Discussing the historical development and eventual closure of the Waverley Route, a significant Anglo-Scottish railway line. We outline the North British Railway's ambitious plan to connect Edinburgh, the Borders, and Carlisle, overcoming parliamentary opposition and fierce rivalry with the Caledonian Railway. We highlight the challenging construction through varied terrain, the creation of key stations and engineering feats like viaducts and tunnels, and the line's impact on local communities and freight transport. Finally, the we discuss the route's closure in the late 1960s as part of transport reshaping, and the subsequent efforts to preserve and partially reopen its legacy for tourism and commuter service.

The Waverley Route : A History - From Grand Ambition to a Phoenix Revival

Nook Pasture, a private railway halt established in 1864 on the Border Union Railway in Cumbria. The station's existence stems from a land dispute between a prominent local landowner and horse dealer, John Forster, and the North British Railway Company during the construction of the Waverley Route. Forster's complaint regarding construction damage to his land, initially settled with a small payment and possibly more shares, ultimately led to the creation of this unique, Saturday-only stop. We highlight how Forster, a major NBR shareholder, likely leveraged his influence to secure this private station, greatly aiding his horse-dealing business by providing a direct link to London. Despite its short operational period, Nook Pasture notably appeared in Bradshaw's railway guides and became a local anecdote, offering a glimpse into the intricate relationship between railway expansion and individual interests in 19th-century Britain.

Nook Pasture : A Railway Enigma

"The Great Scottish Borders Flood of 1948," an extraordinary weather event in August of that year that brought unprecedented rainfall and widespread devastation to the Scottish Borders and Northumberland. We highlight record-breaking water levels in rivers like the Tweed and Whiteadder, which led to extensive destruction of infrastructure, including dozens of bridges and significant sections of railway lines. The disruption to transportation routes was immense, requiring the Army's assistance and necessitating the diversion of Anglo-Scottish train services over a longer and more challenging route, leading to several remarkable non-stop steam locomotive runs. We also mention the estimated £70 million cost of repairs and refer to additional resources for further information on this historic flood.

The Great Scottish Borders Flood of 1948

The Liddel Motte deviation, a historical alteration of the Liddel Water's course during the construction of the Border Union Railway. To avoid building the railway over the river twice, engineers diverted the river northwards using heavy sandstone blocks, creating an area for the track. This action resulted in a small parcel of land that, while physically in England, remained legally Scottish due to its original position within the border. The change went largely unmentioned at the time, resurfacing nearly a century and a half later when a farmer, Ian Ellithorn, discovered the unique legal status of a portion of his land, requiring Scottish legal services for its conveyance and adhering to Scottish fishing laws.

Liddel Motte : A Scottish Enclave in Cumbria

This historical overview examines the significance of Moat Quarry, highlighting its role in providing arenaceous Permian sandstone for construction, particularly during the nineteenth-century railway boom. The text details how the quarry's strategic location near the Border Union Railway facilitated the transport of its distinctive "Red Moat Stone" for various projects, including viaducts, stations, and notable buildings like Netherby Hall and the National Portrait Gallery. It describes the growth of the quarry's workforce and its operation under Herbertsons Limited, before their eventual liquidation. Furthermore, the source acknowledges the inherent dangers of quarrying and railway work, recounting several tragic accidents, and concludes by recognizing the quarry's enduring architectural legacy, even though the site has since returned to nature.

Moat Quarry : Stone for Railways and Notable Buildings

We recount the extreme conditions of the Big Freeze of 1963, one of Britain's coldest winters on record. The episode details how temperatures plummeted below -20°C and blizzards created snowdrifts up to 6 meters deep, severely impacting the country from December 1962 to March 1963. We focus on the disruption to the Waverley Route  in the Borders region, illustrating how trains were stranded for weeks, lines were repeatedly blocked by snow and avalanches, and extensive efforts were required for snow clearance, including the use of cranes and even dynamite. Through anecdotes, railway reports, and photographs, we emphasise the resilience of local communities and railway workers in confronting these unprecedented challenges.

When the Rails Froze : The Big Freeze of 1963

This episode focuses on the often-overlooked contributions of Robert Skelden to railway signalling. It chronicles Skelden's early life as a pointsman for the North British Railway in 1849, where he ingeniously devised a method to remotely operate railway signals using a wire and counterweight. This invention, initially reported by his supervisors, was eventually recognised and awarded by the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, and subsequently adopted by the North British Railway. The source traces Skelden's later career and untimely death, emphasising how his pioneering work laid the groundwork for the remote railway signalling systems we use today.

Robert Skelden : Innovator of Remote Railway Signalling

This episode details the construction of the Border Union Railway, specifically the challenging section between Shankend and Whitrope, from 1859 to 1862. It meticulously chronicles the engineering difficulties encountered on the Whitrope Contract, such as the significant water ingress in Whitrope Tunnel and persistent land slippage due to adverse weather, alongside the development of major structures like Shankend Viaduct and the Golden Bridge. The account also highlights the management of a large workforce and the logistical efforts required to procure materials and equipment, ultimately leading to the railway's completion and opening almost a year behind schedule.

Building the Waverley Route : The Whitrope Contract, 1859-62

This episode details the complex history of railway development in Langholm, a town significantly impacted by the Industrial Revolution. It describes the fierce competition between the North British Railway and the Caledonian Railway to establish lines, particularly regarding routes through Langholm to Hawick and Carlisle, highlighting the political and economic factors that influenced these decisions. Ultimately, Langholm received a seven-mile single-track branch line, which, despite initial hopes and challenges like viaduct collapses and Sunday service disputes, served the town for both passenger and freight traffic, including unusual wartime transport and excursions. The narrative concludes with the closure of the line in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts, leaving behind a lasting legacy and local memories of its lost potential as a main line. Thanks go to Bruce McCartney for allowing the use of his written history of the Langholm line to be discussed.

Langholm's Railway : A Lost Line's Enduring Echoes

BBC Radio Scotland programme about Riccarton Junction on the Waverley Route. First broadcast around 2003, this recording has been in my archives since then.

Riccarton Junction - BBC Radio Scotland

I'm a railway historian living in Scotland, and have been researching and writing about the railways of the Scottish Borders for almost 30 years. Several of my articles appear here as episodes, and my original articles are available to read in the Waverley Route Heritage Association journals.

Scottish Borders Railway History

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