Markinch freight

[37403]

Hi all,

 

Would anyone be able to explain what freight traffic used the Sidings at markinch? There seems to be a loading dock but there are shots of coal wagons etc in the sidings too. Where would this traffic be running to and from?

I know the 06 was used as yard pilot, great shots on tinternet

 

[Dava]

The freight traffic at Markinch depends on the era. It was the junction for the Leslie branch, which after closure continued to serve the Tullis Russell paper mill. This was a destination for coal, China clay, wood pulp for paper making, tanks of chemicals, and some paper despatchd by rail until this went by road. There was a feature on this in Railway Bylines a few years ago.

 

The other major traffic source was the Haig whisky warehouse & bottling plant. Shocvans of bottles going in and wagons with vats of whisky, and vans outward.

 

There were also coal mines around Markinch and no shortage of coal and related traffic. 

 

My father's family grew up in Markinch pre WW2 and my uncle was latterly MD and Chairman of Tullis Russell in the 1970s. My father used to refer to catching the 'Camel car', many years later I realized this was the LNER Sentinel-Cammell steam railcar which ran on the mainline and down the Leslie branch. 

 

Dava

[37403]

Thanks for that information

 

Would anyone know where I could source a timetable of freight workings for the area in the mid 1970s to see where everything was coming and going to?

 

Is the building at the back of the yard the whisky factory?

[DOCJACOB]

Wasn’t there a small private gated single siding to Co-op coal depot just north of Markinch too. 

 

One of the 06 trips as I recall? 

[keefer]

Bruce Galloway's your man for all things Markinch in the '80s

Lots of pics in his Zenfolio site (Fife collection): https://brucegalloway.zenfolio.com/p599995334

The Markinch ones start around here: https://brucegalloway.zenfolio.com/p599995334/h69af7fe#h69af7fe

Most pics have captions with info.

Otherwise known as jbg06003 on RMWeb, google search 'RMWeb jbg06003 markinch' for his contributions (i jusy find a google search easier than the forum search) or just look for his profile on here.

 

Working timetables appear regularly on eBay, but other sellers are available

[keefer]

Forgot about RAILSCOT

Markinch: https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/M/Markinch/

Leslie Branch: https://www.railscot.co.uk/companies/L/Leslie_Railway/

[37403]

Brilliant.

 

Does anyone have a shot of the inside of the signal box?

[Graham R]

On 28/12/2019 at 10:10, 37403 said:

Would anyone know where I could source a timetable of freight workings for the area in the mid 1970s to see where everything was coming and going to?

 

I happen to have the relevant working timetables for 1975 ... there was still quite a lot of freight at that time, much of it moving at night, and unsurprisingly there were more trains going north (14 mandatory services plus 14 conditional paths) than south (11 mandatory, 12 conditionals).

 

It may be of interest to see the details so here they are (and if it's not, stop reading now!). The WTTs don't give passing times for Markinch in most cases, so I have estimated them by adding 4 minutes to Thornton North times in the Down direction and 10 minutes to Ladybank times in the Up direction.

 

Down (northbound):

0055 MX 7A04 Millerhill-Craiginches, class 40 hauled

0232 MX 6S40 Doncaster-Burghead/Keith junction, class 40, 1069 tons booked load

0334 MX 7L03 Millerhill-Dundee West, class 24

0440 MSX 4S82 King's Cross-Aberdeen, class 47, 850 tons

0450 MO 6S12 Peterborough-Perth, class 24: this was a parcels service

0500 MX 7P25 Millerhill-Perth, class 24 or 26

0516 SX 8A18 Thornton-Craiginches, class 40

0534 SX 7A13 Millerhill-Craiginches, class 40

0600      4C01 Edinburgh-Cupar, class 25 or 27, 19 tons: this was a newspapers service

0656 SX 5G22 Thornton-Lochmuir, triple DMU set: this was looped at Lochmuir then formed a Markinch-Edinburgh local service

0738 MO 7P16 Millerhill-Perth, class 24 or 26

1138 SX 7L30 Millerhill-Dundee West, class 27

1418 SX 7A42 Millerhill-Craiginches, class 40

1536 SX 8N39 Millerhill-Inverness, class 24 or 26

2103 SX 7N02 Millerhill-Inverness, class 24 or 26

2212 SX 8N10 Thornton-Keith Junction, class 40

plus summer conditionals: those which were in the winter WTT as well are shown by a *

