Old Photograph Railway Station Beattock Scotland

Old photograph of the railway station in Beattock in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Opened by the Caledonian Railway, it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. It survived the closures in the 1960s, being closed as part of the electrification of the West Coast Main Line. Between 1881 and 1964, Beattock was the junction for the branch to Moffat. Just south of Beattock station is the mysterious " Jessie's Tunnel ", which intersects the line. There are 3 theories relating to the tunnel and its origin. One theory is that the tunnel was named after Jessie Armstrong, who died after being hit by a train whilst trying to cross the tracks. The more likely origin of the tunnel is that local boys would be labelled " jessies ", Scottish word for effeminate, for using it, rather than crossing the tracks. The third, and most controversial theory, is that the tunnel was named after Jessie, a local inhabitant, who used the tunnel to peddle her wares. The station features in the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps, written by John Buchan. Richard Hannay walks to the station from Moffat, before catching a night-train south to England.





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