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Waverley Route new image links and discussion


'CHARD
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Guest Max Stafford

Yes. Iron Duke was one of a few locos so treated in '67 by the ever resourceful Kingmoor fitters. There was plenty of spare equipment lying around 12A by this time!

 

Dave.

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Thanks to my learned colleagues, I now know why that Brit is looking particularly purposeful. I had no idea where the monolithic BR1Ds hung out, but that one photo might tempt me to add a Pacific to the roster; I'm prepared to bet she worked the WR in this guise.

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The cooking BRCW in its social milieu. Now, here's the proof - as if I needed it - that welded /0s in GSYP were not a figment of my imagination. I reckon Railscot's picture editor is seeding us these deliberately to tantalize Dave and my ongoing projects :mail:

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=35399

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The cooking BRCW in its social milieu. Now, here's the proof - as if I needed it - that welded /0s in GSYP were not a figment of my imagination.

 

I think that must be one of the earliest ones :sungum: It's a close thing whether the Sc 26s or the LM 27s were the first with that mod.

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Not a long YouTube clip, at 1:22, this has appeared as film 3 of 3 on Forgotten Relics. Now I have seen the first two previously, but I don't recall this and I'm unable to play it at present, but probably a fellow devotee can see if it's worth scrutiny. It's of demoilition shots, for the unwary.

http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/films/waverley3.html

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Guest Max Stafford

Yes. Contains graphic images of ravaged Newcastleton and the Final Insult of the Closerati's vulgar victory parade...

 

Dave.

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Debate in the House of Commons, December 4th 1968. Hopes of a last minute reprieve ebb away, you can almost hear the imploring plea for transparency (and dare I say honesty) from MP Steele to the Secretary of State in this transcript. Interesting reference here to the parallel and separate closure of 'the goods section of the line.'

 

http://www.theyworkf...8-12-04a.1515.0

 

And a wee bit more from post-closure, this time in the Lords:

http://hansard.millb...ghcarlisle-line

 

I've often seen reference to the lack of foresight in line closure when new housing was being rapidly fettled at Galashiels, Hawick, and even Charlesfield is mentioned in latterday commentaries. However, this, from the Borders Council's own web presence resonates with a certain sense of regret, and an almost audible 'Huh? - Why would they do that?' Note that NSB is described as only 'relatively' easy to reach now, despite the A6091, A68 etc's massive expenditure.

 

"Council Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells

Why Newtown St Boswells?

 

When it was built as the headquarters of Roxburgh County Council in the early 1960's, it was thought to be in an ideal position due to its close proximity to Newtown St Boswells railway station. In those days the Waverley railway line gave access from both Edinburgh and Carlisle and beyond. Unfortunately, the railway closed in the mid-1960's. Fortunately, road transport has improved a lot since then and Newtown St Boswells is relatively easy to reach by car or bus."

 

And while I'm on the subject of road investment, this travelogue from SABRE's Roader's Digest makes fascinating reading from the petrolhead perspective: http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A7

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Interesting.

William Ross is quite blunt in his response.

He is of course limited in what he can say as a government minister after the anouncement of the fatal decision.

Prior to that point he did a lot of work in putting forward various points in favour of retaining the line.

He comes out of the whole sorry mess as one of the good guys and was an excellent Secretary of State for Scotland.

The reference to 'the goods section of the line' ties in with a comment I made a while ago about parts of the line remaining in use for some period of time after closure. The time scale regarding demolition is also a very complex matter due to the possibliity of the BURCo putting in a viable business plan, the issue concerning the remaining freight services and the legal requirements surrounding any line closure.

Bernard

Bernard

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Yes. Contains graphic images of ravaged Newcastleton and the Final Insult of the Closerati's vulgar victory parade...

 

Dave.

I have seen this previously now I've had chance to view it. It was in Border TV archive when last charted...

 

The Final Insult looks to have involved a good half dozen track panels near Riddings. Yuk. What twisted PR, it beggars belief.

 

Initial wide shots are of St Boswells I think, sharing more than a passing family likeness with Teri. The motors parked on the old goods yard at The Holm take me straight back to childhood, but sadly I never had the chance to see the snow in the imprint of the freshly lifted down line - and siding - at that location.

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Guest Max Stafford

I'm assuming that this document is dated post closure Bernard? It seems that the instructions weren't carried out to the letter with both Shankend box surviving along with its adjoining toilet (until July this year for the latter!) and Riccarton's buildings surviving until the 0rgy of vandalism in southern Scotland that was the 1980s.

 

Dave.

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I'm assuming that this document is dated post closure Bernard? It seems that the instructions weren't carried out to the letter with both Shankend box surviving along with its adjoining toilet

Dave.

