Kilbowie

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Kilbowie Road (1896-1908)
Kilbowie (1908-1964)

Opened on the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.

Description

This was an island platform station on a raised embankment to the west of Kilbowie Road. The station building was typical of the line and there were not just platform lines but loops on either side of the island platform.

The western approach to the station was controlled by Kilbowie signal box (on the south side at the west end of the station) and the eastern from Clydebank Goods Junction box (north of the line on the east side of Kilbowie Road). The Kilbowie box was originally on the south side of the bridge crossing the NB line and was later replaced with another to the north side, closer to the station.

The station was just south of the Forth and Clyde Canal across which was the Singer Works. Kilbowie Swing Bridge was built to the west of the station to give access to the works but was never brought into use after a legal argument with the North British Railway.

The Clydebank Goods station was on the east side of Kilbowie Road, on the south/west side of the line and approached from the west.

Immediately west the line passed over Clydebank to Dalmuir (North British Railway). Just west of this the line crossed Dumbarton Road (on a bridge still known as the 'Caley Bridge').

The line to the east of the station used a short infilled section of the Forth and Cart Canal to reach Clydebank Riverside station.

Clydebank Goods Junction box closed in 1933. Following this access to Clydebank Goods was from the west end of the station.

The station closed in 1964. In 1966 the line was singled and Kilbowie signal box closed.

The line closed in 1976 when a new chord opened from Clydebank Central Junction (on the former North British Railway line) to the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway, immediately east of the bridge over Dumbarton Road. This short chord was steeply gradient to reach the former L&A and had a tight curve onto the bridge. The portion of line from the new curve to Scotstoun West Junction closed.

Nothing remains of Kilbowie station today. The southern abutment of the swing bridge over the canal remains along with a short length of retaining wall which supported the north side sidings.

Tags

Station island platform


Chronology Dates

15/06/1896Forth and Cart Canal
In Clydebank the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway line makes use of some of the former route of the Forth and Cart Canal between Clydebank [CR] and Kilbowie. This swing north under the North British Railway to pass through Kilbowie Road station and then pass back over the NBR was planned to avoid the northern part of the Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard [2nd] and serve the Singer Works. A portion of the canal was left at either end, the southern part on the east side of the Clyde Bank Iron Shipyard [2nd].
01/10/1896Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Line opened to passengers - Possil to Clydebank [CR] and Partick North Junction to Partick East Junction. Dumbarton East, Bowling [CR], Old Kilpatrick, Dalmuir [CR], Kilbowie Road, Clydebank [CR], Yoker [CR], Scotstoun [1st], Victoria Park, Whiteinch [CR], Partick West, Crow Road, Partick Central stations opened.
  /  /1908Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Kilbowie Road renamed Kilbowie.
05/10/1964Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Possil North to Partick West and Partick West to Dunglass Junction closed to passengers. Possil North, Maryhill Central closed and Partick West, Whiteinch Riverside, Scotstoun East, Scotstoun West, Clydebank Riverside, Kilbowie Road, Dalmuir Riverside, Old Kilpatrick closed.
18/12/1966Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Dalmuir Riverside (named Dalmuir), Kilbowie, Yoker, Partick West Junction signal boxes closed. The line from Partick West Junction to Balornock Junction had closed in February. Line singled, the former eastbound line was lifted. (East of Partick Central on the former GCR had closed in 1964).
  /  /1976Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Connection made from Clydebank Central Junction to a little east of Dalmuir Riverside for west running. [Connection also made from Clydebank Dock Yard to the site of Yoker Shed [CR] on the Rothesay Dock Branch (North British Railway and Caledonian Railway) for east running put in, date uncertain.] This allowed the line through Kilbowie and Yoker Ferry to close.
11/10/1976Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
Kilbowie to Yoker Ferry closed to freight.

News items

18/03/2021Kilbowie Road: Man arrested after suspicious package found near Singer station [Evening Times]

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)