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The story
Before railways
The natural barrier of the Firth of Forth had for centuries impeded transport between Edinburgh and Fife, and points north. The Firth of Tay presented another barrier further north, and the most expeditious route from Edinburgh to Dundee and beyond was a coastal steamer from Leith. Intermediate locations were served by ferry crossing the Forth, but the harbours available were primitive and the crossings in many cases were hazardous. A number of different harbour locations were tried, but no obviously dominant route developed before the railway age.
A railway from Edinburgh to the Forth
The first definite move to form a railway connection was the Edinburgh and Newhaven Railway, which obtained an act of Parliament, the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will. 4. c. cxxxi), on 13 August 1836. The engineering design for the line was by Thomas Grainger and John Miller, who had made their name on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway in 1823, and a number of other Scottish lines subsequently. However the costs of building the line were beyond the resources of the company, and nothing was done for some time.
After a change of northern terminal location, the Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway opened in 1842 as far as Trinity, a little to the west of Newhaven. However this intended harbour was not developed, and a further change of terminal, to Granton, was adopted. The line opened to there from Canal Street, in the complex that later became Waverley station, in 1846. The primary purpose of the line was the conveyance of passengers and goods to harbours on the Firth of Forth, from where ferries provided onward transport to locations in Fife and further afield, including northern parts of Scotland and the east coast of England.
The Duke of Buccleuch developed Granton Harbour and arranged for efficient ferries to be operated from there to Fife; the principal ferry harbour was Burntisland.
A railway across Fife
As early as 1819 a railway had been proposed, starting from Burntisland to the Firth of Tay. The engineer Robert Stevenson designed a line, but nothing further was done. Further proposed schemes followed in 1835 and 1836. In October 1840 a definite decision was taken to adopt one of these schemes, but now the money market was difficult and it was decided to delay until conditions improved. Two competing schemes were put forward in the intervening period, but they came to nothing. So it was that early in 1844 a prospectus was issued for the Edinburgh, Dundee and Northern Railway, with capital of £800,000. this was to be the scheme designed by Thomas Grainger and his partner John Miller. On 1 March 1844 the title of the proposed company was shortened to the Edinburgh and Northern Railway. It was to run from Burntisland through Kirkcaldy and Markinch to Ladybank and Newburgh, on the southern shore of the Tay. At Newburgh the line was to cross the Tay and make a junction with the proposed Dundee and Perth Railway, over which E&NR trains would get access to Perth along the north shore of the Tay.
Although there was enthusiasm for such a line, only about half the subscription required to present a bill in Parliament was forthcoming, and the chairman of the provisional committee proposed that a more modest scheme be drafted, and the intended presentation in the 1844 session of Parliament had to be deferred.
The revised scheme was for a railway from Burntisland to Kingskettle and then through Newburgh to Perth, crossing the Tay a little above Newburgh and joining the (proposed) Dundee and Perth Railway; and a short branch to Kirkcaldy Harbour, and a longer one to Cupar. The line was to be single, and the Tay crossing was to make use of Mugdrum Island, which separates the Tay into two channels; the southern channel would be crossed by a swing bridge or a floating bridge, and the northern channel by a causeway. The Dundee and Perth Railway would pay half the cost of the Tay crossing. The line from the convergence with the Dundee and Perth line into Perth itself would be operated as two single lines, one for each company; the entire E&NR system would be a single line. The estimated cost of the revised scheme was £500,000.
Interested people in Cupar were dissatisfied that their town was to be served by a terminus reached from the south alone, and proposed a Cupar, Ferry-Port-on-Craig and Dundee Railway to reinstate the earlier proposal, and the Edinburgh and Northern agreed to treat their line in amicable terms.
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A proposed Edinburgh and Perth Railway (E&PR) was competing with the E&NR supporters for parliamentary authorisation; they put forward a route via a ferry at Queensferry, with a long branch through Dunfermline and Lochgelly to Kirkcaldy; the branch had the potential to wipe out the lucrative mineral traffic that the E&NR hoped to secure.
