Lochend Junction

Location type

Junction

Names and dates

Lochend Junction (1888-1903)
Lochend South Junction (1903-1972)
Lochend Junction (1972-1988)

Opened on the Easter Road Deviation (North British Railway).
Opened on the Leith Central Branch (North British Railway).

Description

This junction opened in 1888 with the curve from London Road Junction. This provided a secondary route from Abbeyhill Junction to Piershill Junction and on to Portobello East Junction, thus quadrupling the route.

The signal box was on the south side of the junction, just east of the junction itself, and to the south again were reversing sidings served from the London Road Junction curve. These gave access to Moray Park Maltings and an iron foundry to the west.

In 1903 with the opening of Leith Central the same junction was used to provide an eastern approach to the new terminus.

For the new terminus a new box was built, on the north side of the now three way junction. The new line joined the existing lines immediately to the east of the box, having run round the north side of the box. The older junction was to the west of the box. Within the new triangle of lines were sidings, approached from the east.

The signal box was renamed Lochend Junction in 1927 on closure of Lochend North Junction, at the north end of the new curve.

The Leith Central branch closed in 1972.

The box closed in 1977, taken over by Edinburgh Signalling Centre.

The curve to London Road Junction [Edinburgh] closed in 1988. The remaining single track line to Powderhall is now out of use with the closure of the Powderhall Destructor.

Tags

Junction




Nearby stations
Meadowbank Stadium
Piershill
St Margaret^s
Easter Road Park Halt
Abbeyhill
Easter Road
Jock^s Lodge
Balfour Street [Tram]
McDonald Road [Tram]
Leith Walk
Leith Walk [CR]
Leith Central
Foot of the Walk [Tram]
Picardy Place [Tram]
York Place [Tram]
Iron Foundry
St Margarets Wagon Sheets
Lochend North Junction
St Margarets Shed
St Andrew Steel Works
London Road Junction [Edinburgh]
Waverley Engineering Works
St Margarets Shed [2nd]
Easter Road Stadium
Rose Lane Goods
Easter Road Junction
St Ann^s Maltings
Abbeyhill Junction
Croit an Righ Brewery
Tourist/other
St Triduana^s Chapel
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Chronology Dates

22/07/1885Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
An act for a line between London Road Junction [Edinburgh] (by Abbeyhill) and Lochend South Junction (then called Lochend Junction) is passed.
01/10/1886Easter Road Deviation (North British Railway)
London Road Junction [Edinburgh] to Lochend Junction opened to passengers and freight. This line effectively quadrupled the main line of the North British Railway from Abbeyhill Junction to Piershill Junction and provided a useful diversionary route.
01/07/1903Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Leith Central Branch (North British Railway) to London Road Junction [Edinburgh] and Lochend South Junction opened.
29/04/1972Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Leith Central Branch (North British Railway) to London Road Junction [Edinburgh] and Lochend South Junction is closed.
20/01/1986Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
The Granton Gasworks branch closes to freight. The line from Granton to London Road Junction [Edinburgh] and Lochend South Junction becomes disused but remains in place for a while.
20/03/1988Easter Road Deviation (North British Railway)
Loop from Abbeyhill Junction to Lochend South Junction to Piershill Junction falls into disuse after the remodelling of Abbeyhill Junction in connection with the electrification of the East Coast Main Line.
  /  /1989Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Track singled from Piershill Junction to Powderhall, and the Abbeyhill route is disconnected at Lochend South Junction.