Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)




Dates

  /  /1956Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Thornton Yard comes partly into use.
  /  /1958Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Thornton Yard full in use.
  /  /1975Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Control tower at Thornton Yard taken out of use and many sidings severed at the west end of the yard.
  /  /1984Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
New two road Thornton Junction TMD completed, built at the east end of Thornton Yard.
  /  /1992Leslie Railway
Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Auchmuty Paper Mill branch from Markinch closed. Bulk starch traffic transferred to new freight depot within Thornton Yard and carried by road to the works.
  /  /2007Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Locomotives 60009 'Union of South Africa' and 61994 'The Great Marquess' are based at Thornton Junction TMD.
  /  /2008Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Thornton Yard used to store surplus coal wagons (previously stored in Perth New Yard).
  /  /2018Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Locomotives 60009 'Union of South Africa' and 61994 'The Great Marquess' cease to be at Thornton Junction TMD.
  /  /2019Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Thornton Junction TMD shed was demolished along with the nearby administrative building. Thornton Yard out of use.
  /05/2021Thornton Marshalling Yard and Rothes Pit (British Railways)
Sleepers stored at Thornton Yard for the reopening of the 'Levenmouth Line' (the Leven Railway).

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

This junction is the western approach to Thornton Yard. It was a double track junction leading to the down arrival sidings and up departure sidings. The signal box was on the north side of the junction (it closed in 1981 as part of the Edinburgh Signalling Centre. The junction was rationalised and is now a single lead junction.
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See also
Dunfermline Branch (Edinburgh and Northern Railway)


This was the control tower for the west end of Thornton Yard controlling the reception sidings, hump, retarders and access to the sorting sidings. (See main Thornton Yard entry.)
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Thornton Yard Hump Control with a spur avoiding the humps in the foreground. The yard is to the left. ...
Bill Roberton //1987
The former Control and signalling centre at Thornton Yard. Opened in 1956 incorporating the latest technology to accommodate the supposed trainloads ...
Brian Forbes 08/11/2008
The control tower at Thornton Yard continues to moulder away. Money down the drain. ...
Ewan Crawford 02/06/2007
3 of 3 images.


This group of sidings is on the north side of the Dunfermline Branch (Edinburgh and Northern Railway) west of Thornton West Junction. The now disused yard is a shadow of the modern marshalling yard it once was.
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60009 'Union of South Africa' and support coach in Thornton Yard in 1992. The former DMU servicing platform is in the foreground.
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Bill Roberton //1992
Delivery of sleepers to Thornton yard. Network Rail has taken delivery of sixteen thousand sleepers that will form part of the new Levenmouth Rail ...
Network Rail /05/2021
Network Rail has taken delivery of sixteen thousand sleepers that will form part of the new Levenmouth Rail link.
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Network Rail /05/2021
60076 parked in Thornton Yard with an empty coal train in 1992, its first full year of service. Thirty years on many of these locos are in storage but ...
Bill Roberton //1992
4 of 28 images. more


This shed was located at the east end of Thornton Yard in the northern part of the yard west of Redford Junction.
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20119 and 20198 outside Thornton Junction depot on 16 May 1991. 26042 is also on shed. ...
Roger Geach 16/05/1991
26024 is stabled at Thornton Junction depot on 4rh June 1983. ...
Roger Geach 04/06/1983
Thornton Junction TMD under construction, seen from the 'Tay Forth Venturer' railtour passing on the Westfield branch on 16 June 1984. The shed was ...
Bill Roberton 16/06/1984
Thornton no more. Newly completed Thornton Junction TMD in 1984. Latterly, this was the home of 60009 'Union of South Africa' and 61994 'The ...
Bill Roberton //1984
4 of 6 images. more


This yard controlled the eastern end of Thornton Yard. (See main Thornton Yard entry.)
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Thornton Yard East Signal Box seen in 1992 from a Railtour was at the east end of the yard also controlled access to the Westfield branch. The view ...
Bill Roberton //1992
Lever frame and panel at Thornton Yard sb in July 1971. ...
Ian Dinmore /07/1971
Thornton Yard signal box, photographed in July 1991. ...
Ian Dinmore /07/1991
3 of 3 images.


Redford Siding existed prior to 1913. In 1913 the Lochore and Redford Extension (North British Railway) extended the Kinglassie Colliery line to Redford (to create a loop from Kelty). This crossed the Redford Siding which was connected to the new line instead of continuing to make its own collection. Redford Junction was to the east of the original connection.
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More details

See also
Dunfermline Branch (Edinburgh and Northern Railway)
Thornton Yard east access, taken from a passing train on 17 August 2022. Pretty
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Bill Roberton 17/08/2022
On the approach to Redford Junction from the east. Heading for Westfield. View from the embankment of the old lines serving the closed Thornton ...
Ewan Crawford //
A 66 waiting by the marsh and amongst the tall telegraph poles at Redford Junction. View looks west and the former Thornton Colliery lines are to the ...
Ewan Crawford //
A pair of 20s on coal ex-Westfield, passing Thornton Yard outer home, seen from Strathore Road bridge. ...
Bill Roberton //1990
4 of 7 images. more


This was a largely unsuccessful colliery built on a grand scale. Sinking of this colliery began under the Fife Coal Co Ltd and it was developed as a 'Superpit' by the National Coal Board. Also known as Rothes Colliery.
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The buffer stop at the end of the Rothes Pit sidings in 1992. Housing has since been built over this area. ...
Bill Roberton //1992
A fragment of the 3' gauge narrow gauge surface network alongside the surface buildings at Rothes Pit in 1990. ...
Bill Roberton //1990
The surface buildings at Rothes Pit in 1990. Sidings and a loading facility occupied the ground to the right. ...
Bill Roberton //1990
Looking along the gallery which held the hutch sorting system, with elevating tracks of which only the footings remain. ...
Bill Roberton //1990
4 of 8 images. more