Railways in North Edinburgh - Scotland Street Coal Yard

Recollections
0.	Peter Stubbs Edinburgh	- Scotland Street Coal Yard - Between the Tunnels - The Line to Granton - Further Developments - Scotland Street Playground - Photo Comparison: early + 2011
1.	Danny Callaghan Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland	- Timber Merchants - Ritz Cinema - Joiners' Workshop - Chapel + Church Hall
2.	Dave Smith Point Cook, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia	- Ritz Cinema
3.	Les Braby Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England	- Rail Yard: 1940s to 1960s - Timber in the Rail Yard - Canonmills Primary School - War Memorial - Joiners' / Carpenters' Business - Church Halls - Wafer Factory - Snooker - The Embankment - Tunnels and Industry along the Line - Builders' Yard - Memories
4.	Gus Coutts Duddingston, Edinburgh	- Model Railway Exhibit
4. Reply 1.	Mark Gow Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland	- Model Railway Exhibit
5.	Stuart Lyon Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland	- The Waverley Bakery - Zaccardelli & Cervi - Deliveries - Move to Glasgow
6.	Dave Burgess	- Date of Photo 1: 1956-67
7.	David Elbourne	- Model Railway Exhibit
8.	David Elbourne	- Model Railway Exhibit

Recollections

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Scotland Street Coal Yard

Between the Tunnels

"This stretch of line passing through the coal yard in the photograph above lies between the tunnels under Scotland Street (to the south) and Rodney Street (to the north).

The Rodney Street tunnel entrance can be seen in the centre of this picture."

The line to Granton

"The Edinburgh Leith & Granton Railway company operated trains through these tunnels from 1842 until 1868.

The line, with its rope haulage through Scotland Street tunnel was then replaced by a steam-hauled route through Abbeyhill, Easter Road, Leith Walk and Powderhall, to Trinity and Granton."

Further Developments

"In later years, Scotland Street tunnel was used as an air raid shelter during World War 2, for growing mushrooms, and for storing new cars.

Part of the coal yard in the photograph above has now (2007) been converted to a children's playground, and work is being carried out to re-open the tunnel under Rodney Street (in 2008) to become part of the network of footpaths and cycle routes through North Edinburgh."

Scotland Street Playground

Comparison of early photo and 2011 photo

"The two photos above both look to the north over the open ground at the foot of Scotland Street. The building in the background with the gable roof is Canonmills School, recently converted to housing.

Heriothill Tunnel (hidden behind the trees in the second photo) leading under Rodney Street and Broughton Road, was closed for many years but opened again as a footpath and cycle track around 2009.

The long slide, resting on the sloping ground at the southern end of the playground can be seen in the lower-right corner of the 2011 photo."

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: 2011

Recollections

Danny Callaghan

Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Thank you to Danny Callaghan for writing with details of the various buildings in the background on this photo of the Scotland Street coal yard:

Danny wrote

Timber Merchants

"The coal yard was still operating in 1960. At that time I worked for Souness & Spiers, timber merchants, and their sawmill and yards where at the other end of the Rodney Street tunnel alongside the Water of Leith at Warriston Road."

"We still had the occasional delivery of timber by rail then. The Sawmill had flats built on it at 'Boat Green' and my mum and dad moved into one of these. The original cottage for the sawmill and probably the rail yard is still in Warriston Road and was being used, last time I passed, by a designer and photographer."

Ritz Cinema

"On the coal yard picture the building to the left is the back of Ritz cinema. Many a film I have seen there. The bay windows at the back of the Ritz look a bit out of place. I cannot remember them."

Joiners' Workshop

"The wooden building in front of the school was a joiners' workshop in Cornwallis Street."

Chapel and Church Hall

"The roof to the right of the school is Bellevue Chapel. The building to the left of the school was a church hall now the British Legion that is where I went to the Coronation Party"

Danny Callaghan, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: February 2, 2011

Recollections

Les Braby

Borders, Scotland

Thank you to Les Braby who wrote:

Photo 1

Rail Yard in 1940s to 1960s

"The photo above was, I think, taken in the in the late-1960's or earlier. When I was a boy in the late-1940s and 1950s, this was an active rail yard for a variety of commodities of which coal was predominant.

I attended Canonmills Primary School from 1947 to 1954, and stayed in Heriothill Terrace, opposite the Ritz Cinema."

