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Fountainhall railway station

Coordinates: 55°44′17″N 2°54′49″W / 55.738053°N 2.913577°W / 55.738053; -2.913577
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Fountainhall
Remains of the station site, 2000
General information
LocationFountainhall, Scottish Borders
Scotland
Coordinates55°44′17″N 2°54′49″W / 55.738053°N 2.913577°W / 55.738053; -2.913577
Grid referenceNT427497
Platforms3
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyNorth British Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-groupingLNER
Key dates
Early August 1848Opened as Burnhouse
or Fountainhall
2 July 1901Renamed Fountainhall Junction
1959Renamed Fountainhall
6 January 1969 (1969-01-06)Closed

Fountainhall railway station served the village of Fountainhall, Scottish Borders from 1848 to 1969 on the Waverley Route.

History

[edit]

The station opened as Burnhouse or Fountainhall on 1 August 1848 by the North British Railway.[a][b][1]

The station was situated on the south side of an unnamed minor road. The goods yard consisted of three sidings with the siding closest to the main line passing through a large goods shed. The yard was equipped with 1¼ ton crane and could handle live stock.[2][3]

The station became a junction when the Lauder Light Railway was opened on 2 July 1901, the station's name was changed to Fountainhall Junction from this date.[4]

The Lauder branch closed to passengers on 12 September 1932 and to goods on 1 October 1958.[5]

The station was host to a LNER camping coach from 1935 to 1939.[6] A camping coach was also positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1958 to 1960.[7]

The station was still named Fountainhall Junction until April 1959,[1] even though the LNER timetable of 1937 didn't use the 'junction' suffix.[citation needed]

The station was closed to goods on 28 April 1964,[8] with the remaining sidings quickly lifted[citation needed] and was closed to passengers on 6 January 1969

In September 2015, the Waverley Route partially reopened as part of the Borders Railway. Although the railway passes through the original Fountainhall station, it was not reopened.[9]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ There is some confusion around the opening of the station. Firstly with the station name which according to Quick (2022) was described as both Burnhouse and Fountainhall in the opening notice, the station appeared in Bradshaw initially as Burnhouse until 1849 when it appeared as Fountainhall. Secondly with the precise date as there are conflicting reports, Quick (2022) notes that a NBR notice published in 'The Scotsman' and 'Bradshaw's Shareholders Guide' both have it as 1 August whereas the shares section of the 'Caledonian Mercury' has it as the 4th[1]
  2. ^ At times the Railway Clearing House used two words for Fountain Hall as did the NBR on its tickets[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. pp. 198 & 523. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Fountainhall station on OS 25inch map Edinburghshire XXIII.3 (Stow)". National Library of Scotland. 1905. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  3. ^ The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. p. 207. ISBN 0-7153-5120-6.
  4. ^ Grant, Donald J. (2017). Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain (1st ed.). Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 305. ISBN 978-1-78803-768-6.
  5. ^ Thomas, John; Paterson, Rev A. J. S. (1984). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Vol. VI Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders (2nd ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 282–283. ISBN 0-9465-3712-7. OCLC 12521072.
  6. ^ McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. p. 11. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
  7. ^ McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. p. 28. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
  8. ^ Hurst, Geoffrey (1992). Register of Closed Railways: 1948-1991. Worksop, Nottinghamshire: Milepost Publications. pp. 57 & 59 (refs 2584 & 2621). ISBN 0-9477-9618-5.
  9. ^ "The Borders Railway runs from Edinburgh Waverley to Tweedbank". Scotrail. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
[edit]
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Heriot
Line open, station closed
  North British Railway
Waverley Route
  Stow
Line and station open
Disused railways
Terminus   Lauder Light Railway   Oxton
Line and station closed