Bowling Swing Bridge

Location type

Bridge

Name and dates

Bowling Swing Bridge (1896-1964)

Opened on the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway.

Description

This double track swing bridge crosses the Forth and Clyde Canal between the upper and lower basins at Bowling. A signal box was mounted above the running lines to the immediate west of the bridge. The pivot of the bridge was just to the east of the box and the bridge's east end swung north. The bridge was moved hydraulically. It carried the 1896 Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway. The engineer was Crouch and Hogg and contractor Robert McAlpine and Sons. The railway closed around 1964/5 and the bridge was fixed in position.

Either end of the swing bridge was approached by railway viaducts, the arches being used for a variety of purposes. Working from east to west the line crossed;
- three arches
- bridge over roadway
- three arches (third crossing roadway to south side of basin)
- swing bridge over canal
- seven arches
- girder bridge crossing access road (to north side of basin) and railway
- girder bridge over the A814, Dumbarton Road

Building the viaduct required alterations to the canal. The canal was realigned to the north and lock 38 relocated further east along with a new eastern (or upper) basin. With the canal and railway both owned by the Caledonian Railway there would be little objection to this.

The signal box closed in 1964/5 with the line. The bridge no longer swings today.

Immediately to the south of the swing bridge was a second railway swing bridge which carried the goods line from Bowling Harbour Signal Box to Bowling Harbour. This second bridge no longer exists. Just to the north east is a fine bascule bridge carrying the access road to the southern part of Bowling Canal Basin. (It is suggested that there was a lock (perhaps a stop lock) under the main swing bridge, however this is probably the remains of the smaller swing bridge or a confusion with the original lock 38 which was on a different, ie pre-swing bridge, alignment of the canal just to the south).

Just to the west the line crossed over the former Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway. This portion of the viaduct was fenced off to protect the open railway. After main years of being inaccessible the bridges have been renovated to carry a walkway from east of the canal basins to the footpath running west to Dumbarton, the succession of bridges being compared to the New York High Line.

Local

One of the arches is home to Magic Cycles .

Tags

Swing Bridge

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67




Nearby stations
Bowling [CR]
Bowling
Old Kilpatrick
Kilpatrick
Bishopton
Dalmuir
Dalmuir [1st]
Dalmuir Riverside
Dumbarton East
Rockbank
Northbrae
Georgetown [NFF]
South Crook
Singer
Kilbowie
Bowling Basin Sidings [NB]
Bowling Basin Shipyard
Bowling Canal Basin
Lock 40 [FCC]
Bowling Basin Sidings [CR]
Lock 39 [FCC]
Bowling Upper Basin
Bowling Harbour Sidings
Lock 38 [FCC]
Bowling Harbour
Frisky Wharf
Bowling Harbour Signal Box
Tourist/other
Bowling Pier
Bowling Basin Signal Box
Frisky Hall
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


The Highways of the World


A photograph reproduced in 'Through Scotland by the Caledonian Railway' by George Eyre-Todd in 1907, taken from the signal box and facing east, shows the railway, canal, road (off to the left) and River Clyde (right). The caption is 'The Highways of the World at Bowling - road, canal, railway and river'.


Chronology Dates

11/10/1965Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
The line ceases to be a through route, Dunglass Junction (excluded) to Old Kilpatrick (excluded) closed. Bowling Swing Bridge, Old Kilpatrick signal boxes closed. The line east from Old Kilpatrick to Dalmuir Riverside remains open as yard working. The line was singled, with the former eastbound line lifted.

News items

11/07/2023Queen Street station and 'Bowline Viaduct' unveil special heritage awards [Network Rail]
25/09/2021Scotland's £10m answer to New York Highline opens to public outside Glasgow at Bowling Harbour [Glasgow Live]
12/03/2021Major strides in Bowling Harbour overhaul [Daily Record]
18/12/2020New York-style High Line path milestone on Forth & Clyde Canal [Scotsman]

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)