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82-471: The line proved to be not economically viable from the outset. Revenue was raised from a agricultural traffic and some sporadic minor coal working provided traffic for it, although for a brief period between 1911 and 1913, a workmen's passenger service ran to the colliery at Largoward Colliery. The line, which climbed from 65 ft (20 m) to 545 ft (166 m) above sea level, had long sections of steep gradients; from East Fife Central Junction it had

164-478: A frenzy of provisional acquisitions of other lines being put forward or already being constructed, as they considered it was vital to secure territory to their own control and to exclude competing concerns as far as possible. It was not the only Anglo-Scottish route; the North British Railway opened its coastal route between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed on 22 June 1846, forming part of what has become

246-498: A gradient of 1 in 70 almost as far as the 7 mile post, then alternating between moderate gradients and new sections of 1 in 70 as far as the Largobeath Colliery. The line dropped down the same gradients as far as the terminus at Lochty. The line was worked on one-train block system ; the speed limit on the entire the line was limited to 15 mph. The line closed in 1964. After line closure, Scottish farmer John Cameron purchased

328-441: A large number of leases and working arrangements had been concluded with other railways being promoted or built nearby. This was mostly done by guaranteeing those shareholders an income on their capital, which meant no immediate cash was required. When the lines started working, suddenly a huge periodical payment was required, and the income was inadequate to satisfy it. There were also suggestions of improper share acquisitions, and in

410-556: A main line steam engine and operated it on a short length of track at Lochty; this developed into the Lochty Private Railway. Between 1967 and 1992 it operated a small heritage railway and steam museum at Lochty. The first railways in East Fife were built primarily to open up fishing harbours and agricultural districts. The Edinburgh and Northern Railway opened its north-south main line in 1850, having already changed its name to

492-431: A passenger station on 1 March 1905. Central station was operated by a single signal box , staffed with ten men. It was commissioned on 3 May 1908; it had 374 miniature levers, the largest of its type in the world, operating points and signals by electro-pneumatic and electro-magnetic equipment. The Moffat Railway was opened from Beattock on 2 April 1883. It was just over 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km) long. It

574-588: A railway connection. The wealthy middle class saw the town as an elegant location and the Busby Railway opened in 1866. Commuting was already in fashion. The line was extended to East Kilbride in 1868, although at that time the then small village did not generate much business for the railway. When the main line was built, no branches were provided in the thinly populated terrain of the Southern Uplands . Four independent companies made branches themselves, and

656-467: A short train, operating as the Lochty Private Railway. In 1970 the line was extended slightly and a further coach acquired for runs on the line. From 1973 the locomotive was returned to the main line network and Lochty was converted to a steam museum; some smaller locomotives were acquired, starting with an 0-6-0 from the Wemyss Estate Railway , no 16. Regular Sunday trips on the line were made in

738-556: A through station, and the Greenock line trains (operated by the Caledonian) continued to use it. A ninth platform was added to Central station in 1889, but a major expansion took place in the years 1901–1906, when the platforms were lengthened and four platforms added on the west side; a second river crossing was provided. In 1904 Bridge Street station was substantially changed to provide carriage washing and stabling facilities; it closed as

820-539: The Argyle Line ) in 1979. The Paisley and Barrhead District Railway was incorporated in 1897 and transferred to the Caledonian in 1902; it was to link Paisley and Barrhead and enable a circular service from Glasgow. The line was substantially ready in 1902 but by now street tramways were electrically operated and eminently successful. It was plain that a passenger service would not be viable against tram competition and

902-623: The Clyde railway bridge was complete on 1 October 1878. The new Glasgow Central station on Gordon Street opened in December 1879. It had eight platforms, but was considered to be unsatisfactory, having narrow platforms; the circulating area was "ridiculously small"; there was no good cab stance and inadequate siding accommodation. The Bridge Street terminus was jointly operated with the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR); it had to be reconstructed as

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984-468: The Clydesdale Junction Railway was being promoted. The Caledonian acquired that line during its construction, and it opened in 1849. It gave an alternative and shorter access to another Glasgow passenger terminal, named South Side , and to the Clyde quays at General Terminus (over the connected General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway ). The South Side station was already being used by

