Reston, Duns & St. Boswells Line

[46444]

My great uncle used to drive the BR lorry at Duns many moons ago, this is one on my Dad's photos taken on the pick up freight quite late in the day. I'm sure he's got the loco id somewhere but the date is long since forgotten. There are a couple more pictures in an album on his Flickr site, unfortunately none them are particularly sharp.

 

Duns Freight by Alan Tait, on Flickr

 

That's a great shot your uncle took D6775.

 

Thankyou for taking the time to post it.  

 

I'm a fan of the Standard Class 3 2-6-0.  A Bachmann version would be good...

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Edited February 21, 2018 by 46444

[Bill Jamieson]

My great uncle used to drive the BR lorry at Duns many moons ago, this is one on my Dad's photos taken on the pick up freight quite late in the day. I'm sure he's got the loco id somewhere but the date is long since forgotten. There are a couple more pictures in an album on his Flickr site, unfortunately none them are particularly sharp.

 

Duns Freight by Alan Tait, on Flickr

 

As has been stated earlier the loco will be either 77002 or 77004 and as it appears to be summer the year must be 1965.

 

 

I wonder if I knew your great uncle - during the school holidays in 1963, my friend Adam Turnbull and myself were 'employed' in the goods shed. I seem to remember the two BR men we knew were a Welshman (not surprisingly known as Taffy) and a local chap whose surname was, I think, Mackie. I would be pleased to see any more photos of Duns as that is where I was brought up. Until 1964 we lived out of shot to the right on Cheviot Way, which at that time had a clear view down to the railway, although there are now houses in between (and no railway of course!). 

 

Regards,

Bill

[D6775]

Bill, his name was Alec Tait, I'm pretty sure he lived in Churnside, I unfortunately didn't know him that well as he past away in an accident on the Berwick by-pass in 83/84. I think Dad has a couple more pictures somewhere but he can't find them!

 

This is the same train being prepped - I think at Dunns, but I can't be sure!

 

BR Standard 3MT on the Duns Freight by Alan Tait, on Flickr

['CHARD]

Fantastic photographs and memories here, profuse thanks for sharing 

[Bill Jamieson]

Bill, his name was Alec Tait, I'm pretty sure he lived in Churnside, I unfortunately didn't know him that well as he past away in an accident on the Berwick by-pass in 83/84. I think Dad has a couple more pictures somewhere but he can't find them!

 

This is the same train being prepped - I think at Dunns, but I can't be sure!

 

BR Standard 3MT on the Duns Freight by Alan Tait, on Flickr

 

Tait does ring a slight bell (although there were other Taits in Duns which might be confusing me). I still have a picture in my mind's eye - always wore a bunnet I seem to remember.

 

Regards,

Bill

[Bill Jamieson]

Mark,

 

My apologies for not responding sooner to your January post.

 

My first visit to the station in Duns would have been in 1957 (possibly during the school Easter holidays) and the loco involved that day was J39 No. 64711. J39s were the regular power until late 1962 when the last Tweedmouth examples were withdrawn, and for the next year Ivatt class 2 2-6-0s were the norm - there had been a couple of these at 52D in earlier years (46476 & 46482) and I'm fairly sure they had appeared at Duns on occasion from 1958/9.

 

The Ivatt 2-6-0s were replaced with three BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0s (78012/24/5) at the end of 1963 but they in turn only lasted a year before giving way to 77002/4, which worked the by then thrice-weekly freight until June 1966 when Tweedmouth closed to steam. Thereafter I only visited the station on a handful of occasions (by that time we no longer lived on Cheviot Way), when I noted EE and Brush Type 4 diesels being used. The use of a 1Co-Co1 machine seems a bit surprising given that D181 had come a cropper the previous August.

 

Of course there were occasions in steam days when other locos substituted and I have vague memories of locos of classes K3 and V2 turning up, while visits by classes B1 and K1 are clearer in my mind. The most notable visitor was an unidentified Pacific (probably an A2) which was spotted from our Cheviot Way living room window at school dinner time (it was never lunch in these days) in about 1962.

 

There's an interesting article about the Berwickshire Railway in Railway Bylines Annnual No. 4 which gives information on the motive power used in earlier years.

 

After closure, I measured up most of the buildings at Duns and Edrom - I'm not 100% certain where my notebooks are but I should be able to find them if they might be of interest.

 

Bill

 

I've been reading my Steam in the Scottish Landscape by Micheal Welch and came across some delightful photos of Duns in the early 60's with 46475 in shot. An ex-Darlington loco if I'm not mistaken. I understand the line was severed by flooding in 1948 and Dun's later lost its passenger service in 1951.

 

However freight services carried on until 1966.  The yard looks quite busy with a grain warehouse in evidence, coal merchant and agricultural related produce. 

 

With Hornby announcing a J36 this looks like the makings of a small Borders related railway project. In later years what other motive power would have been seen on the line?

 

Also does anyone have any track plans of these stations, photos or suggested suitable reading?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Mark

[46444]

Mark,

 

My apologies for not responding sooner to your January post.

 

My first visit to the station in Duns would have been in 1957 (possibly during the school Easter holidays) and the loco involved that day was J39 No. 64711. J39s were the regular power until late 1962 when the last Tweedmouth examples were withdrawn, and for the next year Ivatt class 2 2-6-0s were the norm - there had been a couple of these at 52D in earlier years (46476 & 46482) and I'm fairly sure they had appeared at Duns on occasion from 1958/9.

 

The Ivatt 2-6-0s were replaced with three BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0s (78012/24/5) at the end of 1963 but they in turn only lasted a year before giving way to 77002/4, which worked the by then thrice-weekly freight until June 1966 when Tweedmouth closed to steam. Thereafter I only visited the station on a handful of occasions (by that time we no longer lived on Cheviot Way), when I noted EE and Brush Type 4 diesels being used. The use of a 1Co-Co1 machine seems a bit surprising given that D181 had come a cropper the previous August.

 

Of course there were occasions in steam days when other locos substituted and I have vague memories of locos of classes K3 and V2 turning up, while visits by classes B1 and K1 are clearer in my mind. The most notable visitor was an unidentified Pacific (probably an A2) which was spotted from our Cheviot Way living room window at school dinner time (it was never lunch in these days) in about 1962.

 

There's an interesting article about the Berwickshire Railway in Railway Bylines Annnual No. 4 which gives information on the motive power used in earlier years.

 

After closure, I measured up most of the buildings at Duns and Edrom - I'm not 100% certain where my notebooks are but I should be able to find them if they might be of interest.

 

Bill

 

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks for recounting your experience of Duns.  Very informative and a good to read a first hand account of the place.

 

The building measurements would be useful if you can find your notebooks sometime.  Feel free to post them on this thread.  

 

Regards,

 

Mark