Devon Valley Railway

Overview

Locale

Scotland

Termini

1851

Technical

Track gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)

Route map

Legend

Stirling & Dunfermline Rly

north to Stirling

Alloa

Alloa East Junction

Stirling & Dunfermline Rly

south to Dunfermline

Sauchie

Glenfoot

Tillicoultry

Dollar

Rumbling Bridge

Crook of Devon

Balado

Fife & Kinross Rly

north to Ladybank

Kinross

Fife & Kinross Rly

south to Dunfermline

Locomotive number 62684 at Dollar Station in 1957

Locomotive number 62490 leaving Rumbling Bridge Station in 1957

The Devon Valley Railway linked Alloa and Kinross in central Scotland, along a route following the valley of the River Devon. Its construction took 20 years from the first section opening in 1851, to the final section in 1871.^[1] Three railway companies were involved, and it encountered a great many problems both with finance and engineering.

The line provided the missing link of a secondary route from the River Clyde to the River Tay by joining the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway with the Fife and Kinross Railway. Leaving the main Stirling to Dunfermline line at Alloa, other stations were built at Sauchie, Tillicoultry, Dollar, Rumbling Bridge, Crook of Devon, Balado and Kinross, where it joined the main Perth to Edinburgh line ^[2] The railway was independent but worked by the North British Railway until 1875 when it was absorbed by the major company. In 1923 following the grouping it became part of LNER then, following nationalisation in 1947, was taken over by British Railways. The line closed to passengers in 1964 and to all traffic in 1973.

Construction

In 1851 the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway opened a branch line of their railway from Alloa to Tillicoultry. In 1863 the Devon Valley Railway, having struggled to raise sufficient capital, opened the 6½ miles from Kinross to Rumbling Bridge. The next 4½ miles was required to go alongside the Devon Water where there were a series of deep gorges making it very difficult to build a line. This was therefore shelved and a section from Dollar to Tillicoultry to join the existing line was built instead. This opened in 1869.^[1] The North British Railway supplied their expertise and capital to complete the line. To prevent a very steep descent into Dollar it was decided to rebuild the section at Rumbling Bridge to a lower level. 17 bridges had then to be constructed and a 80-foot (24 m) cutting through a hill of sand had to be made. The Devon Viaduct was described as a beautiful and imposing structure 390-foot (120 m) long with 6 arches on a curve. Gairney Glen viaduct was 360-foot (110 m)long with 5 arches. ^[3] At one point the Devon Water had to be diverted. The proprietor of that stretch of water had died recently, and to gain possession of the river the company had to fight a protracted action in the Irish Court of Chancery. ^[1] The complete line was finally opened to traffic in 1871.

Typical Railbus where the driver is integrated into the car itself without any separation with travellers

Operation

In the early years, light 0-4-2 locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock and Company of Manchester hauled most of the trains on this line. They had lavish brasswork, open splashers and footplates. The boilers were interchangeable. In the latter years railbuses were used.^[4] With the opening of the line there were now two direct routes between Glasgow and Perth. The one via the Devon Valley was known as the Picturesque route and the other, via the Forth Bridge, became known as the Historic Route.^[1] Both took about two hours to travel between Glasgow and Perth. Curling was a popular sport on Loch Leven in the winter. Special trains were run for these sportsmen and their curling stones. The men would be in first class carriages and the stones in fish wagons at the rear of the train.^[1] Coal was transported from a mine at Dollar to the power stations on the Forth estuary.

Closure

Road transport made this line uneconomic and it was closed to passengers in 1964. When the Dollar mine closed in 1973 freight traffic also ceased and the track was uplifted. Today the Devon Way utilises part of the trackbed in the area of the mine.

Dismantled railway bridge near Glenfoot

References

1 2 3 4 5 Thomas, John (1976). Forgotten Railways Scotland. David & Charles. pp. 112 – 116. ISBN 0 7153 7185 1.
↑ Emslie, J & W (1912). The official railway map of Scotland. The Railway Clearing House.
↑ Thomas & Turnock, John & David (1989). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume XV The North of Scotland. David & Charles. p. 36. ISBN 0 946537 03 8.
↑ Scott Bruce, William (1980). The Railways of Fife. Melven Press. p. 156. ISBN 0 906664 03 9.

