Border Counties Railway

Border Counties Railway
Border Counties Railway
Overview
Status	Closed
Locale	Roxburghshire, Scotland; Northumberland, England;
Service
Type	Heavy rail
History
Commenced	11 December 1855
Opened	2 April 1858
Completed	24 June 1862
Merged into	North British Railway - 1860
Merged into	London North Eastern Railway - 1923
Merged into	British Railways - 1948
Closed	1 September 1958; (except Reedsmouth–Bellingham, closed 11 November 1963);
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map
	Legend
	Scotland
	England

The Border Counties Railway was a railway line in Northumberland, England, with a small section in Roxburghshire, in the Borders region of Scotland. The railway was incorporated in 1854; and was absorbed by the North British Railway (NBR) on 13 August 1860.^[1] It linked the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, near Hexham, with the Border Union Railway at Riccarton Junction.

History

The first section of the route was opened between Hexham and Chollerford on 5 April 1858.^[1] The line opened, following absorption by the NBR, on 24 June 1862 for goods traffic, and 1 July 1862 for passenger traffic.^[1] The railway was built as a single track even over bridges, with the exception of a stretch of double line across the Hexham Viaduct.

Stations renamed

Two stations on the line were renamed: Chollerford was renamed Humshaugh by the North British Railway in 1919 to avoid confusion with Chollerton, the next station on the line.^[2] Bellingham was renamed Bellingham (North Tyne) by the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923-4 to avoid confusion with Bellingham in Kent.^[2]

Connections to other lines

Border Union Railway at Riccarton Junction
Plashetts Colliery Waggonway at Plashetts

Current operations

The line was closed to passengers by British Railways on 15 October 1956. Freight services continued until 1 September 1958 and from Bellingham to Newcastle until 9 November 1963 using the Wansbeck Railway via Morpeth. ^[3] Part of the line is now beneath the surface of Kielder Water.

Re-opening proposal

In 2006, there were plans to re-open a small part of the line as a tourist attraction, to be called the Green Dragon Railway. The proposal was for a narrow gauge railway from a new water ferry landing stage at Gowanburn to Kielder Castle, a distance of about two miles. It would be a biofuel railway, using a wood-burning steam locomotive and a passenger coach heated by a wood-burning stove.^[4] The coach has been built and was on display at Leaplish Waterside Park on Kielder Water in November 2007.^[5] The project appears to have stalled and the locomotive, 0-4-2T Saccharine (Fowler 13355 of 1914), was moved to the Statfold Barn Railway in November 2008.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 118. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
^ ^a ^b Sewell, G.W.M. (1993 reprint). The North British Railway in Northumberland. Baunton, Devon, England: Merlin Books Limited. p. 26. ISBN 0-86303-613-9. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Warn, C.R. (1975). Rural Branch Lines of Northumberland. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Frank Graham. p. 56. ISBN 0-85983-077-2.
^ "Forestry Commission - News - railway plan steams ahead". Forestry.gov.uk. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
^ "RAILSCOT | Photographs of Green Dragon Railway". Railbrit.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
^ "News". Statfold Barn Railway. Retrieved 2012-06-25.

Sources

Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
Gammell, C.J. (1993). LNER Branch Lines. Sparkford: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8609-3509-4. OCLC 30030421.

Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
Institute of Mining Engineers British Association at Newcastle, Aug. 1863 Guide to Excursion to Canonbie, Liddesdale and Kielder Castle vid The Border Counties Railway by The Commitee, Newcastle, 1863. This is a fully printed and published pamphlet in the collection (2013) of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers held in Tracts vol 157. This is a notable source issued with the line fully open for one year.

External links

[Awdry-1] Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 118. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.

[Sewell-2] Sewell, G.W.M. (1993 reprint). The North British Railway in Northumberland. Baunton, Devon, England: Merlin Books Limited. p. 26. ISBN 0-86303-613-9. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[Warn-3] Warn, C.R. (1975). Rural Branch Lines of Northumberland. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Frank Graham. p. 56. ISBN 0-85983-077-2.

