Lochty no more

DOCJACOB I note one page 217 of "The Leven & East of Fife Railway" by the Oakwood press, there is a photo of one of your beloved grain vans headng east through Leven station - possibly loading grain for Cameronbridge Distillery from the farms of the east neuk - rare to see them east of Kirkland yard. Best wishes Lochty no more

DOCJACOB You have not posted for a while, are these grain vans going to restore themself - probably not, now the following excuses are acceptable to RMwebbers: Excuse 1 ; I am dead, and cannot restore LNER grain vans Excuse 2:: My hand is trapped in the Corn Flakes packet and I am awaiting rescue from the fire brigade If your excuse is none of the above, then get yourself down to Ludborough and sort it out P.S. Pete Westwater got an advanced copy of a new book ( he had contributed photo`s ) The Leven & East of Fife Railway - there is a cracking photo of LNER grain vans at Cameronbridge Station and a good chance your grain vans were once in Kirkland yard ( where trains for Cameronbridge were marshalled ). Regards Lochty no more

DOCJACOB I agree with you on the signals position, could this be one of the rare occasions where the S&T department get there bit done before the Permenent way department alter the trackwork?, as it stands anybody puting there head out of a window on the road to the left of the signal would be at risk of getting slapped in the coupon with a signal arm. The promenent signal No,track circuit diamond and ladder hoop are all comprimises Health & Safety legislation ect, at least with my NBR signals there is no ladder to put a hoop on.

Dojacob I gather from your last post that your feeling a little bit disallusioned, dont be, most preservation society`s members dont give a S**t about railway wagons my first project was a Place wagon ( which turned out to be the last one in existance ) I cleaned it up, painted it black only to discover it should have been painted olive green, so I can understand your frustration. Most railway society`s have this attitude, dont worry about this the work you are doing on your wagons is nationaly important - no body else is doing this - as far as I can see there is only you and I actually doing preservation on this forum. Sometimes it`s hard to motivate yourself, but there are out there people who apreciate your endevours - more power to your elbow!

Ian there was a large traffic in sherry casks from Kircaldy Harbour to Cameronbridge distillery ( Windygates ) and possibly to other distillery`s - the Grange distillery at Burntisland, I forget the name of the distillery at Auchtertool. When the whisky was made they needed something to put it in hense the reason for the NB cask wagons, once the barrels had been filled they went into a duty free warehouse for a minimum of 3 years, full whisky barrels would have been transported by more secure vans to the bottling plants e.g. Haig`s plant at Markinch. I belive this traffic went over to road vehicles after WW2 Regards Lochty

Proper job - keep up the good work - thanks to you future generations will have an LNER grain van to look at

DOCJACOB It`s a treat to hear from somebody who`s actually doing some preservation. Keep up the good work with the Grain vans Lochty

Still dont see any shunting poles, brake sticks or loose 3 link couplings on loco`s - may have to inform the layout police

Dave Not much to critisize here, but a suggestion, most shunting locomotives used a spare 3 link coupling on the hook ( it gave extra reach and was easier to pick up with a shunting pole than a screw coupling )rarely modelled as far as I can see. Most shunters also carried a shunting pole & break stick on the buffer beam or the side of the loco. I mention this as you have not missed any other small details - the difference between a realy good model and perfection is built on such minutia.

Another peek at Pete Westwater`s legendry photo archive - this time Thornton is considered "Kirkcaldy area* 62418 at "Thornton Weighs" signal box 62427 in bay platform at Thornton Junction 62478 at Kinghorn station 62492 at Thornton 61508 at Thornton? Clayton at Baco Burntisland "wheel meet again" No 65916 on scrap road at Thornton on shed at Thornton 60519 at Kirkcaldy "Blue Peter" Kirkcaldy

I am afraid the scrap metal merchant got that one. The windlas from the signal on the other side of the crossing has been preserved and will be re - fitted to a "Stevens & Son" single lattice signal from "Methil Central" that is undergoing restoration at the Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society in Leven The "Dubbie pug" is also being restored at the KFRPS we hope to have it back in steam within 2 years

Peter has some photo`s in his archive of the Leslie railtour, allow me 64616 heading for Leslie 64616 ontour to Leslie 64616 at Thornton Junction 64616 at what is now Glenrothes

Keefer on the ball as always, 61219 Roseburry Terrace on special, class 05 in foreground - 3 trains for the price of one

Touch North Junction

Is Thornton classed as part of the Kirkcaldy area? working on the assumption that the answer is yes, here are some more photo`s from Pete Westwater`s legendary archive the scrap road at Thornton Thornton looking north three way points Dysart fine old NBR distant signal on Dubbie branch Kirkcaldy down advance starter start of Auchtertool branch Edinburgh & Northern station lamp at Dysart ( Pete always had an eye for detail) Invertiel viaduct 64616 at white gates (Dysart) more to follow

There are two types of "Stevens ball finial" the open ball type finial, and the one that Jon used - who ate all the pies type finial

Jon, that finial is suspicious here is a 12" to the foot version the arm is a 4 feet NBR lower quadrant, your arm would be 5 feet, it looks a bit too chunky - keep up the good work

I spot Pete Westwater`s bike in 5 of the photo`s ( so far, more to come )

I belive a shunting tractor was used by the works, the line was encased in concrete to provide a road for the shunting tractor ( we have an old shunting tractor at the KFRPS awaiting restoration a "Fordson" I belive, no idea of where it came from, must ask.

"Auld Reekie" at Dysart D5232 at Dysart at Den Road ex GNSR passenger brake van at Kirkcaldy harbour, this vehicle survives to this day - known as the SMDV (six million dollar van, purchased from BR for six quid - a pound each )it went to lochty then the KFRPS at Leven another view of the SMDV 502123 at Den Road Thomson coaches on the Rosyth dockyard train at Dysart 62064 on brakedown train at boreland NCB No3 at dubbie (Francess colliary) Gresley steel full brake at Kirkcaldy station as usual all the above photo`s are courtesy of Pete Westwater

Ex Glasgow & South Western Railway break van on the Wemyss Private Railway/NCB lines photo courtesy of Peter Westwater

Some more gem`s from Pete Westwater`s collection Coal yard, Kirkcaldy goods level crossing at Normand Road Caledonian train at Den Road at Dysart wagons at Kirkcaldy harbour Southern Railway wagon at Kirkcaldy harbour "McKenzie & Holland" swing bridge signal at Kirkcaldy harbour "Stevens & son" knee frame Nairn`s siding`s, NBR drop flap ground signal in background Robert Hutchison grain vans at Kirkcaldy harbour Loads more to follow!

Kirkcaldy coal wagon

This thread seems to have lost it`s head of steam - time to put it back

The "Kirkcaldy area thread" set me thinking the other day, as we were looking for a point lever at the Kingdom of Fife RPS, what happened to the one from Kirkcaldy harbour? after a bit of rummaging we found it in a container I have posted a short article under the preservation heading for anybody thats interested