Glen Douglas railway station
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Glen Douglas | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | Argyll & Bute |
| Coordinates | 56°09′25″N 4°46′46″W / 56.156879°N 4.779553°W |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| Original company | West Highland Railway |
| Pre-grouping | North British Railway |
| Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 7 August 1894 | Opened[1] |
| 14 June 1964 | Closed[2] |
Glen Douglas railway station is on the Glasgow-Crianlarich trunk section of the West Highland Line. It has a siding for freight but is closed to passengers.
Location
It is situated in a somewhat remote spot above Craggan, Loch Long,[4] at the head of Glen Douglas, which drops away east to Inverbeg on Loch Lomond[5]. It is in the parish of Luss, historically in Dunbartonshire, now in the Argyll and Bute Council area.[6] It is at a local summit (560 feet, 171 m)[7] between the stations of Garelochhead and Arrochar and Tarbet.[8] It is accessible by a short track from the public road between Craggan and Inverbeg via Glen Douglas. The Three Lochs Way, a 34 mile (55 km) off-road walking and cycle route between Balloch and Inveruglas, passes by the station.[9]
History
Glen Douglas was built by the West Highland Railway on its line linking Glasgow with Fort William and operated from its opening on 7 August 1894 by the North British Railway.[10] It was built as a passing place, with a station originally called called Glen Douglas Platform.[5][11] It consisted of a short island platform and in common with the line’s other remote passing places, Gorton and Corrour, it had with a tall signalbox and an adjacent low building in which the signalman lived.[12][13]
When the line was being built, the West Highland Railway was concerned about possible damage to the line caused by earth tremors emanating from the Highland Boundary Fault, an ancient geological fracture zone, branches of which run in the area. A warning bell was therefore fitted in the signalbox (and also in Arrochar and Tarbet signalbox). There is no record of its ever being activated.[14]
After a petition by the local farming community, a siding was made available on 27 May 1895.[15] On 1 May 1896 the North British Railway opened a station at Whistlefield, between Glen Douglas Platform and Garelochhead.[16]
Sometime in the early 20th century Glen Douglas Platform was opened "briefly" to passengers, then subsequently closed, although it remained open on a restricted basis.[17][11] It was reopened to regular passengers in May 1942 under the name Glen Douglas. It was renamed Glen Douglas Halt on 12 June 1961[18] and was served by the Craigendoran - Arrochar and Tarbet shuttle service, passengers for Glasgow having to change at Craigendoran. The Summer 1962 timetable shows 4 trains each way (6 on a Sunday).[19] Glen Douglas Halt finally closed on 15 June 1964, the last train on the shuttle service having run the previous day.[3] Whistlefield Halt closed the same day.[2] The line remains open.
The siding remains and is used by the Glen Douglas Royal Naval (NATO) Armaments Depot.[3]
The West Highland Line
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garelochhead | Abellio ScotRail West Highland Line |
Arrochar and Tarbet | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Whistlefield Line open; station closed |
North British Railway West Highland Railway |
Arrochar and Tarbet Line open; station open | ||
References
- ^ Thomas p 170
- ^ a b Thomas p 171
- ^ a b c National Record of the Historic Environment (Canmore), https://canmore.org.uk/site/128009/glen-douglas-halt
- ^ Building the West Highland Railway Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui Heritage, http://www.arrocharheritage.com/Navvies.htm
- ^ a b Mountain Moor and Loch p43
- ^ Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Scotlands Places, https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/record/hes/128009/glen-douglas-halt/rcahms
- ^ Thomas, p 15
- ^ Mountain Moor and Loch, map inside front cover
- ^ Helensburgh & District Access Trust, http://threelochsway.co.uk/
- ^ Thomas, chapters 1, 3 and 4; dates on p 170
- ^ a b North British Railway List of Stations, North Bristish Railway Study Group, 2009, http://www.nbrstudygroup.co.uk/nbr/pdfs/station_list.pdf
- ^ Thomas, p 15
- ^ McGregor, p 39
- ^ Arrochar and Tarbet, Friends of the West Highland Lines, http://www.westhighlandline.org.uk/index.php/stations
- ^ Building the West Highland Railway, Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui Heritage, http://www.arrocharheritage.com/Navvies.htm
- ^ Thomas p 69
- ^ McGregor, p 39
- ^ Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- ^ British Railways Passenger Services Scotland (18th June to 9th September inclusive 1962), British Transport Commission
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- McGregor, John A., All Stations to Mallaig, D. Bradford Barton Ltd, 1st edition, 1982. ISBN 0-85153-426-0
- Mountain Moor and Loch: on the Route of the West Highland Railway, Sir Joseph Causton & Sons, 1st edition, 1894
- RAILSCOT on the West Highland Railway
- Station on navigable O.S. map.
- Thomas, John, The West Highland Railway, David St John Thomas, 3rd edition, 1992, ISBN 0-946537-22-4