1066-526: The East Coast Main Line . The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway had opened in 1841 with the declared intention of reaching Carlisle by way of Dumfries ; it did so in 1850, changing its name then to the Glasgow and South Western Railway . The main line was opened from Carlisle to Beattock on 10 September 1847, and throughout between Glasgow and Carlisle on 15 February 1848. A continuous railway route between Glasgow and London existed for

1148-607: The Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee Railway . It came no closer to East Fife than Dysart and Markinch. The Leven Railway opened a branch from the EP&;DR at Thornton to Leven in 1854; but that railway did not immediately approach the harbour at Leven. The East of Fife Railway was built as an extension of the Leven Railway, opening from Leven to Kilconquhar in 1857, and the two companies combined and constructed onwards to Anstruther, so forming

1230-529: The Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway , worked by the Caledonian. One day, they hoped, they might extend that line into Ayrshire . Meanwhile, the line was leased (for 999 years) to the Caledonian in 1849. The Caledonian recognised that the Townhead terminus was unsatisfactory and constructed a deviation from Milton Junction to a new Glasgow terminus at Buchanan Street . It opened on 1 November 1849. Trains to Edinburgh , Stirling and Carlisle used

1312-591: The Leven Extension Railway to connect Methil and Leven harbours, in 1884. Randolph Wemyss sold the Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway to the NBR, but the development of further pits not served by the existing railways prompted him to construct a network of mineral lines that became known as the Wemyss Estate Railway , or alternatively Wemyss Private Railway . The area of land inland from the coast at Methil and Leven, known as

1394-472: The North British Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway . The company established primacy in some areas, but remained less than successful in others; considerable sums were expended in the process, not always finding the approval of shareholders. A considerable steamer passenger traffic developed on the Firth of Clyde serving island resorts, and fast boat trains were run from Glasgow to steamer piers;

1476-452: The Riggin o Fife , had also been the scene of coal extraction in the past, but its remoteness from the harbours and the poor roads made the work unprofitable. Nonetheless the wealth of the East Fife coalfield encouraged prospecting, and reports were obtained assuring a good seam of coal at Lochty, about five miles north west of Anstruther: a 40-inch seam of good quality coal at 10 fathoms. A railway

1558-600: The Solway Firth by a 1,940 yd (1,770 m) viaduct; the company worked the line itself. It considerably shortened the route to the Lanarkshire ironworks, and was heavily used at first, but the traffic was depleted by cheap imported iron ore within a decade. The Scottish part of the line was acquired by the Caledonian Railway in 1873, and the whole line in 1895. Serious ice damage and later heavy maintenance costs made

1640-628: The hot blast process of iron smelting by James Beaumont Neilson in 1828, led to a huge and rapid increase in iron production and demand for iron ore and coal in the Coatbridge area. The industrial development led to the construction of other railways contiguous with the M&;KR, in particular the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway and the Wishaw and Coltness Railway . These two lines worked in harmony, merging to form

1722-572: The Caledonian Railway had been formed as an intercity trunk line, its attention was early on turned to other demands. Local interests in Lanark promoted a branch line to their town, opening in 1855. Coal owners in South Lanarkshire pressed for a railway connection, and the Lesmahagow Railway was formed by them, opening in 1856. It was later absorbed by the Caledonian, but other lines followed in

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1804-590: The Caledonian Railway obtained an authorising act of Parliament , the Caledonian Railway Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. clxii), on 31 July 1845, for lines from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Carlisle. The share capital was to be £1,800,000 (equivalent to £225 million today). The Glasgow and Edinburgh lines combined at Carstairs in Clydesdale , and the route then crossed over Beattock Summit and continued on through Annandale . The promoters had engaged in

1886-450: The Caledonian acquired the line in 1865. The Portpatrick Railway had opened between Castle Douglas and Portpatrick in 1861–62 and the Caledonian Railway worked that railway; it obtained running powers over the G&;SWR between Dumfries and Castle Douglas, and at a stroke the Caledonian had penetrated deep into the south-west, and to the ferry service to the north of Ireland, territory that

