The Callander and Oban Railway company was established with the intention of linking the sea port of Oban to the railway network. This involved a long line from Callander through wild and thinly populated terrain, and shortage of money meant that the line was opened in stages from 1866 to 1880.

The line improved the economy of Oban, especially for the fishing trade and for tourism, but the winter traffic was limited. The company built a branch to Ballachulish, which included the construction of Connel Bridge, a remarkable bridge at Connel over Loch Etive. The branch opened in 1903, but although it opened up remote areas it was never commercially successful. It closed in 1966.

The main line was crossed by the West Highland Line at Crianlarich, where a connecting spur was constructed by the West Highland Line in 1897. The C&OR section between Callander and Crianlarich was closed in September 1965. However, the section between Crianlarich and Oban is still in use today, with trains using the connecting spur at Crianlarich.

History

Origins

thumb|System map of the Callander and Oban Railway

The Scottish Central Railway and the Caledonian Railway were, as many others, incorporated by acts of Parliament, the Scottish Central Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. clxi) and the Caledonian Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. clxii), on 1 July 1845. At this stage the two companies were collaborating, with the intention of connecting Perth with Carlisle, and beyond to the emerging English railway network; the Scottish Central had immediate plans with allied companies to reach Aberdeen, and there was early on talk of reaching into the north-west Highland area.

In 1846 the Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway was proposed for a ten-mile (16 km) line along the valley of the River Teith. This was a false start, but a second attempt was authorised on 21 July 1856. The line opened on 1 July 1858.

Callander was the western extremity of lowland terrain: beyond lay wild highland hills. Promoters now considered whether Callander would make a good starting location for a line penetrating the Highlands, and reaching the western sea at Oban away, with relatively few settlements in between. They decided in November 1864 that the line should be built, and they called it the Callander and Oban Railway.

From Oban back to Crianlarich the route was clear; from there to the River Clyde they left the route open; they had calculated they needed £600,000 to build their line, and there was no possibility of local people investing that kind of money. The only way forward was to persuade another, established line to put some money in: the route would be determined by that fact. The Scottish Central was prepared to put up £200,000, and this was confirmed by agreement of 17 December 1864; the route from Crianlarich would accordingly go east to Callander and Dunblane. A parliamentary bill was submitted in the 1865 session and the railway was authorised by the (28 & 29 Vict. c. cclxvi) on 8 July 1865. The authorised capital was £600,000 with loans of £200,000.

The Dunblane, Doune and Callander railway was absorbed by the Scottish Central Railway on 31 July 1865 by the Scottish Central and Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railways Amalgamation Act 1865 (28 & 29 Vict. c. cxxxiii), and the Scottish Central amalgamated with the Caledonian Railway the following day, 1 August 1865, by an act of Parliament, the Caledonian and Scottish Central Railways Amalgamation Act 1865 (28 & 29 Vict. c. cclxxxvii) of 5 July 1865.

Construction

thumb|Glen Ogle viaduct

The Caledonian had expended a lot of energy and much money in securing leases of local railways; they had committed themselves to perpetual annual lease charges; at the same time they were expanding their hold in the Lanarkshire coal and iron fields. The Scottish Central had committed to a major investment in the Callander and Oban, and the Caledonian now assumed that obligation; when they examined the situation they were not happy with what they had acquired. Local investors in the thinly populated area had to find £400,000; if they did not, the Caledonian would be asked to make up the shortfall. However, their policy of securing territory would be at risk if they cancelled the project: the rival North British Railway might pick up the scheme.

thumb|Callander stationThe new company needed a secretary, and the man appointed was John Anderson, formerly of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. His remarkable energy and creativity saw the little company through. The company's act only authorised the raising of money; it did not make it happen. Many who subscribed for shares in the first place immediately defaulted on being asked for the first call, and Anderson personally hawked round the West Highlands selling shares. There was no question of starting the construction of the whole line, but a start was to be made from Callander to Glen Ogle. A contract for £124,218 () was let to John MacKay on 6 November 1866.

In 1868 the Board of the Caledonian Railway came under heavy fire from shareholders; the Caledonian had inherited from the Scottish Central Railway the obligation to fund £200,000 of the C&OR's capital; many shareholders viewed honouring this as throwing good money after bad, and the board had a difficult time; but the arrangement remained in place.

