Introduction

This branch, dating from at latest the 1870s, extended west beyond Granton Pier to Granton Saw Mills, an iron works, the Western Breakwater and Granton Quarry. Later it served David Mushet's Caroline Park Iron Works and Andrew Bonar Fleming's Scottish Printing Ink Factory and Chemical Works.

After 1902 it would later also serve the Granton Gasworks Residual Products Works, the Rubberoid Works and be met by a meandering line from Granton Gasworks [Station] within the Granton Gasworks, known as The Duke's Railway. A set of exchange sidings were laid out in the site of an old quarry by Caroline Park. A connection to the breakwater line allowed esparto grass to be imported for various paper works.

Just prior to the Great War a yard and rail served quayside was laid out south of the western half of Granton Harbour between the western breakwater and Granton Pier.

By 1960 the portion west of the Western Breakwater only served the Rubberoid Works and the gasworks. In 1965 the meandering line to the gasworks, The Duke's Line, became the outgoing line for the gasworks. However around 1966 the gasworks entirely ceased producing gas from coal. The Duke's Line was closed and the exchange sidings lifted around 1969-73.

The Railway Clearing House referred to the branch as the Granton West Beach Line, owned by the North British Railway.