Leven Extension Railway (Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway)

Introduction

This short line extended the Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway to Methil, which was fast becoming the chief coal exporting port in the Wemyss Estate. To the north it met the Leven Railway. In particular the line served the new Methil Dock No 1, equipped with coal hoists, from both north and south.






Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Buckhaven to Methil

The line was extended north east from Buckhaven to carry passengers, goods and minerals to Methil.

This was a single platform station, originally a terminus approached from the west, from Thornton Junction. The platform was on the south side of the line, the town side. The line was extended east to Methil in 1887.
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See also
Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway
Looking west from College Street, Buckhaven, over the course of the Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway's Leven Extension. The route is clearly followed by ...
Bill Roberton 28/04/2018
1 of 1 images.


This junction was to the south west of Methil station. The layout was altered on several occasions and the track layout was complex.
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Kirkland Yard and Leven Dock to Methil Line Widening (North British Railway)
WPR No.19 (Andrew Barclay No. 2067/1939) hoists another rake of mineral wagons away from the BR exchange sidings near Methil West box on 22 August ...
Bill Jamieson 22/08/1969
WPR locomotives at Methil, 1970. Bell's box to the right. View looking west. ...
John Furnevel 17/02/1970
WPR No 19 at Methil, 1970. Bell's box (WPR) and Methil West box behind. ...
John Furnevel 17/02/1970
Wemyss Private Railway No. 19 (Andrew Barclay No. 2067/1939) passes Methil West box with a rake of mineral wagons from the BR exchange sidings on 22 ...
Bill Jamieson 22/08/1969
4 of 10 images. more


This was a single platform terminus station. The station building still exists, in use as an office for a road haulage depot.
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The closed station at Methil on 24th November 2022, sixty seven years after the last passenger train left. It is now the office of Ferguson Transport, ...
John Yellowlees 24/11/2022
Methil station and yard looking north in 1992. The passenger platform was on the other side of the station building ...
Bill Roberton //1992
Demolition of an adjacent building has opened up a view of the facade of Methil Station. ...
Bill Roberton 14/01/2017
26040 in Barclay's yard at the former Methil terminus and yard shortly before the move to Whitrope Siding. ...
Jeffray Wotherspoon 05/03/2016
4 of 7 images. more





Methil to Leven

A minerals and goods line sidestepped the east side of Methil station continuing north to serve docks and meet the existing Leven Dock Railway, creating a circular loop out from Thornton passing through Methil Docks.

This junction was to the south west of Methil station. The layout was altered on several occasions and the track layout was complex.
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More details

See also
Kirkland Yard and Leven Dock to Methil Line Widening (North British Railway)
WPR No.19 (Andrew Barclay No. 2067/1939) hoists another rake of mineral wagons away from the BR exchange sidings near Methil West box on 22 August ...
Bill Jamieson 22/08/1969
WPR locomotives at Methil, 1970. Bell's box to the right. View looking west. ...
John Furnevel 17/02/1970
WPR No 19 at Methil, 1970. Bell's box (WPR) and Methil West box behind. ...
John Furnevel 17/02/1970
Wemyss Private Railway No. 19 (Andrew Barclay No. 2067/1939) passes Methil West box with a rake of mineral wagons from the BR exchange sidings on 22 ...
Bill Jamieson 22/08/1969
4 of 10 images. more




This yard, associated with the Methil Docks, was laid out to the south of Methil passenger station. There were three main layouts, each associated with the opening of a dock.
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This dock was built for the export of coal. It had three coal hoists, one approached by rail from the south (on the west side), two approached from the north (one on the west side one at the north end) and a rail served quayside on the east side.
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Lochs, and lakes, water
Kirkland Yard and Leven Dock to Methil Line Widening (North British Railway)
October 2022 view looking west from the footbridge spanning the former Methil branch, just visible on the bottom right. Dock No.1 is on the left.
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Bill Roberton 28/10/2022
Looking back towards Leven from the 'Tay-Forth Venturer' on 16 June 1984, with Methil Power Station prominent. The footbridge survives in 2022, long ...
Bill Roberton 16/06/1984
The 'Tay-Forth Venturer' DMU rail tour returns from visiting Methil on 16 June 1984.
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Bill Roberton 16/06/1984
The 'Tay-Forth Venturer' on 16 June 1984 nearing the end of the line at Methil with the Dock No.1 on the left and signs of the new oil rig fabrication ...
Bill Roberton 16/06/1974
4 of 13 images. more


This junction, actually at Levenmouth, was formed in 1914 during the works to open Methil Dock No 3. Kirkland Yard was laid out to the west, a great improvement on the single track line from the Kirkland Siding reversing spur in Leven. A quadruple track was laid from the yard to Methil East Junction where there were sidings on the site of the Leven Dock and a new quadruple track ...

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See also
Leven Dock Railway
Kirkland Yard and Leven Dock to Methil Line Widening (North British Railway)
20118 and 20148 depart Methil with empty coal slurry wagons for Westfield on a bright September 1990 evening. ...
Roger Geach 13/09/1990
20199 and 20204 draw an empty slurry train away from Methil Power Station and under the Bawbee Bridge. Its predecessor carried the Wemyss & District ...
Bill Roberton //1983
37692 departs Methil with empty wagons for Killoch via Thornton Junction in 1995. Ex-scrap carrying wagons were used to carry coal slurry. This will ...
Roger Geach 22/03/1995
20199 and 20204 draw an empty slurry train away from Methil Power Station, and under the Bawbee Bridge, in 1983. The bridge's predecessor carried the ...
Bill Roberton //1983
4 of 14 images. more