View looking NNE showing SSW front of SW coal drop with Methil Power Station in background

Description View looking NNE showing SSW front of SW coal drop with Methil Power Station in background

Date 23/6/1970

Collection Papers of Professor John R Hume, economic and industrial historian, Glasgow, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 733349

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Methil Harbour (Methil Docks), Fife Methil was developed as a port from 1887 when a small wet dock was built for R Erskine Wemyss. Between 1894 and 1913 it was greatly enlarged by the North British Railway to become Fife's leading coal-exporting port. It was served by two North British Railway branches and by the Wemyss Private Railway. This shows the north-east quay of number 3 Dock, built in 1907-13, with one of four hydraulic coal hoists surviving in 1970. The lower railway on the left delivered full wagons, the contents of which were tipped into the holds of ships. The empties ran out by gravity on the upper line. The Methil Docks and associated collieries had until the 1960s a concentration of railway lines unmatched in Scotland. The closure of the last large collieries in this part of Fife led to the end of coal shipments from Methil in 1970. The dock remains open for general cargo traffic. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

External Reference H35/70/24/11

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/733349

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap