The major project to extend Edinburgh Trams from York Place to Newhaven via Leith Walk has been continuing with good progress being seen on the ground as more track is laid around Ocean Terminal. Other recent progress has shown some more items from the past as you get to see just what is under that road surface you have been on top of all these years! John Hampton took a trip down to see what is going on and this pictorial update shows the results.
On Leith Walk itself and during excavation works more items which were used when trams last ran this way well over 60 years ago have been found. While a lot of the time we see track during works which had just been left there and covered in tarmac this time the track we see has been cut up into small section and used to strengthen the road surface (a couple of small sections can be seen in the centre of the image). Also seen in this photo is what appears to be one of the centre poles which used to support the overhead wires.
Its not just bits of old tramway which have been found during the first stages of work with many fascinating finds which is helping to tell more about the history of the area. The archaeological work around South Leith Parish Church has discovered a total of 359 human remains which will now be further analysed. At the lower end of Leith Walk a dry stone wall complete with coping stones has been found. The coping stones are about a metre below the level of the roadway, perhaps from a time when Leith Walk itself was lower than today?
While the first couple of photos could be due to any type of roadworks this photo shows what is really going on – the laying of track for the extension! This is on Ocean Way – this section is due to be finished in early 2021 – where the track is down and concreted down with plenty of activity of the other side as well which will soon follow the same way.
In this view we can see some recently laid concrete with a workman brushing it give a brushed non-slip surface.
Back to Leith Walk and this 5th December view shows a stack of rails just waiting to be installed. And it wasn’t long after that they were (more soon on that!)
Again on Leith Walk in this view we see the wooden shuttering in plce which will contain the concrete when that is put down after installation of the rails. (All Photographs by John Hampton)