Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway

The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway received the royal assent on 26 May 1826 as a horse-drawn tramway to the Scotch gauge, of RailGauge|54, to link various coal mines to the south east of Edinburgh.Whishaw (1840).] Awdry (1990).]

Due to the success of the enterprise, the North British Railway had to pay £113,000 (Pound Sterling) for the line, with the sale being completed in October 1845. It was subsequently converted to standard gauge, reopening in July 1847.

Formation

The original Act of Parliament authorised £10,125 of joint stock capital, and the main line was opened in part for traffic in July 1831. Further parts were opened in October, with passengers first being carried in July 1832.

Two further Acts were obtained; the first Act on 4 June 1829, raising £8,053, sanctioned the Leith Branch, running from Niddrie to Leith. The second Act, in 1834, raised £54,875, authorising further branches to Fisherrow and Musselburgh; and allowing a certain amount of passenger traffic by horse-drawn railway coaches.

The route

The main line

The railway line started life as a horse-drawn, coal carrying, tramway linking a number of collieries to Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. It initially ran between South Esk and St Leonards; some 8¼ miles (13 km) in length. It opened on 4 July 1831 and was laid as a double track.Popplewell (1989).]

The final St Leonards section included a gravity-operated incline, which passed through a 572 yard (515 m) tunnel lit by gas lamps. The incline had a gradient of 1 in 30 and was worked by a stationary steam winding engine. Lewin, Page 16]

The branch to Fisherrow Harbour, Musselburgh, on the Firth of Forth, opened in October 1831.

Leith branch

The Leith branch was partially opened in March 1835 and fully brought into use in July 1838.

Dalkeith branch

To be added

Expansion

"To be added"

Connections to other Lines

*Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway at Duddingston Junction
*North British Railway at Niddrie South Junction
*Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway at Millerhill
*Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (including Marquis of Lothian's waggonway) at Dalhousie

Innocent Railway

The line acquired the name Innocent Railway because of its safety record, despite carrying up to 400,000 passengers per year, no-one was ever killed.

Future

Parts of the Edinburgh and Dalkeith railway are to be reopened as part of the Waverley Line, a re-opening of part of the former new Waverley Route between Edinburgh and Carlisle.

References

Notes

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Links

* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Edinburgh_and_Dalkeith_Railway/frame.htm RAILSCOT on the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway]
* [http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst7864.html The Innocent Railway]