An hour or so by the line at Balbeggie Sidings

[sulzer27jd]

Thanks to the nonsense going on at Photobucket, this thread has had no images for some time. I have tried to reinstate them.

 

John

 

 

For the trainspotters out there.

When I started designing Balbeggie Sidings I wanted to recreate the many happy hours spent at the side of a railway watching trains going past.
So I'm heading back to the 80's (with a bit of licence re exact dates), camera in hand to watch trains.

Balbeggie Sidings, not far from Kirkcaldy Fife arriving just after 2.30pm. The small yard has three ballast wagons and a couple of other wagons.
Up signal turns green.
This is the 12.40 Aberdeen to Edinburgh (1G64) 47408


No sooner has the last train cleared and the up signal again turns to green;
This time it is a Thornton Yard to Rosyth van train. 6F17. 26028 in charge.


It has just turned 3.00pm and the distinctive whistle of class 20's can be heard.
This is a train clearing the nearby coal loading facility. 20213 and 20199.

 

As the loaded MGR is held in the loops it is passed by an hourly Dundee to Edinburgh service.
This is the 14.25 Edinburgh Waverley to Dundee 2L44. 27105 up front;


As the MGR waits for the section to clear before heading to Thornton, the up line clears again.
This time for the 14.20 Dundee to Edinburgh, 2G68 with 26031 in charge;


Again it seems that no sooner has the up line cleared before it is showing green again.
The Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh DMU service uses mostly 101 class units that get fuelled at Thornton. Here is the ECS move back to Kirkcaldy. 5G71.


There is a bit of a lull and we have been here for an hour.

The down line clears and just about 20 to 4 the 15.00 Edinburgh to Aberdeen service storms out of Kirkcaldy and past us. 1A38 with 40037.


If everything is running to time 4 o'clock should see the Inverness services pass within a few minutes of each other.
First the up line clears, then the down line.

First up 1G73, the 12.40 Inverness to Edinburgh. 47630;


Followed closely by 1N30 the 15.25 from Waverley to the Highland capital 47464;


About 10 minutes later and the same thing again, both lines clear.
From the Kirkcaldy direction comes 2L47 the 15.30 Edinburgh service to Dundee. Haymarket are obviously filling in as 47711 Greyfriars Bobby is being used;
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As it heads away it is passed by 2G75 the 3.20 from Dundee. 27041 leading.


It is now just 4.15. Not quite 2 hours but we've seen a bit of action.

Hope you enjoyed.

John

Edited December 4, 2017 by sulzer27jd

[7APT7]

Hi There John

 

Just got to say... Love the Photos and the written commentary... Love the pair of 20s on the coal and the Class 47s too.

 

Do you have a track plan for this Layout...? What is the size of the layout...?

 

Cheers

Jamie

[sulzer27jd]

Hi There John

 

Just got to say... Love the Photos and the written commentary... Love the pair of 20s on the coal and the Class 47s too.

 

Do you have a track plan for this Layout...? What is the size of the layout...?

 

Cheers

Jamie

 

The first bit of the layout thread was on the old site, here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=37887

with some more here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/1353-balbeggie-sidings/page__p__137627__fromsearch__1entry137627

there is a trackplan on the first thread. The layout is about 30 x 9.

 

thanks

 

John

[newcastle_central]

John,

 

missed this on the old forum.

 

Love the photos and it looks an absolute joy for watching the trains go by. I love a bit of BR blue and there's a lovely selection there. Reminds me of younger days.

 

Jonathan

[Chris Nevard]

Stunning!

[sulzer27jd]

Stunning!

 

Chris - coming from yourself, that is probably the best compliment anyone could ask for. Big fan of your work, so very much appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

John

['CHARD]

I spent most childhood summers in Fife, and the summer of 1981 renovating a house that backed onto the line at Sinclairtown (north Kirkcaldy for non-locals). I'd nip out to visit Seafield and Thornton Jct to check out the colliery traffic, and as late as '86 I was enjoying the 27s and the substitutions triggered by their unreliability on the Fife Circle from Cowdenbeath. The cavalcade of very accurately rendered passing trains on Balbeggie (made me think of Coaltown of Balgonie!) takes me straight back to those days, and I'm all the richer for this shameless nostalgia, excellent stuff!

[Grimleygrid]

Excellent photos of a really superb layout with great stock too. Agree with previous posts the commentary just finished it off nicely, I could have actually been there!

 

47711 looks quality!

[sixteen 12by 10s]

Nice

 

 

This captures the 1980s Scottish railway scene perfectly.

 

 

Gary

 

 

[P.C.M]

Hi John,

Great pics, I like those 27s, I will have to come up, I need 27105 for haulage.

 

Cheers Peter,

[Guest 30-something]

Great pics!

 

Very atmospheric. Takes me right back to sitting at the lineside by Cadder Yard as a kid in the late 70's/early 80's.

 

Cheers

 

Joe

 

 

 

[Trainsrgr8]

Quality

[sixteen 12by 10s]

Hi again These few snaps brightened up my day yesterday, as i pondered at work over another lot of  useless paperwork.

 

I have had a second look today,at the flashback to the 80's.

 

Now we are in a time of plastic units and imported characterless locos, Oh, to have a time machine.

 

Gary 

[sulzer27jd]

Hi again These few snaps brightened up my day yesterday, as i pondered at work over another lot of useless paperwork.

