Stainton Junction: On Christmas Eve 1968 the 1S22 09.50 St Pancras - Edinburgh Waverley is photographed heading north shortly after departing from Carlisle behind the usual 'Peak' type 4 locomotive. The train is seen at Stainton Crossing as the light starts to fade.

Newcastle Central: Twas Christmas Eve 1981, train 1S12 05.50 Kings Cross-Aberdeen prepares to leave Newcastle Central behind York Deltic 55017 The Durham Light Infantry. With one week left in service 55017 still looks every inch the Gateshead locomotive she once was, i.e. filthy dirty.

Dunblane: Christmas Eve 1986 in Dunblane sees snow, treacherous ice and the 07.56 push-pull express from Dundee to Glasgow Queen Street calling at the station. The DMU in the bay is the following stopping service to Glasgow. The Victorian signal gantry once boasted four semaphores controlling departures to Perth and Callander, but by this date, only one remained for the Perth route. The gantry was replaced by a much simpler post in 1988.

Dunblane: Christmas Eve 1987 finds a local service from Edinburgh terminating at Dunblane shortly before the holiday shutdown. This close up reveals the woeful state of the DMU stock at the time and it is a minor miracle that Haymarket depot managed to keep such life-expired units patched up and “on the road”.

Dunblane: The 17.30 Inverness to Edinburgh service, hauled by 47577, calls at Dunblane as services wind down for the coming holiday on Christmas Eve 1987. This loco (later renumbered 47847) was named 'Benjamin Gimbert GC' in 1981, but its nameplates had been transferred to 47574 earlier in 1987.

Cumbernauld: Christmas Time 1998 at Cumbernauld SB... The box became your second (sometimes first) home!! No apologies for the Crimbo decks. Route is set from the Down Refuge siding to the Up Main.

Glencorse: This short tunnel carried the railway under the A701 at Milton Bridge before emerging at Glencorse station. Behind the camera was the Glencorse Viaduct demolished on the first of May 1987. See image [[30622]]

Slateford Junction: Christmas Eve 2004, with a wintry dawn having just broken over the Castle as a GNER HST heads south west out of Edinburgh on the ex-Caledonian route through Slateford.

Abington: An up Virgin Voyager runs south past a Royal Mail class 325 stabled in the sidings at Abington on 24 December 2005.

Abington: The down sidings at Abington on Christmas Eve 2005. View north with Royal Mail unit 325005 keeping company with First Engineering Tamper DR 73916.

Abington: A Northbound WCML Voyager passing the sidings and loops at Abington on a bright and sunny Christmas Eve 2005. See image [[6252]]

Abington: Ahhh.... day off tomorrow! Abington, Christmas Eve 2005.

Lamington: A Virgin Pendolino runs south towards the Clyde Viaduct at Lamington on Christmas Eve 2005.

Carstairs East Junction: Long lens view east from the footbridge at Carstairs station on Christmas Eve 2005. The northbound Voyager has taken the station avoiding line at Carstairs South Junction and is on its way to Edinburgh.

Carstairs: A GNER Glasgow Central - Kings Cross train slows on the approach to Carstairs in December 2006.

Carstairs: Heading home for Christmas. A Voyager speeds north through Carstairs on Christmas Eve 2006.

Carstairs: Northbound through Carstairs station - Dec 2006.

St Andrews [2nd]: Bridge remains on the St Andrews Branch, photographed in December 2007. NE view of old railway bridge abutments to the west of the town near the Old Course.

St Andrews [2nd]: West Port Bridge St.Andrews. The first station was to the left of bridge, where the Old Course Hotel is now. The new station was half a mile to the right beside the bus station. The St Andrews Rail Link group (STAR) have revitalised the campain to reopen the StAndrews to Leuchars link.

Glasgow Central: 185146 at Platform 6 waiting to form the 0840 Trans-Pennine Express service to Manchester Airport

Princes Street Gardens Cutting: Eastbound service about to enter The Mound tunnel. Castle to left and The Caley top centre. New equipment for overhead wires lies by the trackbed.

Princes Street Gardens Cutting: Eastbound train entering the centre tunnel under The Mound.

Princes Street Gardens Cutting: 125 heading west through Princes Street Gardens.

Edinburgh Waverley: View across Waverley west end towards Princes Street on Christmas Eve 2007. Proof that National Express East Coast isn't the only big wheel round here... Yo ho ho...!!!

