The railway through Bardowie and Balmore

Bacon's Commercial Map of Great Britain - Showing all Railways and Stations, Canals, Navigable Rivers, Main Roads and Steamship Routes (Baldernock area)

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Kelvin Valley Railway Line - Chronology

Kelvin Valley Railway Line: Chronology

1858             

The Caledonian Railway (CR) opened a branch from Larbert to

Denny. The rival North British Railway (NBR) began to worry about a possible Caledonian extension into the Kelvin Valley.

1865             

Amalgamations to consolidate the CR and NBR systems took place; at this time there seemed to be no CR interest in the Kelvin Valley.

1873                  

A small company (Tue-Kelvin Valley Railway Company) proposed to build an 11Yi mile branch from Kilsyth to Maryhill (a station on the Glasgow, Dumbarton & Helensburgh Railway).

1878

1 June     The 3!h mile Kilsyth-Kelvin Valley Junction (Birdston) part of the line was opened, owned by the Kelvin Valley Railway Company but with trains operated by the NBR. From Kelvin Valley Junction trains from Kilsyth ran directly to Queen Street High Level via Kirkintilloch, Lenzie and Bishopbriggs, with no service to Torrance, Balmore or Summerston at this date. The NBR seems to have believed that Kilsyth was the only place in the Kelvin Valley worthy of its attention.

1879

June        The NBR reluctantly started a service between Maryhill and Torrance, but with no connection to the Glasgow-Helensburgh  line at Maryhill.

1879

1 Oct   The junction at Maryhill was formed, but faced Helensburgh, meaning that any Glasgow-Torrance trains would need to reverse at Maryhill.

1880 

Oct       The NBR put on a single daily service right through from Maryhill to Kilsyth, meaning that (for the first time) Kilsyth was connected to other stations on the Kelvin Valley Railway, including Torrance. This optimistic service lasted for only two months.

1885

1 Aug    The Kelvin Valley Railway Company was bought over by the NBR. 1886, March   Glasgow Queen Street Low Level Station was opened, enabling a service to be run from there to the Kelvin Valley line via Partick and Anniesland, without reversal at Maryhill.

1905, 1 June   Bardowie Station opened.

1931

20 July  Bardowie Station was closed to passengers.

1951

31 Mar  Western stations on the Kelvin Valley line, including Torrance, were closed to passengers. The through service from Queen Street Low Level to Kilsyth via Torrance ceased at this time.

1951

4 Aug     The direct service from ·Kilsyth to Glasgow, via Kirkintilloch, Lenzie and Bishopbriggs, also ceased.

1959

5 Oct       The goods service to Torrance was withdrawn. Coal trains continued to serve Balmore Colliery nearby for some time afterwards.

1960 

30 Apr   A special 'last train' was operated to Torrance by the Stephenson Locomotive Society.

Courtesy of Don Martin