monorail

Bruce McCartney's Waverley Route: last train to Greenlaw

16 July 1965

These pictures depict the last days of the Berwickshire Railway - the western end of it, that is. Built as a through route from Ravenswood Junction, near St Boswells on the Waverley route, to Reston on the east coast main line, it was already little more than a byway when the floods of 1948 washed away a stretch of track roughly in the middle of the line between Duns and Greenlaw. The floods closed the main line for 11 weeks, resulting in some interesting diversions. The severance of the Berwickshire Railway was permanent however, and for the remainder of its existence it was operated as two branch lines. Formal closure of the western branch was on the 19th of July 1965 - but the last train ran the previous Friday. Bruce was out to record its passing - and had a ride on the train too.

	Earlston - train about to leave for Greenlaw
	Fans Loanend siding (site of!)
	Between Earlston and Gordon
	Gordon - train about to leave for Greenlaw
	Leaving Gordon for Greenlaw
	Between Gordon and Greenlaw ("by this time", comments Bruce, "I'd cadged a lift on the loco!")
	End of the line at Greenlaw
	Leaving Gordon
	Shunting at Gordon
	Shunting at Gordon
	Stationmaster watches last train leave Gordon
	Between Earlston and Gordon
	Level crossing just outside Earlston on the Gordon side
	Last train leaves Earlston
	Family group at Earlston prior to departure
	Almost back at St Boswells - Leaderfoot Viaduct

for a map and further details on the line, see Ewan Crawford's excellent "Railscot" page: Berwickshire Railway

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