Travelling back in time

Published on Saturday 16 August 2008 11:31

FEW areas have seen such dramatic change over the last 50 years as transport, with the 1950s a key decade for saying hello and waving goodbye to different modes of getting about.

It was an era of first and lasts: the introduction of double-decker buses and the demise of the last horse-drawn taxi. It was also the end of the trams. Thousands of people lined the route of the last tram No. 28, on November 16, 1956 – it remains to be seen if quite so many will turn out for the return of the tram in 2011.

The 1950s was also the era which saw the birth of commuting. The 'businessman's express' train took six hours, 40 minutes to run from Edinburgh to London, which seems slow today, but back then was a pivotal change.

This fascinating era has been brought back to life in a new book called Edinburgh and the Lothians in the 1950s, which looks at many archive photographs held by the Evening News and The Scotsman.

It was not just the businessmen that could enjoy the benefits of trains, though. Hibs fans clearly welcomed the introduction of special trains to Glasgow from the now-defunct Princes Street Station, despite the queues.

Meanwhile, others had no choice but to use an alternative as Edinburgh bus strikes in 1957 led to long waits at Waverley Station.

One innovative transport method was seen when the maiden flight of the Hythe flying boat Hudson service landed in Leith Docks from Southampton. The plane carried just 26 passengers.

Another stylish mode of travel came in the form of the city's Vespa club, where hip young things would socialise.

Construction of the Forth Road Bridge was by now under way. We can see one fearless worker standing on the central girder of the Forth Bridge looking north towards the emerging structure. Its opening in 1964 brought an end to queues waiting to board the cross-Forth ferry – but no end to queuing to cross the Forth itself.

Edinburgh and the Lothians in the 1950s is available at a special price of 9.99 (12.99) by calling 0808 180 2008 or visiting www. shop.scotsman.com/1950book