0045 WThFO 6S43 Doncaster-Muir of Ord/Dufftown/Keith Jn, class 47, 1197 tons. On Sundays this passed at 0105.

0123 MX 6N52 Oxwellmains-Inverness, 2x class 24 or 26, 1033 tons

0246 MX 7L02 Thornton-Dundee West, class 24 or 26: on Mondays this ran as 7L03 five minutes later with a class 40

0702 FSX 6L11 Grangemouth-Leuchars, class 37, 625 tons. This service was in the winter WTT only.

0834 SX 8P14 Thornton-Perth, class 24 or 26

1319* SO 6L29 Oxwellmains-Camperdown Junction, class 40

1422* SO 6N53 Oxwellmains-Inverness, 2x class 24 or 26, 1033 tons

1546* SO 6A60 Oxwellmains-Craiginches, class 40, 853 tons

1619* SX 8N45 Thornton-inverness, class 24 or 26

1727 SX 6N51 Oxwellmains-Inverness, class 40

2022 SX 6A58 Oxwellmains-Craiginches, class 40, 925 tons

2137 SX 6L58 Oxwellmains-Camperdown Junction, class 24 or 26, 775 tons

2229* SX 6A01 Oxwellmains-Craiginches, class 26, 780 tons

2326* SX 7A09 Millerhill-Craiginches, class 24

 

Up (southbound):

0016 MX 7K66 Inverness-Millerhill, class 24 or 26

0212 MX 7K68 Aberdeen Guild Street-Millerhill, class 47

0349 MX 7K67 Inverness-Millerhill, class 24 or 26

0430        8V08 Aberdeen Guild Street-Thornton, class 40: this train arrived at Markinch at 0415

0438 MX 0S77 Dundee-Haymarket diesel depot, class 47: Light engine.

0649 SX 4V12 Cupar-Kirkcaldy, class 25 or 27, load 175 tons: this was the empty vans from the Cupar newspaper train; it ran 30 minutes later on Sundays

1502 SX 7K71 Perth-Millerhill, class 24 or 26

1606 SX 6E47 Aberdeen Deeside Yard-King's Cross, class 47, 330tons, 60mph speed limit throughout

1921 SO 5G00 Aberdeen-Craigentinny, class 40, 450 tons

1926 SX 4G51 Aberdeen-Edinburgh, class 40: this was a parcels service which ran when required

2200 SX 6K76 Aberdeen Guild Street-Millerhill, class 40

2253 SX 6E38 Burghead-Doncaster, class 40, 483 tons

2316 SX 7K64 Dundee West-Millerhill, class 24 or 26

plus summer conditionals: those which were in the winter WTT as well are shown by a *

0132 MWX 6E64 Muir of Ord/Dufftown-Doncaster, class 40, 453 tons

0315 MX 6B88 Camperdown Junction-Oxwellmains, class 24 or 26, 248 tons

0534* MX 8V11 Craiginches-Thornton, 2x class 24 or 26

0639 SX 6K85 Craiginches-Oxwellmains, 2x class 24 or 26, 303 tons: on Saturdays this ran as 6B85 hauled by a class 40.

1022* MSX 6B89 Craiginches-Oxwellmains, class 24 or 36, 438 tons

1140 SX 8V05 Inverness-Thornton

2026* SX 8V15 Perth-Thornton, class 24 or 26: this train arrived at Markinch at 1955

2047* SX 7K91 Perth-Millerhill, class 40

2050* SO 6B82 Camperdown Junction-Oxwellmains, class 40

2118* SX 6K92, Dundee West-Millerhill, class 24 or 26

2118 SO 6B82 Camperdown Junction-Oxwellmains, class 40, in the Winter WTT only

2326* SO 6K99, Inverness-Millerhill, 2x class 24 or 26, 628 tons

 

In addition there were three local trip duties serving Markinch:

B57 was the Markinch pilot, a class 06, duty from 0515 to 2155, working at the station, "Loop siding" (this puzzled me because there was no loop at Markinch, but I think it's a misprint for "Co-op siding"), Haig's siding and the paper mills.

B70 ran two daily trips from Thornton to Leuchars and served Clatchard Craig quarry and Newburgh on the Perth line as required. It ran with a class 24 as 8B70 and was at  Markinch from 0820 to 0830 and 1215-1225 on the morning trip, and 1430-1440 and 1930-1952 on the afternoon trip.

B73 was the Ladybank-Clatchard Craig ballast trip: the light engine for this, a class 24, ran as 0B73 and passed Markinch at 0755 returning at 1620.

