Tweedsmuir

Today's the day ..................... to follow the Talla railway

As you travel through the Scottish borders from Broughton to Moffat along the A701 you are aware of a raised platform that must once have carried a railway line. It snakes its way sometimes on the right of the road and sometimes on the left. This picture shows the remains of a bridge that once carried a road over the top of the railway.

The line was called the Talla Railway and it was in existence between 1897 and 1910. It was built by the Edinburgh and District Water Trust to assist construction of the Talla Reservoir which lies 1000 feet (300 m) above sea level and still supplies Edinburgh with water. Over 100,000 tons of material were transported for the building of the reservoir.

A halt was added at Crook Siding, close to the Crook Inn, which proved very popular with workers returning after their work, who would stop there for refreshments.

As the reservoir neared completion, run-down of the line started in 1904. The reservoir opened on 20 May 1905, and the railway closed soon afterwards. It was sold for scrap in 1910 and all track had been lifted by 1912.

It's a great shame that it is no longer in existence. It passes through some breathtaking scenery of the upper River Tweed - the sort of railway line that people would willingly pay to travel on today ..................