Timber in the Rail Yard

"One of your earlier correspondents is quite right about the trains with timber. They used to come in at the siding to the far right of the picture. The timber was in the form of slats about three feet long and was used, I think, by the cooperage in Glenogle Road to make up the barrels.

As boys, we used to help the workers to unload the timber, for which we received the 'princely sum' of one shilling. There were no 'Health & Safety' rules to worry about in those days. We just mucked in and enjoyed ourselves."

Canonmills Primary School

"Canonmills Primary School is the central building in the background of this photo. The immediate adjoining building on the right with the high chimneys was the Janitor's House, and to the right of that is the gable end of Bellevue Chapel.

The school playground was split into two parts, one for girls and one for boys. There was a six foot high wall separating the two. Thee wall was in front of the high gable in the centre of the school.

The long, low building in the front, left of the school as you look at it, was the sheltered area and girls' toilets."

War Memorial

"There was a War Memorial for pupils from the school who had fallen in WWI. It used to be situated on the wall of the School Hall. Does anyone know what happened to it?"

Joiner's/Carpenter's Business

"As one of your subscribers has already mentioned, the long low building, to the left of the Janitor's House was a Joiner's/ Carpenter's business."

Church Halls

"To the immediate left of the school, there is a gap looking onto Rodney Street, and to the immediate left of this gap, there were the Church Halls for St Mary's Church at Bellevue Crescent. Now, I believe these halls have become a Club of some sort?

Wafer Factory

"Between this Church Hall and the Ritz Cinema, there was a lane which led to the 'Wafer & Cone Factory'', Zachardelli's, I think, was the name.

I think the arched windows that we can see were the offices of this factory with the actual factory running from there to the left along the back of the Ritz Cinema to Rodney Street Lane. I recollect that the offices were an old house to which the factory had been appended.

As boys we used to go to their fire exit at the back of the cinema and scrounge the broken wafers and cones."

Snooker

"I used to play snooker in the Snooker Hall next to the Ritz."

The Embankment

"On the embankment to the right, there used to be hen runs. Indeed, they may still be there."

Tunnels and Industry along the Railway Line

"The photograph is, I think, taken from above the bricked-up entrance to the tunnel which ran under Scotland Street from the Waverley Station.

The tunnel straight ahead, under the school, came out close to Heriot House which is now the Navy Club, close to the new Tesco store.

The railway continued on to the north, beside Warriston Cemetery. There were various industrial units along it's length. The Shovel Works and the Chemical Works are the two that I remember. I think the track of the old railway line is now a public footpath."

Today

Cycle Paths and Tunnel

Yes, the route of the old railway line has now become part of a fairly extensive and expanding network of footpaths and cycle paths in North Edinburgh.

The tunnel under the school has now been re-opened as part of the cycle path and has been given new lighting. The next exit from the path, heading to the north, immediately after passing through the tunnel, is to the Tesco store.

Children's Playground

Children's playgrounds with swings, round-abouts have been created on the site of the old railway yard in the foreground of this photo, and on the land (out of picture) to the west.

These playgrounds include swings, roundabout, a long slide, a basketball court and an open-air table tennis table.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: November 3, 2014

Builders' Yard

"To the left of the photograph was a Builders' Yard which was accessed from Eyre Place and to the left of that was the New Swing Park, which was opened in the 1950s"

Memories

"I think I've exhausted my thoughts on this at present, but the photo does bring back many, many wonderful memories."

Les Braby, Borders, Scotland: November 2, 2014

Recollections

Reply

Mark Gow

Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Thank you to Mark Gow for replying to Gus Coutts' question about the whereabouts of the Scotland Street railway model.

Mark wrote:

Model Railway Exhibit

"I am lucky enough to be the custodian of Scotland Street railway layout.

It is a fantastic layout and, true to scale and detail. It was built by Dave Elbourne and completed in 1988 . Here is a photo of the model."

Mark Gow, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: 14 +16 November 2016

Scotland Street Railway Layout

Enlarge this Photo

Recollections

Stuart Lyon

Blackford, Edinburgh

Thank you to Stuart Lyon who wrote:

The Waverley Bakery

Zaccardelli & Cervi

"In Recollection 3 (above) Les Braby mentions the ‘Wafer & Cone Factory'. I always knew this as the Waverley Biscuit Factory. It was run by Zaccardelli & Cervi."

