Blane Valley Railway

Introduction

This railway is closed. The line provided a service between Killearn [1st] and Lennoxtown [2nd]. It became part of a route from Glasgow Queen Street High Level to Aberfoyle.

Why built

In 1879 the Chairman was R Young, Deputy Chairman A Harvie and directors R Kaye, J Barr and H Grierson. Secretary J Keyden.






Dates

  /  /1861Blane Valley Railway
Act receives Royal assent.
06/08/1861Blane Valley Railway
Company incorporated.
  /  /1865Blane Valley Railway
Act passed allowing extension from Killearn [1st] to Gartness Junction.
05/11/1866Blane Valley Railway
Opened for goods. (Did not pass passenger inspection.)
01/07/1867Blane Valley Railway
Opened for passengers. Stations at Lennoxtown [2nd], Campsie Glen, Strathblane, Blanefield and Killearn [1st].
  /  /1870Blane Valley Railway
Act of abandonment passed for extension to Gartness Junction.
13/02/1877Blane Valley Railway
Blanefield station's headshunt is extended east and sidings laid into the Blanefield Print Works to the north.
  /  /1891Blane Valley RailwayNorth British Railway
Blane Valley Railway absorbed by North British Railway.
21/08/1894Blane Valley Railway
Blanefield station rebuilt with passing loop, an island platform and a larger goods yard. Signal box opened.
  /  /1898Blane Valley Railway
Blanefield Print Works closed.
  /07/1899Blane Valley Railway
Siding laid in at Blanefield to assist with demolition of the Blanefield Print Works.
29/09/1951Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Railway Blane Valley Railway Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Aberfoyle to Kirkintilloch [2nd] (excluded) closed to passengers. Passenger stations closed at Aberfoyle, Gartmore, Buchlyvie, Balfron, Killearn, Dumgoyne, Blanefield, Strathblane, Campsie Glen, Lennoxtown [2nd], Milton of Campsie closed.
07/11/1956Blane Valley Railway
Blanefield signal box closed and loop taken out.
15/05/1958Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Blane Valley Railway
Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Stevenson Locomotive Society Railtour travels from Glasgow to Aberfoyle. (Also visiting Kilsyth (Old)). [189]
16/05/1959Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Railway Blane Valley Railway Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
A University of Glasgow (Department of Extra Mural Education!) railtour visits Aberfoyle, the last passenger train to the station. Hauled by K2 61788 Loch Rannoch and with an LNER observation coach on the rear. [157]
05/10/1959Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Blane Valley Railway
Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Aberfoyle to Buchlyvie Junction to Gartness Junction to Campsie Glen (Lennox Castle Siding) (excluded) closed completely (although a final railtour ran on the 17th). Track not lifted until early 1960s.
28/09/1964Blane Valley Railway
Lennox Castle Siding to Lennoxtown [2nd], Blane Valley Junction, (excluded) closed to freight.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Lennoxtown to Dumgoyne

Another piece of old point rodding from Blane Valley Junction, just visible in a patch of cleared undergrowth on 16th December 2018.
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Martin MacGuire 16/12/2018
I came across this relic at Blane Valley Junction on 16th December 2018. It seems to have managed to evade the Lennoxtown scrap metal goblins by ...
Martin MacGuire 16/12/2018
V1 2.6.2T approaching Lennoxtown. 67603 (1.12pm from Glasgow). Last day of passenger service between Aberfoyle and Kirkintilloch. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 29/09/1951
64639 passing Blane Valley Jct with empty Aberfoyle coach. Last day of passenger service between Aberfoyle and Kirkintilloch. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 29/09/1951
4 of 5 images. more


This was a single platform station on the north (town) side of the line with a typical North British Railway station building.
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Once upon a time I would have been stood on the platform at Lennoxtown but today there is no trace of it. The double arched bridge bridge perhaps is a ...
John McIntyre 02/09/2018
Blane Valley - Road bridge over both Blane Valley line and Glazert Water looking W from site of Lennoxtown Station. ...
Alistair MacKenzie 15/07/2008
The single platform of Lennoxtown (New) was on the other side of this bridge on the left. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
Looking towards Campsie Glen. ...
John Robin 08/07/1963
4 of 5 images. more