 

For those without local knowledge, Oxwellmains is a cement works south of Dunbar. Clatchard Craig is a quarry, previously rail-connected, which supplied much of the ballast for the Scottish region of BR in the 1970s. Aberdeen Guild Street and Dundee West were traditional goods stations for wagonload and sundries. Camperdown Junction is just east of Dundee station and in the 1970s had a Blue Circle cement depot, as did Craiginches, a marshalling yard south of Aberdeen. Millerhill and Thornton were marshalling yards in Edinburgh and central Fife respectively. Lochmuir was the next block post north of Markinch, at the summit of the line through Fife, and had a Down loop where freights could be held to pass passenger services. Burghead, Dufftown and Muir of Ord were terminals for bulk grain traffic from East Anglia for whisky maltings. Grangemouth is the site of a large refinery and Leuchars was the site of an RAF base which received aviation spirit by rail.

 

I don't have a photo of the signalbox interior but I know a man who might. I will ask.

 

Hope that helps answer your questions.

 

Regards

Graham

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Graham R
Added two services I missed before, 0S77 and 6E47

[37403]

Graham,

 

This is pure gold, thank you so much for providing this information.

I don't suppose you've got an equivalent passenger timetable?

 

I'm looking at recreating the area in model form hence the questions

 

Thanks again

[Graham R]

15 hours ago, 37403 said:

I don't suppose you've got an equivalent passenger timetable?

 

Yes I do ... the passenger service was pretty simple in 1975: an hourly stopping service from the Edinburgh-Dundee DMUs, mostly triple sets, and two-hourly expresses which did not stop, Aberdeen-Edinburgh of (from memory) 7 Mark1s behind a class 40. Some ran through to King's Cross, York and Leeds (the latter starting from Dundee), and these were longer, 9 or 10 I think, and had class 47 power. The King's Cross services had air-braked, electrically-heated stock which I suppose (I am no expert) were Mark2D coaches. The York service had non-ETH air-braked stock, so presumably earlier Mark2s. The Leeds train is not marked as air stock so I suppose would be Mark1s. Two, I think, of the King's Cross services were sleepers but I no longer have public timetables for that period; for the same reason i can't tell which class 1 services had a buffet car. I recall there was a Gresley buffet in blue and grey which used to be added as the last vehicle of Aberdeen-Edinburgh services in the summer. It was distinctive because rather than an end board on the corridor connection, it has what appeared to be a wood-panelled living-room door instead. At least that's how it looked to me !

 

However there are lots of train formation experts around so hopefully someone will supply details of the formations of 1975 trains.

 

Here are the gory details from the WTT:

 

Down (northbound):

Class 2 services, all Edinburgh-Dundee triple DMU sets except as indicated. These carried headcode "52" in theory. I don't remember ever seeing it though!

0012 MX 2L04 (a twin, but a triple on Saturday mornings); 0715½ 2A15, carrying mails to Dundee and terminating at Arbroath; 0808 2L18; 0905½ 2L21; 1004 2L24; 1104 2L25; 1204 2L27; 1304 2L32; 1404 2L36; 1504 2L37; 1608½ 2L41; 1713½ 2L44; 1842½ 2L48 (a twin set); 1910½ SX terminating at Markinch; 1921½ 2L54; 2004 2L55; 2204 2L57; 2305 2L61.

Class 1 services:

0350 SO 1S58 King's Cross-Aberdeen, class 47, 560 tons: ran until 27 September

0424 1S60 King's Cross-Aberdeen, class 47, 455 tons: on summer Saturdays a class 40  and 300 tons

0616 1S70 King's Cross-Aberdeen, class 47, 625 tons

0828 1S77 King's Cross-Aberdeen, class 47, 490 tons

1031 1A25 Edinburgh-Aberdeen, class 40, 300 tons

1051 SO 1A26 Edinburgh-Aberdeen, class 24, 230 tons: this ran via Dunfermline from June to August only.

1228 1S51 York-Aberdeen, class 47, 280 tons, air braked stock

1349 SX 1S56 Leeds-Dundee, class 47, 315 tons: ran 4 minutes later on Saturdays.

1531 1A43 Edinburgh-Aberdeen, class 40, 300 tons

1747 1A51 Edinburgh-Aberdeen, class 47, 285 tons: ran 4 minutes later on Saturdays

1903 1S32 King's Cross-Aberdeen, class 47, 385 tons, air-braked electrically heated stock

