Railways in Eastern Edinburgh - View to the west towards Leith from the bridge over the railway at Seafield

1960s

Last Steam Trains in the Edinburgh Area

excluding the later age of preserved steam trains

Thank you to James McEwan who left a message in the EdinPhoto guest book.

James wrote:

Seafield

"I was fascinated to view the photos taken at Seafield Road level crossing Edinburgh in the steam era.

In 1968 I was working at British Road Services in Seafield Road, long gone and now the home of Allied Carpets. To the rear of the transit shed ran a spur from Meadows signal box over Craigentinny Avenue North, to South Leith goods yard.

In November of that year, I witnessed one of the last movements by British rail steam. From memory, I'm certain the locomotive was an 0-6-0, possibly a J36. It was heading a mixed train of goods vans and mineral wagons in the direction of Kings Road where the branch rejoined the line from Leith Docks."

James McEwan: Edinburgh, September 18, 2008

Answer 1

Thank you to Patrick Hutton, New Town, Edinburgh for providing the following details. They suggest that James McEwan's sighting of the steam train at Seafield would have been a little earlier than 1968.

Patrick says

"Perhaps James is thinking of November 1966. The last scheduled steam in the UK was Carnforth/Settle in August 1968.

Patrick added

"1. The sleeve for the DVD 'Railways of Scotland: Volume 10 - Glasgow Part Two' refers to 1966 as 'the last year of steam'.

(Perhaps this quote refers to the Glasgow area. - Peter Stubbs.)

2. Here is an extract from a page about class J35 and J36 steam locomotives, taken from the LNER Encyclopaedia web site:

'British Rail moved many of the J36s to ex-LMS sheds and ex-GNS sheds, where they tended to work on coal and local freight duties respectively. The J36s managed to out-survive the larger and younger J35s due to their small size which made them ideal for light branch lines. Six were still busy at work in May 1966, and the last was finally withdrawn in 1967.' LNER Encyclopaedia web site"

Patrick Hutton, New Town, Edinburgh: September 19, 2008

Answer 2

Thank you to Patrick Hutton, who wrote with further thoughts:

Steam Trains

"One thing that occurred to me afterwards was that the steam engine might have been towed, dead, for scrap. It's possible that South Leith yard had been used for dumping locomotives awaiting scrapping, but not very likely as both Seafield sheds were long-closed by then, and scrapping tended to be done quickly.

It's quite clear that the last revenue steam working (as opposed to excursions, preservation, etc) was March 1967

Patrick added

Seafield

"The goods yard to the South of Seafield Road/Salamander Street, closed on December 31, 1973. It was originally named South Leith, but then renamed Leith East in April 1952.

Seafield shed closed in 1962. I'm not sure when South Leith shed closed.

It's very confusing, as Seafield shed lay beside, but to the north of, South Leith shed It was accessed by the bridge over Seafield Road that can be seen behind the footbridge in this photo.

To get from one shed to the other required travelling up one branch to the junction and back down the other.

Patrick Hutton, New Town, Edinburgh: September 19, 2008

Answer 3

Thank you to Steve Chambers who added:

Class J36 Engines

"Like Patrick Hutton, I think that James McEwan is more likely to have seen a J36 in November 1966 than 1968. The last 3 British Railways J36 engines survived into 1967

- 65234 of St Margaret's was sold for scrap on 29.7.67

- 65288 of Dunfermline was condemned on 5.6.67

- 65345 of Thornton was sold for scrap on 15.9.67

A few more J36 engines had survived into 1966 before being scrapped. They were:

- 65319 of St Margaret's

- 65267, 65282 and 65297 of Bathgate shed.

Loco 65327 in Douglas Hume's April 1963 photograph (above) was scrapped in July 1966. The only survivor, 65243 'Maude' was sold to the SRPS (then at Falkirk) in November 1966."

Steve Chambers, October 11, 2008 (Source: Yeadon's Register Vol 26)