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Whinburgh and Slitrigg - Main line across the border


coronach
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The eye consciously ignores the part-finished aspect of this layout, so well does it speak of time and place. You have made a beautiful job of Firth of Clyde too.

 

What he saidwink.gif

 

Just catching up on this Coronach, you have a good eye for colouration and texturegood_mini.gif

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Reminds us how the line was a means to a great social end, and a part of something much, much wider than just the locos and stock.

I wish more enthusiasts would remember this - I often think most railway enthusiasts are actually loco ehtusiasts.

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I have started the relaying project at Whinburgh North. The objective is to replace the inside single slip with an outside single slip in order to ease the curve on the turnout. Now that I have 'broken' the layout, I have an incentive to finish the job so that I can run trains again!

 

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The original pointwork before removal. The single slip is too tight so that six-couples loco's get stuck.

 

 

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The new and old trackwork side by side

 

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Three views of the replacement track

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post-11545-0-57551300-1304600881_thumb.jpg'72h relaying possession' successfully completed. Substitute bus services between Hawick and Newcastleton stood down!!

 

 

 

Here are some recent photos of resumed train services:

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post-11545-0-10171300-1304601319_thumb.jpg

 

A1 'Great Central' passing Whitrope Siding SB

 

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Class 45 on the 'Down Waverley' approaching Slitrigg.

 

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Derby Lightweight DMU signalled into Platform 3 at Whinburgh where it will terminate. It is just about to run over the relaying site

 

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A general view of Whinburgh South

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Those really are inspiring images, sir. :D

 

The subject of some off-line chatter last evening was your very pretty Derby LW - is she a DC Kits confection?

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Guest Max Stafford

...and is that a 'birdcage' brake at the back of the engineers' siding?

I'm rather taken by that big centre-door 4-wheeler behind the A1 whatever it is.

 

I'm a fan of your layout in a big way now - superb.

 

Dave.

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The Derby Lightweight DMU is a Craftsman models conversion kit applied to a Lima 117 using etched brass sides and white-metal components. The only bit of the Lima donor is the underframe and roof. I have fitted a new motor bogie and new training wheelsets. The 'birdcage' brakevan is the ex-Slaters NE van The 4-wheel vehicle behind the A1 is a parkside dundas special cattle van. I have seen photos of these vehices coupled behind the loco on anglo-scottish expresses.

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I'm amazed you haven't got one of those beefy Darkside coo-trucks on your bench already, Dave ;)

 

Reminder to self: study little white catalogue harder :P

 

 

EDIT: looking at the Special Cattle Wagon again, didn't we (the Waverley thread community) have some guessing games about one such vehicle in a photo of the prototype, from one of the well thumbed Flickr collections? As Coronach has said, immediately inside the loco IIRC

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I just checked the Cattle Wagon out at my local emporium, it's PC64 "GWR 'Beetle' Prize Cattle Wagon (W7)," if I'm not misshapen. Looks a lovely Darkside kit too, lots of detail parts and individual panels. Just a shame for my purposes that seemingly - according to the prototype notes - the traffic ceased in the fifties. However, that's all the more reason for Dave to get stuck into one.

wink.gif

EDIT: I have no idea why the text first appeared in red! huh.gif

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Some more new pictures

 

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Whinburgh station footbridge - scratch built based on Hassendean.

 

 

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K3 climbing towards Whitrope summit with an unfitted freight train

 

 

 

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One of the occupation bridges

 

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76109 has arrived at platform 3 with a parcels train.

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I particularly like this picture but unfortunately I have noticed that someone has removed some of the steps from the footbridge. Perhaps they are being renewed (or I forgot to finish the model!)

 

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Whinburgh Signalman has hung his dishcloth to dry

 

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A J35 has arrived in the Up goods with the pick-up. Shunting will commence after the parcels train has departed behing 76109.

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Hi

 

Only just stumbled across this thread - great work and pictures - keep them coming.

 

I particularly like this picture but unfortunately I have noticed that someone has removed some of the steps from the footbridge. Perhaps they are being renewed (or I forgot to finish the model!)

 

I also seem to suffer from this - only noticing things missing / wrong when I look at photos rather than in real life.

 

Keep the updates coming

 

Cheers

 

Phil

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Guest Max Stafford

Coronach, if I can reach half the standard you have achieved here I will be delighted!

 

Dave.

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Thanks for the compliments guys! The other thing the camera does is avoid the parts that aren't finished yet!

 

 

 

The next job will be to ballast the renewed point work (without gumming up the mechanical fittings and point switches) and build a shunting signal for the short bay platform. Then I can finish the 2-span river bridge which has been part finished for 5 years!!

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Having returned from Warley exhibition, and with the coming of dark evenings and poor weather, it is time to focus on developing the layout further.

 

I have realised that my existing model of Whitrope Siding SB is rather over-scale and so I have decided to replace it. At the same time, I would like to develop the scenery, rather than just build individual structures. The approach I am taking is to build modules of scenery on top of good quality corrugated cardboard. The Whitrope module is about 2ft 6in long and has been cut so that, when finished, it will exactly fit between the curved cork trackbed and the backscene board. It is great to be able to work downstairs at a table without becoming a hermit in the loft and having to reach over the layout to work.

 

Now that the 'disused stations' team has uploaded all of the material on the Waverley route, I have some additional material to help me. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/whitrope_siding/index.shtml. I particular, there are some new photographs of Whitrope cottages and the structures surrounding the SB.

 

The new module will encompass the SB, the two railway cottages and their gardens, a p-way cabin, various huts and the loading dock in the banker siding. Photos to follow ......

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Five photographs of the new Whitrope Siding SB scenery module. It still requires some finishing off and painting but it is largely complete.

 

I will probably leave the cottages in the white lime-washed state because I think they stand out more. I think the real cottages are bare sandstone.

 

Looking at the working timetable, one train a day was scheduled to stop at the SB in each direction each day, one in the morning and one in the evening. This wasn't a public station but the train was the only reliable access for the families that lived there, including the children who needed to travel to/from school. Because there is no platform, the train carried a ladder in the brake van so that people could get on/off. I am guessing that the cottages housed the signalmen and their families.

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Activity over Christmas included installation of Whitrope Siding SB and cottages on the layout and a spot of 'test running'. The main-main crossover at Whitrope is now being relaid, which together with some wiring alterations will enable proper banking operations and use of the banker siding. Some photos are shown below

 

 

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An interloper from another era!

 

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Whitrope SB and cottages installed on the layout with the banking engine waiting a clear road to return to Hawick light engine

 

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Tweedmouth shed 2MT 46479 running wrong line down the bank hauling just a brake van in connection with relaying work at Whitrope.

 

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J35 shunting the pick-up goods at Slitrigg.

 

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A diverted Queen of Scots pullman at Slitrigg LC

 

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Class 108 DMU at Whinburgh on its return journey to 1980!

 

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And again later in the journey at Slitrigg

 

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Carlisle Canal J39 64733 in the yard at Slitrigg

Edited by coronach
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Can't get enough of this layout to be honest, it just oozes the right atmosphere. A combination of spot on traction combined with superb scenery just makes it superb.

 

Keep the pictures coming, we really can't have enough.

 

Wait until 'Chard and Max Stafford pick up on this...I know they are currently galavanting somewhere on WR territory as we speak.

Edited by millerhillboy
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