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Lesser spotted Borders tractors

'CHARD

Entry posted by 'CHARD

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Possibly the least-photographed and recorded class based at 64B to feature in Waverley route (re)collections.

A dozen strong for the majority of the Waverley's diesel era, the tractor fleet remains elusive, despite Neil Caplan attesting to their late mastery of the route in the Railway World WR Special (Ian Allan 1985).

 

However, there is probably a solid explanation for this. The Clayton fleet was still retained in quantity until inroads were made during '68, matched to a degree with routing away of traffic from the line. The only footage so far of 37s would point to greater use in the final year, but in any case their massed transfer from South Wales was timed explicitly to eradicate steam in Fife. During '68 some EE Type 3 were either surplus or displaced, and prior to transfer west it may have been that with less dedicated work, Millerhill was able to put spare locos to use on the Waverley.

 

So in this rare case, my view until persuaded to the contrary, is that Haymarket kept its 37s away from Millerhill rather than having them as common-user freight locos, and they only rarely strayed when traction was acutely short. Pictures do exist of Polmadie units heading north, symptomatic of problems - or opportunism - at Kingmoor perhaps. The facts will only be known if and when signal box records come to light.

 

D6838/44-51 came from 86A, and 6837/58 from 87E in September '66

D6857/9 joined them from 66A in October '66

D6903 from 86A later, in April '67

D6936 and 6937 right at the death in September and June '68.

 

Of these, ten: 6844/6/7/50/1/7/8, 6903/36/7 outlived the Waverley at Haymarket

6859 returned whence it came in September '67, along with 6837

6838/45 moved across to Eastfield in September '68 and were joined by 6848/9 the next month

 

All locos were workstained coal luggers, that retained GSYP livery whilst the line was open, as far as is known. Somewhere there is a photo of one in BFYE working between Lady Victoria Colliery and Hawick, during the line's freight only period. Any pointers of into-blue dates for these ScR 37s would be very welcome indeed.

 

EDIT Friday July 2 to add 6936 and 6937 info.

 

 

 

 

One can't help imagine that, had the rationalized line survived, Large Logo Blue 37s would have been its signature Eighties traction, bearing names such as 'Reverend Brydon Mabon,' 'Riccarton Outward Bound,' 'Lord Steele of Etterick & Lauderdale,' 'Paul Riley' etc...

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Jamie

Interesting. Early EE type 3 deployment in Scotland is something I've yet to get a handle on. In the mid-bottom left hand side of Scotland where I focus my attention, I seem to associate them mainly with oil traffic, locos which I presumed were off Grangemouth shed.

 

One can't help imagine that, had the rationalized line survived, Large Logo Blue 37s would have been its signature Eighties traction, bearing names such as 'Reverend Brydon Mabon,' 'Riccarton Outward Bound,' 'Lord Steele of Etterick & Lauderdale,' 'Paul Riley' etc...

Careful now, keep the tartan and shortbread twinges to 2mm/N ;)

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'CHARD

I think early on there was a fair amount of 66A activity with these, Bradford Barton titles seem obsessed with them on shed there. They got some South Walean Type 3s literally a month or two before Haymarket, and 65A was in at the start with a few too.

 

I just unearthed another, D6937 which has the same history as 6838. Doh! EDIT about to happen...

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Guest Max Stafford

Guest Max Stafford

Posted

I think early on there was a fair amount of 66A activity with these, Bradford Barton titles seem obsessed with them on shed there. They got some South Walean Type 3s literally a month or two before Haymarket, and 65A was in at the start with a few too.

 

I just unearthed another, D6837 which has the same history as 6838. Doh! EDIT about to happen...

 

Wouldn't mind seeing the 66A photos. I'm also interested in the cantrail grille arrangements for these transferred beasties with a view to three little projects I have in mind! ;)

 

Dave.

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Pennine MC
Interesting. Early EE type 3 deployment in Scotland is something I've yet to get a handle on. In the mid-bottom left hand side of Scotland where I focus my attention, I seem to associate them mainly with oil traffic, locos which I presumed were off Grangemouth shed.

 

I think that's what they mostly settled into, thee heavier work, after the usual spell of 'oo, what can we use our new toys on' - the Glasgow-based locos also wandered up the WHL on freights for a time in the late 60s

I'm also interested in the cantrail grille arrangements for these transferred beasties with a view to three little projects I have in mind! ;)

 

.

 

Without rushing about in this heat to double check, I'm fairly sure most if not all of these early ScR machines were of Vulcan Foundry build (not RSH as per Bachmann's D6826). Parade, rain, rearrangewink.gif

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Guest Max Stafford

Guest Max Stafford

Posted

I've got a pair of 37 238s and a D6707. Wonder if they'd be good for a nose job! ;)

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Pennine MC
I've got a pair of 37 238s and a D6707. Wonder if they'd be good for a nose job! ;)

 

37238 has the Vulcan grilles - it's not just a D6826 in a different coloursmile.gif

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Jamie

'Chard: This'll be one of your Haymarket 37s, just freshly North by the look of the date:

019-1a-Carlisle-8-10-66-D6838

 

I think you've posted re the david.l.quayle collection on flickr before, but it's always worth a look.

 

This late, plain green 20 has me all a quiver again:

004-37-Carlisle-23-10-65-D8125

Must shut up about it and actually model it, eh?

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