Images of the Far North Line - Old & New

[Marly51]

British Railways Station Wagon Schedule Card found in the old booking office at Lairg Station. Anyone on the Forum with information about these cards and how they were processed?

 

[Marly51]

Running to catch the Wick train yesterday, my daughter took a quick shot of The Royal Scotsman at Inverness! Not enough time to take more photos. ☹️

 

Edited June 3, 2018 by Marly51

[Marly51]

At one time there was a short quarry siding north of Lairg Station, which was subsequently used by the brickworks, built on the quarry site. No actual plan of the brickworks has been found yet, but we do have a track plan of the quarry siding, an aerial photograph from 1946 and a collection of photographs taken during construction of the works. Lairg bricks were initially made with sand and lime and was considered a good brick, but later bricks were made of crusher dust and not the same quality. Still looking for more details of the quarry tramline, details of sequence of the different production processes and the function of each building on site. Quite a tall order, but will keep looking! Some background information here from, Stanley Wilson, the son of the last manager of the brickworks. https://www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk/lairg-quarry-and-brick-company-ltd/

[Marly51]

British Railways Station Wagon Schedule Card found in the old booking office at Lairg Station. Anyone on the Forum with information about these cards and how they were processed?

51A51883-7051-400C-8CE2-6548F8AA9FDB.jpeg

Of course everyone here knew the answer!! I am such a railway novice! A retired signalman in the next village has enlightened me "the wagon label would be put into a special clip box above the wagon brake, where the shunter could see it when marshalling his train"!!

 

So this is a waybill! Now found a good description of the location of the clip for the waybill in ‘Goods Not So Goods’ website - British Goods Stock Chassis Construction http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/4-rstock/04arstock2a.htm. Also David Hyde’s Goods Operations #1 YouTube video is very informative. I’m learning!

Edited June 4, 2018 by Marly51

[uax6]

I see the potted Palm isn't on the veranda again! I had the pleasure of asking the driver to get the train crew to move it back into gauge, after it swept the platform at Ely...

 

Andy G

[Marly51]

The Highland Railway built locomotives to suit local traffic. Many were built by outside contractors, others by the Company’s Lochgorm workshops at Inverness. As the railway expanded in the middle and later 1800s, trains at the same time became heavier and many of the older engines, being of sturdy construction, were upgraded to suit the needs of the day.

A friend of one of our local history society members inherited some photographs of locomotives, taken at Inverness and dating from 1800 – 1900. The History Society has been given permission to copy this set of photographs for the 150th Lairg Station Anniversary Exhibition.

Each locomotive would have been at work when Lairg Station opened, but all had to be ‘modernised’ (rebuilt is the railwayman’s term) by the time the photographs were taken. This usually took the form of fitting larger boilers and/or adding extra driving wheels in some cases. A decent cab to shelter the footplate crew was another improvement on the earliest machines.

No.34 was a H.R. goods engine built in 1864 as ‘Struan’, rebuilt in 1886 and acquired a vacuum brake at some point so it could handle passenger trains. It lasted until 1915. Goods engines as a rule had smaller driver wheels than those built for passenger work. It gave them increased pulling power. In this case the wheels were 5ft 1.5ins.

One Highland goods engine No24 was generally similar to the above engine and carried the name ‘Lairg’ for a time. It lasted till 1904 with that name intact.

 

[Marly51]

A week ago I undertook a small measured survey of the signal box at Rogart Station. We are using Rogart Signal Box as the prototype for two models on the Lairg Station Layout.

The station is privately owned and also the location of Sleeperzzz - hostel accommodation in old carriages, showmans wagon or B&B in the ‘Waiting Room’. http://www.sleeperzzz.com

 

 

[Corrour]

A week ago I undertook a small measured survey of the signal box at Rogart Station. We are using Rogart Signal Box as the prototype for two models on the Lairg Station Layout.

The station is privately owned and also the location of Sleeperzzz - hostel accommodation in old carriages, showmans wagon or B&B in the ‘Waiting Room’. http://www.sleeperzzz.com

 

582D9E97-0E52-4B3B-8659-23D9972A1C41.jpeg

 

F2F6F876-6552-4787-8FDA-23FD479EB70A.jpeg

 

Very nice photos. Here some information on Rogart signalling to go with them.

 

kind regards,

 

Robert

[Marly51]

Thought I’d share some photographs of the prototypes I am modelling for Lairg Station at present. There were two oil depots in the 1930s/1940s period. The main building of one is now used as a garage workshop. It is not clear from old photographs if the original building was a totally corrugated metal construction and latterly windows were replaced and the walls rendered? The present building has been extended with the corrugated roof over the extension now rusted.

 

 

I downloaded a N gauge American paper kit from Clever Models, thinking I could kitbash this, but the colours are not quite right, possibly from a more industrial location in the US compared to my rural Sutherland one. I had to use an additional foundation strip, which was supplied, to increase the height. I like these Clever Models kits - the detail is already weathered and it would be ideal for a future model featuring more heavy industrial location.

 

 

The second oil depot and its yard, which appears in some of the early maps of the station, is also now privately owned and used for storage.

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Marly51

[Marly51]

Nissen Huts at Lairg Station:

 

By the end of WW2 there were five Nissen huts beyond the livestock loading bay on the east side of the station. No one in the village today remembers these huts, but they are quite clearly visible in an aerial photograph from 1946. Nissen huts as well as other buildings constructed by the military including the Forestry Corps, during WW1 and WW2, were often acquired later by crofters and local tradesmen as ideal storage buildings. Remaining examples in the village are in their original locations. These two are used for storage and a workshop for a local joiner/builder. More information about the history is on www.Facebook.com/LairgHistory

 

 

This large Nissen hut was built as a laundry for the Polish troops based in Lairg during WW2.