2120 1S35 King's Cross-Aberdeen, class 47, 420 tons, air-braked electrically heated stock

Sundays had a sparser service. The following trains ran with some time variation compared to weekdays: 2L04, 1S60, 1S70, 2L48, 1S32, 2L57, 2L61, plus these:

0343 1S78 Manchester Victoria-Aberdeen, Class 40, 450 tons: newspapers

0858 1A22 Edinburgh-Aberdeen, Class 40, 300 tons

1052 1A31 Edinburgh-Aberdeen, Class 40, 300 tons

1408½ 2L35 Edinburgh-Dundee, triple DMU which stopped at Markinch

1822 1S17 King's Cross-Aberdeen, Class 47, 385 tons, air-braked electrically heated stock

 

Up (southbound):

Class 2 services, all Dundee-Edinburgh triple DMUs except as indicated. These carried headcode "53" in theory.

0702 2G16; 0723 SX 2G22 starting from Markinch (the stock arrived empty from Lochmuir, an isolated signalbox at a summit north of Markinch where there was a loop which was used as a turnback siding); 0744 2G25 ( twin set); 0902½ SX 2G34 (from Arbroath except Saturdays); 1002½ 2G39 (from Arbroath); 1107½ 2G41; 1202½ 2G50; 1302½ 2G58; 1402½ 2G64; 1509 2G74; 1602½ 2G78; 1707 2G84; 1802½ 2G93; 1904½ 2G46; 1915½ SX 5V00 (empty stock triple Markinch to Thornton); 2002½ 2G52; 2102½ 2G60.

Class 1 services:

0823 1G30 Aberdeen-Edinburgh, class 40, 300 tons

0932 1G36 Aberdeen-Edinburgh, class 47, 285 tons

1230 SO 1E15 Aberdeen-King's Cross, class 47, 385 tons: air-braked, electrically-heated stock.

1234 1E17 Aberdeen-King's Cross, class 40, 315 tons: ran in summer until 11 October only

1449 1G71 Aberdeen-Edinburgh, class 40, 300 tons

1606 1E27 Dundee-Leeds City, class 47, 315 tons

1818 1E29 Aberdeen-York, class 47, 280 tons, air-braked stock

2018 1G54 Aberdeen-Edinburgh, class 40, 300 tons: carried mail Monday-Friday

2139 1E40 Aberdeen-King's Cross, class 40, 450 tons

2236 1E43 Aberdeen-King's Cross, class 40, 500 tons: passed at 2210 on Saturdays

2326 1E48 Aberdeen-King's Cross, class 47, 560 tons: passed at 2300 on Saturdays

On Sundays the following ran with some time variation compared to weekdays: 2G39, 1E17, 1E40, 1E43, 1E48, plus these:

0915 2G36 Dundee-Edinburgh, triple DMU set which stopped at Markinch

1433 1E25 Aberdeen-King's Cross, class 47, 420 tons: air-braked, electrically-heated stock

1635 2G81 Dundee-Edinburgh, triple DMU set which stopped at Markinch

1835 1G44 Aberdeen-Edinburgh, class 47, 280 tons, air-braked stock

1935 2G50 Dundee-Edinburgh, triple DMU set which stopped at Markinch

2100 1G60 Aberdeen-Edinburgh, class 40, 300 tons

 

Of course in practice the motive power might be different - the various photos on the web show that clearly. I would like to see a photo of the 1A26 summer-Saturdays=only Edinburgh-Aberdeen service via Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly and Cardenden, with a class 24 and probably 7 vehicles ... I don't think i ever saw it back in the day.

 

regards

Graham

 

[Graham R]

On 29/12/2019 at 12:54, 37403 said:

Does anyone have a shot of the inside of the signal box?

 

I couldn't find an interior shot, but here's the signalbox diagram as it was in 1970, courtesy of Robert Dey. The details were recorded by Forbes Alexander or Ed Nicoll on site. The locking remained thus until the box was abolished in 1980, except that the ground frame controlling the goods yard was abolished and the down line sidings points were no longer worked from the box (levers 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 22).

 

There are photos of the box exterior on the Internet, or on eBay at the moment here.

 

There is a very nice aerial photo of Markinch in 1932 on the Britain from Above website, here. It is too early for your model but gives a very good impression of how the station was laid out. Haig's was modernised after the date of this photo. For convenience, I have attached a copy showing the station part only.