This was a single platform station on a single track line.
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Blane Valley - Rail section milepost. ...
Alistair MacKenzie 15/07/2008
Overgrown remains of the platform at Campsie Glen - now gone. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
Blane Valley - Bridge for middle entrance access to former Lennox Castle Hospital. ...
Alistair MacKenzie 15/07/2008
Blane Valley - Road bridge to Craigend Farm. ...
Alistair MacKenzie 15/07/2008
4 of 8 images. more


This siding, approached from a headshunt which was entered from the west, served Lennox Castle Hospital. The siding was west of Campsie Glen station.
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Whilst out investigating former station sites in the Blane Valley on a wet Sunday morning, I discovered that there were not too many railway features ...
John McIntyre 02/09/2018
1 of 1 images.




This short quarry siding was east of Strathblane alongside Dunglass, a basalt plug.
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Dunglass Quarry Siding, east of Strathblane, looking north. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
1 of 1 images.


This was a single platform station. The platform was on the south side of the line. The station building was of North British Railway style, with a timber canopy over the platform. This was the second station building on the same site. A small signal cabin (removed by 1914) was to the west of the original smaller station building.
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Blane Valley - Track looking E of Strathblane Station. ...
Alistair MacKenzie 15/07/2008
Strathblane on the Blane Valley Line - Brick buttress of long gone road bridge next to site of Strathblane Station. ...
Alistair MacKenzie 15/07/2008
The end of the platform (right) at Strathblane in 1990 looking east over the former station site. See image 9073. ...
Ewan Crawford //1990
Looking east at Strathblane station. ...
G.E. Langmuir //
4 of 5 images. more


View west from Dumbrock Siding looking to Blanefield. ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
View east over the Blane Valley Railway looking to Strathblane. The dirt road in the foreground follows the former line, the portion beyond being ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
2 of 2 images.


This textile print works, owned by the Coubroughs, closed before 1900 and was demolished by 1910. Its site is now housing.
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This was an island platform station with a waiting room on platform, footbridge and level crossing to west. The station building and platform were built in timber. The building was fitted with awnings to cover the adjacent platforms.
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View east over the site of Blanefield station from west of the level crossing. The housing in the background left is on the site of the rail served ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
An information board at Blanefield, east of the former station. ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
Blanefield looking east at the former level crossing. The station was beyond, the site of which has been increasingly overgrown with trees in recent ...
Ewan Crawford /09/2023
Looking east over the former island platform at Blanefield. ...
Ewan Crawford 08/05/1987
4 of 11 images. more


A private halt existed south of Duntreath Castle on the Blane Valley Railway.
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This meandering path follows the Blane Valley Railway from Blanefield to the West Highland Way near Dumgoyach. The view looks west. Duntreath Castle ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
View west showing the course of the Blane Valley Railway passing Dumgoyach, to the left, beyond which the trackbed is used by the West Highland ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
View north to Duntreath Castle with the Blane Valley Railway running left to right in the foreground. Dumgoyne is in the background left, with Dumfoyn ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
View looking east of the scenic Blane Valley Railway. ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
4 of 7 images. more


This was a two platform station. It opened to goods in 1866 and passengers in 1867. Initially a terminus, there was an engine shed at the south end on the west side of the line and a goods shed and yard on the east side, all approached from the south. Locomotives passed through the locomotive shed to reach the turntable. There was a signal box at the south end, east side of the line.
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See also
Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway
A view looking south back over the former level crossing with the A81 at Dumgoyne station. Over the crossing the passenger platform was on the left ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
Killean [1st] was the terminus of the 1866 Blane Valley Railway. It was extended to Aberfoyle in 1882 by the Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway and ...
Ewan Crawford 09/08/2023
Blane Valley - sign on the West Highland Way next to site of Dumgoyne Station. ...
Alistair MacKenzie 15/07/2008
Looking towards Aberfoyle at Dumgoyne. This was the terminus of the line until extension of the line. ...
Ewan Crawford 08/05/1987
4 of 5 images. more