Dumbarton East Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Dumbarton East Junction (1896-1960)

Opened on the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway.
Opened on the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.
Opened on the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint).

Description

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.

The line through Dumbarton Central and on to Balloch Pier was conveyed to the newly created Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (Caledonian Railway, Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway and North British Railway Joint). This caused a break in ownership of the North British Railway owned line from Glasgow Queen Street High Level to Fort William [1st].

The junction also included the approach to Dumbarton Joint Goods, which was approached from the east by either line. There was a small exchange yard. This short branch also served the MacMillans Shipyard (later Ballantyne Dumbarton Grain Distillery) and Denny Bros' Leven Shipbuilding Yard.

A goods loop ran from the west side of Dumbarton Central, on its south side, to the junction, where connections were made, and on to the south end of Dumbarton East on the new line.

Dumbarton Central station was rebuilt for the opening of the new line and joint ownership of the line to Balloch Pier.

The junction closed in 1960 when the original line east closed as far as the Bowling Oil Terminal sidings. Following closure the embankment of the original line's approach to the junction was landscaped. No obvious trace of it remains today near the former junction, but a landscaped footpath follows its course just to the east. Some sidings remain on the south side of the junction, in use as part of a permanent way depot.

Tags

Junction



Chronology Dates

  /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.
15/06/1896Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Clydebank Riverside to Dumbarton East Junction opened for goods. Old Kilpatrick opened to goods.
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.
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.
25/04/1960Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
Dumbarton East Junction to Bowling (Dunglass Junction) closed to all traffic

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Scotland - The Lowlands and the Borders v. 6 (Regional railway history series)

An Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways

The Vanished Railways of Old Western Dunbartonshire (Britains Railways/Old Photos)

The Vanished Railways of Old Western Dunbartonshire (Britains Railways/Old Photos)