian Railway proposed an independent railway to Loch Lomond from their Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway, a bluff which had the North British Railway agree to joint ownership of the line and steamers. The portion of line between Dalreoch Junction and Dumbarton East Junction became joint, making a break of ownership on the line between Glasgow Queen Street, Helensburgh Central and on to Fort William.





Dates

  /  /1892Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint) Caledonian Railway North British Railway
Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint) authorised (Caledonian Railway and North British Railway). Siding to Denny's Leven Engine Works at Dumbarton authorised.
  /  /1892Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
Cordale Works Branch authorised.
  /  /1892Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint) Caledonian Railway North British Railway
Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway authorised to make a connection at Dumbarton to access the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint).
10/05/1892Caledonian Railway North British Railway Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
The partners in the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint) agree on the operation of the line and the connecting steamers from Balloch Pier. The partners take over Loch Lomond Steamers.
  /06/1896Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
Dumbarton Joint Goods opened on a new short branch from Dumbarton East Junction.
01/10/1896Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
The North British Railway is obliged to put its Dumbarton Central to Balloch Pier line into joint ownership with the Caledonian Railway to stop the Caledonian Railway from building a second railway (the proposed Dumbarton, Jamestown and Loch Lomond Railway) from Dumbarton to Balloch. The North British Railway now has to pay access charges for its section between Dalreoch Junction and Dumbarton East Junction. The Caledonian Railway is, from this date, admitted to the Balloch line.
01/10/1896Caledonian Railway North British Railway Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
The Cordale Branch (Cordale Branch Junction to Cordale Works) of the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint) is vested into the Caledonian Railway, North British Railway and Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.
  /  /1897Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
Siding from Dumbarton Central to the Denny Leven Engine Works opened.
  /  /1904Dumbarton Burgh and County Tramways
Authorised. Act includes protection for the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint) and Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.
30/12/1907Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
Agreement to lift the toll to the North British Railway at Dalreoch from 15/05/1911.
16/08/1909Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire RailwayCaledonian Railway
Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway absorbed by Caledonian Railway. Adjustments to ownership of Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint).
15/05/1922Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
Lifting of toll for North British Railway between Dalreoch Junction and Dumbarton East Junction.
01/01/1923Dundee and Arbroath Joint Railway Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
Both the Dundee and Arbroath Joint Railway and Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Line become jointly owned by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the London and North Eastern Railway.
  /  /1933Dundee and Arbroath Joint Railway Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint)
Both joint committees are replaced by Group Committee No 4 (London, Midland and Scottish Railway & London and North Eastern Railway) which oversees railway property jointly owned by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and London and North Eastern Railway in Scotland.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Dumbarton to Balloch Line

This is not the full details of this portion of line, for this see Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway.

This junction was directly east of Dumbarton Central station. It was formed in 1896. Here the former Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway of 1850 (now owned by the North British Railway) was met by the newly opened Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.
...

More details

See also
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
J37 0-6-0 64472 passing Dumbarton East Junction in April 1958 with two brake vans. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 12/04/1958
V3 67625 photographed at Dumbarton East Junction on 12 April 1958 at the head of a Helensburgh - Bridgeton train. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 12/04/1958
Looking south at 303 approaching Dumbarton East. Viewed from the closed NB line in Dumbarton. Dumbarton Central and the former junction are to the ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
A down West Highland train coasts through Dumbarton East Junction on 12 April 1958. Locomotives are Black 5 44973 and K2 61787 Loch Quoich. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 12/04/1958
4 of 5 images. more


This is a three platform station on the Helensburgh, Balloch and West Highland Railway lines. The station consists of two island platforms (the northernmost eastbound face is currently out of use with the trackbed overgrown) with a permanent way yard in the sidings at the east end of the station, south side of the line. The station is above street level, the side walls bordering ...

More details

See also
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
334031 at Dumbarton Central on 25th July 2017. ...
David Bosher 25/07/2017
320308 just arrived at Dumbarton Central, where it terminated and is now waiting to form a return service to Cumbernauld, on 25th July 2017. ...
David Bosher 25/07/2017
The early afternoon Glasgow to Oban & Mallaig calls at Dumbarton Central on 26 January 2022. 156477 leads sister unit 156476, at least as far as ...
John McIntyre 26/01/2022
334038 leaves Dumbarton Central heading (non stop) for Helensburgh Central on 17th July 2018.
...
Beth Crawford 17/07/2018
4 of 93 images. more


This is a single platform station, the platform being the former southbound platform. The British Railways built station building still stands, no longer in railway use.
...

