The North British Railway’s determination to keep its great rival, the Caledonian Railway, from gaining a foothold in Leith, took the decision in 1891 to build a short branch line northwards from Abbeyhill Junction to a new station at the Foot of Leith Walk in central Leith, notwithstanding, in 1884, the NBR had informed Leith Town Council that a further line to Leith was not viable. Contracts to build the line were not let until the end of 1897 and it wasn’t until 1 July, 19

A great conflagration on Saturday night dispelled the darkness of the black-out in Edinburgh. In Lothian Road, near the city centre, a large store in the LMS Goods Station went up in flames. The greater part of the building was leased to the Cadbury-Fry firms and was part of their distribution centre for Edinburgh and the East of Scotland. The building was totally destroyed, including roughly 300 tons of chocolate meant for Edinburgh’s Christmas trade. The offices, including

With the conversion of the last Edinburgh cable car route, Waterloo Place to Joppa, also came the link between the electric tramway systems of Edinburgh and Musselburgh, a town five miles east of Edinburgh. Musselburgh’s tramways dated from 12 December, 1904 when the National Electric Construction Company, London commenced operating an overhead electric tramway system, constructed by that company, between Joppa and Levenhall. The line was double track with convenient loops wh

In the late 1880s, the mansion and estate of Barnton Park, then the property of Sir John Gibson Maitland, Bart., were very much in the countryside, the city of Edinburgh being about three miles away. Sir James thought that Barnton Park would make a wonderful country residential estate and the Caledonian Railway co-operated by agreeing to build a branch line specially to connect the estate with the city. A Glasgow firm of Chartered Civil Engineers were appointed to examine th

With the conversion of the last Edinburgh cable car route, Waterloo Place to Joppa, also came the link between the electric tramway systems of Edinburgh and Musselburgh, a town five miles east of Edinburgh. Musselburgh’s tramways dated from 12 December, 1904 when the National Electric Construction Company, London commenced operating an overhead electric tramway system, constructed by that company, between Joppa and Levenhall. The line was double track with convenient loops wh

The Caledonian Railway entered Edinburgh from Carstairs Junction on 15 February, 1848. The new railway terminated in a wooden building some 180 feet in length and 54 feet wide, located on the south-western side of Lothian Road, at that time almost on the western outskirts of the city. A locomotive depot was also established at Dalry. Although the station was described as nothing more than a glorified wooden shack it was to be the Caledonian Railway’s major passenger base in E

The first trams to run in the city of Edinburgh were horse-drawn and were operated by the Edinburgh Street Tramways Company. The inaugural service between Haymarket and Bernard Street in Leith started on 6 November, 1871. Horse trams were soon extended throughout the city and the separate Burgh of Leith. In January, 1888 the Edinburgh Northern Tramways Company introduced a cable-hauled tram service from Hanover Street to Goldenacre to serve this exceptionally steep route. Thi

I refer to my article re the above and enclose one or two items by way of a post-script. I have also found out a lot more about my...

On Sunday 12th May, 1907 my Great-Uncle, Walter (Wattie) Deas aged nine, was, together with his mother Mary Elizabeth Deas, visiting his...

The Caledonian Railway entered Edinburgh from Carstairs on 15 February, 1848, its terminus was a one-platform station named Lothian Road....

In the early part of the nineteenth century there was dissatisfaction with the inadequacy of Leith as a port. In 1834 the 5th Duke of...

Following negotiations with the 6th Duke of Buccleuch, a 106 ¼ acre site at Granton was purchased at a cost of £124,000.00 for the...

The Caledonian Railway entered Edinburgh from Carstairs on 15 February, 1848, its terminus was a one-platform station named Lothian Road. This was the first railway line to offer direct travel without the need to change trains between Edinburgh and England. Passengers on the Caledonian’s great rival, the North British Railway had to cross the River Tweed on foot to continue their rail journey through England. The potential of the docks at Granton and Leith led to branch line

For many years every June, I would sign up to drive the Hobbylok on the Zillertalbahn in Austria as a birthday present to myself....

My first trip abroad was in the 1970s when I travelled with my father by coach to Steinach im Tirol, Austria not far from the Italian...

I have a Flickr Professional account where you can view my collection of train and tram photos from around the world: ...