 

 

I am using the Model Railway Scenery N gauge downloadable paper kits for my models of Nissen huts. There are additional features such as extra windows doors and canopies which can be added to vary the construction.

 

[Marly51]

I took a couple of shots of a smaller Nissen hut being demolished in Lairg. The original owner was a village joiner who also occasionally had a couple of sheep in the small field in front of the their cottage, where the Nissen hut was located. This could be quite a nice scenario for a model. The lads demolishing this hut mentioned there were three layers of corrugated metal on the roof!

 

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by Marly51

[Marly51]

Just returned from an interesting local history society visit to Helmsdale Station, which has been sensitively restored, by the local Community Interest Group, into self catering accommodation. Our host, Michael Willmot, told us about the history of the railway line and the station itself, which was not opened until a year after the line. A temporary station had been built just to the south east and the ceremony for the official opening of the line took place in 1870 in the presence of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Helena. A tough outcrop meant that a small section of the line was not completed until 1871, finally connecting the line to Helmsdale.

The station building is quite unique in that the walls are made from solid concrete, using a building system created by the engineer, Charles Drake. The walls were built up in layers using 2ft high cast iron shuttering. The design of the building is by the estate architect, William Fowler, and very similar in layout to the stone-built Golspie Station.

 

[RJD]

Not quite Far North Line, but what can you tell me about the Highland River Class 4-6-0 locomotives? 

 

They seemed to be very advanced for their time.  Were they really too heavy?  Had hammer blow been reduced to make them safe to use on the Highland main lines but the civil engineer didn't understand?   How were they used on the Caledonian Railway and LMSR?   And any other interesting facts.

 

Thanks

[Marly51]

Hi RJD,

 

I am still a novice here, but have asked one of the more knowledgeable members if he can find out for you.

 

All the best,

Marlyn

[Argos]

Not quite Far North Line, but what can you tell me about the Highland River Class 4-6-0 locomotives? 

 

They seemed to be very advanced for their time.  Were they really too heavy?  Had hammer blow been reduced to make them safe to use on the Highland main lines but the civil engineer didn't understand?   How were they used on the Caledonian Railway and LMSR?   And any other interesting facts.

 

Thanks

 

Hi RJD,

 

the book "The Scottish 4-6-0 classes" by C. P. Atkins will tell you all you want to know.

It a good read and very informative, you can usually pick it up for around a tenner.

[NCB]

Not quite Far North Line, but what can you tell me about the Highland River Class 4-6-0 locomotives? 

 

A History of Highland Locomotives - Tatlow, contains pictures, drawings and a brief description. Googling Highland Locomotives or going to Amazon may bring up more.

 

Essentially, they were too heavy, did useful work on the Caledonian, and returned to the Highland after the LMS had strengthened track and bridges. Think weight was definitely the main factor.

[Marly51]

Here is a new photograph from my 2mm Scale model of Invershin Station. The layout will be returning to Ferrycroft Visitor Centre along with the 2018 exhibition of photographs and documents celebrating Lairg Station's 150 years on the Far North Line. I still have to prepare drawings of the Invershin buildings and also Rogart Signal Box, which I have promised to a couple of folk. 

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by Marly51

[Marly51]

We have had a lot of maintenance work here on the Far North Line. Lairg Station had ballast and track equipment there for a few months. Now the yard is being tidied up and I have taken a few shots for future reference.

 

(Will upload more tomorrow as these two are just under 10mb!)

 

 

View south. Lineside hut by goods shed siding.

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Marly51

[Marly51]

Some more shots at the old Lairg Station sidings. 

 

 

View north to the old oil depot. Livestock platform on right was a busy place during the Lairg Sheep Auctions.

 

 

Lineside hut by siding which led to the old goods shed. The station house is just behind.

 

 

View south. One of the three old buffer stops. Livestock platform on the left. There was also a second oil depot by this platform, but the main building is now used as a garage repair workshop. The current oil depot is behind the mesh fencing at the far end of the platform.

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Marly51

[NCB]

Just out of interest, is there still an operating oil depot at Lairg? Thought it might have closed, although it's a good strategic spot for one.

Nigel

[Marly51]

15 hours ago, NCB said:

Just out of interest, is there still an operating oil depot at Lairg? Thought it might have closed, although it's a good strategic spot for one.

Nigel

 

Hi Nigel,

 

You can just see the present oil depot tanks behind the wire mesh fence in my last photo. Still one of the main employers in the village. 

 

Marlyn

 

[Marly51]

For years I have meant to photograph what remains of this old Highland Rail carriage, by the Far North Line, south of Helmsdale. I read an article online, some time ago, about its last use being as a chicken coop on the croft.

 

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by Marly51

[Marly51]

Great to see a steam locomotive again, here at Lairg Station! Some shots of the ‘Steam Dreams’ tour passing through today. Steam engine, ‘Mayflower’ No. 61306, one of only two surviving Thompson 'B1' 4-6-0s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by Marly51

[Marly51]

Called by Brora Station, on my way back from a meeting this week, to take some reference photos of the goods shed. Here are three, including a close-up of the wall boarding on the north facing platform side of the shed. 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheQ]

22 minutes ago, Marly51 said:

Called by Brora Station, on my way back from a meeting this week, to take some reference photos of the goods shed. Here are three, including a close-up of the wall boarding on the north facing platform side of the shed. 

 

 

 

 

 

That was the standard HR method of planking, they used that on the signal boxes, I've done the same on my railway shed..