In the 1845 parliamentary session, the E&NR had to defend hastily prepared modifications to its earlier plans, and opposition from the Edinburgh and Perth promoters was fierce. Radical mutual compromises were made with the Edinburgh and Perth Railway promoters, and had both schemes passed the remaining E&NR scheme would have been mortally wounded.
There was far worse: now the Admiralty stepped in, together with the magistrates of Perth, objecting to the bridge at Mugdrum, on the grounds of interference with navigation, and it appeared that this opposition could not be overcome: the whole of the Perth line was under threat. The E&NR promoters saw that a Strathearn Junction Railway had been authorised, to build a short connecting line between the proposed E&NR at Newburgh and the proposed Scottish Central Railway line at Hilton Junction. At the last minute the E&NR bought out the Strathearn Junction line and altered their own proposals to reach Perth over its route. Now they did not need to cross the Tay to reach Perth.
Now at the last moment it emerged that the E&PR deposited plans did not comply with standing orders, and the E&PR scheme was summarily thrown out. A stopgap proposal for an E&NR Dunfermline branch had been inserted, and suddenly the E&NR bill including this branch, were authorised. The line was now to be double-track at the instigation of Parliament, heavily increasing costs; and the access to Perth would be over the (proposed) Scottish Central Railway line from Hilton Junction through Moncrieffe Tunnel. Although this involved dependency on another company, and some concomitant compromises, this avoided the crossing of the Tay.
The Edinburgh and Northern Railway authorised
The bill for the Edinburgh and Northern Railway was passed as the Edinburgh and Northern Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. clviii) on 11 June 1845, and the company was incorporated on 31 July 1845. The authorised extent was from Burntisland to Perth, with a branch to Cupar, and a short Kirkcaldy harbour branch. The line was required to be double track throughout, a financial burden the young company had hoped to avoid.
Tenders for the construction were soon invited, and negotiations with the Duke of Buccleuch resulted in the company adopting the Granton ferries and associated terminals. A short connection to the small harbour at Pettycur was included in the first contract: the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Pettycur Harbour Branch and Deviation) Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. lxxix) was obtained retrospectively. Pettycur was a few miles east of Burntisland in the natural shelter of a promontory, and some of the construction materials were landed there. Sixteen locomotives, shortly increased to 26, were ordered from R and W Hawthorn, and rolling stock was also ordered. In addition passenger and cargo ferryboats were ordered.
The Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
The Edinburgh and Northern Railway was authorised to build its lines in Fife, on the northern side of the Firth of Forth; yet to reach Edinburgh its passengers and goods would have to get from one of the harbours on the south side into the city. In 1836 the Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway had been authorised to build a line from Princes Street in Edinburgh to the Forth. After some false starts it opened a line from Trinity, close to Newhaven, to Scotland Street, some distance north of Princes Street, in 1842. In 1844 it obtained an act of Parliament, the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway Act 1844 (7 & 8 Vict. c. lxxxi) giving authorisation to extend to Granton Harbour, now seen as a more promising ferry terminal for crossing the Forth, and the Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway changed its name to the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway (EL&GR).
The company was always short of money, and it sought a larger business to which it might sell its concern. The Edinburgh and Northern Railway was the obvious partner, and the E&NR absorbed the EL&GR by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway Company and Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway Company Amalgamation Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. ccxxxix) of 22 July 1847, taking effect on 7 August 1847. The E&NR had not yet opened any of its lines.
Opening of the line: in stages
In the slump that followed the frenzy of railway promotion of 1845, money became difficult to obtain, and contract prices rose considerably. However the work progressed well in the circumstances, and the Board of Trade inspection for passenger operation of the section from Burntisland to Cupar, and to Lindores on the Perth line, took place on 3 September 1847. The inspecting officer expressed himself well satisfied with the construction, and a ceremonial opening of the line took place on 17 September, with the public service commencing on 20 September. There were four passenger trains each way daily on the Cupar line, with a coach service from Cupar to the ferry for Dundee. Two trains ran to Lindores daily, and the trains from Burntisland connected with ferryboats running in connection with the trains from Canal Street, Edinburgh. The trains were over-subscribed and the service was soon augmented.
