The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Plaque. It marks a piece of history as rich and fascinating as the city itself. The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, affectionately nicknamed the “Innocent Railway”, was Edinburgh’s pioneering railway line. Opened in stages from 1831, it was initially designed to transport coal from the mines near Dalkeith into the heart of the city. Can you imagine, this bustling metropolis, once reliant on horse-drawn carriages and carts for its coal supply? The railway was a game-changer.
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Plaque stands as a testament to this innovation. The line earned its charming nickname, “The Innocent Railway”, not because it was free from accidents. It was because it utilized horse-drawn wagons instead of the then feared steam locomotives. This made it seem quaint, almost charmingly naive in the face of the rapidly industrializing world.
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway wasn’t just about coal, though. To the surprise of its founders, it quickly gained popularity with passengers. Imagine, taking a leisurely trip along the line, enjoying the scenery at a pace unimaginable on the steam railways of the time. The line even boasted a unique feature: a 572-yard tunnel bored through the volcanic rock under Holyrood Park. This tunnel, lit by gas lamps in its heyday, still exists and serves as a reminder of the railway’s innovative spirit.
Although eventually absorbed into the larger North British Railway and its tracks converted for steam locomotives, the legacy of the “Innocent Railway” lives on. The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Plaque stands as a tribute to this era. It reminds us of a time when Edinburgh’s first railway chugged along, horse-drawn and full of charm, forever changing the face of transport in the city.