Slamannan Railway

Introduction

This 12 mile long railway is closed. It was an extension of the Ballochney Railway's Whiterigg and Arbuckle branch at Airdriehill to further mining districts to the east. Initially called the Arbuckle Railway the line was extended further east ultimately reaching the Union Canal basin at Causewayend [SR], a total length of 14.25 miles.






Dates

  /  /1835Slamannan Railway
Act receives Royal assent.
04/08/1840Ballochney Railway
Commonhead station opened, in connection with a passenger service on the Slamannan Railway.
05/08/1840Slamannan Railway
Ballochney Junction to Causewayend [SR] opened. Slamannan, Avonbridge, Bowhouse, Causewayend [SR] opened.
31/08/1840Slamannan Railway Ballochney Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
Passenger service from Edinburgh to Glasgow introduced by the Slamannan Railway. A trackboat along the Union Canal from Edinburgh to Causewayend Basin was followed by a train from Causewayend [SR] to Arbuckle along the Slamannan Railway. Running powers were then used from Arbuckle to Kipps via the Ballochney Railway, from Kipps to Gartsherrie [GGR] via the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and Gartsherrie to Glasgow Townhead over the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. (Alternative date 05 August.)
  /  /1841Slamannan Railway
Arbuckle opened.
  /05/1843Slamannan Railway
With the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway opening to Coatbridge [CR] and withdrawing from Leaend the Slamannan passenger service is cut back, running from Rawyards (Ballochney Railway) to Causewayend [SR].
29/03/1845Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
At the instigation of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, Ballochney Railway and Slamannan Railway pool their receipts. The Wishaw and Coltness Railway did not get involved.
31/12/1845Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway begins to work the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, Ballochney Railway and Slamannan Railway.
  /  /1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
Bill prepared to merge into the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, Ballochney Railway andSlamannan Railway. The Bill is rejected.
  /  /1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
On failure of merger Bill the E&G ceases to work the older railways.
27/07/1847Slamannan Railway
Converted to standard gauge.
  /  /1848Slamannan Railway
Glenellrig opened.
14/08/1848Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway Monkland Railways
Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway merges with Ballochney Railway and Slamannan Railway to become Monkland Railways.
  /  /1850Slamannan Railway
Glenellrig closed.
  /  /1862Slamannan Railway
Longriggend, Blackston Junction opened. Arbuckle closed.
  /  /1893Slamannan Railway
Pits neighbouring the line, 16 at Jawcraig, Braidrigg, Limerigg and Stanerigg reach peak output.
01/05/1930Monkland and Kirkintilloch RailwayBallochney Railway Slamannan Railway Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway
Coatbridge (Greenside Junction) (excluded) to Manuel Low Level (excluded) closed to passengers. Commonhead, Rawyards, Airdrie Hallcraig Street, Whiterigg stations on the Ballochney Railway closed. Longriggend, Slamannan, Avonbridge, Blackston Junction, Bowhouse, Causewayend [MR] [2nd] closed.
  /  /1940Slamannan Railway
Slamannan (excluded) to Avonbridge (excluded) closed to freight.
01/09/1949Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
Slamannan to Ballochney Junction to Dykehead Junction to Rawyards (excluded) closed to freight and completely. Additionally Ballochney Colliery to Ballochney Junction closed.
  /  /1960Slamannan Railway
Blackston Junction (excluded) to Bowhouse (excluded) closed to freight
06/07/1964Slamannan Railway Slamannan Junction Railway
Closed from Bowhouse to Causewayend Junction to Manuel Brick Works (excluded).
28/12/1964Slamannan Railway
Avonbridge to Blackston Junction to closed to freight.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Arbuckle to Slamannan and Causewayend

This junction, also known as Arden Junction, was the junction between the Ballochney Railway (of 1828) and the Slamannan Railway (opened 1840). Here the Slamannan joined a mineral branch dating from 1830 of the Ballochney which ran from Whiterigg to Arden to serve various pits - the Whiterigg, Stanrigg, Arbuckle, Arden Branch (Ballochney Railway).
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See also
Whiterigg, Stanrigg, Arbuckle, Arden Branch (Ballochney Railway)


This station was located at the junction between the Slamannan Railway and the Arden or Arbuckle branch of the Ballochney Railway. It was just east of the junction on the Slamannan. There appears to have been a platform on the south side of the line.
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Also spelled Standrig.
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This pit was at the point where a short branch left the Slamannan Railway and ran east, south of the line, to serve Kimberley Coal Pit and Arden Colliery Pits Nos 8 and 10. ...

