Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway
Introduction
A portion of this line remains, in abeyance, at the south end of Millerhill Marshalling Yard (British Railways). The original line was due to terminate in Roslin but the North British Railway requested the company extend to Glencorse (Glencorse Extension (Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway)).
Locations along the line
These locations are along the line.
Having just propelled its train of coal out of Monktonhall Colliery, 08411 draws forward from the former Bilston Glen branch towards Millerhill Yard ...Bill Roberton 27/02/1995
I am standing on the former Glencorse branch, a few hundred metres from the junction and looking towards Glencorse. All that is left of the branch is ...David Panton 27/11/2018
The rather sad rump of the Glencorse (then Bilston Glen) line looking towards the junction a few hundred metres away in November 2018. This was ...David Panton 27/11/2018
The stub of the Roslin branch at the south end of Millerhill Yard, latterly used as a reversing spur. Photograph taken looking east in the spring of ...John Furnevel 01/03/2015
View east over the stub of the former Roslin branch looking towards the south end of Millerhill yard on 1 March 2015. The line closed following the ...Ewan Crawford 01/03/2015
This was a single platform station about a third of a mile east of Gilmerton. The platform was on the west side of a single track line with a station building and signal box at the south end. A small goods yard with siding and loading bank was on the west side of the line, south of the station, approached from the north. A station cottage was on Gilmerton Station Road to the west, alongside the ...
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I think I can guarantee that this will be the only RailScot caption with 'Hammerhead Shark' in it. An imaginative vandal (with pale blue paint) has ...David Panton 09/05/2019
The Glencorse branch is undergoing conversion by Sustrans to a cycleway near the Lasswade road. ...John Yellowlees 30/10/2017
Although this walkway on the Glencorse branch through Gilmerton was opened...
David Panton 27/11/2018
A class 26 nears Gilmerton with coal from Bilston Glen in 1978. The site of the later Gilmerton Colliery, closed in 1961, is in the right background ...Bill Roberton //1978
The first Gilmerton Colliery was located to the north west of Gilmerton station. ...
More detailsThis colliery was located immediately to the south of Gilmerton station. A mine of the same name existed to the north west of the station before 1928. It was opened by the Fordell Mains (Midlothian) Colliery Company and was transferred to the Gilmerton Colliery Company. ...
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The trackbed of the mineral line running south from Straiton Sidings on the Glencorse branch [see image 32922] now ends at the site of the level ...John Furnevel 21/02/2011
View north over the site of the level crossing linking the mineral line that ran down from Straiton sidings (now a nature reserve) to access Straiton ...John Furnevel 21/02/2011
View to compare with the more recent shot [see image 32922]. There was a short siding (new in 1878) to the left of the line seen here and former cabin ...Ewan Crawford 23/12/2004
View north along the trackbed of the Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway in February 2011 between Loanhead and Gilmerton. The substantial modern ...John Furnevel 21/02/2011
This was a small paraffin works on the east side of Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway at Edgefield east of Straiton. It was served by a siding on the east side of the line, approached from the south. This siding was the Edgefield Siding which also served the Edgefield Candle Works, to the south of the oil works.
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Opened by Loanhead station and also known as Loanhead Colliery. Opened by the Shotts Iron Company. ...
More detailsThis was a single platform station. It remains an excellent example of a small North British Railway station with platform, station building, station house and goods shed.
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The old goods shed at Loanhead from the south east in July 2002, at which time the shed and the yard in which it stood were being used as a local ...John Furnevel /07/2002
The route of the former Edinburgh, Loanhead & Roslin Railway passing below the crossroads in Loanhead at the start of the climb south towards Roslin ...John Furnevel 24/08/2017
Following closure of Loanhead station in 1965 the old goods yard was taken over as a works compound by Midlothian Council. As part of recent changes ...John Furnevel 24/08/2017
After leaving Loanhead station and passing below the crossroads in Loanhead town centre the EL&R climbed sharply towards Roslin. This scene on 14 ...John Furnevel 14/03/2016
This was the site of a signal box which controlled access to the short branch to the Burghlee Colliery, one of the Loanhead Collieries. Access was from the north with the sidings on the west side of the line. To the immediate south is the Bilston Glen Viaduct. From a small yard by the junction the lines ran west to further sidings at the loading area, south of the colliery.
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Looking north over the throat of the exchange yard for Bilston Glen Colliery in 1973. In the foreground is the lifted Glencorse/Roslin branch, which ...Bill Roberton //1973
After passing south through Loanhead the EL&R route veered left, before crossing the valley of the Bilston Burn on Bilston Glen Viaduct, part of which ...John Furnevel 14/03/2016
Part of the remains of the once extensive yards of Bilston Glen Colliery, closed in 1988. At its peak the pit employed 2,300 men and topped Scottish ...John Furnevel 03/10/2007
This colliery was south of Loanhead station, just west of Bilston Glen Viaduct.
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This colliery was developed by the National Coal Board, with the sinking commencing in 1952. It replaced Burghlee Colliery, just to the east.
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Scene at Bilston Glen colliery in January 1971 with an unidentified diesel shunter supervising the loading of MGR coal hoppers. The coal would almost ...John Furnevel 22/01/1971
View north from the headshunt of Bilston Glen Colliery, Loanhead, in November 1986. ...Bill Roberton 21/11/1986
The west side of Bilston Glen colliery in September 1971, with coal for Cockenzie power station being loaded in the background. The duty shunting ...John Furnevel 22/09/1971
When Bilston Glen Viaduct was restored in the 1990s the four bearings which supported the 1.500 tonne structure were replaced [see image 55799]. Two ...John Furnevel 24/08/2017
Standing below Bilston Glen Viaduct on 14 March 2016 looking north across the deep valley of the Bilston Burn towards Loanhead [see image 16772]. ...John Furnevel 14/03/2016
View towards Loanhead from the south end of Bilston Glen Viaduct on 14 March 2016. The twin bearings supporting the south end of the structure stand ...John Furnevel 14/03/2016
This station was in the north of Roslin. It was terminus of the line from 1874 to 1877. It was a single platform station (on the south ie village side of the line). The line was single track with a passing loop by the platform. The station building was joined to a railway cottage (similar to Loanhead).
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After leaving Roslin station the EL&R passed below the B7006, which carried the village's Main Street over the formation. Passenger services on the ...John Furnevel 14/03/2016
Looking south west towards the site of Roslin station (now a housing development) along the overgrown EL&RR trackbed on 28 February 2011. The rail ...John Furnevel 28/02/2011
'The human cannonball' must have experienced a similar view just before some joker shouted 'FIRE!' Looking south west along the the ...John Furnevel 13/02/2012
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