 

Finally here are images of a couple of wagon labels, I don't have the originals and cannot recall where the images are from. One is for empty wagons returned to Dallas Dhu distillery near Forres from Markinch in the 1960s. This implies Haig's received malt whisky in barrels from Dallas Dhu for blending with grain spirit produced in the lowlands. The other is for potatoes loaded from Markinch to Liskeard in 1972. Scotland still sent considerable tonnages of wagonload seed potatoes southwards in ventilated 12T vans until the late 1970s, and I suppose in more modern wagons after that as well ... does anyone know?

 

Regards

Graham

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Graham R
Added wagon label images

[keefer]

Aerial view from 2008 may contain much newer buildings (the shed-like ones) but also show the well-known red buildings.

https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1129734

Note how the A911 cuts through from top-left and under the viaducts (Glenrothes-Windygates, built in the '80s).

Lack of track except for the main line, but still easy to see where it used to be.

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, Graham R said:

 

I couldn't find an interior shot, but here's the signalbox diagram as it was in 1970, courtesy of Robert Dey. The details were recorded by Forbes Alexander or Ed Nicoll on site. The locking remained thus until the box was abolished in 1980, except that the ground frame controlling the goods yard was abolished and the down line sidings points were no longer worked from the box (levers 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 22).

 

There are photos of the box exterior on the Internet, or on eBay at the moment here.

 

There is a very nice aerial photo of Markinch in 1932 on the Britain from Above website, here. It is too early for your model but gives a very good impression of how the station was laid out. Haig's was modernised after the date of this photo. For convenience, I have attached a copy showing the station part only.

 

Finally here are images of a couple of wagon labels, I don't have the originals and cannot recall where the images are from. One is for empty wagons returned to Dallas Dhu distillery near Forres from Markinch in the 1960s. This implies Haig's received malt whisky in barrels from Dallas Dhu for blending with grain spirit produced in the lowlands. The other is for potatoes loaded from Markinch to Liskeard in 1972. Scotland still sent considerable tonnages of wagonload seed potatoes southwards in ventilated 12T vans until the late 1970s, and I suppose in more modern wagons after that as well ... does anyone know?

 

Regards

Graham

 

With the demise of 'Speedlink', potato traffic ceased for a season or two, and was reintroduced, briefly, during Ed Burkhart's stay at EW&S. Stock was either BR vans (air-braked) or European-registered Ferry Vans (4-wheel and bogie)

[37403]

This is all brilliant information guys, really highlights why this forum is held in such high regard

 

When did the class 27s start appearing on the Edinburgh Dundee services?

[Graham R]

10 hours ago, 37403 said:

When did the class 27s start appearing on the Edinburgh Dundee services?

The May 1980-May1981 WTT shows DMUs on these services and the 1983-84 version shows loco-hauled, so it must have been between May 1981 and May 1983: I don’t have WTTs for the intervening years  ... the 1983 Dundee trip notice refers to the station pilot disposing of ECS from Glasgow services, but not Edinburgh. So I would guess mid 1983. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I discovered around 1980 there was more to life than railways so had stopped paying close attention. I’m sure someone else can give a precise answer.

Of course there were plenty instances of DMU sets failing and being dragged to destinations by the nearest available 26 or 20. 27s were less common in Fife.

 

I’d be interested to know for how long the loco-hauled Fife services lasted before 158 units replaced them, and whether Dundee retained an 08 shunter to release train engines from platforms 2 and 3 after the 1985 resignalling. The diesel depot closed in 1986 I think so was the pilot retained after that?

 

regards

Graham

[keefer]

Taken from a previous thread (my post):

plate 54 of 'diesels and electrics on shed 4: scottish region' (kennedy/OPC, 1982) has the comment:

"dundee depot had the threat of closure hanging over it in december 1981 following the change in services from dundee to edinburgh, in october 1981, from dmu to locomotive hauled"

it also says that after then, most dmus were transferred to ayr.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/44291-edinburgh-to-dundee-circa-1980-formation-help-please/

 

Edit:

The 1980-1 passenger marshalling book has no l/h Dundee-edin, just GlasgowQS

the 1982-3 book has Dundee-Edin as TSO,BSO,TSO,TSO - mk1 VB stock but 'on a date to be advised will be mk2 VB stock'. I don't think the formation was set in stone - I'm sure mk1 SK or BSK would likely get used if available. Certainly in later years you could have mix of mk1 & mk2.

 

Edited January 4, 2020 by keefer