Remembering the Railway - Sepia Saturday

"Work" is Sepia Saturday's theme for March, beginning with  a prompt photograph of a railway signalman - cue for me to look back at  my local railway which  ran 1863-1965.

 

Earlston Station Staff and Visitors, c.1920  

The Berwickshire Railway through Earlston in the Scottish Borders  was one of the many lost lines in railway history, serving the village 1863-1965.  It provided the link between two major routes - on the east coast the North British Railway between  Edinburgh and London  and in the central Borders the historic Waverley Route between Edinburgh and Carlisle and onto London.   The cross country line was built in stages - reaching Earlston in 1863  and  the final stage two years later in 1865  with the completion of the Leaderfoot Viaduct across the River Tweed.  

 It is easy to forget  now what a momentous occasion this was.  For people's lives were so circumscribed then - to get about you needed to earn enough to own a horse, or you hitched a lift from an obliging horse and cart - or simply walked.     

Cutting the First Sod 11th October 1862 was a local holiday in Earlston to mark the cutting at Greenlaw of the first sod with shops and businesses, plus the largest employer,  the local mill , all  closed for the day.  An article in "The Southern Reporter" 23rd October 1862 gives us a contemporary and entertaining  account of the celebrations  on that occasion:

"Villagers were put on the "qui vive" by the arrival of the brass band of the 2nd Selkirkshire Volunteers who reached here between 8 and 9 o'clock, and after partaking of refreshments and discoursing several spirit stirring tunes, proceeded onwards to the centre of attraction.

They were quickly followed by the majority of our male population in carriages, gigs and omnibus, and not a few in long carts - the occupants making every village and farmstead they passed resound with their oft repeated and hearty "hurrahs".

Of what passed at Greenlaw it is unnecessary to to speak here, suffice to say that the whole of our sightseers arrived home between 6 and 7 o'clock in the evening, all highly gratified by the proceedings, and had witnessed the realisation of their ardent hopes. The commencement of the railway will open up a ready means of communication in every direction.

The Messrs Wilson, manufacturers, not only closed their factory, and placed their horses and carts at the disposal of their employees. but forwarded a liberal supply of refreshments and had also secured in Greenlaw a private room for their reception."

The Opening of Earlston Station 

  "The Kelso Chronicle" of 20th November 1863 reported on the opening at Earlston with an  article which made the occasion seem rather prosaic and low key.  

 "The first train started from Earlstoun and will continue to do so at 7.55am there being other three in the course of the day".  

Accident:  But just one day after the opening of Earlston Railway Station, "The Kelso Chronicle"  headline read   "A  Serious Accident on the Berwickshire Railway" near Dunse. 

"This line which opened with much promise on Monday, was the scene of a rather serious mishap on Tuesday. ....A train on its way to Earlston with a few coal trucks, two carriages and two passengers was  startled by the axle of the one of the trucks giving way and tearing the rails....both carriages and trucks were dragged off the line, but fortunately none were precipitated over the embankment.........A large force of navvies were on the line and were exerting themselves to get the line in order again.  They intended to work all night and have it finished for the next day's traffic.

 

On December 4th 1863, "The Kelso Chronicle" noted   "The new railway [at Earlston] is in regular working order and appears to be giving great satisfaction.  The trains run smoothly and keep tolerably good time.  We are already feeling the benefit of railway communication."

 Two trains in Earlston station.  Copyright © A R Edwards and Son,  Selkirk.    (Cathy Chick CollectionAll Rights Reserved.  

The major engineering feat on the line was the crossing of the River Tweed and the building of the Leaderfoot Viaduct, which involved  a nineteen arch structure  907 feet long and 126 feet above the level of the river bed.  

 

 A charming tinted photograph, c.1900.
 

Steam train crossing the Leaderfoot Viaduct, c. 1959.  

 Photograph by the late Rev. John Duncan of Earlston

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Leaderfoot viaduct today - a favourite spot for walkers &  cyclists

Below two railway cartoons feature in the Auld Earlston postcard collection. These are not, however,  original to Earlston,  but penned by  Fife born artist  Martin  Anderson (1854-1932)  - you will see his pseudonym signature of Cynicus  at the foot of each card. Many of his railway cartoons were overprinted with different captions and town names, as here.  

 

 

 

Two prominent visitors through the Earlston station were Prime Minister Asquith in 1908  to make a speech in Earlston, and in 1944 General Eisenhower  to inspect the Polish tank regiment stationed in the village in training for D-Day.

 

 

 

 

 

The Demise  -  The Berwickshire Railway line was never a busy one, with roughly equal traffic of goods and passengers.  In Earlston, coal was brought in and stone from the local quarry taken out, with agricultural produce and livestock the mainstays of  business.

 

        Clearing snow at Earlston Station in the  notoriously bad winter of 1947

 

Devastating floods across Berwickshire in August 1948 meant that passenger services were suspended,  due to parts of the trackbed being washed away.  Repairs were never fully carried out and only freight services continued on part of the line.

 

Closure came without ceremony on 16th July 1965 - marking the end of the 102 year old line of the Berwickshire Railway through Earlston. 

 

 Closing the level crossing gates.

 

                            The last train through Earlston Station - July 1965. 

On the left is the train's fireman;  on the right the couple who  worked the level crossing;  with their young son in the arms of the stationmaster.

Copyright ©  Bruce McCartney.   All  Rights Reserved,

at http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/monorail/bmcc01.htm  

 

Gate today at  the former level crossing cottage.

   

 

The overgrown railway track - now a popular walkway.  

Photographs courtesy of  the Auld Earlston Collection, 
Cathy Chick, and Bruce McCartny

 

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