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Visitor Information: Bo'ness Station and SRPS Sheds |
The Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, who also maintain the Scottish Railway Exhibition. The Society was founded in 1961 in Edinburgh, later moving to Falkirk before settling at Bo'ness in 1979.
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The site at Bo'ness lies just to the east of the town's now unused docks and just to the north of the town centre. It comprises Bo'ness Station at one end of the line that extends to Birkhill Station and beyond, a range of workshops, plus the display sheds housing the Scottish Railway Exhibition.
From here the SRPS operate the three main elements of their activities: trains (often steam trains) from Bo'ness to Birkhill Station; the displays of the Scottish Railway Exhibition; and SRPS railtours to some of Scotland's (and England's) most attractive locations.
A first time visitor could be forgiven for thinking that the SRPS took over an existing station and railway workshops and have converted them to their current use. It is a surprise to find that much of what is on view was actually built from scratch, or relocated to this site from elsewhere. The original Bo'ness Station was redeveloped as part of a road scheme in 1956, so nothing now remains of it.
 Saxa Salt Wagon |
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 A Brake Van |
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After their arrival in Bo'ness in 1979 the SRPS worked hard to establish Bo'ness Station and begin operations on a short stretch of track in 1981. The site chosen for the new station and associated buildings had previously been used for railway sidings and timber yards connected to the town docks. The railway station buildings now on view at Bo'ness came from Wormit in Fife, the engine shed started life at Haymarket in Edinburgh, the signal box was previously at Garnqueen South Junction, north of Glasgow, and the footbridge came from Murthly in Perthshire.
Only a small section of the current line used by SRPS trains from Bo'ness to Birkhill Station reuses the route of the old branch line that served Bo'ness. Large sections had to be built along a new line meaning, for example, that a notorious rail bridge over the road at the west end of Bo'ness that used to obstruct access by high vehicles could be replaced by a road bridge over the railway, a short distance away from the site of the original bridge.
The regular trains from Bo'ness now travel as far as Birkhill Station, which opened in 1989. This is a much travelled station, starting life at Monifieth near Dundee before originally being re-erected at the Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988. From Birkhill Station, passengers can visit the nearby Birkhill Fireclay Mine. Tours last about an hour and are linked to the railway timetable.
The onward track from Birkhill to the main line at Manuel is not currently open to passenger services from Bo'ness, though there are plans to extend the service eventually. The link does, however, allow SRPS to use Bo'ness as a base for their railtours; and it also means that historic engines and other rail vehicles can access Bo'ness from elsewhere.
The other main attraction at Bo'ness is the Scottish Railway Exhibition. This opened in 1995 in a purpose built 15,000 square foot exhibition hall close to Bo'ness Station. This has 850ft of display tracks carrying a wide variety of rail vehicles. Display boards provide background information and period photographs show the railway as it was when the wagons were built. And you can try to imagine what it was like to ride at the end of the Carlisle freight in the Caledonian Railway brake van.
In 2002 a 19,000 square foot extension was opened to the public. This can accommodate many more carriages and includes a demonstration workshop, where visitors can see conservation work in progress. The extension was funded by a range of bodies including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley, Falkirk Council, the Scottish Railway Preservation Society and the Scottish Museums Council.
