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Harbour Branches


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  • 1 year later...
  • RMweb Gold

Among Dad's fairly modest collection of Scottish railway photos there is a very atmospheric shot taken at Dundee Docks of North British Railway class Y9 0-4-0T - BR no.68114 on 1.8.1952. It can be seen below and at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/album/4133-scotland-in-the-1950s/ where all Dad's Scottish steam photos are also displayed.

post-14351-0-60982300-1423729270_thumb.jpg

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The photos taken at Dundee in the 50's and the 2008 ones are from different locations(not far away).

The 1950's shot has The Royal Arch in the background which was demolished to make way for the Tay Road Bridge.

Best way to describe the exact location now would be that the loco is stitting in front of the Caird Hall in Shore Tce with Dock Street Tunnel below.The harbour line came straight along here connecting Dundee East and West stations.

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  • RMweb Gold

The photos taken at Dundee in the 50's and the 2008 ones are from different locations(not far away).

The 1950's shot has The Royal Arch in the background which was demolished to make way for the Tay Road Bridge.

Best way to describe the exact location now would be that the loco is stitting in front of the Caird Hall in Shore Tce with Dock Street Tunnel below.The harbour line came straight along here connecting Dundee East and West stations.

Thanks for clarifying the location. As you can see from my profile, I live at the other end of the UK, so my only connection to Scottish railways is through Dad's photos and he didn't venture north that often!

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No bother Phil.

The 2008 scene thankfully is still the same today with the tracks still in place.Sadly the majority of the Dundee harbour lines have been lost through the numerous redevelopements of the waterfront over the years and the redevelopement of the area surrounding Camperdown Junction (which used to "feed" the eastern end) although some tracks remain.

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No bother Phil.

The 2008 scene thankfully is still the same today with the tracks still in place.Sadly the majority of the Dundee harbour lines have been lost through the numerous redevelopements of the waterfront over the years and the redevelopement of the area surrounding Camperdown Junction (which used to "feed" the eastern end) although some tracks remain.

Just along the coast from Dundee was Arbroath which had a branch down to the harbour which survived until the early 'sixties IRIC.

It was the surviving link between the original Arbroath station of the Dundee & Arbroath Rly. at Ladyloan and the Catherine Street Terminus of the Arbroath and Forfar Rly.

I do have a nice photo of it, if I can find it (!), and scan it.

 

Incidentally there is talk of a memorial for the Royal Arch at Dundee Harbour to be added as part of the Waterfront Development.

It was the common way to walk from Shore Terrace through the arch over to the swimming baths which again are a distant memory.

The little dock shunters, complete with their spark arresters, were a well-loved part of the harbour scene in the 1950's, along with the sand boats in the docks. 

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Sorry about the dyslexic IIRC - old age!

 

I have this Douglas Phillips print of the Royal Arch hung in the living room at home - the loco isn't quite in the correct proportions, but the atmosphere of the scene is well caught.

The building to the left was the Empress Ballroom - quite a "dive" it was said!

 

post-21954-0-38703800-1423689102_thumb.jpg

 

(Sorry about the reflection of the television in the right hand corner).

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  • RMweb Gold

Sorry about the dyslexic IIRC - old age!

 

I have this Douglas Phillips print of the Royal Arch hung in the living room at home - the loco isn't quite in the correct proportions, but the atmosphere of the scene is well caught.

The building to the left was the Empress Ballroom - quite a "dive" it was said!

 

attachicon.gifRoyal Arch Dundee, D Phillips.jpg

 

(Sorry about the reflection of the television in the right hand corner).

Move the train over to the right and it could be an interpretation of Dad's photo. above! The arch and the steamer funnel are both there.

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Hi Phil

 

It was quite a photogenic spot, what with the arch, the harbour - and the trains!

 

post-21954-0-22197800-1423738351_thumb.jpg

 

The harbour sidings at Arbroath as photographed by James Valentine, courtsey of Ian Johnstone who is a great authority on all things Arbroath.

The Smith Hood wagon is nicely posed in the centre and the old style fishing boats complete the scene.

