RAILSCOT | Powderhall Branch Junction

Powderhall Branch Junction

Location type

Junction

Names and dates

Piershill Junction (1868-1988)
Powderhall Branch Junction (1988-)

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

Description

This is the junction for the disused line to the Powderhall Destructor. Approach was from the east.

It was the eastern junction of a triangle of junctions leading to Granton and North Leith and the end of a loop line from Abbeyhill Junction.

The branch line was original double track. The junction was originally between two double track lines. The signal box was on the north side of the junction. Just to the west on the main line was St Margarets Shed and on the branch line Piershill station.

The junction was rebuilt in 1909 when the route east to Craigentinny Carriage Sidings was quadrupled. With this the line from Edinburgh Waverley was quadruple track as far as Portobello East Junction when improvements were completed. The northern pair of lines were goods lines and the southern passenger and goods.

The signal box was replaced with a larger building, also on the north side. The branch line became a quadruple track on the approach to the junction with two new lines laid to the north of the existing lines going east. Just to the east of the junction the main line connected to the new tracks eastbound.

The signal box was closed in 1966.

The main line is now double track only.

Nearby stations Jock^s Lodge Piershill St Margaret^s Meadowbank Stadium Easter Road Park Halt Abbeyhill Portobello [2nd] Portobello [1st] Portobello [3rd] Easter Road Leith Central Balfour Street [Tram] Duddingston Leith Walk [CR] Foot of the Walk [Tram]	Craigentinny Junction St Margarets Shed [2nd] St Margarets Shed St Margarets Wagon Sheets Meadows Yard Lochend Junction Craigentinny Meadows Box Craigentinny Depot Portobello Power Station Discharge Sidings Meadows Junction King^s Road Junction Baileyfield Signal Box Baileyfield Switch and Crossing Works Meadows Box [2nd] Tourist/other St Triduana^s Chapel
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Chronology Dates

01/10/1886	Easter 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.
04/07/1909	North British Railway Piershill Junction to Craigentinny Junction quadrupled.
07/09/1964	Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway Edinburgh; Abbeyhill Junction to Piershill Junction loop closed to regular passenger trains. Piershill and Abbeyhill stations closed. (Coinciding with the closure of Musselburgh [1st].)
01/05/1972	Leith Central Branch (North British Railway) Leith Central (DMU servicing) to Abbeyhill Junction and Piershill Junction closed.
20/03/1988	Easter 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.
/ /1989	Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway Track singled from Piershill Junction to Powderhall, and the Abbeyhill route is disconnected at Lochend South Junction.
/ /1989	Easter Road Deviation (North British Railway) The City of Edinburgh buys 13 bogie wagons for the rubbish carrying service from Powderhall to Kaimes Quarry, the 'binliner'. Powderhall to Piershill Junction re-opened to freight for refuse trains traffic.