Cardrona station, still with signal-box Peebles goods yard Bonnyrigg station

Local area

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This line runs south from Edinburgh to Peebles and Galashiels in the Scottish Borders in areas mostly dominated by farmland and small towns.

Chronology

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Description of route

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From Hardengreen Junction to Kilnknowe Junction via Peebles. The line was double track from Eskbank to Hawthornden Junction and single track with passing places from there to Kilnknowe Junction at Galashiels.

Hardengreen Junction

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Here the Peebles Railway branched off the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway and ran south and slightly west. The line was double track from here to Hawthornden Junction.

This was the junction for the Esk Valley Railway which ran south west from here to Polton. The view looks south, the main route south being the footpath and behind the tree the former branch merged at a signalbox where the tree now stands.

This was a two platform station with an additional track to the east. The station house and platforms remain. In 1956 there was a 'Philip's Siding' here and the coalmine Polton No.2 was served by a short branch to the south east.

This was two platform station. The platforms still stand but little else. In 1956 there was Dalhousie Siding and rail-served Whitehill Colliery to the south east which had its own Brick and Fireclay Works.

This was the junction for the Penicuik Railway this was the end of the double track from Eskbank. There was also a short branch to a coalmine here.

This was the first station to serve Roslin. It was a single platform station. In 1956 there was a 'Holmbank Siding'.

This halt was opened to serve Rosslynlee Hospital. No trace of the timber platform remains.

This was the first station to serve Penicuik. It was a single platform station.

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This was the junction for the Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton Railway. This station had two platforms and had a branch platform for the Dolphinton line. The station platforms remain in use as a carpark.

Although by 1956 the station had been closed to passengers it still handled parcel (P+) traffic. There was a siding here for the Admiralty which was the former Dolphinton branch cut back to Linton.

This station was closed early in the line's history. Nothing appears to remain of it.

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This station had two platforms and a passing loop. The station building still stands and the platforms were more or less intact on my last visit - although some building preparation may have been under way.

Peebles was the terminus of the line until it was extended to Kilnknowe Junction on the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway. The original station was left on a short branch when the line was extended.

When the line was extended to Galashiels the original Peebles station was left on a short branch. A new Peebles station was opened. It had a single platform with a bulding and large glazed canopy. These are now demolished and a road runs where the station was (left hand photograph above). To the east of this station was the goods yard (building shown on right above is only remaining structure in what is now a carpark) and the link to the junction for the Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway. The North British Railway built a connection from the east end of the goods station to join this line - it turned south over the Tweed and then west to Peebles (West) station.

In 1956 there were sidings here for Ballantyne's Mill, Dyer & Co's Saw Mills, Peebles Old Goods Station Sidings and the Scottish Gas Board Siding.

This was a single platform station without a loop but with a goods yard which was accessed via a west facing junction by a viaduct. The left photograph shows the building from the east (note the signalbox built onto the side of the station building), the middle from the west and the right photograph shows the viaduct to the west.

The station has been renovated and was used in promoting a new building scheme in the area. A car-park has been built on the former trackbed and the building and platforms re-built.

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This was a two platform with a long passing loop. The platforms were staggered. The station had a tall signalbox on the westbound platform. The photogaph above shows the building on the eastbound platform. Much of the site is now given over to an industrial estate.

In 1956 there were sidings here for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishieries and Food Store and the Waverley Mills.

This photograph shows Walkerburn station and it's conversion into a house. The view looks north-east.

This station still stands complete with building and platform. The view looks south-west over the line.

The station has been built over and the station building is a house in a housing estate. The village's name is derived from the old ford, on a drove road, in the river which cattle used to be driven through on their way from the Highlands to market.

Kilnknowe Junction 

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Here the line met the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway at a south east facing junction. Trains ran from Galashiels to Edinburgh via Peebles on completion of the Peebles to Galashiels section.