History Talla Railway

1 history

1.1 need reservoir
1.2 construction
1.3 completion
1.4 later events

history
the need reservoir

towards end of nineteenth century, urban development , changing domestic habits substantially increased demand water in edinburgh , other conurbations. in 1894 edinburgh , district water trust selected valley of talla water near tweedsmuir, in scottish borders, create new reservoir: became talla reservoir. exceptionally high rainfall in district made location attractive. water surface 950 feet (290 m) above sea level, , water piped 35 miles (56 km) alnwickhill in edinburgh. land belonged sir graham graham-montgomery, , purchased him £20,425.

the location of proposed reservoir remote , large quantities of construction materials required construct earth dam. water trust decided construct private railway purpose: talla railway. peebles branch of caledonian railway (which had been built symington, biggar , broughton railway) ran west east through broughton, , trust negotiated caledonian railway on private branch line connection. agreed in april 1895. private railway run southwards 8 miles (13 km) along valley of river tweed location east of broughton station. caledonian agreed lay second track, @ expense of water trust, alongside own single line broughton station point of divergence of new railway. @ first northwards branch line @ broughton planned extract clay sealing reservoir, later changed, , material imported elsewhere.

construction

victoria lodge, 2006

the main contractor construction of reservoir, , line, james young , sons of edinburgh; contract railway construction in sum of £49,113, , work on started on 28 september 1895. engineering design j , leslie , reid of edinburgh.

in march 1897 more half of railway had been built, broughton tweed bridge near tweedsmuir, , caledonian railway ran inspection train edinburgh site. line had ruling gradient of 1 in 50. contract construction of reservoir let in april, , substantial wrought iron truss bridge on tweed completed on 20 august 1897. ceremony official opening of line , stone-laying reservoir took place on 29 september 1897, when special train again ran edinburgh, time victoria lodge, management building constructed water trust @ north end of planned reservoir. train named tweedsmuir express , consisted of 6 six-wheel coaches, modern bogie stock being unable negotiate line because of curvature , clearance issues.

the main contractor, james young , sons, began financial difficulty work progressed. on 8 september 1899 company s locomotive talla working @ broughton when became derailed, blocking passenger line. caledonian railway evidently dissatisfied technical standards of young s rolling stock, caledonian prohibited talla working on caledonian track. young unable respond situation, , water trust asked caledonian work private railway, refused. young , sons went liquidation , bankruptcy hearing on 26 october 1899 resulted in contract being re-allocated john best of leith, had been 1 of main sub-contractors on project, other being robert mcalpine & sons. best opened halt @ crook siding, close crook inn, proved popular workers returning after work, stop there refreshments. best had shrewdly bought share of inn prior this.

the broughton clay, intended sealing dam, considered unsuitable , clay brought in carluke. freestone brought in craigleith , north queensferry.

although talla railway built reservoir construction, workmen s passenger service broughton station operated on it. best increased locomotive fleet 6 , had 2 ex-caledonian passenger coaches workmen s trains.

completion

the tweed viaduct water pipe

the reservoir substantially complete in 1905 , valve-opening ceremony took place on 20 may. 2 special trains run edinburgh bring invited guests, although motored there peebles. construction cost £1.25 million. sir walter thorburn added plea continue operation of line run public passenger trains benefit of residents of tweedsmuir. population there small, having been 196 , declining in 1861, , request declined.

later events

in subsequent years several approaches made, caledonian had evaluated potential loss agreeing operate branch line such small community, , continued decline so.

in 1910 contract awarded p j maclennan ltd of glasgow remove track, in sum of £6,431 , done on following 2 years, using hired-in caledonian locomotive. track materials stripped. ballast , formation remain, , can still traced. tweed bridge remains in situ , carries water pipe part of feed edinburgh.

victoria lodge later sold privately, , time guest house. private residence.

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