Location type

Names and dates

Description

This was a rail served coal depot. It was originally a loading point for coal from opencast (or non rail served mines). The site covered a large area on the west side of the Waverley Route just south of Newtongrange [1st] station. The Lady Victoria Pit was located just over the Waverley Route on its east side. Also known as Butlerfield. The Industrial Railway Society lists the location as 'Newbattle Disposal Point and Coal Stocking Site'.

The facility was opened by the Ministry of Fuel and Power which was created in 1942 during the Second World War. It site became National Coal Board owned in 1952.

A single line left the main line south of the bridge at Murder Dean and ran south west splitting into several groups of sidings.

To the west was an overhead coal loader with a long loop finishing with a buffer at the north west of the site. This had an associated set of sidings to the east from which trains could be taken for loading and deposited after loading. This was equipped with an engine shed.

To the immediate east of these sidings was a second set of sidings from which a train could be taken, via a reversing spur to a coal loading ramp located to the east. This also had an engine shed.

By the 1960s many sidings had been lifted. It had closed in 1960 but became a coal stocking location. The overhead loading point still existed relatively intact, but the yard to its east had been lifted. The loading ramp only served sidings to its east and of the yard to its west only a loop survived.

The Waverley Route closed in 1969 but the line was retained as far as the Lady Victoria Pit Signal Box using only its northbound line.

The depot probably ceased operation around 1970. The Lady Victoria Pit closed to rail traffic in late 1971 (and ultimately closed in 1981) and the line was cut back to here. It officially closed in 1972 and the line was cut to near Millerhill Junction.

The site has been cleared. Several locomotives were left on short sections of track before recovery for preservation. The southern portion is now the Butlerfield Industrial Estate (and unused ground to its west) while the northern portion is housing. The Waverley Route re-opened partly as the Borders Railway to Tweedbank in 2015.

Tags

Aliases

External links