Lauder Light Railway

Introduction

This light railway is closed. The line ran from Fountainhall, on the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway) (better known as the Waverley Route) and its terminus at Lauder.




Dates

  /  /1899Lauder Light Railway
Lauder Light Railway authorised.
  /  /1901Lauder Light Railway
Line opened. A new signal box is opened at Fountainhall for the new junction with the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway).
01/01/1923North British Railway
Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway
Great North of Scotland Railway
Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Gifford and Garvald Railway
Newburgh and North Fife Railway
Lauder Light Railway
Great Central Railway
Grouped into London and North Eastern Railway.
12/09/1932Lauder Light Railway
Lauder to Fountainhall Junction closed to passengers. Lauder and Oxton closed to passengers.
  /  /1939Lauder Light Railway
Food depot established by Lauder station.
11/08/1948Lauder Light Railway
Line temporarily closed due to flood damage.
02/11/1950Lauder Light Railway
Re-opened to serve the food depot beside Lauder station, following repairs to the flood damage of 1948.
01/10/1958Lauder Light Railway
Lauder to Fountainhall Junction closed to goods. A portion of the line is retained as a long siding from Fountainhall to the nearby level crossing.
  /11/1958Lauder Light Railway
An excursion train runs over the line.

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

This was a two platform station with a bay platform for the Lauder Light Railway. The main station building was on the northbound platform with a water tank at the south end of the same platform.
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See also
Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway)
A southbound train on the Borders Railway about to pass over the remains of the old level crossing at Fountainhall in July 2019. The abandoned and ...
John Furnevel 25/07/2019
Major changes to the road layout around Fountainhall took place during preparations for the Borders Railway. This May 2015 view south shows the old ...
John Furnevel 20/05/2015
The abandoned station at Fountainhall on 18 September 2022, with the 0912 service from Waverley passing through southbound on its way to Tweedbank. ...
John Furnevel 18/09/2022
A ScotRail 6-car DMU at speed northbound through the site of Fountainhall station on 18 September 2022. The former level crossing is today a Network ...
John Furnevel 18/09/2022
4 of 42 images. more


Looking towards Fountainhall from the viaduct at the start of the Lauder Light Railway. ...
Ewan Crawford //
The surviving base of the former Fountainhall distant signal, looking north along the trackbed of the Lauder Light Railway on 18 March 2015. ...
Bill Roberton 18/03/2015
Former rail bridge over the Gala Water on the Lauder Light Railway. Photographed on 25 May from alongside the A7 a little to the east of Fountainhall ...
Bill Roberton 25/05/2009
3 of 3 images.


This siding served Middletoun Farm (note different spelling). The farm is to the west of the former siding.
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This is the highest point on the former Lauder Light Railway, a summit of 880 ft.
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Just before the light failed this was the view looking west to the summit (944 feet) of the Lauder Light Railway. The short level section of the ...
Ewan Crawford 26/12/2009
1 of 1 images.


This siding served Hartside Farm (to the west) and (more distantly) Kirktonhill Farm (to the north).
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This was a small station just to the east of the village of Oxton. The station was minimal, the railway being built with a light railway order.
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Oxton, looking south towards Lauder. The dirt driveway occupies the trackbed, which forms the driveway to a house on the trackbed. ...
Alan Cormack 10/05/2017
Looking north at Oxton station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
Station House at Oxton on the Lauder Light Railway on 10th May 2017. This view looks towards Fountainhall from the level crossing along the vehicle ...
Alan Cormack 10/05/2017
The surviving former lineside trolley shed at Oxton Station yard in May 2009. Almost all other railway atrifacts have gone and the old yard is ...
Bill Roberton 25/05/2009
4 of 8 images. more


View along the minor road running north west off the A68 to the north of Lauder on Boxing Day 2009. The station and goods yard stood off to the right. ...
John Furnevel 26/12/2009
1 of 1 images.


This was the terminus of the Lauder Light Railway, a branch from Fountainhall on the Waverley Route. The station was in the north of Lauder, on the edge of the village.
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Remains at Lauder in 1975. ...
Bill Roberton //1975
Boxing Day sees the annual presentation of the much coveted Railscot Waving Eejit award, which has been retained this year by EC with this ...
John Furnevel 26/12/2009
Scene at Lauder on Saturday 15 November 1958, featuring St Margarets BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0 no 78049, a mere 3 years old at that time. The ...
D Welsh Collection [Courtesy Bruce McCartney] 15/11/1958
3 of 3 images.