Deliveries

"I used to deliver drinks for their Boardroom when I worked as a delivery boy for Wm Irvine at 1 Mansfield Place in the early-1960s. I also delivered drinks and groceries to the Cervi family who had a flat in Bellevue Crescent."

Move to Glasgow

"The Waverly Bakery was established in Edinburgh in 1908, but moved through to Glasgow following a merger in 1995. The company was acquired by Lees Foods in 2003, and now operates form new premises at the East End of Glasgow.

Please click here to read more about The Waverley Bakery."

Stuart Lyon, Blackford, Edinburgh: November 5, 2014

Recollections

Dave Burgess

Stuart Lyon wrote again, adding:

The Coal Yard

Photo

Date of the photo

1956-67

"You wonder when this Scotland Street Coal Yard picture (above) might have been taken. I can’t say for certain, but I’d guess it was some time between 1956 and 1967.

This Subterranea Britannica web site has a 1967 picture of the same area, showing the coal siding is clearly out of use and the site to be rather untidy compared to Photo 1 above.

The coal wagons in Photo 1 are steel-bodied and in relatively good condition, so I'd say that Photo 1 is likely to have been taken some time after 1956. That's when steel-bodied wagons were being built all around the railway system, though wooden wagons were very common up until 1967."

Dave Burgess: 26 June 2016

Recollections

Dave Elbourne

London

Thank you to Dave Elbourne who for sending the message below.

Model Railway Exhibit

David wrote:

"My brother, Richard Elbourne, brought to my attention to the thread (above) of recollections regarding Scotland Street Goods Yard, and I was fascinated to see that my layout still exists !

All credit must go to the custodians for keeping it in a state of good repair as it is many years since I brought it to Edinburgh and placed it into the care of a local model railway club, it having been purchased by a community-based group affiliated to Edinburgh City Council.

The layout took around 4-years to build. My brother and I visited the site, about 1980, and photographed and measured the remaining buildings. The yard was track-less but the platforms and landscape was all as it had been. The site was later to be re-developed as a playground and community venture.

The track-plan and the size and positioning of the buildings were all taken off OS maps from various dates, but pictures of some of the buildings were never found, so some 'modellers licence' had to be used.

Much of the detail work was conjectured, of course, but the layout always proved to be popular at exhibitions, and, with the (totally fictitious) "re-instatement" of the passenger service on the 'Waverley to Granton' route via Scotland Street, it was possible to have 3 trains running at once.

Credit should also go to members of the Leamington and Warwick Model Railway Society, who inspired me to take the plunge into exhibiting model railways and whose members did much to staff and support the layout at the many exhibitions we attended. Although the layout itself was built by myself, it would not have been the success it was without their help and support.

The layout appeared in the Railway Modeller in 1988, and won the 'Railway Modeller Cup' that year, with photographs taken by Barry Norman.

It is very surprising, that after 30 years, the layout is intact and still being enjoyed and talked about!

It was very interesting to read the recollections of others on the EdinPhoto site and to see some different pictures too."

Dave Elbourne, London: 4 March 2017

Recollections

Dave Elbourne

London

Thank you to Dave Elbourne who for sending the message below.

Model Railway Exhibit

David wrote:

Our Research

"I've lived in London for the last 10 years (currently near Finsbury Park), but the layout was built when I lived in Rugby, Warwickshire, in the late 1980s.

My interest in the railways of Edinburgh were sparked when I was an Edinburgh resident for 18 months in the mid-1970s, although my particular interest in Scotland Street happened later, when looking for an interesting prototype location for an exhibition layout.

My brother and I visited the site of, what was then, a derelict 'hole in the ground'' It was a very rewarding trip and really gave me a feel for the haunting atmosphere of a little bit of the urban commonplace from a bygone age. I'm pleased to say that many of the viewers at exhibitions commented on just that."

HRH Princes Anne

"Incidentally, the layout was viewed by HRH Princess Anne, who recognised the location when she had stayed in St. Andrews Square as a child - but the wiring under the layout did worry her security people!"

Edinburgh

"I have to say that Edinburgh remains my favourite UK city, although as an 18/19 year-old, I was more interested in Mk1 Ford Cortinas and girls! - impressionable years, I guess!

Being a student of industrial archaeology, I find the EdinPhoto site and it's contributors endlessly fascinating. I think I've learned more about Edinburgh recently than when I was living there!"

Dave Elbourne, London: 22 March 2017 (2 emails)