Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway

Introduction

This railway is closed. It was a single track line running from Kilsyth, where it met the Kelvin Valley Railway owned by the North British Railway, through Bonnybridge to near Larbert, where it met the Denny Branch (Scottish Central Railway) owned by the Caledonian Railway. It opened in 1888. As a result of being a boundary between the companies it became a jointly operated line, the NBR one year and the CR the following. Passenger traffic was light, the railway serving a largely farmed area with small villages. The line served several mines and quarries and carried traffic for the Bankier Distillery. Many of the pits were close to worked out having been served by tramways from the parallel Forth and Clyde Canal, to the south. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway also served the area, to the south of the canal. In 1923 it was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway. Passenger trains were withdrawn in 1935 - and additionally the eastern end from Bonnywater Junction to Dennyloanhead. The line progressively closed from the east, the last portion closing in 1964 along with the eastern part of the KVR. There were no major structures other than a viaduct in Kilsyth, which has not survived, between the junction and Kilsyth New.




Dates

  /  /1882Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Line authorised. Running powers to Kilsyth (Old).
  /  /1887Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Time for completion of works extended.
  /  /1888Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Bonnybridge Shed, a single road timber locomotive shed, opened at Bonnybridge Central. The Caledonian Railway operate this as a sub-shed of Denny Shed.
  /  /1888Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
The North British Railway and Caledonian Railway agree joint working of the line.
01/02/1888Denny Branch (Scottish Central Railway)
Denny West Junction to Carmuirs West Junction opened. (In advance of the opening of the Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway on 02/07/1888.)
02/07/1888Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Railway opened to passengers and freight. Line operated by both the North British Railway and Caledonian Railway. Stations at Kilsyth (New), Colzium, Banknock, Dennyloanhead, Bonnybridge Central.
  /  /1889Denny Branch (Scottish Central Railway)
Doubling of branch and Ingliston Goods extension authorised along with a curve to the Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway (latter not built).
  /  /1892Denny Branch (Scottish Central Railway)
Powers for a curve allowing running from Denny onto the Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway expire. Curve not built.
  /  /1908Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Absorbed by the North British Railway.
  /  /1921Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
The Caledonian Railway cease to operate over the line.
01/01/1923North British Railway
Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway
Great North of Scotland Railway
Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Gifford and Garvald Railway
Newburgh and North Fife Railway
Lauder Light Railway
Great Central Railway
Grouped into London and North Eastern Railway.
01/02/1935Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway Denny Branch (Scottish Central Railway)
Larbert Junction to Kilsyth (New) to Kilsyth Junction closed to passengers.
01/02/1935Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Bonnywater Junction (excluded) to Dennyloanhead (excluded) closed to all traffic.
01/03/1956Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Dennyloanhead to Banknock (excluded) closed to freight.
01/11/1960Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Banton Brick Works Siding closed.
04/05/1964Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Banknock to Kilsyth Junction (excluded) closed to freight.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Kilsyth to Bonnywater

This was the junction where the Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway met the Kelvin Valley Railway. Kilsyth Shed was located to the north, approached from the junction to the east.
...

More details

See also
Kelvin Valley Railway
Bairds of Gartshore^s Railway
Kilsyth Junction looking east in 1991. The Kelvin Valley Railway came in from the bottom right and ran to a station, distant centre. To the left is a ...
Ewan Crawford //1991
1 of 1 images.


This was a single platform through station. The platform was to the north of the running line and the station building was a typical North British Railway design with a platform awning.
...

More details




This was a single platform station to the east of Kilsyth (New) which served Colzium House, just to the north.
...

More details


This siding, for Banton Brick Works, was on the north side of the line and approached from the east. The brick works was also served by the Banton Tramway which ran to Kelvinhead Jetty on the Forth and Clyde Canal.
...

More details


This siding, originally serving a pit by Jewelbank Cottage, was an interchange with a tramway to Cowden Hill Quarry, to the north. A rock crusher was located by the siding. It was served from the west.
...

More details




This was a two platform station with a passing loop. The station building, a small North British Railway type with canopy, was at the west end of the westbound platform. On the opposite platform was a waiting room. The west end of the station was crossed by a girder road bridge. The station was in the north of the village of Banknock, just west of Banknock House.
...

More details








This was a single platform station with no passing loop. The platform was on the south side of the line and there was a small station building. It was crossed at the west end by Station Road. There was a goods yard at the east end, with a siding approached from the east. To the north was Knowehead Colliery with sidings served from the east.
...

More details
The former Dennyloanhead station which closed in 1932 stood behind this aptly named public house. ...
Brian Forbes 26/06/2006
1 of 1 images.








This was a single platform station with a goods yard at its east end. The platform was on the south side of the single track. There was a long loop to the east of the station.
...

More details
Site of Bonnybridge Central from the east. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


This was a single road shed. ...

More details


This was a junction between the 1858 Denny Branch (Scottish Central Railway) and the 1888 Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway. Both lines were single track. There was a loop on the later line running west from the junction.
...

More details

See also
Denny Branch (Scottish Central Railway)
View facing west at the former Bonnywater Junction. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.