Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway
It was promoted independently but supported by the Caledonian Railway, and it was designed to connect Balloch (on Loch Lomond) and Dumbarton with central Glasgow, linking in heavy industry on the north bank of the River Clyde.
It was very successful in attracting goods traffic from heavy industry on Clydeside, and in carrying workers to and from their places of work.
During the lengthy period of planning the route and obtaining its Act of Parliament, the Caledonian set about gaining control of other Scottish railway companies.
In 1846 the line obtained an authorising Act of Parliament; it was to be called the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway (C&DJR).
In fact the G&DJR[clarification needed] had serious trouble raising capital, and only succeeded in constructing its line from Bowling through Dumbarton to Balloch.
As navigation on the Clyde was improved, larger port facilities were developed, and the Queens Dock was opened in 1880 at Stobcross (now the location of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre).
[6] Coming later than the urban development of the city, the line was forced to take a circuitous route with several tunnel sections to penetrate the hilly topography.
A branch from Balornock to Hamiltonhill had been promoted in 1883; intended to serve iron foundries and other industry along the route of the Forth and Clyde Canal there.
The route arched round north of Springburn Park, but land acquisition problems prevented the line from being completed at Hamiltonhill.
The L&DR route was now to use the first part of the Hamiltonhill line as far as Possil, then continuing west and crossing under the River Kelvin to a new through station at Maryhill, joining the Glasgow Central Railway near there, giving onward access to Stobcross.
The Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire line was originally proposed (in 1891) to run through Dumbarton to Aber Bay, near Ross Priory on the east shore of Loch Lomond.
[8] The duplication aroused considerable opposition from shareholders, and the compromise was reached that the section of the existing line from Dumbarton to Balloch would be made joint.
This arrangement was confirmed by Act of Parliament of 27 July 1892, and included transfer to joint control of steamers on Loch Lomond.
The next section opened from Maryhill Central via Kelvinside and Crow Road to the triangular junction at Partick, and between Stobcross and Clydebank on 1 May 1896.
[10] The L&DR generated considerable business from the many heavy industrial sites along the Clyde; the company provided sidings connections from its main line free of charge.
[9] The intensive concentration of industry along the north bank of the Clyde brought enormous traffic volumes of goods and passengers to the line: workers travelled considerable distances, on trains making use of the Glasgow Central Railway.
At the same time motor bus services improved in efficiency substantially, and it was clear that the parallel railways needed to be modernised and simplified.
From Old Kilpatrick to Glasgow continued until 1993; in 1976 a connection to the NBR line was laid in between Kilbowie and Clydebank, and the L&DR section eastwards was closed.