[4] "Forestry Commission - News - railway plan steams ahead". Forestry.gov.uk. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2012-06-25.

[5] "RAILSCOT | Photographs of Green Dragon Railway". Railbrit.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-06-25.

[6] "News". Statfold Barn Railway. Retrieved 2012-06-25.

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v t e Historical Scottish railway companies
Primary companies	Caledonian Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Great North of Scotland Railway Highland Railway North British Railway
Caledonian Railway	Aberdeen Railway Alloa Railway Alyth Arbroath and Forfar Busby Railway Cathcart District Clydesdale Junction Crieff Junction Crieff and Comrie Crieff and Methven Junction Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Dunblane, Doune and Callander Dundee and Perth Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Forfar and Brechin General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Garnkirk and Glasgow Glasgow Central Railway Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Greenock and Wemyss Bay Hamilton and Strathaven Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Leadhills and Wanlockhead Lesmahagow Railway Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie Paisley and Barrhead District Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Polloc and Govan Rutherglen and Coatbridge Scottish Central Scottish Midland Junction Scottish North Eastern Solway Junction Symington, Biggar and Broughton Talla Railway Wishaw and Coltness Lines built by the Caledonian Railway Balerno line CR Cleland and Midcalder CR Main Line CR Douglas Branch CR Hamilton Branch CR Hamiltonhill Branch CR The Switchback Independent lines worked by the Caledonian Railway Callander and Oban Killin Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan and Johnstone Ayr and Dalmellington Ayr and Maybole Junction Ayr to Mauchline Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Barrhead Branch Bridge of Weir Railway Cairn Valley Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Castle Douglas and Dumfries Dalry and North Johnstone Darvel Branch Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Greenock and Ayrshire Kilmarnock and Troon Largs Branch Maidens and Dunure Maybole and Girvan Paisley and Renfrew Paisley Canal Line
Great North of Scotland Railway	Aberdeen and Turriff Aboyne and Braemar Alford Valley Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Boddam Branch Deeside Denburn Valley Formartine and Buchan Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Keith and Dufftown Moray Coast Morayshire St Combs Light Railway Strathspey Railway
Highland Railway	Buckie and Portessie Branch Dingwall and Skye Duke of Sutherland Findhorn Railway Fortrose Branch Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Inverness and Aviemore Direct Inverness and Nairn Inverness and Perth Junction Inverness and Ross-shire Kyle of Lochalsh Extension Perth and Dunkeld Sutherland and Caithness Sutherland Railway Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway Dornoch Light Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway
North British Railway	Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick Anstruther and St Andrews Railway Ballochney Bathgate and Coatbridge Blane Valley Border Counties Railway Border Union Railway Campsie Branch Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company Charlestown Railway and Harbour Company Coatbridge Branch Devon Valley Railway Dunfermline and Queensferry East of Fife Railway Edinburgh and Bathgate Edinburgh and Dalkeith Edinburgh and Glasgow Edinburgh and Hawick Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway Edinburgh and Northern Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Esk Valley Eyemouth Railway Fife and Kinross Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Gifford and Garvald Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Glasgow City and District Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Glasgow and Milngavie Junction Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Kelvin Valley Railway Kincardine Line Kinross-shire Railway Kirkcaldy and District Railway Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton Leven Railway Leven and East of Fife Railway Macmerry Branch Monkland and Kirkintilloch Monkland Railways Montrose and Bervie Mallaig Extension Newburgh and North Fife Railway (worked by NBR) Newport Railway North Berwick Branch North British, Arbroath and Montrose Peebles Railway The St. Andrews Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Slamannan Slamannan and Borrowstounness Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway West Highland Railway West of Fife Mineral Railway Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness
Joint lines	Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction City Union Dundee and Arbroath Darvel and Strathaven Glasgow and Paisley Joint Glasgow and Renfrew District Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint
Other lines	Brechin and Edzell District Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway Dundee and Arbroath Hagdale Chromate Railway Invergarry and Fort Augustus Lealt Valley Diatomite Railway Lochaber Narrow Gauge Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Rothesay and Ettrick Bay Light Railway Skye Marble Railway Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway