Guest tony graham Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 July 2nd 2012 ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR THE BORDER UNION RAILWAY.  Hard on the heels of a highly successful opening weekend on 30th June/1st July when the first public train service for more than 40 years was run the Border Union Railway Company/Waverley Route Heritage Association is delighted to announce another success.  This week will see one of the more prominent features of the old Waverley Route removed by contractors, ready for works to begin on the Borders Railway Project.  Eskbank station footbridge, long since disused, is to be removed from its home by crane and transported for preservation at the Waverley Route Heritage Association’s site at Whitrope, home of the Border Union Railway.  The bridge, at over fifteen metres in length and almost four metres wide, is a trussed steel lattice bridge, which adjoined the two platforms at Eskbank station. Since closure of the Carlisle-Edinburgh “Waverley Route†in 1969 it has fallen into decline and was fenced off to prevent unauthorised access.  A new lease of life is intended for the bridge, with volunteers from WRHA keen to start work on cleaning off decades of grime & rust and repainting the structure. It is intended to be given a home on the Border Union Railway, which opened to passengers only last weekend.  Transport Minister, Keith Brown, will be attending the removal of the bridge at Eskbank, seen as a major milestone in the project to reopen the line to Tweedbank.  WRHA is indebted to the Borders Railway Project team, Scottish Borders Council, Midlothian Council and Skene Group for their help & assistance in preserving this historical bridge. Transportation of the bridge to the Border Union Railway is kindly being undertaken by Finnie Heavy Haulage of Lockerbie and Rodger of Earlston.  The bridge will be bought to site by way of the A7, Canonbie and Newcastleton before eventually making its way to Whitrope  Editors Note: The Border Union Railway Co. Ltd held a highly successful opening weekend on 30th June/1st July when veteran local rail campaigner Madge Elliot and MSP John Lamont presided.  Further Information: Roy Perkins 0151 652 9617  e-mail: commercial@borderunioncompany.co.uk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Scottish Modeller Posted July 2, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2012 Hi Tony, Good to hear that another local landmark/heritage piece is being saved. Is there any projected time line for the work to remove and then transport it from site? Must get some last photos before it goes! Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Border Union Railway Press. Or "BURP" for short. I like it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 I'll try and find out for you, Phil. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37175 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi Tony, Good to hear that another local landmark/heritage piece is being saved. Is there any projected time line for the work to remove and then transport it from site? Must get some last photos before it goes! Thanks Crane out & removal in 2 days time. Thurs 5th July. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Scottish Modeller Posted July 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi Matt Thanks for the info. Will try and get photos tomorrow before the move. Will miss the move as work will be in Kilmarnock most of Thursday. Ah well...... Crane out & removal in 2 days time. Thurs 5th July. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Visto Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Further good news from the Border Union. Following last week end's highly successful opening of the Border Union Railway Co. Ltd. the good news is that trains will now run between 10.00a.m. and 4.00p.m. every Saturday and Sunday right though until early October. So if you missed the actual opening please come along and support us on one of these week ends. Roy Perkins Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Scottish Modeller Posted July 4, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 4, 2012 Hi all, The wonderful summer weather killed off the photo options... Downpour, darkness and thunder descended just after I got off the bus to take photos. The rather large amounts of water lying around may also be a problem for the work to remove the bridge. Thanks Hi Matt Thanks for the info. Will try and get photos tomorrow before the move. Will miss the move as work will be in Kilmarnock most of Thursday. Ah well...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 The wonderful summer weather killed off the photo options... Downpour, darkness and thunder descended just after I got off the bus to take photos. You and me both. I got half drowned cycling back from the Forth Bridge (see prototype discussions for photos) to Currie around 4 pm. When a local tells you it is the worst rain he has seen it has to be bad. I can only get out for a couple of hours otherwise I could ride over tomorrow to have a look. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Scottish Modeller Posted July 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi all, Interesting... http://www.itv.com/news/border/story/2012-07-05/historic-bridge-moves-in/ Boorders picked up the story but STV have ignored it! Good set of photos though. Looks a lot drier than it did at this time yesterday when there was about 3" water lying. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37175 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Now on the WRHA news site: http://waverleyroute...ion-footbridge/ It was an amazing day, seeing the bridge moving from where it had been positioned for so long, yet knowing that it has another life ahead of it on a different part of the Waverley Route. I was told that many of the locals who were concerned it was going for scrap were jubilant when they heard that it was being preserved further down the railway. Last photo of the footbridge in its old familiar surroundings at Eskbank Transport Minister Keith Brown chats with driver Dougie Yule of Finnie Heavy Haulage and WRHA Chairman Ian Crooks as the load gets ready to depart from Eskbank. Heading for preservation .... we do what it says on the side, plus a bit of gardening! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Fantastic news story guys, brilliant. Encouraging to hear that the locals felt a sense of 'ownership' of Eskbank as was, too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37175 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 .... and just sent in by Mac, the bridge lands at Whitrope safe & well earlier today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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