Edinburgh Waverley: Looking west to The Mound over the rebuilt platforms and partly built canopies. Just awaiting completion of overhead wiring.

Edinburgh Waverley: Gray ... hardly the most exciting livery for a train. The Mound tunnel approach ready for wires.

Millburn Junction: DRS 66433 departs Inverness with containers for Grangemouth on Chrismas Eve 2008 passing 67011 standing in the background.

Brandon: An arctic Christmas Eve at Brandon, Norfolk, in 2009, with the last Norwich-Cambridge service of the day calling before the early shutdown for the holiday.

Morecambe Junction: Having met the Christmas Eve Isle of Man ferry, Northern Pacer 142023 comes off the Heysham Port branch into Morecambe station where it will reverse and head for Leeds. The train crew operate the ground frame to access the branch.

Edinburgh Waverley: West approach to Waverley in the snow. No interesting trains seen, just very busy ones, so instead there's the big wheel and some pristine snow.

Edinburgh Waverley: This might just be the dullest railway photograph you've ever seen. But look - don't those points heaters work.

Morecambe: The Christmas Eve Boat Train has reversed at Morecambe and 142023 now sets off for Lancaster and Leeds, as seen from West End Road bridge. The line in the foreground is the run round loop with the two passenger lines behind.

Plates, signs, notices etc: Analysis Mr Spock???
It's a Fife Circle train Captain, but not as we know it.
Bit of a glitch - 24 December 2010.

Morecambe: The Christmas Eve Boat Train has just accessed the Heysham branch and heads for the port to connect with the Isle of Man sailing. The small amount of snow that had fallen the Friday before had certainly lingered. 144007 has just passed the boarded crossing that marks the junction with the old direct line to Lancaster Green Ayre.

Findhorn Viaduct [Tomatin]: A White Christmas Eve 2010 sees 66105 crossing Findhorn Viaduct with the northbound Stobart Rail containers.

Broomhill: In freezing conditions and leaking a little steam, Caledonian Railway 0-6-0 no 828 pictured just south of Broomhill on its way back to Aviemore with the 'Santa Express' on Christmas Eve 2010.

Princes Street [Tram]: A seasonal alternative to the tram turns at the ferris wheel on Princes Street and makes its way back to the west end.

Edinburgh Waverley: Waverley, a little dark, a little grotto-ish if you like, on Christmas Eve 2011. I've never seen so much blue mesh.

Snowland: With best wishes to all.

Snowland: Seasons Greetings to one and all!

Wakefield Westgate: Looking along the concourse of the newly opened Wakefield Westgate station up side main building, with retail units and the brightly lit platform entrance on the right. The ticket office is at the far end of the concourse.

Broomhill: In the midst of a howling gale and with light snow falling, Ivatt Class 2 No.46512 hauls a fully booked Santa Express away from Broomhill on the return working to Aviemore.

Wakefield Westgate: Looking from the concourse to the platform 1 access doors and footbridge steps at the newly opened Wakefield Westgate station up side main building on Christmas Eve 2013.

Wakefield Westgate: Late afternoon view along the frontage of the newly opened up side main building at Wakefield Westgate, showing the very limited on site short stay parking. Additional short stay parking is available in the new multi storey car park immediately behind the photographer.

Edinburgh Waverley: New escalators now in operation linking Platform 11 with the footbridge at Edinburgh Waverley.

North Rode: With Bosley Cloud marking the boundary of the Cheshire Plain and the Peak District, a CrossCountry Voyager traverses North Rode viaduct and the valley of the River Dane with a service from Bournemouth to Manchester. North Rode station and the junction with the NSR Churnet Valley line to Uttoxeter were sited 500m north of the viaduct.

Tetbury: The goods shed at Tetbury has survived in original condition, but may soon be modified to suit its new use as an arts centre. Care should be taken when visiting by car, as the creosoted sleepers used as parking space dividers are hard to see, especially after dark! The station was ahead of the photographer, the main line through Kemble behind. [Ref query 2630]

Tetbury: Another Christmas Eve 2015 view see image [[53903]] of the 'under restoration' cattle dock at Tetbury. The adjacent goods shed is used as an arts centre; but 'my kingdom for a cow' probably wouldn't play well.

Tetbury: Another view see image [[53815]] of Tetbury goods shed, this time from the station end. A heritage minus is that the sleepers in the grass are not totally original; a heritage plus is that the cattle dock appears to be under restoration.