1968-449: The Caledonian built two. The Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway was opened in 1860, having been taken over by the Caledonian during construction. It was extended to Peebles in 1864. In 1863 an independent line, the Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway was opened. The line was encouraged by the Caledonian Railway, giving westward access into Dumfriesshire , and worked by it;

2050-570: The Caledonian gained access to Loch Lomond with the opening of the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Railway (originally built by the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway ), built jointly with the NBR. In 1888 the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway opened a 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (10.5 km) line from Giffen on the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway to Ardrossan . Its purpose

2132-546: The Caledonian's activity in the region. The Rutherglen and Coatbridge line , later linking Airdrie , and the Carfin to Midcalder line were routes with significant passenger traffic. Many lines to coal and iron ore pits further east were built, but serving remote areas the lines closed when the mineral extraction ceased. With the Barrhead line in full operation, interests in Busby wanted

2214-520: The Clydesdale Junction line, mostly used for local trains to Motherwell and Hamilton ), and Bridge Street (on the Paisley line). Gradually the financial difficulties were got under control, by economy, and by the discovery that several of the lease agreements were illegal. Handsome dividends continued to be paid, but it was not until March 1853 that the dividend was paid wholly from revenue. If

2296-578: The E&;GR and NBR station, later named Waverley ; but the NBR rejected the idea. Eventually in 1870 the Lothian Road station was much improved and extended, and the new terminus was named Princes Street . The owner of Granton Harbour encouraged, and half-funded, the construction of a branch from near Lothian Road, and this opened in 1861. A branch from the Granton line to Leith Docks was made in 1864. This line

2378-545: The G&SWR had assumed was its own. The Portpatrick Railway later reformed with the Wigtownshire Railway as the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway ; the Caledonian was a one-quarter owner. The North British Railway opened its branch line to Dolphinton , east of Carstairs, and the Caledonian feared that the next step would be an incursion by the NBR into Caledonian territory, possibly seeking running powers on

2460-507: The Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway (successor to the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway ), and the Wishaw and Coltness Railway , which the Caledonian had leased from 1 January 1847 and 1 January 1846 respectively. The Glasgow station was the Townhead terminus of the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway. During the process of seeking Parliamentary authorisation, the Caledonian observed that

2542-511: The Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway in 1841, and competing with the M&KR and its allies. All these lines used the local track gauge of 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ), and they were referred to as "the coal lines"; passenger traffic was not a dominant activity. During this period, the first long-distance railways were opened in England; the Liverpool and Manchester Railway ,

East Fife Central Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue

2624-740: The NBR main line north of Cupar, and through Lochty to join the Anstruther to St Andrews line near Stravithie. Further rich coal seams aggregating to 60 feet were said to be under the line of route. The Parliamentary Bill for the line, to be known as the East Fife Central Railway , was deposited in January 1893; it proposed share capital of £250,000. Local people were broadly in favour if the proposed railway, but objections in Parliament came from two existing railways. The North British Railway objected on

2706-529: The NBR would work the line for 50% of gross receipts, but a formula guaranteed 4.5% of paid up East Fife Central shares. The Caledonian Railway was granted running powers over the line, and the East Fife Central itself acquired running powers into St Andrews over the Anstruther and St Andrews Railway. The East Fife Central Railway act of authorisation was given the Royal Assent on 24 August 1893. G B Wieland

2788-714: The North British Railway had a monopoly of railway transport and did little to develop the colliery connections. However very considerable mineral deposits were discovered under the extensive estate of the Wemyss Family, and coalmaster tenants of the Wemyss Estate, and in due course Randolph Gordon Erskine Wemyss promoted railways independently to serve the pits. The first of these was the Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway , opened in 1881 from Thornton to Buckhaven, later extended by

2870-455: The North British Railway, and he had been Secretary of that company, but had resigned that office due to ill health. Wieland acquired the Letham Estate, close to the proposed line, on 14 March 1892, believing there to be extensive workable coal reserves there, and he naturally would welcome a railway connection. As a director of the NBR he was able to intercede, and the NBR objection was lifted:

2952-491: The amalgamation. However, it was later decided to proceed, and the amalgamation took place by Act of Parliament of 7 August 1851. The GP&GR operated the line between Glasgow and Paisley jointly with the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR), and the Paisley line used a terminus at Bridge Street in Glasgow. The Caledonian now worked trains at three termini in Glasgow: Buchanan Street, South Side (from

3034-532: The company was refused permission to operate its own steamers, and it formed a partnership with a nominally independent, but friendly, operator, the Caledonian Steam Packet Company . In 1923 the railways of Great Britain were "grouped" under the Railways Act 1921 and the Caledonian Railway was a constituent of the newly formed London Midland and Scottish Railway ; its capitalisation at that time

3116-517: The construction of the Monkland Canal , opened throughout in 1794. This encouraged development of the coalfield, but dissatisfaction at the monopoly prices said to be exacted by the canal led to the construction of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway (M&KR), Scotland's first public railway; it opened in 1826. Development of the use of blackband ironstone by David Mushet , and the invention of

3198-450: The construction; they agreed subject to guarantees from the East Fife Central board members, giving the NBR a 3% return on the capital expenditure of £104,820. The through routes to Cupar and St Andrews were now abandoned, as was the triangular junction at Leven, and the line was cut back to Lochty, 14 miles in extent. Even that destination began to look doubtful, for it was reported in May 1895 that

3280-467: The contractor of the Caledonian Railway is stated to be Thomas Brassey and the civil engineer George Heald . Although the company was supported by Scottish investors, more than half of its shares were held in England. Establishing itself as an intercity and cross-border railway, the Caledonian set about securing territory by leasing other authorised or newly built lines, and fierce competition developed with other, larger Scottish railways, particularly

3362-596: The course of the railway. He also acquired the LNER Class A4 locomotive 60009, Union of South Africa . He had the locomotive transported by road to Lochty in April 1967, and bought some track from the National Coal Board, enabling him to lay about three-quarters of a mile of line near Lochty. Footplate rides were given on the engine in the summer of 1967, and the following year a coach had been acquired, enabling trips in

East Fife Central Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue

3444-400: The demand for passenger travel in these areas, but as yet they used horse traction. The Cathcart District Railway was promoted as an independent concern but heavily supported by the Caledonian. It opened in 1886 from Pollokshields to Mount Florida and Cathcart (the eastern arm of the present-day Cathcart Circle Line ) in 1886, and was extended via Shawlands to form a loop in 1894. It

3526-574: The expensive construction of Newton Street Tunnel, the longest in Scotland. In competing with rival rail and steamer connections, the Caledonian became frustrated with its reliance on independent steamer operators, and tried to obtain powers to operate the vessels directly; this was refused by Parliament on competition grounds, and in reaction the company founded the nominally independent Caledonian Steam Packet Company in 1889. The CSPC expanded its routes and services considerably; following nationalisation of

3608-645: The first intercity line, opened in 1830 and was an immediate success. It was quickly followed by the Grand Junction Railway in 1837, the London and Birmingham Railway in 1838 and the North Union Railway reaching Preston in 1838, so that London was linked with the Lancashire and West Midlands centres of industry. It was clearly desirable to connect central Scotland into the emerging network. At first it

3690-506: The first time. (It had been possible to travel via Edinburgh and Newcastle upon Tyne since 1846, but this involved crossing the River Tweed at Berwick by road, and the River Tyne at Gateshead / Newcastle by congested road bridge or ferry.) The Caledonian Railway's Edinburgh line from Carstairs opened on 1 April 1848. The terminal at Edinburgh was at Lothian Road . Glasgow was reached over

3772-457: The ground, they claimed, that the district was already well served by them, and that the line would abstract from their business. The rival Caledonian Railway objected on the basis that the NBR was already a monopoly carrier in the district, and that they, the Caledonian, ought to have running powers on the line. George Bradley Wieland was the Chairman of the East Fife Central; he was a director of

