RAILSCOT | Drymen Viaduct

Drymen Viaduct

Location type

Bridge

Name and dates

Drymen Viaduct (1856-1949)

Opened on the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway.

Description

This was a 320ft single track four span girder viaduct just east of Drymen station carrying the railway over the Endrick Water. (From the west - a girder span, inverted bowstring span, and two girder spans.)

The girder viaduct replaced a timber trestle bridge in 1872. Like the Jamestown Viaduct [Balloch] there had been a 10mph speed limit on the timber bridge and double headed trains were not permitted to pass over. The trestle bridge had eight spans.

Due to the shifting nature of the Endrick Water a very large protective retaining/training wall was built on the south side of the viaduct's western approach. The bridge carried a footpath on the north side.

The girders were removed after closure. Today the viaduct's former piers carry a water pipe, for the Loch Lomond Water Supply Scheme, topped with a walkway which is open to the public - indeed the railway bridge carried a public footpath.

The viaduct was also known as the Endrick Water Viaduct or Endrick Viaduct.

Aliases

Endrick Water Viaduct Endrick Viaduct

Nearby stations Drymen Gartness Killearn Balfron Dumgoyne Caldarvan Duntreath Halt Blanefield Jamestown Balloch [1st] Balloch Balloch Pier Strathblane Buchlyvie Alexandria	Altwhir Viaduct Gartness Viaduct Gartness Junction Drumquharn Tile Works Finnery Siding Blackburn Siding Tourist/other Dalnair House Gartness Castle Cattermuir Crossing Killearn House Buchanan Castle Killearn Hospital Kilmaronock House Mavie Mill Crossing Buchanan Monument
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Chronology Dates

/ /1871	Forth and Clyde Junction Railway The North British Railway takes over operation of the line from the F&CJR. This working agreement included the stipulation that all timber bridges (such as the Jamestown Viaduct [Balloch] and Drymen Viaduct) were to be replaced with stone and iron bridges.