Newbattle Viaduct

Location type

Bridge

Names and dates

Newbattle Viaduct (1847-1972)
Newbattle Viaduct (2015-)

Opened on the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway).

Description

This is a double track twenty three arch viaduct over the River South Esk. The height over the South Esk is 80ft and the viaduct is around 1093 ft long. The southernmost arch is skew and crosses the A7. A minor road crossed under the second arch from the north end and the River South Esk passes under the third and forth arches. Alternative names include Lothianbridge, Dalhouse and South Esk Viaduct.

This was a new bridge built with the opening of the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway). To the east was the Newbattle Viaduct [1st] on the Arniston Branch, which it effectively replaced although that branch served various coal mines further east. West Bryans Siding on the new line gave access to the private coal railway.

The viaduct remained unused after closure of the Waverley Route and Lady Victoria Pit for forty three years and required repairs before being brought back into use.

It now carries a single track.

In 1909 two temporary signal boxes opened - Dalhousie North and Dalhousie South - presumably during single line operations for viaduct repairs.

Tags

Viaduct River South Esk

Aliases

Lothianbridge Viaduct

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map

Facilities

Listing: B


Nearby stations
Dalhousie
South Esk
Newtongrange [1st]
Newtongrange
Eskbank
Bonnyrigg
Eskbank and Dalkeith
Broomieknowe
Glenesk
Dalkeith
Lasswade
Sheriffhall [2nd]
Sheriffhall [1st]
Polton
Gorebridge
Newbattle Viaduct [1st]
West Bryans Siding
Tip
Newbattle Signal Box
Newbattle Brick and Tile Works
Newbattle Gas Works
Hardengreen Viaduct
Dalhousie Catchpoints
Dean Oil Works
Newtongrange [Village]
Esk Valley Junction
Lady Victoria Colliery
Eskbank Carpet Factory
Lingerwood Weighbridge
Tourist/other
Newton Grange Level Crossing
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


The Sun Inn


The first meeting of the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Company was held at the The Sun Inn . This is to the east of the Newbattle Viaduct at its north end, across the A7 from the viaduct.

The Newbattle Viaduct [1st] ran to the east of the inn, ie the opposite site to the present viaduct.


News items

06/09/2018Institution of Civil Engineers celebrate the Newbattle Viaduct [Midlothian View]
12/06/2013Victorian viaduct will avert city road chaos [Evening News]

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Scotland - The Lowlands and the Borders v. 6 (Regional railway history series)

Forgotten Railways: Scotland

Galashiels 1897: Selkirkshire Sheet 08.02 (Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Selkirkshire)

Galashiels to Edinburgh: Including the Lauder and Dalkeith Branches - the Waverley Route (Scml)

Hawick 1897: Roxburghshire Sheet 25.07 (Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Roxburghshire)

Hawick to Galashiels: The Waverley Route Including the Selkirk Branch (Scottish Main Lines)

Last Years of the Waverley Route

North British Railway, Vol. 1 (Standard Railway History)

North British Railway, Vol. 2 (Standard Railway History)

On the Waverley Route

Railways Of Scotland 2: The Waverley Route DVD - Cinerail

The Waverley Route Through Time

The Waverley Route: Its Heritage and Revival

The Waverley Route: The Postwar Years

Waverley Route: The battle for the Borders Railway

Waverley Route: The Life, Death and Rebirth of the Borders Railway

Waverley: Portrait of a Famous Route