Modelling the Victorian railway is not for the faint-hearted, but EAST OF SCOTLAND 4MM GROUP has done just that with this stunning layout based in Fife just before the Forth Bridge opened. Photography, Mike Bisset
The railways of Fife in 1883 were isolated from the lines to the north and south of the county. A relatively small group of routes ran through Fife, bounded by the Firth of Forth to the south and the Firth of Tay to the north. Ferries were used to connect south to Edinburgh and north to Dundee and beyond.
This isolation led to some interesting railway innovation: freight and passengers were transferred to and from boats, either for the relatively short journey to Granton (for Edinburgh), or further afield. At our date of 1883, there were plans to build bridges over both rivers, but developments had been stalled by the collapse of the Tay Bridge in 1879. The world famous Forth Bridge was begun in 1882, and when opened in 1890, would see the end of the Forth railway ferry from Burntisland.
Above: Having passed through the Roundhouse, 0-6-0ST 32 heads into the yard to collect a crane which has been offloading materials for the new Boiler House. This area was previously where locomotives were manufactured and asse…
