Freight in Edinburgh PSB area help needed

[aictosphotos]

I'm currently drawing blanks using this site, Flickr, Youtube, Freightmaster (Summer 2006) and other sites so I hope some nice person can clarify the questions I'm trying to get answers to.

 

I'm looking at the formation of the following services that would have ran in the mid 2000s:

 

Washwood Heath to Bathgate and Return (Believe formed of cartics but not sure how many would be in a single train)

 

Lackenby - Dalzell and Return (Load is Steel Slabs but not sure on the type of wagon used or how many in a single train)

 

Hartlepool to Leith and Return (Load is Pipes but not sure on the type of wagon used or how many in a single train)

 

Anyone familiar with the workings?

[Dungrange]

I can't answer your question directly, but I do have a copy of the Freightmaster book for Spring 2004.

 

Bathgate - Washwood Heath service ran with Headcode 6M85 TWFO - the train is described as EWS 66 with empty cartics/flats

Washwood Heath - Bathgate service ran with Headcode 6X38 SO - the train is described as EWS 66 with French cars

 

Lackenby - Dalzell  service ran with Headcode 6S58 SX - the train is described as EWS 60 with loaded steel (slab)

Dalzell - Lackenby service ran with Headcode 6E30 SX - the train is described as EWS 60 empty steel

Dalzell - Lackenby service ran with Headcode 6E28 SO - the train is described as EWS 60 empty steel

 

There are no details of a Hartlepool - Leith service in the Spring 2004 book - just a Hartlepool to Inverness service, which was 6X88 TThO described as EWS 60 with loaded pipes.

 

Not sure if the headcodes will help you find suitable pictures.

 

 

[aictosphotos]

The information is pretty much what the Summer 2006 Freightmaster also says, sadly they don't say what type of freight wagon was used or even explain what the tonnage of each one was both loaded and empty.

 

I've managed to finally find some lengths but what freight vehicle was used for the steel slabs/cartics I don't know.

[Dungrange]

Some photographs of the remains of a wagon that caught fire in 2003 on the Washwood Heath to Bathgate service - https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-burnt-out-cars-are-inspected-in-the-sidings-of-oxenholme-station-near-107332857.html

 

I'm not very up on wagon types, but these look like the IPA wagons Bachmann produced.  That livery unfortunately was only available as a collectors club release.  I'm also not sure if the entire train was made up of these wagons.

 

I'm not sure precisely which year you're most interested in, but Network Rail have made historic Working Timetables available on-line at https://history.networkrail.co.uk/uncategorized/SO_4b13306b-816a-4d77-89ec-630d6beb2680/

 

Select the timetable period that you're interested in and then it gives access to the full archive of Working Timetables for that date.  The Scottish Freight timetable is GF.  That should give the pathing details for every Scottish Freight train at that time, which includes the traction type and assumed tonnage used to derive the path timings.  However, it's no help with regards wagon types, numbers or lengths - I think you are reliant on photographs for these.

 

I think the problem with finding photographs on-line is that digital photography wasn't as common in the mid-2000's so there are fewer pictures on-line for this period than say post-2010 or post-2020.

[Dungrange]

In the book "Railways of Central Scotland" by Ian Lothian, there is a photograph on page 36 with the following caption - "60021 has just passed the site on the other side of the bridge where Newcraighall station is now situated and on this side of the bridge on the left is where the borders line now diverges.  On 8 May 2001, there were no hints as to future changes as the Dalziel to Lackenby empty steel ran towards Millerhill."

 

Unfortunately, it's not possible to tell how long the train is because the rear of the train can't be seen (it's the other side of the bridge).  However, I'd say that there is a minimum of 15 bogie wagons behind 60021.  What these wagons are I'm not certain, but the first wagon is definitely different from the next half dozen.  I'd say the first wagon is a BAA (or later conversion), whereas the next wagons look more like BBA (or later conversion), as the first wagon is both shorter and the sole bar is less deep.  It's difficult to make out the wagons further back in the rake because of shadow from the bridge and their distance from the camera.  They look similar to the BAA / BBA type wagons at the head of the train, but I can't say which they are.

 

For the Hartlepool to Leith service, I would assume that the BTA Pipe conversions from BDA would be the most likely wagons in a trainload service, but I guess that would partly depend on the diameter of the pipe load.  I think the BTA wagons seem to be used with a large number of smaller diameter pipes, whereas I've seen photographs of larger diameter pipes on BDA wagons, sometimes with runner wagons in between depending on length.  However, like you, I can't find any photographs that are specifically of the Leith service (as opposed to wagons from Hartlepool operating to other Scottish destinations).

[Roddy Angus]

The above link may be helpful, but unfortunately a lot of the photos are missing.

 

Roddy