|
|
Bathgate Branch This railway is closed. |
|
|
This line runs through farmed land with some former coalmining. At its eastern end it skirts the western edges of Bathgate before running a short distance to the south west to an area formerly famous for the quality of its coal.
This line ran from Blackston Junction on the Slamannan Railway to Bathgate to meet the Wilstontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway before turning west to ran to mines around Crofthead.
The formation of this junction with the
Slamannan Railway
is now difficult to discern; it must have been
on a roadbridge, now removed, and there has been some landscaping. The junction
faced Blackston and the west. Lines ran north and east to Bo'ness and south
and east to Bathgate. There was a signalbox here called "Blackston Junction".
Westfield
Top
This station was to the north and west of the small town and by a level crossing. A station building remains. To the west of the former station, now a dirt track, a large viaduct still stands.
To the east of the station is the Westfield Paper Mill, still open. This was served by railway sidings from the "Westfield Paper Mill" signalbox.
Couston Signalbox
Top
This signalbox was to the north of Bathgate and served Couston coalmine.
Bathgate Lower
Top
This station was to the north and west of the small town and by a level crossing. There was a level crossing here. The formation of the line can still be traced, including a level crossing, but the are is partly landscaped and partly derelict. The section from Bathgate to Bathgate Lower remained open to serve a coalmine after the line westwards to Blackston, and later Westfield, had closed. There was a signalbox here called "Bathgate Lower".
This was a north facing junction between the lines from Polkemmet Junction (and Airdrie and Morningside) and Bathgate Upper (and Edinburgh). There was a signalbox here called "Bathgate West" and later "Bathgate North". The site has been redeveloped.
The line from here to Polkemmet Junction (to meet and extension of the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway from the Bathgate Chemical Works) and westwards to pits at Crofthead were originally part of this line until being upgraded and brought into use as the through route to Airdrie of the Bathgate and Coatbridge Railway or New Monkland Railway. This route was to supersede the circuitrous route via the Slamannan Railway and, although now closed, was to survive the Slamannan Railway as a through route.
The spur from Bathgate West Junction to Bathgate Upper was a later construction than the line south to Polkemmet.
The Bathgate Branch continued west to Torbanehill.