On 9 December 1847 the Perth line was extended from Lindores to a temporary terminus at Glenbirnie. On 17 May 1848 the line was extended to another temporary terminus at Abernethy Road and on 25 July 1848 the final extension to Hilton Junction, where it joined with the newly opened Scottish Central Railway. Edinburgh and Northern Railway trains gained access to Perth station through Moncrieffe Tunnel over that company's lines.
The Dundee line was extended from Cupar to Leuchars on 17 May 1848 and from there to Tayport on 17 May 1848.
Short harbour branches were opened to Kirkcaldy Harbour in October 1848 and to Pettycur Harbour in February 1849, in both cases for goods only.
Other acts of Parliament of 1847
Carter says there were two acts of Parliament of 22 July 1847. The first, the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Dunfermline Branch Deviation and Extension, &c.) Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. ccxx), authorised a 1.5 mile extension and deviation of the Dunfermline branch and a short connecting line from the E&NR Strathearn deviation to the Scottish Central Railway, with capital of £53,000 for the purpose. The second, the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (St. Andrews and Newburgh Harbour Branches and Road Crossings, Newport Railway Extension) Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. cclxxvii), authorised a five-mile long St Andrews branch and a one-mile branch to Newburgh Harbour, with authorised capital of £64,000. A further local act of Parliament, the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Burntisland Pier and Ferry) Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. cxcii) was passed authorising the acquisition of the Granton to Burntisland ferry.
Change of name to the Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee Railway
The Edinburgh and Northern Railway was renamed the Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee Railway (EP&DR) by section 28 of the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Granton Pier, &c.) Act 1849 (12 & 13 Vict. c. lxxix) on 1 August 1849, following a financial reconstruction in May under the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Additional Capital) Act 1849 (12 & 13 Vict. c. xv).
Dunfermline branch
A branch line to Dunfermline had been added to the plans at the last moment; it was to leave the main line at Thornton. Although Dunfermline was an ancient and important burgh, the primary objective of the line was to pass through the rich West Fife coalfield. It was opened as far as Crossgates, a little short of Dunfermline, in September 1848. It was halted there while a vexatious battle took place in Parliament over the arrangement to cross, on the level or otherwise, the long-established Halbeath Railway which intersected its proposed route. The opposition was encouraged by the hostile Edinburgh and Perth Railway (which was being promoted, but which ultimately failed to gain parliamentary approval). In the 1848 session the E&NR finally obtained sanction for a level crossing and the extension to Dunfermline itself was opened on 13 December 1849. The route for passengers from Dunfermline to Edinburgh was extremely circuitous, and this was a source of considerable friction with the railway company for many years.
In 1850 the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway opened the majority of its line, between Dunfermline and Alloa, opening up a considerable further extent of the West Fife coalfield. It had opened the short section from Dunfermline to Oakley, where there was a colliery, in 1849. In 1852 it extended from Alloa to Stirling, joining there with the Scottish Central Railway and forming an alternative route for West Fife coal to reach Central Scotland, via Stirling.
The Stirling and Dunfermline Railway was vested in the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway by the Edinburgh and Glasgow and Stirling and Dunfermline Railways Act 1858 (21 & 22 Vict. c. lxiv) of 28 June 1858.
Sunday trains
Sunday trains were introduced from December 1848. This resulted in constant criticism at subsequent shareholders' meetings from convinced Sabbatarians.
The world's first train ferry
The Edinburgh and Northern Railway was dependent for its success on efficient crossings of the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay. Historically there had been ferry operators (or simply boat operators) plying on these routes, but their service was erratic, and the E&NR set about taking control. In February 1846 the directors announced that they had reached agreement to take possession of the Tayport ferry for £12,600, which was then authorised by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Tay Ferry) Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. lxxii). In July 1847 the E&NR took possession of the ferry operating between Granton and Burntisland under the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Burntisland Pier and Ferry) Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. cxcii); it paid £90,000. In July 1847 it obtained an act of Parliament, the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Improvement of the Ferry between Ferry-Port-on-Craig and the North Shore of the River Tay) Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. cclxxiv), authorising improvements at Tayport.