3854-690: The idea was killed by fierce opposition from the Clyde Bridges Trust (which would lose toll income) and the Admiralty (who insisted on a swing bridge ). Another scheme failed to get finance in 1866 and again in 1873, but in 1875 an Act was obtained to build a bridge crossing the Clyde and bringing the South Side route into the city centre. A four-track railway bridge crossing the river was designed by Blyth and Cunningham and built by Sir William Arrol & Co. ;

3936-556: The incipient English network. There was controversy over the route that such a line might take, but the Caledonian Railway was formed on 31 July 1845 and it opened its main line between Glasgow , Edinburgh and Carlisle in 1848, making an alliance with the English London and North Western Railway which connected Carlisle to the English Midlands and London . In the obituary of the engineer Richard Price-Williams written in 1916

4018-511: The intended passenger service was never started. The area of the north bank of the river Clyde became increasingly important for industry, and therefore became heavily populated. The North British Railway and its satellites had gained an early monopoly of this traffic, but its importance encouraged the Caledonian to enter the area. The Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway was nominally independent, running from near Maryhill to Dumbarton , opening progressively between 1894 and 1896. In 1896

4100-632: The last of the collection was moved from Lochty by the society. Today, the rolling stock is now based at Kirkland yard in Leven, Fife . Largoward Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 770016781 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:51:18 GMT Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway ( CR )

4182-546: The line known as the Fife Coast Railway . The combined company was called the Leven and East of Fife Railway , and in due course both it and the EP&DR were absorbed by the North British Railway , which became dominant in the area. For many years coal had been extracted on a small scale from areas near the coast between Dysart and Leven, but transport was always a limiting factor for the mineral. From about 1860 there were definite moves to build railway connections, but

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4264-510: The line scraped a bare living and closed in 1938. In the mid-1850s the steamer connections on the Firth of Clyde assumed ever increasing importance, and journey transit times from settlements in Argyll and the islands to Glasgow became critical. The inconvenient situation of the Greenock station and pier encouraged thoughts of more convenient routes, and in 1862 the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway

4346-410: The line seriously unprofitable and it was closed in 1921. When the Caledonian's first main line opened, it used the Townhead terminus of the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway , and almost simultaneously, it acquired access to the South Side station planned for the Clydesdale Junction Railway . It extended from Townhead to Buchanan Street , an "inadequate and very cramped station" in 1849, but

4428-412: The line was substantially complete; seven gentlemen from Kennoway were permitted to take a private trip on the line using the contractor's engine and wagons. The contractor handed over the completed line to the North British Railway on 4 August 1898, and the line opened for goods and mineral traffic on Sunday 21 August 1898. The goods stations on the line were Kennoway , Montrave, Largoward and Lochty. It

4510-481: The main line. To head this off, the Caledonian built its own Dolphinton branch from Carstairs; it opened in 1867. Dolphinton had a population of 260 and two railways, and traffic was correspondingly meagre, and the line closed in 1945 to passengers and in 1950 to goods. The independent Solway Junction Railway was opened in 1869, linking iron mines in Cumberland with the Caledonian Railway at Kirtlebridge , crossing

4592-415: The meagre income of the line. The LNER reduced the train service to three trains a week. Goods traffic continued to decline. British Railways took over the railways on nationalisation in 1948. With an almost non-existent goods business, the line could hardly carry on and on 8 August 1964 the last service train ran on the line. In August 1966, John B Cameron purchased Lochty Farm, which included part of

4674-485: The miners, and a workmen's passenger service was set up from Cameron Bridge, with stations at Kennoway, Montrave, Largoward and Largobeath Colliery. There was one train each way daily; it reversed at East Fife Central Junction. However, by November 1913 the trains were discontinued; serious water inundation problems were experienced in the Largobeath workings, and in fact the colliery closed permanently soon afterwards. There

4756-507: The new station; the Stirling trains had to reverse at Gartsherrie Junction. The Garnkirk's old Glebe Street (Townhead) station was reduced to goods and mineral duties. In 1853–54 the Hayhill Fork, between Gartcosh and Garnqueen, was opened, enabling direct running from Buchanan Street towards Stirling. In the period between formation of the Caledonian Railway and the opening of the main line ,

4838-516: The original main line between Carlisle and Glasgow is in use as part of the West Coast Main Line railway (with a modified entry into Glasgow itself). In the mid-1830s, railways in England evolved from local concerns to longer routes that connected cities, and then became networks. In Scotland it was clear that this was the way forward, and there was a desire to connect the Central Belt to

4920-420: The passenger traffic to the Lanark and Larkhall branches remain in operation. In North Lanarkshire , the North British Railway was a keen competitor, having taken over the Monkland Railways . The area contained the rapidly-growing iron production area surrounding Coatbridge , and servicing that industry with coal and iron ore , and transport to local and more distant metal processing locations, dominated

5002-418: The period 1848 to 1850 a number of shareholder inquiries disclosed bad practices, and many board members had to resign in February 1850. The company had obtained Parliamentary powers to merge with the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&GR) in 1847, but even more alarming revelations of financial impropriety emerged regarding that company, and the Caledonian considered getting authorisation to cancel

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5084-413: The railways in 1948 it became owned by British Railways, but was divested in 1968 and later became a constituent of Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which remains in state ownership. In the final decades of the 19th century, as the cities spread into conurbations, the company's attention turned to increasing traffic in areas now thought of as "suburban". Street running tramways were already responding to

5166-410: The route from there to the southwards main line was very circuitous. The Caledonian also worked the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway with a terminus at Bridge Street , also inconveniently situated south of the Clyde: the Caledonian, therefore, had three unsatisfactory Glasgow termini. As early as 1846 proposals to cross the Clyde from Gushetfaulds to a Dunlop Street terminal had been put forward;

5248-420: The sparsely populated but mineral-rich area. As new coal mines opened, so new branches were needed, connecting Coalburn , Stonehouse , Strathaven , Muirkirk and Darvel and many other places, with new lines built right up until 1905. When the coal became exhausted in the second half of the 20th century, the railways were progressively closed; passenger traffic had always been light and it too disappeared. Only

5330-403: The summer of 1910 Territorial Army camps were established near Largoward, and special arrangements were made to convey the 6th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to Largoward by rail, accompanied by their horse and equipment, and water in tanks. The traffic may have lasted for four weeks. When the Largobeath Colliery started exploratory work in 1911, there was insufficient accommodation locally for

5412-406: The summer, and the location was popular with holidaymakers and others; the operation was entirely staffed by volunteers. At the end of the 1992 season it was decided that rising costs of operation made continuing impossible, and the museum at Lochty closed. That same year, The Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society was formed to take over the remaining collection at the railway and in 1994,

5494-402: The trial borings there for coal had been disappointing. The junction near Cameron Bridge would be aligned to give direct running from Lochty to Leven and Methil harbours. At the first formal meeting of the newly authorised Company on 14 February 1894, four Directors executed formal guarantees, and others apparently did so later. The modification of the route required a new Act of Parliament; this

5576-406: The year to 31 August 1899 receipts amounted to £1,124, but the 3% interest payable to the NBR was £3,973. The guarantors of the shortfall now began to consider their position. It appears that the NBR eventually released them from the full liability that they had undertaken. Although some colliery work was undertaken along the line, the collieries were mostly of short duration and limited output. In

5658-426: Was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow . It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh and Aberdeen , with a dense network of branch lines in the area surrounding Glasgow. It was absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Many of its principal routes are still used, and

5740-438: Was a one-platform station named Lothian Road . This was the first line to offer travel without change of carriage between Edinburgh and London: passengers on the rival North British Railway needed to cross the River Tweed on foot to continue their rail journey. The unsatisfactory Edinburgh terminus needed improvement but funds were limited, and the Caledonian built a short spur to Haymarket ; talks had taken place about using

5822-706: Was assumed that only one route from Scotland to England would be feasible, and there was considerable controversy over the possible route. A major difficulty was the terrain of the Southern Uplands : a route running through the hilly lands would involve steep and lengthy gradients that were challenging for the engine power of the time; a route around them, either to the west or the east, involved much lengthier main lines, and made connection to both Edinburgh and Glasgow more problematic. Many competing schemes were put forward, not all of them well thought out, and two successive government commissions examined them. However, they did not have mandatory force, and after considerable rivalry,

