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Description

This junction was at Barblues, between Plains station (to the west) and Caldercruix station (to the east). It was the junction for the short colliery line to Brownieside Colliery No 3 which was north of the line and to the west of the junction, reached by reversal. From the branch another line ran north to Barblues Colliery, which had tramways to further pits.

The signal box, Stepends Signal Box, was not at the junction itself, but a little to the south west closer to Plains. The reason for this is that the box also operated Stepends Junction which was to the south west closer to Plains.

The junction closed in the 1930s. The line itself closed in 1982. Afterwards it was converted into a foot/cycle path. A concrete lineside hut survived here for many years. It was demolished as the trackbed was cleared for the re-opening of the line. The railway re-opened in 2011.

The Ordnance Survey maps label the junction "Stepends Junction" but the Railway Clearing House maps clearly show this was the junction closer to Plains and that, confusingly, this junction was Plains Junction. There is logic to this however. This junction served Brownieside Colliery No 3 which was just north of Plains. Whereas Stepends Junction served the Stepends Colliery.

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