The Tayport improvements and the augmented ferry service did not commence until May 1851, by which time £65,900 had been spent on harbour works and £18,000 on steamers. Nonetheless the ferry crossings continued to be unreliable; moreover the passage for goods between Dundee and Edinburgh involved manhandling the goods four times at the four harbours, and the opening of a competing land route via Stirling and Perth (over the Dundee and Perth Railway, opened on 24 May 1847, and the Scottish Central Railway opened on 15 May 1848) posed a very obvious commercial threat.
Considerable technical improvement was necessary at the harbours, and quickly. Consideration was given to installing hydraulic cranes to lift loaded railway wagons on to the deck of steamers.
On 13 or 14 January 1849 the innovative young engineer Thomas Bouch was appointed engineer and manager of the E&NR. Bouch saw that the proposals for hydraulic cranes at the harbours would only partly mitigate the problem, and he immediately put forward a radical scheme: what is now known as a train ferry. The steamship would have railway tracks on its deck and goods wagons—passenger carriages were not planned to be conveyed—would travel on board. At each harbour point there would be a flying bridge (as Bouch described it): this would be a large trolley system capable of running on its own rails on a ramped jetty, and carrying railway tracks. The flying bridge could be moved up or down the ramp and make a connection with the landward tracks; a linkspan at the seaward end connected to the track on the steamer. It was to be hinged at the flying bridge end so as to accommodate tidal variation during the berthing of the ferryboat. The tidal range was about 20 feet (6 m).
The EP&DR directors authorised the scheme at once, and the steamship Leviathan, 399 tons, equipped with railway track, was ready by early September 1849, but the shore works took longer. Leviathan was destined for the Tay crossing at first, but it was decided to transfer her to the Forth crossing instead. Leviathan was a flat bottomed paddle steamer with two railway tracks aboard; a smaller vessel, PS Robert Napier, 296 tons, was constructed for the Tay passage.
The flying bridge system was nearly ready in January 1850 but there was an accident at Burntisland in which a workman was killed; the newspapers reported:
The Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee Railway Company have just completed two moveable slips or platforms, one on each side of the Forth,—viz. at Granton and Burntisland,—for the purpose of conveying across the ferry, by means of their floating railway, or large steamer Leviathan, goods, minerals, &c., without breaking bulk. The platforms are moved up and down the slip, so as to suit the state of the tide, by means of a small stationary engine placed at the top of the slip, and the trucks or waggons are run down the platform on to rails placed on the deck of the steamer, which has been constructed in such a manner that thirty loaded trucks at one time can, with the greatest ease, be conveyed across the ferry on her deck.
We understand that early last week the slip at Granton was tried for the first time, and found to answer the expectations of its most sanguine promoters. The other one, at Burntisland, at which the melancholy accident occurred, was tried on Saturday morning [26 January 1850], and found to be equally successful. It appears that another trial of the Burntisland slip was fixed to take place in the afternoon; and while preparations were being made for what is called putting the engine into gear, by which the platform is moved up and down the slip, two of the workmen, unknown to any of the officials, had got under the platform, one of whom, thinking that all was right, but without receiving a signal to that effect, slipped out the "palls" [pawls] which hold the platform to the slip, the consequence of which was that the heavy mass rushed down the slip at a fearful velocity into the sea, the two poor men being underneath it, and one of them was so dreadfully mangled that... it was found that life was extinct.
A demonstration journey using the flying bridge system took place on 30 January 1850, when 12 wagons were transferred from the shore to Leviathan, followed by the directors' in their own coach. Leviathan then crossed the Forth and the directors alighted at Granton without mishap. Commercial operations could not be started immediately as further work on the shore installations was required.
Reports printed in contemporary newspapers differ in the details and the date:
From Wikipedia’s article on Edinburgh and Northern Railway, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3