There have been a number of admirable books published about the much-missed Waverley Route from Edinburgh via Hawick to Carlisle. Its demise in 1969 – probably the worst railway closure in British history – left the Borders as the only mainland region of the country without a rail service, yet the whole story has never been fully told. In early 2010 three Scottish-based railway enthusiasts concluded that there were some key gaps in the recorded story – the early history of lines planned for the Borders in the mid-19th century, tales of the ‘life and times’ of the railway in the wider community, and a definitive record of the campaign against closure and the current plan to reinstate the railway from Edinburgh to Galashiels and Tweedbank.

What began then as a plan for a single volume book, eventually – as the sheer volume of fascinating new archive material reached ‘critical mass’ – was transformed into two distinct projects, with the shared resource of a vast archive of never previously published photos:

•The life and times of the Waverley Route – a unique compendium of early history and folk tales of the railway and its role in Borders life – researched and written by Langholm-based author Bruce McCartney, who was a key campaigner against the 1969 closure

•Waverley Route: the Life, Death & Rebirth of the Borders Railway – the definitive account of the last years of the line and the subsequent reinstatement campaigns, culminating in the planned 2014 re-opening to Tweedbank – written by Edinburgh-based David Spaven, and now with a planned publication date of August 2012, just over 150 years after the opening of the southern section of the Waverley Route

Both books will be profusely illustrated, using our unprecedented access to private photo collections, under the guidance of Bill Jamieson, our Photo Editor. Bruce’s intention is to self-publish his volume, as he has done with previous books penned, while David has signed a contract with Scottish-based Argyll Publishing.  See the updates page for the latest on David’s book.

To be placed on a list of enquirers to be informed of updates, email either Bruce McCartney and/or David Spaven.  

Thank you for your interest – you won’t be disappointed!