RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 4, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 4, 2011 me and my girlfriend like nothing better than longs walks with my 2 yorkies, so yesterday we ventured into a bit of the wemyss estate which i knew used to contain west wemyss station (closed 7/11/1949), on the line from thornton to buckhaven/methil. although now hidden in amongst the trees, using the excellent old-maps site and modern OS maps, i was able to see where exactly the station was sited. link to google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=56.157501,-3.107264&spn=0.002784,0.014613&t=h&z=17 to see the layout of the station, go to http://www.old-maps.co.uk, co-ords 331304,696728 walked up the main road track northwards (apparently used by mary queen of scots en route from wemyss to falkland!) but couldn't really make anything out, was only when we came back towards the car, i noticed something in amongst the trees. the derelict station house (!) you notice first, then the general cutting that housed the track. on the north side, the loading bank is still there along with the remains of a wooden lineside hut/cabinet. the general form of the approach road from the track can be made out, although there is no trace of the (south) platform buildings. i knew there was a signal box somewhere between the south platform and the standing stane road, but was aware it had been closed in 1927 - however, the recess it occupied is still there! have been fascinated by the closed railways of east fife and have always wanted to see if there was anything remaining - while initially disappointed, this one turned up trumps! the only photo i've seen of the station is on p.27 of 'the methil branch line railway' (KoFRPS, 1996, ISBN 0952853507), all these derelict features are visible. station house, looking west north side of station house, notice the telegraph/phone insulators interior looking north interior looking south 'north' platform, which looks to be a higher loading bank another view of the loading bank, looking west remains of wooden hut, at east end of loading bank (marked on OS maps) signalbox recess looking east station approach, looking south from platform (station house off to right) it's strange in a way, but there's more evidence in existence here than there is of other fife stations which didn't close till the late '60s! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg06003 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Nice find Keefer. The Wemyss Estate and railway system was a fascinating subject - no signs of any Barclay tanks? (Or do they all reside in Kirkcaldy now) Bruce Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 5, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 5, 2011 hi bruce, it was nice to find! the amount of times i've went right past on the standing stane rd. wondering if there was anything in there! this bit of fife is certainly interesting, i've read about the leven/east of fife and the methil branch lines. the WPR is a whole other subject, been meaning to get the oakwood press boook for a while. the ex-wemyss tanks seems to crop up every so often - i was talking to someone recently who remembered some being stored in/near thornton - from other threads, it seems muir's had them (in thornton and den rd., kirkcaldy, but i canny mind if it was mentioned if any still exist/were preserved) it's a pity that there's not the same coverage of the closed fife lines as there is of other scottish lines - 3 or 4 books and not that much online! cheers EDIT - just checked, this line was bought by the NBR from wemyss in 1889, the wemyss estate (private) railway opened in 1901 (i believe due to unhappiness at the service they got from the NBR in getting coal to methil) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg06003 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hi keefer, I can't recommend the Oakwood Press book highly enough - a fascinating insight to both the WPR and (lesser extent) the NB lines. Like you would be interested to hear more about the story of Muirs involvement with the former WPR locos. Cheers, Bruce Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Great Pics Keefer. over the last couple of years I have taken a great interest in the WPR and everything Leven and East Fife etc. This was one place I was hoping to explore and now even more so I want to pop out and see it for myself as you have done all the hard work and located it for us. I recently acquired a colour photo of Leven Station from 1968 looking down from the footbridge towards Scoonie, I also have pictures of Kilconquhar and St Andrews stations after they closed. It is extremely difficult as you say to find remnants of what was there, but slowly and surely I am getting more and more stuff. Thanks for sharing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 22, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2011 hi stevecs, welcome aboard! i've been out and about for runs in the car in the whole east fife area and to be truthful there's not a lot left of the railways! a lot of time, it's only through looking at the old maps/photos that you can tell there was anything! i posted pics in an old topic of the remains of largo station: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/16011-then-now/page__view__findpost__p__151883 the trackbed is there, the viaduct obviously but only a brick wall is left to see of the station itself. another topic from here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/14335-leven-and-east-of-fife-railways/page__view__findpost__p__130395 not had a close look nearer the east neuk - might still be station remains at kilconquhar (ferry road from elie does go over a small humped back bridge at st.ford, where the railway headed south before going into elie) i've noticed a couple of other 'stranded' bridges between elie and st. monans cameron bridge is an obvious survivor, but so many others have disappeared completely, under housing (leven) or car parks (st. andrews) google aerial views and old-maps.co.uk are my staples these days, it's amazing that the path of lines shows up even after decades of farming/development! still waiting on the oakwood press 'leven and east of fife rly', which should be good, given the standard of the other fife books. RCHAMS has some good pics of stations along the lines, but it's a pity there aren't more available! