Whitrope Siding facts for kids
Whitrope Siding was once a small railway track, or "spur," that branched off the main railway line. It was part of the famous Waverley Line, also known as the Waverley Route. This siding was used to load and unload goods from trains. Today, Whitrope Siding is home to the Whitrope Heritage Centre. It is also the end point for the heritage Border Union Railway.
The siding is located just south of the highest point on the railway line, called Whitrope Summit. This summit is 1,006 feet (307 m) above sea level. Whitrope Siding is about 330 yards (300 m) south of Whitrope Tunnel. It is also about 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) north of Hermitage, Scottish Borders.
Contents
Whitrope Heritage Centre: A Journey into Railway History
The Waverley Route Heritage Association takes care of the Whitrope Heritage Centre. This centre has a small museum filled with old items and photos from the Waverley Route. The museum is inside a parked railway carriage (a Mk2 BSO 9400). Next to it is another carriage (69316 from a 4BIG EMU) that serves as a buffet.
Railway Tracks and Future Plans
As of 2025, there is a platform on the "down" side of the railway. Over 800 m (870 yd) of track has been laid from the tunnel, over the summit, and south to Bridge 200. There are plans to build a copy of the old Whitrope Signal Box. The heritage railway also aims to extend the line southwards to where Riccarton Junction used to be. In 2005, a study was done on Whitrope Tunnel to see if the railway could be extended north through it towards Shankend.
Trains at the Centre
Besides the two museum carriages, there are also two locomotives at the site. The Waverley Route Heritage Association has its own shunter, an 0-6-0 DM JF 4240015 from 1962. This train arrived on December 9, 2009. There is also a 4w DM Ruston, which is a 48DS model. This train is on loan from Rocks by Rail and arrived on June 14, 2011.
On April 16, 2012, another railway carriage arrived. This was a Mk2f RFO 1215, on loan from Northumbria Rail. The plan was for this carriage to be joined by another, a Mk2f BSO 9538 (also from Northumbria Rail). These carriages were meant to form a short set of trains for passengers later that year.
On May 31, 2012, a BRE / Leyland railbus, RB004, arrived at the site. It was on loan from Northumbria Rail and had been moved by road from the Midland Railway – Butterley in Derbyshire the day before. In early 2020, it was announced that two production British Rail Class 142 Pacer units, 142019 and 142020, were expected to join the collection. These trains were previously used by Northern.
| Preceding station |  Proposed Heritage railways |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Border Union Railway | Riccarton Junction | ||
See also
- Whitrope Tunnel
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in Scotland
