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| A visit, not by train but by
bicycle to some of the long closed part of the Callander
and Oban Railway around Glen Ogle and Killin. If you are
in the area I would recommend a visit. Most of the old
track bed is paved in some way and marked (National cycle route 7). I started at Kingshouse which takes a
forest route round Balquidder Station before joining the
Comrie line (closed in the early 50s) to Lochearnhead.
You then have a stiff climb to the hillside route of the
C&O. This continues up Glen Ogle on the opposite side
from the road. You cross the road at the top of Glen Ogle
and freewheel through the forest towards Killin. A sharp
turn out of the trees puts you on the Killin branch track
bed and you are soon in Killin. Worth continuing on to
Loch Tay where the engine shed and steamer pier used to
be. There was a plan to reintroduce a steam boat on Loch
Tay and have a miniature passenger carrying railway from
Killin to the loch but this has not happened so far. The
boat was built though and is lying beached on the shore
at the other end of Loch Tay. |
| Can you believe
steam locomotives as large as BR standard 2-6-4T ones
chugged along here? This is beside Loch Tay |
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| Engines of both these
types once worked to Loch Tay. Now to be found at the
Bo'ness railway |
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| Killin Junction was
where you changed from an Oban train for the Killin
Branch |
| Looking towards Oban |
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| And towards Killin -
left track down hill and Callander/Stirling - right track
up hill. The platform was an island with buildings. |
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| In Glen Ogle this is a
picture on one of the stone viaducts built into the
hillside. Can you imagine a black 5 and 7 coaches
blasting up here? |
ogleviaduct.jpg) |
| This is what you would
have seen from the carriage window |
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| A lone railway telephone
pole in Glen Ogle. Messages sent, train out of section. |
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