Five members of Winnie Lisowski's
family standing on a station platform

Where is it?

Where might this photo have been taken?

1955

A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be?

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Winnie Lisowski

 

Which Station Is This?

Thank you to Winnie Lisowski for allowing me to reproduce this photo of five of her family standing on a station platform.

Winnie wrote:

Which Station?

"This photo is dated 1955.  I was wondering if it could have been taken at Abbeyhill Station.

I'm the wee girl and the old man on the left is my Grandpa Leckie.

I found the background interesting and was hoping you have some ideas."

Acknowledgement:  Winnie Lisowski, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland:  October 25, 2012

If you think you can identify where this photo might have been taken, please email me to let me know.    Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  October 27, 2012

 

Reply

1.

Winnie Lisowski

Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Winnie added:

Which Station?

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

"Thank you for putting the photo on your website.  I was only given the photo last week and it would be so interesting to find out what station it is.

I'm sure the hills in the background are the 'Crags' and as my family were from Abbeyhill, so Abbeyhill Station seems most likely to me."

Winnie Lisowski, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland:  October 28, 2012

My first impression is that the hills in the background look too flat to be Salisbury Crags, but I may be mistaken.  I've not checked to see what Salisbury Crags look like from the site of the old station at Abbeyhill.

What do others think.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  October 28, 2012

 

Reply

2.

Simon Capaldi

Sheriffhall, Midlothian, Scotland

Thank you to Simon Capaldi who wrote:

Leadburn Station?

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

"Could this be the old Leadburn station with the Pentland Hills behind?"

Simon Capaldi, Sheriffhall, Midlothian, Scotland

What is the structure in the background on the left-hand side of this photo  that looks a bit like a frame for swings?

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  October 28, 2012

 

Reply

3.

Winnie Lisowski

Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Winnie Lisowski, who sent the photo at the top of this page, has replied:

Which Station?

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

"Thanks Simon for your interesting comments about Leadburn Station and the Pentland Hills.

I now realise that it is not the 'Crags' in the background to this photo.  They are a very different shape."

Winnie Lisowski, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland:  October 29, 2012

 

Reply

4.

Mike Melrose

Greenbank, Edinburgh

Thank you to Mike Melrose for his comments below on Leadburn Station, and for responding to my question at the end of Recollections 2 above.

Mike wrote:

Leadburn Station

"My wife’s maternal great grandfather was the station master at Leadburn.

I have just looked at on the Web at some old OS maps (1908). They show a dead-end goods siding on the west side of the Station with a turntable, i.e. looking towards the Pentlands.

Could the gantry in the picture be for removing heavier items from goods trains on this siding, or for removing sleepers, ballast etc. for the tracks?

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

This photo shows a goods train immediately behind the people, Could the gantry be on the train?"

Mike Melrose, Greenbank, Edinburgh:  November 1, 2012

Hi Mike:

Leadburn Station?

Thanks for your reply.   From what you know of Leadburn Station, do you think we can be fairly sure that the station in this photo is Leadburn, or do you think the question is still open?

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  November 1, 2012

 

Reply

5.

David Bain

Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England

Thank you to David Bain who wrote:

Not Leadburn Station

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

"I wouldn't say that this station was  Leadburn as, even on a map as recent as 1972, there are no bungalows between Leadburn Station and the hills. 

I also think, after staring at it for ages, that the hills in the photograph are closer than the Pentlands are to Leadburn.

It's definitely not the Bass Rock, either!

The gantry affair is on the ground and appears to be too tall, scaled with those open wagons, to fit within the loading gauge."

David Bain, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England:  November 2, 2012

Hi David:

The Photo

Thanks for your reply above.  That's all very helpful. 

Your comment about the housing sounds like good evidence for the station not being Leadburn.

However, I'd be inclined not to draw conclusions from how far away the hills in the background appear to be.  By using a camera with a longer lens and standing further back from the group on the platform, the photographer would be able to make the hills look closer.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh, November 10, 2012

 

Reply

6.

Les Braby

Borders, Scotland

Thank you to Les Braby who wrote:

'T' Woods
in the Background?

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

"I don't know the name of this station, but is that not the 'T' woods in the background on the left?  The 'T' Woods are just above Swanson Village.

Geographically, and by line of sight in reverse, I would say the station is in the Oxgangs/Colinton area, or even Craiglockhart.

I hope this helps."

Les Braby, Borders, Scotland:  May 14, 2014

 

Reply

7.

Les Braby

Borders, Scotland

Thank you to Les Braby who wrote:

Which Station?

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

Old Maps and Google Earth

"I've now done a bit more research on old maps etc., and in conjunction with Google Earth, and hopefully I've now come up with and answer.

I'm 99.9% certain that this station is not Leadburn.  That's too far away from the Pentland Hills, and there are no buildings in the immediate area of Leadburn Station."

Slateford Station?

"Having looked at the stations on the local rail line running from Currie to Haymarket, the most likely contenders for the station in the photograph, I think, are either Kingsknowe or Slateford, but probably the latter as it is elevated with a clear view towards the Pentland Hills over the Meggetland Sports Area.

One way to confirm this, of course, would be to go to the stations in question and look at the view. I hope this helps.

Perhaps one of the other contributors can check my findings"

Les Braby, Borders, Scotland:  May 14, 2014

 

Reply

8.

Terry Cox

Fairmilehead, Edinburgh

Thank you to Terry Cox who wrote:

Which Station?

    A group of five from Willie Lisowski's family standing on a platform in 1955. Which station is this likely to be? ©

"There has been a recent debate about 'Where is this station?'.

One of the suggestions was that it was the T woods in the background - but It's not.

I look out on the T woods from my window, and the profile of the Pentlands to the right of the T woods is totally different from that in the photo.

I haven't a clue where this station actually is!"

Terry Cox, Fairmilehead, Edinburgh:  May 21, 2015

 

 

  

 

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