Charlestown Harbour Branch, Fife

[Dava]

For the avoidance of doubt, this thread concerns the Charlestown Branch which ran from Dunfermline to the harbour at Charlestown and Limekilns in Fife, and has no connection with a harbour of the same name in Cornwall. Scotch Mutton pies, not pasties!

 

The topic has been referred to in a thread on the Netherton Branch and the RNAD Crombie Branch, both of which were connected to it and the useful links in the former are not repeated here: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/81967-nethertown-goods-aka-netherton-in-dunfermline/&tab=comments#comment-1373122

 

The Charlestown Branch has its origins in the wagonways built by Lord Elgin's estate to transport coal and limestone to the coast and to the limekilns which were built there. The area was quite industrial in the 18-mid 20th century and is now an historic, but quiet coastal residential area. https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/factsheet/2018/08/fife-council/documents/charlestown/charlestown/govscot%3Adocument

 

My interest is a possible modelling project of just part of the harbour area in 7mm scale. The only photo I had ever seen of a train on the line is this one beside the harbour in front of the old limekilns, from C.J.Gammell's 'Scottish Branch Lines 1955-1965' [OPC 1978] and you still won't find many photos of the branch in use. 

 

As a modelling project it is bigger than you might think. The line down to the harbour included sidings to the Charlestown iron foundry and the RNAD Crombie complex, both quite extensive on the 1926 map Fifeshire XXXVIII 15 https://maps.nls.uk/view/82882137

with the station continuing onto XXXVIII 16 https://maps.nls.uk/view/82882146 

There is plenty of potential traffic interest from coal, iron, limestone and lime, salt, scrap metal and munitions to/from the RNAD base, which served Rosyth just along the coast. The passenger station closed in 1926 and the branch to the harbour in 1964 but there are a few  photos here. 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/Charlestown_Railway/index.php

 

Putting fragments of the two NLS maps together results in this scrap map of the harbour area:

 

The line does not seem to be well covered in books, the NBR Study Group has one or possibly more articles I have yet to obtain.  There was a NBR 'Y9' allocated, 8040 then 8101[later 68101], so Caley 'Pug' conversions in 4mm or 7mm are possible. The harbour was used as a ship scrapyard and some of the WW1 German fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow were scrapped there after being raised.

 

Any other information or photos would be very welcome.

 

Dava

 

 

[dvdlcs]

I shall be following this thread with interest.

 

I lived in Limekilns, next village to the east, as a child in the 1980s and spent some time around the harbour at Charlestown.

 

I knew there had been a railway into the harbour area - there was a LNER 'trespassers' sign still standing on one of the piers plus the truncated spur that still served RNAD Crombie. Used to walk or cycle up the side of the rail line (never knew that Braeside Junction had a name) towards what I thought was a demolished brickworks, although looking at the map was presumably the foundry and was surprised one day when I cut through the gap between the houses and saw vans standing on the headshunt. Knowing this was MoD stuff I beat a hasty retreat as I assumed there would be people around for the movement of the stock.

 

You may not be surprised to know that where the train is standing in the picture, there is now a road (as there was when I lived there). The kilns, or at least some of them, stood but none of the buildings on top were present when I was there. Never knew that there was a passenger station there.

 

No pictures I'm afraid, I may have had a camera at the time but you never notice the interesting stuff on your doorstep...

[DOCJACOB]

Agree photos thin on ground but Early Railways of West Fife by Brotchie and Jack and one image bizarrely in Illustrated History of Edinburgh Railway’s?

[keefer]

Wee bit on RAILSCOT (all modern pics though): https://www.railscot.co.uk/Charlestown_Railway/index.php

[pH]

One of  J35 64525 fitted with a plough on the branch in 1962 in 'Steam Days' for June 2002. I thought I remembered another of a J36 on the branch, but it turns out that was on the South Queensferry branch (close but ... ).

 

Edit: a picture of the same J35 at Charlestown Harbour on this page:

https://nbrlocomotives.livejournal.com/1796.html

 

And J38 65905 at Charlestown on a railtour on this page:

https://www.rcts.org.uk/features/archive/search.htm?company=lner&subtype=&class=&location=&srch=&page=23

 

(Sorry, I can't seem to get this photo both enlarged and with a caption.)

Edited May 7, 2019 by pH

[pH]

Some pictures captioned as being of Charlestown station, though one (at least) seems doubtful to me. Two are currently available on eBay.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Charlestown-Railway-Station-Photo-Braeside-and-Dunfermline-Line-NBR-4/252491781379?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140107095009%26meid%3Ded2564c2fc3a43e1bca1a70d0a4120ee%26pid%3D100040%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26mehot%3Dlo%26sd%3D252491781379%26itm%3D252491781379&_trksid=p2046732.c100040.m2060

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Charlestown-Railway-Station-Photo-Braeside-and-Dunfermline-Line-NBR-3-/262567390317?redirect=mobile

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Charlestown-Railway-Station-Photo-Braeside-and-Dunfermline-Line-NBR-2-/262688987455

 

https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charlestown_Railway_Station.jpg

 

https://www.railwaystationphotographs.co.uk/charlestown-railway-station-photo-braeside-and-dunfermline-line-nbr-5-6553-p.asp

(Perhaps 65905's train in the background?)

