Bike Ride Through The Innocent Railway Tunnel in Edinburgh
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway nicknamed “The Innocent Railway” opened in 1831 and it was initially horse-drawn as steam engines were considered dangerous! The railway closed in 1968 but re-opened as a path for walkers and cyclists in 1981.
The Innocent Railway Tunnel was the first railway tunnel in Britain and it is 517 metres (566 yards) long.
The Innocent Railway path begins with the cool and damp tunnel near St Leonard’s, but once through the tunnel you enter a pleasant green corridor that continues towards Duddingston.
Source -
The Innocent Railway: Edinburgh's First Railway
So I visited the Innocent Railway, which was first built in 1831!
The Innocent Railway Walk
Today was a Bank Holiday in the UK, so I spent the day with my wife and kids in the warm Spring sunshine before returning to the Studio for session work.
Innocent Railway - Last Train
I took this 8mm home movie in summer 1968 of the last round trip goods train delivery to St. Leonards coal station where our family business, Hugh Leckie & Sons, was located. It was one of Edinburgh's larger coal delivery businesses, started by my grandfather and subsequently joined by my father, his 3 brothers and sister. More of the family history is at theleckies.com
It was located in St Leonards (Coal) Station in the South Side of Edinburgh and is now redeveloped into housing and car parking. Coal was brought into town by train from the mines, coming on the line from Duddingston until the line closed in 1968.
For a look at what it was like in the 1960s to pack and deliver coal in the winter, see this other home movie:
The camera used was a Kodak Brownie 8 - 8mm movie camera with wind-up mechanism (no batteries needed).
I appreciate the 30k views over 3 years and the comments from those who have appreciated this little piece of history I was fortunate to have captured. However, I have grown tired of receiving uninvited comments from self-appointed music critics. If you don't like the music... mute it. Comments have now been disabled for this.
Innocent Railway Edinburgh
Out on the bike and came across this track
Artoscopic 1 Edinburgh St Leonards Railway Tunnel
In a bid momentarily to avoid pleading to galleries for a show via mindless application forms, proposals and the need to impress Artoscopic was set up, just come along on the night with your stuff and join in anyone could take part and it was completely free!!!!! no funds were harmed in the making of this.
Edinburgh - Just at the end of the tunnel before Haymarket in a Railworks Class 166
Edinburgh Waverly to just at the end of the tunnel before Haymarket in a Class 166 coupled up to a 170
Whitrope Tunnel
Clip from Borders TV Lookaround - 19th April 2006 as Whitrope Tunnel was opened for surveying work to take place.
Abandoned Railway Tunnel -- Mid Lothian, Scotland
Disused Railway tunnel near edinburgh. I think an abandoned building is in order next, I usually got through an underground explore stage! :)
The Scotland Street Tunnel
Wherein Abbie talks about the Scotland Street Tunnel.
Glenfarg tunnel
SPiS go searching for the 517 yard long glenfarg tunnel that was part of the old Perth to Edinburgh network. To reduce travelling time, british railways drove a ten mile route southwards from bridge of earn to rejoin the network at Mawcarse junction. Two tunnels and viaducts had to be built to get through the hilly range that lay between.
Edinburgh going back up the tunnel
after the edinburgh linelli game
Hidden railway tunnel
Enduro riding on GASGAS EC 250 R and HM CRE R 250 F. Some uphills, bike swap and then we found hidden railway tunnel, where I bent my shifter
Ghost Train Edinburgh.mov
There are many hidden tunnels around Edinburgh. This one begins in the Maltings housing estate near to Pollock Halls, on the edge of Hollyrood park.
The Innocent Railway was originally used to transport coal, but became popular as a tourist route later on.
I haven't been able to confirm why it is called Innocent, but one online source suggests it was because it was initially powered by horses - and was therefore so slow that no-one ever died. But there's something spooky about it, all the same...
Walking trough Finlands oldest railway tunnel (Pohjankuru) !
66514 at Leith docks part 1.
Seeing the weather was going to be better on the east coast today, i decided on a trip to Edinburgh for some trainspotting. Unfortunately, when I arrived at Leith docks, the so long we have to get special permission to run it pipe train was already on the move and I wasn't able to get a video of it. however, I stuck around and caught 66514 with this coal train (the nice man operating the crossing gates game me the headcode, which I think he said it was 6Z08, but I forgot to take a notebook and pen to write it down. DOH!) bound for Longannet.
Day return to Riccarton Junction
A cut-down and speeded up car journey from Newcastle, via Bellingham, to Whitrope siding on the former Waverley Route. Then a two mile walk along the old trackbed to Riccarton Junction, then back to Whitrope and Newcastle.
Riccarton Junction was an isolated railway village, built by the Railway Company. It featured houses, a Station Masters house, a school and teachers house, an engine shed and a branch of the Hawick Co-op on the platform. The station served as the junction between the Waverley Route (Carlisle - Hawick - Edinburgh) and the Border Counties Line (Riccarton - Bellingham - Hexham). There was no road access until the 1960s when a Forestry Commission track was built. Everything came in and out by train.
It was possible to take a direct train between Newcastle and Riccarton Junction until October 1956 when the Border Counties Line closed. The Waverley route closed on 6 January 1969.
Whitrope siding is the base of the Waverley Route Heritage Association, who are in the process of relaying track between Whitrope tunnel and Riccarton Junction, with a view to running a heritage service. More info here:
For more information about Riccarton Junction:
For more information about the re-opening of the Northern section of the Waverley Route between Edinburgh and Tweedbank:
Abandoned Railway Tunnels Glenfarg HD - Urbex Derelict Explore Abandoned Scotland
The Glenfarg railway tunnels were part of the Perth to Kinross line, due to the terrain the North British Railway had to construct two tunnels with 4 miles of each other. The line was closed on the 15th June 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts.
Music is Good Weather For An Airstrike - The Sun Sets Over Us, And We Are Happy
Recored with a Panasonic SD60.
Edited with Adobe Premiere CS5.
Colour Graded with Magic Bullet Looks.
Glenfarg Railway Tunnels 2011 HD - Urbex Derelict Explore Abandoned Scotland
Pictures located here:
Box Tunnel sunrise
Box Tunnel east portal looking east. December 2015. No sky is visible from within the tunnel - the view is blocked by the south side of the cutting curving north.
No sky - no birthday sunrise.
See xenophon.org.uk/box.html
(C) Roger J Morgan