 

I have had a second look today,at the flashback to the 80's.

 

Now we are in a time of plastic units and imported characterless locos, Oh, to have a time machine.

 

Gary

 

Couldn't agree more Gary. I take the train regularly between Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow and catching a glimpse of a freight is really the only highlight.

 

Looking back I really am frustrated that I didn't make more of an effort to record what at the time seemed mundane. I'm so glad other did though.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the photos, your comments are appreciated.

 

John

[pitbull1845]

John,

I can only add to the positive comments, what a really lovely looking layout.

[sulzer27jd]

Ok - the car park at the end of the yard at Balbeggie Sidings is handy. It is just before the level crossing and gives good access to the line. There before mid-day hoping to catch a couple of freights.

Just after arrival a Perth - Edinburgh service passed - 47408;

 

First freight was the Millerhill to Dundee 7L30 - 37403 in charge;




This was followed just a couple of minutes later by the empty cement train from Aberdeen and Dundee. 47006 working this;




An Edinburgh - Dundee local passed but missed a photo.

The next action came through the loops - 37694 on loaded HAA's from Kingslaw Loading plant;





Not a bad way to spend an hour so at lunchtime!

JD

Edited December 4, 2017 by sulzer27jd

[P.C.M]

Hi John,

Always good to see an update, nice selection of pics.B) You may want to check the bogie on 47006 I think you have clipped it back the wrong way round, just thought you should know.

 

Cheers Peter.

[sulzer27jd]

Hi John,

Always good to see an update, nice selection of pics.B) You may want to check the bogie on 47006 I think you have clipped it back the wrong way round, just thought you should know.

 

Cheers Peter.

 

Thanks Peter - I'd been mucking about with those awful pick-ups that Heljan fit and obviously not paying attention!

 

Cheers

J

[Waverley West]

This is what the hobby should all be about in my view, bringing back happy memories of yesterday or yesteryear. Lovely stuff!

 

Cheers,

Dave

[Bruce Depot]

Stunning, and what its all about, watching the trains go by. Any plans to add some signals at some stage?

keep the photo's coming please.

well done

Keith

[sixteen 12by 10s]

HI

 

Of up the other end of the M6-A74 on Saturday, got the camera and a pile of Kodachrome 64, all I need now is some sunshine and the time machine.

 

Ps. The 47 bogie must have been a Sprinfield (edit... I ment Springburn!) Friday afternoon job, too much special brew!

 

Gary

[Clifford Road]

Hi JD,

How's Balbeggie Sidings fairing with the snow? Just wondered how the layout was progressing?

 

Cheers

CR

[sulzer27jd]

Hi JD,

How's Balbeggie Sidings fairing with the snow? Just wondered how the layout was progressing?

 

Cheers

CR

Thanks CR, normally this time of year is when I do work on stock, but I have been exceptionally busy at work and haven't really had time to do anything. Oh, except for a minor distraction which I have illustrated below.

 

I have also been battling with myself over what signalling to use. In the early 1980's this section was converted to CLS, but I really do like the whole semaphore thing and the layout does get used in a mix of time periods so it will always be a compromise somewhere. I now have some of both on order and will hopefully settle when I see them.

 

Anyway, in keeping with the theme of this thread, here are a couple of shots from the archive:-

 

It is June 1956, Lavandin has just won the Derby, Rangers had won the league, the blockbuster to go and see was Giant, with Elizabeth Taylor, Dennis Hopper and James Dean. Rock'n'Roll hadn't quite made it to these shores but a kid called Elvis Presley was changing that forever in the USA. Our photographer was lineside in central Fife recording some railway action. Working the 2.15pm from Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen, Peppercorn A2, 60527, Sun Chariot powers past the loops at Dysart No3 pit on its way north through Fife. The loco will work as far as Dundee Tay Bridge before being replaced. She will then head to her home shed for servicing and turning before working an evening freight.

 

 

 

As the train passed the photographer, power was shut off before the level crossing and the curve ahead. The train will next pass Thornton Junction before heading towards the River Tay and Dundee.

 

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Thanks again.

 

JD

Edited December 4, 2017 by sulzer27jd

[Clifford Road]

Oh very nice!

 

Both images look really good - must have been one model higher than a box brownie that you used Oh to recreate those images today!!

 

I can see the dilemma, CLS with steam around would look out of place - if you go for semaphores are you going to have working ones or static?

 

Oh .... PS.....

It is June 1956, Lavandin has just won the Derby, Rangers had won the league, the blockbuster to go and see was Giant, with Elizabeth Taylor, Dennis Hopper and James Dean. Rock'n'Roll hadn't quite made it to these shores but a kid called Elvis Presley was changing that forever in the USA. Our photographer was lineside in central Fife recording some railway action. Working the 2.15pm from Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen, Peppercorn A2, 60527, Sun Chariot powers past the loops at Dysart No3 pit on its way north through Fife. The loco will work as far as Dundee Tay Bridge before being replaced. She will then head to her home shed for servicing and turning before working an evening freight.

 

Wouldn't worry about the changes in music you talk about .... come the next big thing in 1957 and nobody will remember this Elvis fella Lol!

[NSE DAZ]

Hi John,

 

What a cracking layout, really life like, i even got my note pad out and jotted some numbers down

 

Great work,

 

All the best Darren NSE DAZ