Next, a story about a railway level crossing which once crossed over Stonefield Road, leading from the railway mineral line, which is today Burnbrae Road. This story took place on Stonefield Road, outside what is now the Scotmid (Landmark) near Larkfield.
One day in Summer 1908, a six year old boy, Alexander Lawson was patiently waiting at the level crossing knowing a train was approaching. He was doing everything correctly, standing behind the closed wooden gate as the train approached. However an accident was about to happen.
That particular day, the locomotive was involved in shunting (I don’t know what!), and overladen as it passed by the level crossing, it struck the side of the large wooden, protective gate, currently in the closed position to pedestrians. The force, wrenched the gate off its hinges, collapsing it with full weight down on top of a shocked Alexander.
The boy was severely injured, indeed permanently and so his father James Lawson, brought an action against William Dixon Ltd, the Coalmasters operating the nearby Pit 4. (where the level bing is today). The action was for £500 given that permanent injuries had been sustained and it had been proven by all parties that Alexander was in “the right”. However, just before any criminal proceedings were brought up in court, a settlement was offered and accepted to the Lawson family of £175. (About £22,000 in todays money).
The level crossing was gone by the late 1920s, which is why nobody reading this will remember it.
I have to wonder what became of Alexander Lawson, though i did find him in he 1911 Census, aged 9 with his family at Craighead Rows and know that he died in 1974 in Blantyre. He married in 1923 and his mothers maiden name was Waugh.
