North Queensferry Branch

[56038]

I’ve been reading about the Charlestown (Fife) branch with great interest, then stumbled on its near neighbour recently - North Queensferry Pier. Although closed to passengers when the Forth Railway Bridge opened it lasted as a goods branch until 1950’s. Possibly a good prototype for modelling; small yard, pier, ferry boat and possibly Forth Railway Bridge as background!

The branch can be found on the excellent National Library of Scotland on line maps, but beyond that.....

Anybody got anything interesting? Thanks

[DOCJACOB]

One image in NBRSG photo archive and vaguely recall small article in the Journal 

[keefer]

Not much on Canmore but a WW2 aerial pic shows the branch :

https://canmore.org.uk/collection/372380

2 pics taken on the pier side of the tunnel (goods yard) :

https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1104528

https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1104529

This L-shaped building seems to be a hotel/tea rooms and is shown on the 1927 OS 25-inch map (the location pin for these on Canmore is wrong) :

https://maps.nls.uk/view/82882449#zoom=5&lat=7412&lon=9226&layers=BT

This building, however, is gone by the late-'50s

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by keefer

[keefer]

I forgot, there's also the 1913 RCH Jcn. Diagram:

(Stated as in public domain)

 

[Steamysandy]

The section from Inverkeithing South Junction to Rosyth Junction where the Admiralty  line into Rosyth Dockyard still exists as far as I know.This saw regular workings including daily workman's trains known to have been worked by D11/2 Directors.More recently the then brand new class 159s for Network South East were sent to Rosyth for fitting out by Babcock and Willcox by this route

On the other side a spur ran into the Ship Breaking Yard where many fine vessels met their end. The Cunard liner Mauretania was one example while some of the upturned hulk's of German battleships recovered from Scapa Flow were among others.

A number of Britannia class locos including 70004 William Shakespeare were also cut up here.

Hope this is of interest

[56038]

Yes, the branch to Rosyth Dockyard is still in situ although mothballed for quite a number of years now. All traces of the North Queensferry spur disappeared in the early 1960’s when the Forth Road bridge road links were built. Only trace now is at the pier itself.

I also remember the lines of steam locos at the shipyard, also the surprising scene of numbers of 16t mineral wagons dumped in the water awaiting scrap due to lack of siding space! The crane fished them out as required.... wish I’d taken a photo...

[56038]

2 hours ago, keefer said:

I forgot, there's also the 1913 RCH Jcn. Diagram:

(Stated as in public domain)

 

Thanks Keefer, an extra branch (perhaps just more of a siding) I’d not been aware of to the north side of Inverkeithing Bay. 

[JeremyC]

The tunnel on the branch to North Queensferry was filled in with expanded polystyrene blocks during the construction of the new Queensferry Crossing.

https://www.theforthbridges.org/news/disused-tunnel-at-forth-road-bridge-made-safe/

Until I saw the item on the above website I didn't realise there had been a branch to North Queensferry (and I live just on the other side of the river)

[56038]

That’s amazing!! Never saw that story.

Thanks

[keefer]

21 minutes ago, JeremyC said:

The tunnel on the branch to North Queensferry was filled in with expanded polystyrene blocks during the construction of the new Queensferry Crossing.

https://www.theforthbridges.org/news/disused-tunnel-at-forth-road-bridge-made-safe/

Until I saw the item on the above website I didn't realise there had been a branch to North Queensferry (and I live just on the other side of the river)

I did wonder if they'd come across anything during the works but haven't had time to look plus I thought the works would've been too far west to encounter the tunnel

[keefer]

11 hours ago, 56038 said:

Thanks Keefer, an extra branch (perhaps just more of a siding) I’d not been aware of to the north side of Inverkeithing Bay. 

Think that's just the line into the ship breaking yard (although there's a quarry there too)

Don't think I ever saw any scrap locos there but I do remember seeing diesel shunters around the place (seen from a passing train).

Notice on the map the large 'E' shaped building - presumably a warehouse originally, but I remember it as 'Landmark' furniture retailer "Get on your mark to Landmark!"

EDIT: Had a better look and it is a separate branch which leaves the Queensferry branch between South Jcn. and the Goods station: https://maps.nls.uk/view/82882269#zoom=5&lat=3158&lon=11512&layers=BT

This line crosses over the Keithing Burn and goes down to the Mid Pier and Paper Mill.

By the 1920s, this line has been cut just north of the Mid Pier and the Mill is now accessed from the Queensferry branch

https://maps.nls.uk/view/82882428#zoom=4&lat=9271&lon=9557&layers=BT

Edited November 12, 2019 by keefer

[56038]

From whathappenedtosteam.com (a new site for me)

 

Ward’s scrapped about 40 locos starting at the end of 1962 and continuing into 1963 and 1964. There was then a lull until 1968 when a batch of class 5s and standard types, including four Britannias, came from the Carlisle area.

 

Obviously not actually North Queensferry, but close by!

[eastworld]

ISTR that the branch is covered in the Irwell Press book "An Illustrated History of Edinburgh's Railways", by Smith and Anderson.

 

Stu

[AY Mod]

Useful reading being published on 25th Jan.

 

 

See https://www.middletonpress.co.uk/books/railways/scottish-main-lines/edinburgh-to-inverkeithing.html