 

Regards

 

Ken

 

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Aberbrothoc, do you have a clearer view of the wagon lettering?
I know I'm in west Cornwall and I model South Wales, but my family is Arbroath (Croall), so I wouldn't mind adding this wagon to my fleet...
I recognise the view, and remember when there was a decent fleet in the Harbour too.
One of my relations was one of the RNLI Arbroath six who died in 1952.
I was at school then in Inverkeilor.

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  • RMweb Gold

Aberbrothoc, do you have a clearer view of the wagon lettering?

I know I'm in west Cornwall and I model South Wales, but my family is Arbroath (Croall), so I wouldn't mind adding this wagon to my fleet...

I recognise the view, and remember when there was a decent fleet in the Harbour too.

One of my relations was one of the RNLI Arbroath six who died in 1952.

I was at school then in Inverkeilor.

I thought I remembered seeing a Smith Hood wagon before. Parkside Dundas have a 7mm kit on their site. http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/PARKSIDE_DUNDAS_PRIVATE_OWNER_WAGONS.html

but whether it is the same type I don't know. The link connects with the PO page where the SH wagon sides are very near the bottom.

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Hi Penlan (and others)

 

I don't have wagon photos, but in 1973 when I was doing a photo survey of the Station and surroundings at Arbroath, I took the two attached shots of the coal offices in the goods yard.

They show the full names of the two companies concerned.

 

post-21954-0-17828100-1423771579_thumb.jpg

 

The first one shows the rusting coal shed used by Thomas Muir, Son and Patton.

The shed had been painted in a hideous bright green paint, which was probably  holding the structure together, and the sign itself is white lettering on a dark blue background.

(Ratio do a good model of the shed, which is one of the very few non-scratchbuilt buildings on my layout).

The photo was taken through a gap in the boundary wall where there was a platform and loading facility for bitumen from the Briggs plant along near the beach at Elliot. The bitumen was transferred by road tanker to Arbroath and then piped down into waiting rail tankers to be transported away to Dundee and beyond.

Bachmann and Hornby have produced Briggs Dundee tankers in the past.

The T M S & P coal wagons were painted in an attractive maroon colour pre-war.  I have an old lithographed wagon from the thirties, (from my father's collection), and will post a photo of it at some point.

 

post-21954-0-10073700-1423771626_thumb.jpg

 

Smith Hood & Co. were using the office at the weighbridge at Arbroath - attached to the red brick Goods Offices.

 

Hope these are informative and useful, as the saying goes........

 

Aberbrothock

 

 

 

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Two pics of PO wagons used at Arbroath, probably including the harbour branch from time to time..........

 

post-21954-0-60564200-1423822699_thumb.jpg

 

The old litho T M S & P coal wagon, (Merco, Dundee, 1930's), possibly still available via the Bilteezi sheet reproducers.

 

post-21954-0-92636300-1423822724_thumb.jpg

 

Robert Taylor wagon, maybe still available, along with T M S & P wagon and two Briggs tankers, being "played with," by the two resident local Ivatt class 2's.

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Aberbrothock, Many thanks, looks like I might have to letter more than one then....
My eyesights not so good these days.
Typical - The last of my Father's generation (of family) died a couple of years ago, so I can't ask some questions now.   I do know that my Great-Great Grandfather was the Manager of a Coal Office in Montrose - This came from Masonic records, but nobody in the Family was aware of it.  I haven't found out yet which Office though.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

Port Seton Harbour in East Lothian still has remnants of track in the harbour wall and approaches.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Cockenzie,+Prestonpans,+East+Lothian+EH32/@55.9723388,-2.9551227,334m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x4887bab835dac35d:0x2adbc172dcce3df4

 

Google does not let you get close enough - but the tracks are still visible when you walk along the harbour basin!

 

Thanks

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Maybe a "round the coast" guide.

Dover has been mentioned.

Folkestone (quite extensive).

Rye harbour

Newhaven Harbour

Newhaven West Quay (famous for Femchurch and the swing bridge)

Kingston Wharf

Who wants to continue (or fill in and missed)

This topic is in 'Railways of Scotland'.

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