The work proceeded slowly, simply because the Company did not have the funds to pay the contractor. The hostility between the original C&OR directors and the Caledonian strengthened, and considering the limited progress, cancellation of the whole project was discussed. At length a definite decision was taken to end the railway at Tyndrum. This needed a variation to the authorising act of Parliament, and the (33 & 34 Vict. c. ix) was passed in May 1870. The intermediate stations were Strathyre and Lochearnhead, which was also some distance from the place it served. The original Dunblane, Doune and Callander station at Callander was so obviously unsuitable that the C&OR built a new station behind the Dreadnought Hotel; the DD&CR station became a goods depot.

On 18 and 19 May 1870 Captain H. W. Tyler of the Board of Trade inspected the line and approved it. The line opened for business on 1 June 1870.

The line in operation

The Caledonian had agreed to work the line; there were to be two trains each way daily. The Caledonian paid the C&OR a toll for the use of the Callander station and the short section of line to the DD&CR section. Anderson had arranged for (road) coach connections at Killin for tourists and others; he described Glen Ogle as the Khyber Pass of Scotland. Summer passenger carryings were better than Anderson had expected, and soon a third daily return trip was added to the timetable.

The population of Kingshouse, between Strathyre and Lochearnhead, petitioned for a station. The C&OR refused but said the residents could build one themselves. They did so and it opened on 21 June 1871. The guards of trains were to note persons joining there to ensure that at the next C&OR station, their fare could be taken from them.

At the end of the summer, the timetable reverted to two trains daily; but the season had brought an income of £2,511 () and the company was able to declare a dividend of 1%.

At this period the North British Railway ran certain excursion trains to Callander by agreement. However, the income to the C&OR was based on passenger numbers arriving, and in many cases this was two to three persons only, not compensating the C&OR for the business. Anderson asked the NBR to pay more, but the NBR discontinued the trains instead.

Extending to Tyndrum

Caledonian hostility to the C&OR had abated in time, and it was persuaded, against the wishes of some of its shareholders, to proceed with an extension to Tyndrum. Whereas the Killin station was at a wild mountain top with difficult roads, Tyndrum was strategically located in the valley of Strath Fillan, at at the junction of good roads. in much easier terrain posed no great engineering problem. The extension opened in August 1873. A small locomotive shed was built at Tyndrum, to service two trains a day.

The line opened throughout to great ceremony on 30 June 1880.

Ballachulish branch

The line opened on 24 August 1903 and closed on 28 March 1966.

  • Ballachulish;
  • Ballachulish Ferry; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 March 1919;
  • Kentallen;
  • Duror;
  • Appin;
  • Creagan;
  • Barcaldine; opened July 1914; closed 24 September 1939; reopened June 1948;
  • Benderloch
  • North Connel;
  • Connel Ferry; see above.

Residual use

Much of the eastern section has been converted to a cycle path known as the Rob Roy Way, with the Kendrum viaduct (on the Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie Railway) restored in 2001 (the girders spanning the river having been scrapped).

Nearly all the stations on the Callander to Crianlarich section of the route have been demolished, with Callander station site now occupied by a car park, and by housing. The site of is now occupied by the Crianlarich Community Centre. Balquhidder and Luib stations are now caravan parks. The island platform at Killin Junction survives, though the area is now obscured with trees and undergrowth. Only Glenoglehead station building still stands, now in use as a private house.

Most of the underbridges have been removed or destroyed, but the impressive Glen Ogle viaduct still survives.

Parts of the trackbed between Killin Junction and Crianlarich have been obliterated by improvements to the A85 road.

The Creagan (Loch Creran) Bridge on the former Ballachulish branch was reconstructed as a road bridge in 1999, with a new deck on the retained and reconfigured stone piers. The Connel bridge is still in use as a road bridge.

Much of the track bed between Ballachulish and North Connel has been used as part of National Route 78 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network.

Notes

References

Sources

  • Photographs of the Ballachulish branch
  • Oban line history and signalling
  • John Speller's Web Pages on the Callander and Oban Railway