5904-515: Was authorised. It was an independent company intending to provide a fast connection from Rothesay on the Isle of Bute ; it opened on 13 May 1865 and in August 1893 it amalgamated with the Caledonian Railway, having been operated by the Caledonian Railway since its opening. In 1889 the Caledonian itself opened an extension line from Greenock to Gourock , more conveniently situated than Greenock; this involved

5986-575: Was confirmed as Chairman of the Company. During the progress of the Bill in Parliament, the directors considered how they would raise the necessary money. The earlier certainty about mineral wealth had abated, and the thin population of the agricultural district now looked less lucrative. Raising the money in the ordinary way now appeared to be impossible, and at length Wieland prevailed on the North British to fund

6068-535: Was essential to the exploitation of the mineral, and a meeting was held in Edinburgh on 19 October 1892 to propose it. As well as the coal, the agriculture of the district would benefit from a railway, and those present were positive towards paying for further surveys. The railway would connect with the Leven and East of Fife line (now in NBR ownership) forming a triangle of lines there, then running north east and forking to join

6150-578: Was opened to passengers from 1879: the Leith terminal was later renamed Leith North. After 1900 the port authorities built new modern docks to the east of the former Leith docks, and the Caledonian further extended its Leith line to reach the new facilities: the Leith New Lines opened in 1903. It had been planned to open a passenger service on the line, and passenger stations had been built, but tram competition made it clear that an inner suburban passenger railway

6232-487: Was prepared by the NBR, also authorising passenger operation, and transfer of the line to themselves one year after the passage of the Bill. That Bill received the Royal Assent on 16 July 1895. There was further prevarication over the guarantees, but eventually the North British Railway appears to have accepted the situation, and construction started in August 1895. The NBR absorbed the East Fife Central on 6 July 1896. The construction progressed well enough, and on 29 July 1898

6314-412: Was some reduction in the (already limited) train service during World War I . In 1923 the main line railways of Great Britain were "grouped" following the Railways Act 1921 , and the North British Railway was a constituent of the new London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). After the war, a large number of road motor lorries became available, and a road goods service began to develop, to the detriment of

6396-407: Was the longest goods-only line in the country. Initial business was exceedingly disappointing, and the intended mineral traffic was close to negligible; the trial borings at Lochty had disclosed no workable coal. By June 1900 consideration was being given to reducing the daily train to three days a week. The capital expenditure on the line had been £132,463 and this now looked like wasted money. For

6478-460: Was to shorten the route for Caledonian mineral traffic, and it was worked by the Caledonian. In 1903–04 it was extended eastwards to Cathcart and Newton, enabling the heavy mineral trains to avoid the Joint Line and the congested area around Gushetfaulds from the Lanarkshire coalfields to Ardrossan Harbour . The Caledonian Railway entered Edinburgh from Carstairs on 15 February 1848; its terminus

6560-576: Was worked by the Caledonian and absorbed on 11 November 1889. The Caledonian Railway sought to develop both Moffat and Peebles as watering places, and ran The Tinto Express from both places, combining at Symington , to Edinburgh and Glasgow for several years. With the intention of revitalising the lead mining industry, the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Branch was opened as a light railway from Elvanfoot in 1901–02. With challenging gradients to reach Scotland's highest village in otherwise remote territory,

6642-468: Was worked by the Caledonian, although the company retained its independence until 1923. The Glasgow Central Railway was authorised as an independent company to build a surface line from Rutherglen to Maryhill . It encountered fierce opposition, and the scheme was taken over by the Caledonian and converted into a route mainly in tunnel under Argyle Street . It opened in 1896, further encouraging suburban passenger travel. It closed in 1959 but reopened (as

6724-424: Was £57 million (equivalent to £4.11 billion today), and it had a single-track mileage of 2,827 miles (4,550 km). It extended from Aberdeen to Portpatrick , and from Oban to Carlisle , running express passenger services and a heavy mineral traffic. In the closing years of the 18th century, the pressing need to bring coal cheaply to Glasgow from the plentiful Monklands coalfield had been met by

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