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This pit was on a branch from the Slamannan Railway which ran parallel with the line from a junction to the west. Thompson's Hope Coal Pit No 3 and Arden Colliery Pits Nos 8 and 10. ...

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This was initially a siding approached from the west and on the north side of the line. Also known as Moss Lye Siding (that name being a tautology, a Lye being a Siding), Mosslye Siding or Moss Tank. The water tank here was important as line climbed from both west and east to reach the summit of the line.
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Longriggend and Limerigg Colliery Railway


This was a one platform station on a single track line. The platform was on the north side of the line to the east of a road overbridge.
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Looking west from the former Longriggend station in 1997. A bridge once crossed the line and station platform. Off to the right is the embankment of ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
The site of Longriggend station in 1997, looking north east towards Slamannan. Little remained by this date and the site has been further infilled for ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
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This signal box was at the west end of a loop which ran east to North Monkland Junction. There were a considerable number of mineral lines in the area. The box was on the north side of the loop. This loop was one of many sections of the Slamannan Railway doubled. The line was on, approximately, a south west to north east alignment.
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This was the junction between the Slamannan Railway of 1840 and the North Monkland Railway of 1878, a partly independent line of North British Railway origins.
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North Monkland Railway






This station was about half a mile south of the village of Slamannan. In its final form [3rd] the passenger station and goods station were to the west of a level crossing, with Station Road. The single passenger platform was on the north side of the line with timber station building in North British Railway style. To the north of the passenger station was the goods yard, approached via a ...

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View west at the site of Slamannan station in May 1997. The station was in the field on the right. The photograph is from beside the site of the ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
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This was the junction for the Strathavon Branch (Slamannan Railway) which ran north west to Strathavon Colliery, was extended on to Jawcraig Colliery and beyond that as a private line to iron ore pits at Garbethill.
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Strathavon Branch (Slamannan Railway)
Possibly the only remaining intact structure on the NBR Strathavon Branch is this stone overbridge at Easter Loanrig Farm, partially obstructed on the ...
Douglas Blades 26/07/2019
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This was a short lived halt between Slamannan station, to the west, and Avonbridge, to the east. The station not open with the line in 1840, it probably dated from around 1848. It closed in 1850 (some sources suggest 1849).
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Nature takes over the remains of the railway at Glenellrig, closed 1849. The line ran from left to right, the remains of an occupational crossing ...
Ewan Crawford //2000
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This was a single platform station on the south side of the line and west of a level crossing.
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Looking west over the station site at Avonbridge in 1997. The gatepost was the only surviving reminder of the railway at the time, but even that has ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
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This was a station, junction and yard. The station consisted of a single platform on the south side of the line. The alternative spelling Blackstone was used in some timetables at varying dates.
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Torbanehill and Bathgate Branch (Monkland Railways)
Remains of a platform at Blackston Junction in 1997. This was the junction for the lines north to Bo'ness and south to Bathgate. View is west towards ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
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This was a single platform station with three sidings. The platform was on the east side and built in timber. There was a stone built loading bank. The goods shed was in the yard, but not rail served.
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View north towards Causewayend at a rather muddy Bowhouse station in 1997. Bowhouse station closed to passengers in 1930 with the line itself closing ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
Pickersgill 3P 4-4-0 no 54465 stands at Bowhouse (closed to passengers 1930) on Saturday 7 May 1960 with a pair of ex-Caledonian coaches on an SLS ...
Robin Barbour Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 07/05/1960
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The incline top was half a mile west of Causewayend.
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An engine house was located at the top of the Causewayend Incline which ran uphill westwards from Causewayend Basin to Causewayend Incline Top, a distance of around half a mile.
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Causewayend Incline Foot signal box was located here, closed in 1930 when the line closed to passengers. The box was to the south of the basin sidings and north of the Manuel low level line.
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See also
Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway
Slamannan Junction Railway


This was the eastern terminus of the Slamannan Railway at Causewayend Basin on the Union Canal. Coal for Edinburgh, and passengers, could continue along the canal. After just two years the route lost its advantage when the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened in 1842.
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In memory of the Slamannan Railway, the eastern terminus of which was here at Causewayend Basin on the Union Canal. Nice that the residents remember ...
John Yellowlees 16/09/2021
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Roughrigg Branch
















Avonhead Branch







This pit was served by a line from the east which ran to the Slamannan Railway. ...

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Southfield Branch