Location type

Name and dates

Description

A landslide which had occurred in the very early hours of the morning in Glen Ogle was discovered on Monday the 27th of September 1965. The site was south of the Glen Ogle Viaduct on a section where rockfalls had occurred many times over the life of the railway. Trains that day were cancelled and redirected.

The line had been scheduled to close between Dunblane and Crianlarich Lower Junction on the 1st of November.

Costs of repair led to the early closure of the line. After the 1st of November Oban trains departed from Glasgow Queen Street High Level running north via Garelochhead where previously these had departed Buchanan Street and run north via Callander (Dreadnought). In addition the Killin [2nd] branch closed.

This was a great loss, it was a beautiful line serving many communities which today would enjoy a rail service. However at the time traffic originating between Dunblane and Crianlarich Lower was scant, bus competition having taken much of the passenger traffic from Callander (the bus route was shorter). So even this eastern portion, Callander to Dunblane which was uneffected by the rockfall, closed. How particularly galling that the site of Callander station is a car and bus park!

Unlike other lines which were replaced by bus routes the portion between Lix Toll (downhill from Killin Junction) and Crianlarich Lower did not have a regular scheduled bus service. Special dispensation had been granted for the planned closure in November. However, the only former station completely unserved was Luib.

The site of the rockfall can still be seen, the trackbed is now a footpath.

It is interesting to note that there have been no further rockfalls since 1965. The trackbed remains intact and, indeed, the fall has been partly cleared.

Tags

Aliases