Seafield Shed [CR]

Location type

Loco shed

Name and dates

Seafield Shed [CR] (1902-1962)

Note: text in square brackets is added for clarity and was not part of the location's name.

Opened on the Leith New Lines (Caledonian Railway).

Description

This shed opened in 1902 as part of the Leith New Lines (Caledonian Railway).

The shed was by Marine Esplanade right next to the sea and on the north side of the Seafield Yard [CR] sidings. It was a double ended two road shed with a 60ft turntable to the north and coal stage at the east end.

Traffic was not as large as expected and the shed saw little use. The North British Railway already served the docks and although they experienced difficulties with the traffic level the Caledonian Railway was not connected to the East Lothian coal mines.

With a virtual monopoly of this traffic the North British Railway had to be forced by the coal owners into improving facilities and the Lothian Lines (North British Railway) were opened in 1916.

Due to the lack of locomotive facilities (not much more than a turntable) the North British Railway approached the Caledonian Railway in 1912 to use their Seafield Shed. The Lothian Lines had a connection to the Seafield Yard [CR] and shed. However little use was made and even the connection at Seafield Road Junction fell out of use. As a result the shed saw very little use.

With the Second World War the line from Meadows Yard to Seafield Road Junction was reopened and Seafield Shed [CR] finally came into full use. The nearest shed otherwise was at St Margarets Shed quite some distance off (about 3 miles by railway) and requiring a reversal to reach it. The shed finally became busy. Closure came in 1962.

Nothing remains today. The kink In Marine Esplanade once accommodated the shed.

Tags

Shed

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
02/11/2018