External links

Railscot on Devon Valley Railway

Historical Scottish railway companies

Primary companies	Caledonian Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Great North of Scotland Railway Highland Railway North British Railway

Caledonian Railway	Aberdeen Railway Alloa Railway Alyth Arbroath and Forfar Busby Railway Cathcart District Clydesdale Junction Crieff Junction Crieff and Comrie Crieff and Methven Junction Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Dunblane, Doune and Callander Dundee and Perth Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Forfar and Brechin General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Garnkirk and Glasgow Glasgow Central Railway Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Greenock and Wemyss Bay Hamilton and Strathaven Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Leadhills and Wanlockhead Lesmahagow Railway Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie Paisley and Barrhead District Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Polloc and Govan Rutherglen and Coatbridge Scottish Central Scottish Midland Junction Scottish North Eastern Solway Junction Symington, Biggar and Broughton Talla Railway Wishaw and Coltness Lines built by the Caledonian Railway Balerno line CR Cleland and Midcalder CR Main Line CR Douglas Branch CR Hamilton Branch CR Hamiltonhill Branch CR The Switchback Independent lines worked by the Caledonian Railway Callander and Oban Killin Railway

Glasgow and South Western Railway	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan and Johnstone Ayr and Dalmellington Ayr and Maybole Junction Ayr to Mauchline Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Barrhead Branch Bridge of Weir Railway Cairn Valley Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Castle Douglas and Dumfries Dalry and North Johnstone Darvel Branch Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Greenock and Ayrshire Kilmarnock and Troon Largs Branch Maidens and Dunure Maybole and Girvan Paisley and Renfrew Paisley Canal Line

Great North of Scotland Railway	Aberdeen and Turriff Aboyne and Braemar Alford Valley Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Boddam Branch Deeside Denburn Valley Formartine and Buchan Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Keith and Dufftown Moray Coast Morayshire St Combs Light Railway Strathspey Railway

Highland Railway	Buckie and Portessie Branch Dingwall and Skye Duke of Sutherland Findhorn Railway Fortrose Branch Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Inverness and Aviemore Direct Inverness and Nairn Inverness and Perth Junction Inverness and Ross-shire Kyle of Lochalsh Extension Perth and Dunkeld Sutherland and Caithness Sutherland Railway Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway Dornoch Light Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway

North British Railway	Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick Anstruther and St Andrews Railway Ballochney Bathgate and Coatbridge Blane Valley Border Counties Railway Border Union Railway Campsie Branch Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company Charlestown Railway and Harbour Company Coatbridge Branch Devon Valley Railway Dunfermline and Queensferry East of Fife Railway Edinburgh and Bathgate Edinburgh and Dalkeith Edinburgh and Glasgow Edinburgh and Hawick Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway Edinburgh and Northern Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Esk Valley Eyemouth Railway Fife and Kinross Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Gifford and Garvald Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Glasgow City and District Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Glasgow and Milngavie Junction Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Kelvin Valley Railway Kincardine Line Kinross-shire Railway Kirkcaldy and District Railway Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton Leven Railway Leven and East of Fife Railway Macmerry Branch Monkland and Kirkintilloch Monkland Railways Montrose and Bervie Mallaig Extension Newburgh and North Fife Railway (worked by NBR) Newport Railway North Berwick Branch North British, Arbroath and Montrose Peebles Railway The St. Andrews Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Slamannan Slamannan and Borrowstounness Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway West Highland Railway West of Fife Mineral Railway Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness

Joint lines	Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction City Union Dundee and Arbroath Darvel and Strathaven Glasgow and Paisley Joint Glasgow and Renfrew District Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint

Other lines	Brechin and Edzell District Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway Dundee and Arbroath Hagdale Chromate Railway Invergarry and Fort Augustus Lealt Valley Diatomite Railway Lochaber Narrow Gauge Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Rothesay and Ettrick Bay Light Railway Skye Marble Railway Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway

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