Locomotives based in Fort William

[MarcD]

I'm looking at modelling the Ben Nevis Distillery just outside Fort William. Their internal railway had a main line but there doesn't seem to be a loco shed or stables so I'm presuming that the system was shunted by a main line loco.  So my question is what locos would have been in Fort William that could have been used?

Marc

[KeithMacdonald]

Fort William Motive Power Depot (MPD) is mentioned here, along with mention of locos used for local freight work.

https://westhighlandline.org.uk/fort-william/2/

 

See also:

Quote

This distillery is in Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis. The distillery was formerly railway served. The West Highland Railway is to the south east. Sidings approached from the south, their junction with the main line allowing a train from Fort William to approach the distillery. There was a short loop within the distillery and sidings served from a turnplate.

https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/B/Ben_Nevis_Distillery/

[KeithMacdonald]

Not to be confused with the Glenlochy Distillery which also had a siding.
 

Quote

This distillery was just east of central Fort William, on the north bank of the River Ness. It was served by a short siding from the West Highland Railway. The siding was on the south side of the line and served from the west (by the Nevis Viaduct). The siding was lifted in the 1970s and no trace of it remains. The distillery closed in 1983/4. After a long period of disuse the site was partly cleared. The manager's house, staff cottages and the distillery's maltings building, with pagoda ventilator, remain.

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/G/Glenlochy_Distillery/

[KeithMacdonald]

Three different distilleries, each with their own siding(s). From east to west:

 

Ben Nevis

 

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.0&lat=56.83424&lon=-5.07275&layers=168&b=1

 

Glenlochy

 

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.7&lat=56.82235&lon=-5.09407&layers=168&b=1

 

Nevis

 

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.4&lat=56.82253&lon=-5.09891&layers=168&b=1

[Michael Hodgson]

I suppose a 7mm scale distillery only produces miniatures?  😁

 

The RCH Stations Handbook of 1904 lists it as Ben Nevis Distillery Siding, served by the NBR, traffic booked via Fort William.  I take it that does mean that traffic was worked to/from there by a Fort William loco, running round in the sidings.

 

The reference to a turnplate in Keith's postings suggests to me that wagons were manhandled one at a time using pinch bars etc once the main line loco had gone home.

 

Some shed allocations here

http://shedbashuk.blogspot.com/2016/05/fort-william-mallaig-1938-1962.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MarcD]

The wagon turntable was kept in use until the end of rail operations. The point at the end of the loop was removed at some point in the 1930/40's from what I can ascertain.

Marc

[KeithMacdonald]

@MarcD - have you decided on a specific era yet?

 

Pics on Flikr

 

 

[MarcD]

I was thinking of 1914-23.

Marc 

[KeithMacdonald]

Disused Stations has an interesting picture or two.

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/f/fort_william/index.shtml

 

 

[D9020 Nimbus]

In later days I'd imagine it might have been worked by the Fort William "pilot"; in the BR steam era often a J36, later on a class 20 diesel. But I have no idea what would have been used in @MarcD's chosen period (which also encompasses WW1, which might also have had an effect).

[KeithMacdonald]

2 hours ago, MarcD said:

I was thinking of 1914-23.

 

"Early 20th century" NBR

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/f/fort_william/index10.shtml

or

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/f/fort_william/index14.shtml

Looks like a 4-4-0 tender loco

 

1914, "Number 27" - a NBR 0-6-0 tender?

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/f/fort_william/index17.shtml

[KeithMacdonald]

43 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

In later days I'd imagine it might have been worked by the Fort William "pilot"; in the BR steam era often a J36, later on a class 20 diesel. But I have no idea what would have been used in @MarcD's chosen period (which also encompasses WW1, which might also have had an effect).

 

Looks like the J36s were first built pre-1900. Early enough to be in @MarcD 's chosen era?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBR_C_Class

 

BRDatabase shows at least one assigned to Fort William

North British Railway 663 - later renumbered with the LNER, finally BR number 65237

https://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&id=601036055&type=S&loco=65237

[KeithMacdonald]

Hattons says that Hornby did produce one J36 model in NBR colours

 

Quote

Originally known as the C Class, 168 locomotives were produced by the North British Railway between 1888 and 1901. The locomotives had a surprising lifespan, with examples staying in service until 1967. The J36 was the last class of steam locomotive to operate in Scotland. Just one has been preserved.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/article?id=371

 

[pH]

Here is NBR Class ‘C’ (later LNER J36) 783 at Fort William shed ‘prior to WW1’.

 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-nbr-j36-0-6-0-locomotive-no783-112661989.html

This picture, with a fuller caption, is in “Locomotives Illustrated #137 - North British Railway 0-6-0s. LNER Classes ‘J31 to ‘J37’”

Edited December 19, 2022 by pH

[MarcD]

I will dig out my copy.

Marc

[keefer]

6 hours ago, MarcD said:

The wagon turntable was kept in use until the end of rail operations. The point at the end of the loop was removed at some point in the 1930/40's from what I can ascertain.

Marc

Not as relevant now Marc has defined his timescale but the 1964 OS 1:2500 map shows the simplified layout (although it doesn't actually show a turntable)

https://maps.nls.uk/view/130179230#zoom=5&lat=6280&lon=4150&layers=BT

[Michael Hodgson]

The connection at 90 degrees from the right hand siding is a wagon turntable

[keefer]

I realise that, it's just that OS maps often showed a representation of a turntable i.e. a circle around the 'join' - perhaps it's something the more modern maps didn't bother with