 

[Dava]

PH, Thankyou for posting that wonderful collection of J35/37/38s across the East of Scotland. Even one on the Lochty Branch and proof the Caley carriages reached Charlestown via a RCTS rail tour. I had spotted the EBay postcards but not been tempted so far. It does show there is more Charlestown material out there as WAC Smith and others on the RCTS tour would likely have taken other photos. Clearly a fair bit of traffic to/from the Crombie depot. 

 

My childhood memories of Scottish steam are limited to Gourock Pier [black tank locos and CSP turbine & paddler ships] so it's interesting to see what was also running at the time. 

Dava

[Marly51]

Another fascinating piece of  Scottish Railway History, Dava! Look forward to seeing your plans for this.

 

Marlyn  

[sulzer27jd]

The last couple of issues of the NB Study Group magazine have featured an extensive article on the line. It may be worth the investment if you are considering modelling the line.

 

All the best

 

John

[DOCJACOB]

I don't think the embedded links include this image.

 

Dreadful standard but suspect its a copy of a copy and looks like rear end of un-rebuilt NBR 2-4-0 though prepared to be proven wrong.

Edited May 9, 2019 by DOCJACOB
more thinking

[Dava]

First photo I've seen of a passenger train in the station. I'll consider joining the NB study group [but not this busy week]. No chance of any modeling for a while, sadly. I'd like to visit Charlestown to explore the area before making any firm plans

 

Dava

[Dava]

Anyone know if one of Thornton Junction's allocation of Hunslet 05 diesels ran on the Charlestown branch? I'm assuming it might have happened as I've just taken advantage of a special offer to buy a Heljan 05 in O Gauge.  If there was one stabled at Dunfermline it would have shunted the local yards & sidings.

 

Dava

[pH]

Dunfermline appears to have had a few of its own for a short time in 1967 (though one of those looks like a 'paper transfer'):

 

http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=class&id=5&type=D&page=alloc

 

but diesels used on the branch seem to have been bigger that the 05s, going by the pictures on Railscot.

[FraserClarke]

I've had Charlestown on my 'long list' for a while too - doubt I'll ever do anything about it though I don't think I've found any pictures beyond the ones already mentioned here.  There was an interesting looking iron foundary just 'up' from Charlestown, presumably accessed by a reversal in the station/yard.  I always thought that would make a nice cameo layout, but I can find little/no information about it.  I think most of the building are long gone, though I remember some unidentified ruins in the woods beside the burn.   I grew up just north of here, and regularly fished the lower reaches of the lyne burn in the early 90s - can't say we paid much notice to the 'MOD property' notices :-\  There was a proper set of gates just the other side of the burn though, so we didn't cross that!  This is all long after Charlestown as you're interested in was gone of course...

 

[Dava]

My Heljan 05 arrived this morning so will be allocated to trip working and shunting on a planned future small layout based on the Charlestown Branch in coastal Fife. Ian Futers has done Lochty, even though I built a goods office!  

 

D2587 will be running at the Heritage Shunters Trust event next weekend. https://www.heritageshunterstrust.com/events

 

[Daddyman]

I'm surprised no one has has mentioned the several photos by W.J.V. Anderson, including some beautiful atmospheric ones on the branch itself  - for example in Steam in Scotland vol.1.  There's also video on the branch in Steam in Scotland. Then there are two colour photos in WJVA's Scottish Steam - one of a J35 leaving the terminus, and one of a B1 heading back up the branch in snow, which vies with the view in vol.1 for the most atmospheric photo ever taken, and has led me to consider the branch for modelling more than once - and with a scratchbuilt 68101 taking shape on my bench at the moment, who knows... 

 

[Dava]

Thanks, I have to confess to not owning either of those books or the video. 

 

Dav.

 

[56038]

Still in situ today..... crossing next to Lime Works in Broomhall Estate.

[56038]

From Wikipedia, it is sourced as being factually correct. Last station opened by NB.......
 

A platform was constructed on the Charlestown branch for the use of workers at Crombie Depot. Work started in December 1915 and it opened on 25 May 1916. It was for the use of workmen employed at the depot only. However the station was opened to the general public as Braeside on 1 March 1921; this was the last station to be opened by the North British Railway.

[GlenPudzeoch]

This looks a great potential prototype. The short distance of the station from the goods yard, the harbour sidings- all ideal. I visited North queensferry and wrote a short article for the NBRSG in the early 90s whilst serving at Rosyth when in the Mob. 

Now 62c have a J32 kit available.....

[56038]

Found this; site of Braeside in 2016

[Daddyman]

Couple of shots here: 

And here: 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Daddyman

[56038]

The end of the line this morning, gates to Crombie Depot. This part of the line is on a bridge which seems to prevent the vegetation covering the rest of the branch.