Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway

Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway

Company type	Railway company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1870
Fate	Amalgamated into North British Railway in 1877
Headquarters	Scotland, United Kingdom
Area served	South of Edinburgh, Scotland
Key people	Thomas Bouch (engineer), John Waddell (contractor)
Products	Passenger and mineral rail transport

The Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway (ELRR), often referred to as the Glencorse Branch of the North British Railway, was a rail line located south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It primarily serviced mineral industries while also providing passenger transport. The route commenced operations in 1874, running from Millerhill junction on the Waverley Route to Roslin. It was extended in 1877 towards the vicinity of Penicuik to facilitate access to Glencorse Barracks and a colliery, with a further extension reaching Penicuik Gas Works by 1878.

Passenger usage diminished significantly due to competition from bus transportation, resulting in the termination of passenger services by 1933. Although some mining activities resumed after World War II, most rail traffic ceased by 1969, culminating in the complete closure of the line in 1989.

Initial Proposals

In the parliamentary session of 1845, numerous Scottish railway projects were authorized amidst fierce rivalry, including those by the Caledonian Railway and the North British Railway (NBR). At that time, it was anticipated that only one principal route would be sustainable between central Scotland and England, motivating local communities to campaign for their inclusion.

A scheme proposed in 1846 for a Peebles Railway intended to link Edinburgh and Peebles via Loanhead, Roslin, Glencorse, and Penicuik, crossing the North Esk. However, this plan failed to secure backing and was subsequently abandoned.

Eventually, Peebles gained railway access in 1855 through the opening of a branch line from the NBR’s main route (the Waverley Route). This line ran east of the North Esk but did not serve the industrial districts targeted by earlier proposals.

The NBR aimed to consolidate its presence in the Lothians and prevent expansion by its competitor, the Caledonian Railway. In 1865, it obtained parliamentary approval for several branch lines under the North British Railway (Lasswade Branches) Act 1865. Nonetheless, shareholder dissatisfaction led to a board change, and none of these branches were constructed.

The Edinburgh Loanhead and Roslin Railway

The development of mineral extraction north of Penicuik drove the establishment of the Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. xlvi), which received royal assent on 20 June 1870. The authorized capital was £54,000. The North British Railway agreed to operate the line for thirty years in exchange for 45% of gross revenue and retained an option to acquire the company within five years after its opening.

Construction was overseen by engineer Thomas Bouch and contractor John Waddell, who encountered delays caused by exceptionally wet weather conditions. A disagreement over financing the junction with the NBR line at Millerhill arose; ultimately, in May 1872, NBR consented to fund one-third of this expense.

During construction, increasing mineral activity led shareholders on 5 February 1872 to approve legislation extending the railway to Glencorse and Mauricewood. The Shotts Iron Company pledged to transport between 50,000 and 60,000 tons of ironstone annually on this extension, while the Glasgow Iron Company began developing new pits nearby. The Edinburgh, Loanhead, and Roslin Railway Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. ccxliv) was enacted on 5 August 1873 with capital amounting to £36,000. The Mauricewood pit was connected to this branch by a tramway featuring an inclined plane.

Commencement of operations

Mineral traffic began running to the Shotts sidings at Loanhead on 6 November 1873, primarily serving the Shotts Iron Company. Transfers occurred at Millerhill Junction. Progress toward Roslin railway station was hindered by delays in constructing a bridge over Bilston Glen. Following a Board of Trade inspection on 22 July 1874 and subsequent authorization on 1 August 1874, the stretch from Loanhead to Roslin likely opened soon after.

Line extension to Glencorse

By this period, the Esk Valley Railway (established 1867) and Penicuik Railway (opened 1872) were already functioning nearby. In 1875, with the Shotts Iron Company developing a new shaft at Greenlaw near Glencorse Barracks, the Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway (ELRR), supported by the North British Railway (NBR), pursued permission to extend its route to serve this mine. The Penicuik Railway opposed the plan due to concerns over competition; ultimately, both companies agreed to share traffic south of Auchendinny and Roslin respectively.

Financial limitations delayed the extension project; in 1875, NBR contributed £6,000 toward a total £36,000 capital requirement. This funding shortfall led to ELRR’s incorporation into NBR under the North British Railway (Amalgamations) Act 1877, effective from 1 August 1877. Post-merger, ELRR shareholders received preference shares yielding 5%, an improvement over their previous 2% return.

Construction setbacks arose from embankment difficulties, postponing the opening. A May 1877 inspection highlighted inadequate signalling, but after corrections, a re-inspection on 25 June approved passenger operations commencing 2 July 1877 to "Glencross" station opposite Glencorse Barracks (later renamed Glencorse railway station). The timetable featured five daily passenger trains offering first, second, and fourth class accommodations. Additionally, a self-acting incline linked Greenlaw Colliery with Glencorse station.

The railway extended further to Penicuik Gas Works by 30 June 1878. Between 1878 and 1894, the Greenlaw colliery tramway was realigned westward to transport coal from Mauricewood Colliery directly onto the main line near the Gas Works terminus.

Bilston Viaduct

In the late 1880s, subsidence caused by coal mining led to the collapse of Drydenbank mansion near Bilston Glen Viaduct. Mining operations also threatened the viaduct structure itself. Negotiations with the colliery proprietor resulted in a compensation demand of £152,500. The North British Railway sought approval to replace the viaduct with an embankment; however, objections from landowners and arbitration by the Board of Trade culminated in a coal reserve payment of £25,000 intended to safeguard the viaduct. Ultimately, NBR replaced the viaduct in 1892.

Developments in the twentieth century

The introduction of a bus route from Roslin to Edinburgh in 1914 immediately impacted railway passenger volumes negatively.

Gilmerton station was closed during World War I from January 1917 until reopening in June 1919.

Following the Railways Act of 1921, NBR was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923.

During the 1930s, intensified competition from buses caused sharp declines in rail passengers, resulting in cessation of passenger services on 1 May 1933.

After nationalisation in 1948, management of the line transferred to British Railways’ Scottish Region.

Opening in 1952 as an extension of Burghlee Colliery, Bilston Glen pit significantly increased mineral traffic. The closure of Penicuik gasworks in 1956 ended regular services on that branch. The line was truncated south of Glencorse station and further cut back to Roslin by August 1959; goods services at Gilmerton, Roslin, and Glencorse ceased. Passenger excursion trains continued operating into summer 1960.

The inauguration of Bilston Glen Colliery in April 1961 as a modern National Coal Board facility further boosted mineral freight volumes on this route.

Closure of Roslin colliery in January 1969 led to abandonment of track southwards from north of Bilston viaduct.

Except for a headshunt at Millerhill Junction, the entire line was closed by 1989.

Topography

Starting at Millerhill Junction, the route ascended sharply with a gradient of 1 in 55.

The Bilston Glen was crossed by a viaduct measuring 166 feet in length and rising 150 feet in height, constructed with wrought iron truss girders supported by brick piers.

Passenger operations commenced to Roslin in August 1874 and were extended to Glencross (later known as Glencorse) by July 1877; these services were discontinued on 1 May 1933. Important stops along the line included:

• Millerhill; connection point with the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway
• Gilmerton; temporarily closed to regular traffic during World War I, then reopened after the conflict
• Shotts Sidings (Ramsey Pit)
• Loanhead
• Shotts Sidings (Burghlee Pit)
• Roslin station
• Glencross/Glencorse
• Mauricewood Colliery Sidings
• Penicuik Gas Works

External links

• History of Glencorse station and railway on Disused Stations
• Detailed line history on RailBrit