More details

See also
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
In the absence of any spare 14th century buildings in the Vale of Leven the disused 1970s station building at Renton serves as the King Robert the ...
David Panton 09/06/2021
The station building at Renton has not been in rail use for some years and it is fair to say that maintenance is suffering as a result. The smell of ...
David Panton 09/06/2021
Southbound train leaves Renton station. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
The station building at Renton on 9 September 2007, looking west along Station Street. ...
John Furnevel 09/09/2007
4 of 11 images. more


This is a single platform station. There is a modern building on the platform. With road improvements, planners have placed the station in the middle of a large roundabout. There is a car park.
...

More details

See also
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
Examples of the pre-1997 Strathclyde Transport logo are now rare indeed; after all its replacement was itself superseded in 2008. This example is at ...
David Panton 09/06/2021
A Balloch service calls at unpretentious Alexandria on 9 June 2021. Despite what you might have heard, the library at Alexandria is not even singed. I ...
David Panton 09/06/2021
A Balloch service calls at Alexandria on 01 September 2018 in this view northwards along the remaining platform. ...
John McIntyre 01/09/2018
Alexandria looking south. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
4 of 14 images. more


This was a two platform station to the north of the level crossing over Balloch Road. The station building still stands. This was the main station in Balloch, Balloch Pier was to the north. Balloch, to the south of the level crossing, replaced this station.
...

More details

See also
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway


This was a two platform station, an island platform with a long face which ran onto the pier and a shorter bay platform on the west side. Passenger steamers called on the west side of the pier.
...

More details

See also
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
'PS Maid of the Loch' moored at Balloch pier during the winter off season of 1962/1963. ...
Brian Haslehust /01/1963
'PS Maid of the Loch' tied up at Balloch Pier in 1955. Photo by A McIntyre. ...
John McIntyre Collection //1955
Bang on the nose. 'Maid of the Loch' on the Balloch Pier slip in the 1970s. 
...
Colin Miller //1975
This is 'Countess Fiona' (ex 'of Breadalbane') out on the slip at Balloch Pier in 1994 when she had undergone a transformation. I don't think she ever ...
Colin Miller //1994
4 of 60 images. more





Loch Lomond Steamer Route

This steamer route operated northwards from Balloch Pier. Note that steamers also ran directly north to Luss, not just via Rowardennan.

This was a two platform station, an island platform with a long face which ran onto the pier and a shorter bay platform on the west side. Passenger steamers called on the west side of the pier.
...

More details

See also
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
'PS Maid of the Loch' moored at Balloch pier during the winter off season of 1962/1963. ...
Brian Haslehust /01/1963
'PS Maid of the Loch' tied up at Balloch Pier in 1955. Photo by A McIntyre. ...
John McIntyre Collection //1955
Bang on the nose. 'Maid of the Loch' on the Balloch Pier slip in the 1970s. 
...
Colin Miller //1975
This is 'Countess Fiona' (ex 'of Breadalbane') out on the slip at Balloch Pier in 1994 when she had undergone a transformation. I don't think she ever ...
Colin Miller //1994
4 of 60 images. more




Luss viewed from the west looking through the village towards Loch Lomond. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


PS Prince George arriving at Rowardennan from the north. Today the wooded hillside on the west (distant) side of Loch Lomond is scarred by the huge ...
Ewan Crawford Collection //
1 of 1 images.


'PS Maid of the Loch' approaching the pier at Tarbet. The picture is thought to date from the summer of 1963. It was taken on the same day as image ...
Brian Haslehust //1963
1 of 1 images.


PS Maid of the Loch at Inversnaid pier. The photograph dates from the mid nineteen seventies. ...
Brian Haslehust //1975
'PS Maid of the Loch' at Inversnaid pier. The photograph possibly dates from 1964. ...
Brian Haslehust //1964
2 of 2 images.


This pier was served by steamers from Balloch Pier.
...

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Railway owned PS Princess May or PS Prince George at Ardlui Pier on Loch Lomond, having run north from Balloch Pier. These were joint company steamers ...
Ewan Crawford Collection //
1 of 1 images.