Inverkeithing: 158867 drops off homecoming passengers at Inverkeithing from the 16.35 Edinburgh - Perth service on Christmas Eve.

Wyre Viaduct: Refurbishment of the Viaduct over the River Wyre at Scorton meant a closure of the WCML between Lancaster and Preston from 24th to 27th December. The upper picture looks north along Station Lane with machines busy on the embankment to the south of the bridge. The lower image is of the work taking place on the bridge itself, both taken on 24th December 2017.

Wandel Mill Signal Box: A lengthy Virgin Voyager combination runs south at Wandel Mill on a wet and windy Christmas Eve 2017. The train is the 1051 Edinburgh - Lancaster, which replaced the normal Euston Pendolino service due to WCML engineering works in Lancashire.

Blockley: The 12.30 off Moreton-in-the-Marsh to Hereford accelerates through a distinctly autumnal landscape at Aston Magna (south of the former Blockley station) on Christmas Eve 2017.

Lamington Viaduct: The First TransPennine 1116 ex-Glasgow Central crosses the Clyde at Lamington on a wet and gloomy Christmas Eve 2017, with the Southern Uplands shrouded in mist. Normally running to Manchester Airport, the train was scheduled to terminate at Lancaster on this occasion due to engineering works. Photographed from one of the prominent mounds of rock and rubble created by NR when repairing the viaduct last year see image [[56733]].

Woodacre Crossing: I would like to have entitled this The Christmas Eve Mail but it is a, somehow less glamorous, empty stock working from Mossend Yard to Crewe TMD with Christmas duties over for another year. The driver's sun visor is fully down as 325003 leads the twelve car train passing Woodacre near Garstang on 24th December 2018.

Margam Knuckle Yard: DB Schenker 66017 enters Margam Knuckle Yard on 24th December 2019.

Gorgie Cattle Market [NB]: A look west along the Gorgie Cattle Market branch, a little to the west of the Junction at Gorgie. There is a bullhead rail post on the left which must once have held a notice to drivers. I am not sure what it could have said; something dull, no doubt.

Margam Middle Junction: Seasons Greetings to readers, contributors and all at Railscot and all the best for 2020. Keep up the great work. A Christmas Eve image as 37219 brings the Network Rail test train onto the Ogmore Vale Extension line at Margam Middle Jct before returning to the mainline at Margam Moors Jct. The train was returning to Derby after a run to Pembroke Dock from Swansea.

Dunblane: By 2019, the Edinburgh/Glasgow/Dunblane/Alloa electrification project was substantially complete with sufficient new rolling stock to implement faster and more frequent commuter services. Longer trains called at extended platforms to cater for the rush hour peaks, and a major rebuild was in progress at Glasgow Queen Street. Shown here is the 08.16 Dunblane-Glasgow EMU about to start its journey on Christmas Eve of that year. At the time, everything appeared set for the huge investment to be repaid handsomely by increased commuter revenue for the foreseeable future. With 2020 hindsight, that forecast turned out to be rather optimistic....

Margam Middle Junction: 37607 on the rear of Network Rail track testing train passing Margam Knuckle Yard with 60020 'The Willows' awaiting departure with a train of flasks.The train was returning to Derby after a run to Pembroke Dock from Swansea on Christmas Eve 2019.

Bolton-le-Sands: An Avanti Pendolino runs south between Bolton-le-Sands and Hest Bank with a Christmas Eve Glasgow to Euston service. This view taken from the towpath of the Lancaster Canal, looking across Morecambe Bay towards the Furness coastline and mountains beyond. Although well below canal level here the WCML climbs from Hest Bank and after leaving Lancaster the train will cross the waterway on an overbridge. See image [[61947]].

Carstairs East Junction: A new structure seen from the 1012 Edinburgh-Manchester Airport. Preparation for festive engineering works providing for re-sited electrification masts.

Map: A map of the Balerno Branch, really a loop, which opened in 1874 and closed to passengers in 1943, closing entirely in 1967. Following this map, and over four days, will be a series of photographs illustrating an eastbound journey along the line from Ravelrig to Slateford using a mixture of 1960s and 1980s photographs (and a postcard) provided by Don Shaw. The single track line wended its way by the Water of Leith, crossing over the river multiple times and passing snuff and paper mills. Trains ran out from Edinburgh Princes Street, taking to the branch at Balerno Junction, and took 25 minutes to reach Balerno. [Map backdrop: Ordnance Survey.]