Jump to content
 

Riccarton Junction - Up and Down Sidings, etc.


scottystitch
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

I'm working on an AnyRail plan of Riccarton Junction, to scale, using the NLS 25" maps as a starting point.

 

Can anyone advise when the Down and Up sidings were lifted respectively? Ditto demolition of the original 3-road engine shed.

 

I assume the later engine shed and elevated coal loading siding would have been removed when the branch was closed?

 

It looks like the bay at the Edinburgh end was removed very early on.

 

I'm primarily interested in mid 50s to early 60s.

 

Best

 

Scott.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Thanks.

 

I've since found a couple of signal box diagrams, dated 1963, which shows up sidings and the entry turnouts to the down sidings, so that helps.

 

4929184103_5fca90ed5c_b.jpgRiccarton North by CHOPPER1988, on Flickr

 

4929793672_4b614fbd90_b.jpgRiccarton South by CHOPPER1988, on Flickr

Edited by scottystitch
  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

But that appears to cast doubt on the date of this image on Disused Stations:

 

http://disused-stations.org.uk/r/riccarton_junction/index47.shtml

 

Which purports to be 1957, yet shows Up sidings lifted. Should this be 1967 as the caption?

 

This one states circa 1960s, yet the sidings are there:

 

http://disused-stations.org.uk/r/riccarton_junction/index106.shtml

 

And be 1969 the Up sidings are gone:

 

http://disused-stations.org.uk/r/riccarton_junction/index117.shtml

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
2 hours ago, keefer said:

Think it must just be a typo, 1967 would make more sense.

 

It does. The photo is actually duplicated, now I see, later in the page dated 1967 so mystery (?) solved.

 

Best

 

Scott.

 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
23 minutes ago, Richard Hall said:

Anyrail?  Is this the start of a very ambitious WR layout project? I do hope so.

 

Richard

 

Sadly not, I'm afraid.

 

Drawing scale plans I find is therapeutic in times of anxiety and depression, and I wondered to myself, what size room would one need for a scale layout of Riccarton Junction.

 

It would be my dream layout if I'm honest, but I would only ever do it without any compression.

 

Anyway, the answer is 17' by 13' in 2mm scale.

 

 

 

Edited by scottystitch
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, scottystitch said:

AR_Riccarton_Junction.jpg

 

 

That is really rather fabulous and would make an epic, even legendary club layout.  Probably a bit much for a solo project, I'm having enough problems with Stobs and that is only 8' x 2'6" on the scenic bit. I especially like the fiddle yard arrangement for "out and back" working.  Much better than the usual tailchaser.

 

When I started work on Stobs I was in a pretty rough state physically and mentally.  I started building the structures more than a year before I even thought about baseboards.  Soldering up the footbridge from Code 40 rail helped me get through a dark patch, even though I couldn't see how I would be able to build a layout to put it on. I now have baseboards but nowhere permanent to put them up :wacko:

 

Richard

  • Friendly/supportive 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
6 minutes ago, Richard Hall said:

 

 

That is really rather fabulous and would make an epic, even legendary club layout.  Probably a bit much for a solo project, I'm having enough problems with Stobs and that is only 8' x 2'6" on the scenic bit. I especially like the fiddle yard arrangement for "out and back" working.  Much better than the usual tailchaser.

 

When I started work on Stobs I was in a pretty rough state physically and mentally.  I started building the structures more than a year before I even thought about baseboards.  Soldering up the footbridge from Code 40 rail helped me get through a dark patch, even though I couldn't see how I would be able to build a layout to put it on. I now have baseboards but nowhere permanent to put them up :wacko:

 

Richard

 

It's a work in progress to get it to a 1960ish state.  It's designed using Finetrax code40, so the turnouts would stand a bit of curving, i'd have hoped to make it flow better.  I'm pleased with it.  My man cave/layout room is 17.5 by 9.5 ft, so it won't quite fit.  It would satisfy my love of freight trains as they were more than prolific on the WR.

 

I'm half way through Galashiels as we speak.  If you're interested, to really do it justice, 28ft long room should do it to scale without compression and using the northern overbridge as a scenic break.

 

Best


Scott.

 

EDIT: PS, the storage yard has just been copied from my Perth Caledonian layout plan, so that part at

least will actually get built.

Edited by scottystitch
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi all.

 

From memory the up sidings were lifted circa 62, which I have photos of in my archive.

A single long lie ran back from the Counties Junction end to the co-op stores progressively weaving across the former siding crossovers on an eased alignment. This had a link round to the Counties ballast hole siding.

The down yard lost much of its prominence when the smiting and concretes plants moved to Loch Park Hawick in the 50's (53 or 55 I seem to recall).

A fan of 4 sidings and a kick back for ash disposal were retained with No 1 siding housing the weigh bridge.

North box closed in the early 60's and the crossovers, siding entrance for the up and the head shunt and exit for the down sidings were removed and cut back.

The shed burnt down varying between 1903, 1911 or 1922 depending on which source you use. The shed roads were retained as open storage and the new lean to and coal road affair constructed shortly after the shed burnt down. The gas plant suffered an explosion early in the 20th century and this date I think adds to the confusion for the shed fire. 

That's all just 'of the top of my head', I'd need to dig out the books and references to double check in detail.

 

I am slowly putting much of the route, Bridges and Structures through CAD.

 

Keep up the great work and let me know if you need any info.

 

Mac.

2. .Riccarton Junction_scale.pdf 3. Riccarton Junction_xref.pdf 4. Riccarton Footbridge 205b-Layout5.pdf

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The Scotsman of September 1932 carries a report of an explosion which occurred in the  electric power house.  According to it: "the power-house, engines, batteries &c were practically destroyed as a result of the explosion, as well as a store containing permanent way material and a blacksmith's shop."

 

Frank Porter, signalman was severely burned and taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

 

I wonder what the electricity was generated for?  I'm sure I can recall a Border TV program in the early 60s about the arrival of mains electricity.  I'd a holiday job with a radio/tv shop in Hawick and they supplied 'new-fangled' TVs to the village using the newly constructed forestry road from Limekilnedge.  Previous to that their van had driven along the Border Counties as far as the buffer end - this involved a long carry for the TV set.

 

Bruce

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
On 14/03/2020 at 14:13, Iain Mac said:

Hi all.

 

From memory the up sidings were lifted circa 62, which I have photos of in my archive.

A single long lie ran back from the Counties Junction end to the co-op stores progressively weaving across the former siding crossovers on an eased alignment. This had a link round to the Counties ballast hole siding.

The down yard lost much of its prominence when the smiting and concretes plants moved to Loch Park Hawick in the 50's (53 or 55 I seem to recall).

A fan of 4 sidings and a kick back for ash disposal were retained with No 1 siding housing the weigh bridge.

North box closed in the early 60's and the crossovers, siding entrance for the up and the head shunt and exit for the down sidings were removed and cut back.

The shed burnt down varying between 1903, 1911 or 1922 depending on which source you use. The shed roads were retained as open storage and the new lean to and coal road affair constructed shortly after the shed burnt down. The gas plant suffered an explosion early in the 20th century and this date I think adds to the confusion for the shed fire. 

That's all just 'of the top of my head', I'd need to dig out the books and references to double check in detail.

 

I am slowly putting much of the route, Bridges and Structures through CAD.

 

Keep up the great work and let me know if you need any info.

 

Mac.

2. .Riccarton Junction_scale.pdf 299.37 kB · 5 downloads 3. Riccarton Junction_xref.pdf 490.43 kB · 3 downloads 4. Riccarton Footbridge 205b-Layout5.pdf 500.79 kB · 2 downloads

Iain, that is great gen and some wonderful drawings there.

 

Thanks very much!

 

Best


Scott.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...