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I have found the same, most of the 'Research' done as you say have been done by using Google Maps and Street View, and the fact that you can still make out the route the lines took. I have been looking into other linse throughout Fife and there are snippits and little bit of hidden stuff but the total Obliteration of anything that was there is quite saddening. I noticed your photo of Largo on the other thread and using that and the one from RCHAMS I have kind of mashed them up (hope you dont mind) but using the back sloping wall as a reference as they kind of lined up even though the perspective is slightly out you can get a rough idea of then and now. Thanks for the welcome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 23, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 23, 2011 of course i don't mind, that's fantastic steve! i'd actually been meaning to get round to doing one myself, just never got round to it! i knew they weren't an exact match as the RCHAMS one seems to have been taken from a train and i was on the trackbed, but they're close enough. i've only seen one photo in the other direction, the one on ernie's fotopic site. i'dneed to have a look if i have anything that matches up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Unfortunately Fotopic has been down for a couple of weeks and there doesn't seem to be any indication of it coming back which is a damn shame as Ernies photo collection was fantastic. Google is awash with complaints about it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 23, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 23, 2011 have retitled the thread, in the hope of further discussion/photos of any closed stations/lines in the east of fife. many thanks in advance for any contributions Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Not strictly photos of now but these three photos I acquired recently, that I have scanned in. They are of Leven, Kilconquhar and St Andrews and were dated 1968. Leven at this time was still (just) open but the other two had been closed for 3 years as we all know the dates. Leven is a difficult station to get any images of so I wouldn't call it a rarity it was a nice find. Its looking from the footbridge and you can see all the way down to Scoonie Bridge and if you look closely you can see the gates at the junction of Rose Terrace and Wagon Road Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold John B Posted March 24, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 24, 2011 Excellent stuff chaps, many thanks for kicking this thread off. I'll be following with considerable interest.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Excellent thread, everyone! It's great to see another "forgotten railways" thread, along the lines of the West Midlands one I started - the Wemyss pictures are very reminiscent of the day I first stumbled across Sutton Town station. I particularly love that last picture, of St Andrews. I think it's fair to say I've never seen a UK station looking anything like that! More, please... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 24, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 24, 2011 smashing pics steve! i wasn't intending any pics have to be 'now', the more the merrier, especially if they've been found tucked away on a site somewhere - so new, old, photos, links anything! that said finding a modern shot of an old pic is always good, even just to show the changes via a 'then and now'. the two oakwood press books are good for photos from about kilconquhar northwards, but doesn't seem to be as much towards the thornton end - as said an oakwood book on the leven&east of fife line is in the pipeline, but even on the web, there isn't as much. incedentally, can anyone recommend a good book about thornton junction? a large main-line interchange station with a large depot nearby and by all accounts lucky that it didn't disappear into the ground several times over the years! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 The only book I have regarding Thornton is probably the same as what most have and thats the one by James K Corstophine - East Of Thornton Junction. ISBN - 0-9525621-0-3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Back to Wemyss, I'll add to the recommendation of Alastair Brotchie's wonderful book on the Wemyss Private Railway that it includes a substantial chapter contributed by Alan Simpson on the Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway, which of course became the Methil Branch of the NBR/LNER/BR. It includes a couple of photos of West Wemyss station and its box; one of them taken from the Standing Stone Road bridge - look out for the sulky lamp-boy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg06003 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 incedentally, can anyone recommend a good book about thornton junction? a large main-line interchange station with a large depot nearby and by all accounts lucky that it didn't disappear into the ground several times over the years! There is also 'Thornton Railway Days' by Lillian King [iSBN 09530758 9 3] which focuses very much on the staff. As a result there are plenty shots of the depot but there are one or two of the station. As Keefer says continually blighted by the mining but I think I've seen more video of the station than stills! The maze of lines to the south of the station serving the East Fife would make a particulary good exhibition layout IMHO but I guess the lack of pics is primarily due to the geography of the station with no convenient vantage points to the immediate north or south. Other books worth a look: 'The East Fife Central Railway' ed by Jim Rankin for KFRPS 'East Fife Railway Album' by R A Batchelor 'Fifes Lost Railways' by Gordon Stansfield HTH Bruce Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 25, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 25, 2011 thanks for that bruce, i've got the KFRPS one - my girlfriend stays in kennoway, i've always meant to ask her to take a detour along 'old station road' to see if anything's visible. i think there might be an overbridge and a loading bank had a quick look about for 'thornton railway days' but drawn a blank, publ. in 2000, maybe not many pressed, but i'll keep an eye out. it might have been from 'east of thornton juction', it was mentioned that reason for the subsidence being so bad was that the railway wouldn't agree on compensation to the pit to not dig there, so the pit went there which meant the station had to be rebuilt numerous times to re-level it. also lead to the (apochryphal?) tale of the miners below being able to set their watches to the trains passing overhead to caledonian - thanks for that, finally got my copy, just need a chance to read through it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochty no more Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Good news, I found three interesting videos on you tube the first is "Fife Coast Railway (part 3)" 9 mins 11 secs which shows the pit at Thornton, Cameronbridge, Leven, Lundin Links Largo ect. tha second is "East Coast Railway 1962" by Ian Mathewson 3 mins 13 secs, and the third is "Crail & Anstruther 1962" 5 mins 29 secs. The more technical minded amongst you would have posted a link but this is beyond my ken - enjoy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted March 25, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 25, 2011 they are crackers, aren't they? a pity theyre a bit 'bitsy' but they are such a wonderful record, in colour too! the third one doesn't have any trains, but is a great for showing structures of the area and vehicles/fashions of the period http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LrZxjdgrIg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zXWsV0JUGw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKHeUKl9dRI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Accord Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 One thing that really shines through in those films is just how organised, clean and tidy everything is. There's no litter to be seen, both the household and railway gardens are well maintained, as are the buildings (both railway and domestic) which are all clean and with woodwork painted. A wonderful record of a time when most people actually cared about the communities they lived and worked in and had a good deal of self respect and pride. All gone now, alas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Ive been busy the last few weeks but yesterday I had to pop through Lower Largo so couldn't resist a quick stop off. Although you cant walk across which is a shame due to bloody great gates I did manage to get a quick snap of the viaduct. The station as seen in previous pic would have been about 50 yards behind me. Over the coming weeks I hope to be able to get more photos. Largo Viaduct by stevecs, on Flickr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted June 22, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 22, 2011 just noticed ernie's added the pic of largo station to his flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/5796365435/in/set-72157626883018698 i don't have an exact match, but to the left of the signal box is a brick wall, with a bench in front. this i believe is all that remains of largo station (well, the stone wall along the back as well). must try and get a similar viewpoint, but here's one looking the other way, with the viaduct just to the right of the car. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I have this image that is looking in the general direction but the retaining wall in your photo is to the side of me so I am just past where the signal box was Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecs Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Just to resurrect this topic a bit and I haven't noticed it mentioned elsewhere yet (well search didn't bring it up anyway) But Oakwood Press have finally announced the Leven and East of Fife railway book here as coming soon. The long and final wait seems to be nearly over! http://www.oakwoodpress.co.uk/forthcoming-books.htm And on the article for the book it seems the same authors are working on a book for the Lochty ( East of Fife Central Railway) so another book to add to the wishlist Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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