No date on it Dave, but I assume a date of around April 1969 to tie in with what else was happening at that time. The BR files are a nightmare to search as the dates do not run in sequence and various tasks were the responsibility of different offices. With the Waverley being in England and Scotland it becomes even more difficult and even less logical to find any thing. I did note that the instructions were not carried out in certain cases. I wondered who would be the first to pick up on that point. My guess was correct. Similar documents must exist for the other sections but I havn't come across them yet.

Bernard

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On the one hand what a sad document, on the other, what a fantastic record for modellers. Are the measurements width, lenght and height?

Duncan

 

There is no key but I would think so. I would presume that the Civil Engineers department had a standard way of writing such dimensions. It does, as you point out, provide valuable dimensions in particular for the smaller structures where there are probably no drawings available.

Bernard

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The Moray Coast lines were consigned to history, and Inverness Type 2 diagrams began to include Waverley trips, when this exchange was had in the Lords:

http://hansard.millb...s-carlisle-rail

 

The hideous irony of the name of this ignoble Lord wasn't lost on me in his support of Beeching's medicine.

 

§LORD BLYTON

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the noble Lord, Lord Beeching, was appointed to cut out uneconomic railways, and nothing was said? It is only because of the fact that there may be interests in this particular line that this opposition is arising. Is he further aware that pits that had not been closed have now been closed by the thousand, without a complaint from the other side? I would ask noble Lords to accept the medicine that Lord Beeching laid down for us.

 

And while I'm on a roll, here's another exchange from 23rd July '68, seemingly the eighth day of debate on the line's closure.... http://hansard.millb...s-carlisle-rail

 

And without wishing to get too political, on 8th December 1987 services on the Sou'Western were under threat when Tam Dalyell made this interesting statement to which I expect one David Steel would take great exception:

 

"We owe a debt of gratitude to the hon. Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro). Let me tell him and the Conservative party a salutary little tale. In 1958–59 I was the Labour candidate for the Borders. I received 10,000 votes, and I remember it vividly because that was the time of the threatened closure of the railway at Hawick, Galashiels, Melrose, St. Boswells and Newcastleton. It was "Beechingised."

The result of all that was a Liberal candidate unexpectedly winning a by-election and the humiliation of a new Conservative candidate, the late Commander C.E.M. Donaldson, my opponent in 1959 having had a sizeable safe majority. That was a blue-chip Conservative seat, but once the railway was taken away it was transformed into a Liberal seat. The Liberal candidate, now the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Steel), the leader of the Liberal party, was the beneficiary of the removal of that railway."

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Guest Max Stafford

Hmm. Almost suggests that the closure was viewed by some as a form of punishment for lack of support.

But that's an outrageous suggestion Isn't it...?

 

Dave

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If our lords and masters can spout rubbish like that over the closure of a local railway then heaven help us if we ever need to fight a war. The number of lies per column inch must take some beating. I will not go into it in too much detail on here. I will just point out that David Steele became the local MP in AFAIK 1965. Well before any threat of closure. Letters between Wilson and Ross write off the borders as a lost cause politically.

Bernard

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Have we shared this image from The End Times before?

 

http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=22717

 

Dave.

 

The lesser spotted post-August '68 BFYE cooking BRCW on WR metals (not eBFYE, diesel-transition watchers to note). Looks like they did a better job of removing the 26015 decal at 64B than I have so far achieved on my pair :O

 

I could be very wrong, but Lothian 26s only seem to work freight during the freight-only period itself. Interesting juxtaposition of 5-plk and TTA stage-front, too.

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The lesser spotted post-August '68 BFYE cooking BRCW on WR metals (not eBFYE, diesel-transition watchers to note). Looks like they did a better job of removing the 26015 decal at 64B than I have so far achieved on my pair :O

 

I could be very wrong, but Lothian 26s only seem to work freight during the freight-only period itself. Interesting juxtaposition of 5-plk and TTA stage-front, too.

 

Is this a 26?

 

http://www.railbrit....te.php?id=22883

same loco leaving Hawick

http://www.railbrit....te.php?id=22753

 

Cryptic entries from "Remarks" column of UP line from signal box register:

 

Friday 17 Jan 69: 9 on

Monday 20 Jan: 9 coal

Saturday 25 Jan: engine 279

Wed 28 Jan: 8614-8606

Wed 12 Feb: eng 5306

Thursday 13: (7)

Mon 17 Feb: from Gala (referring to bell code 2-3 then 2-2) [looks like the arrival of two light engines] 8578 and 8577

Wed 19 Feb: LE 8612 arrived at 09.08

and further E10 arrived 1215 6 empties 1 load

27 Feb: c/o pilot

and nothing else until

Mon 22 Mar: 3 coal

 

the DOWN line "Remarks" entries:

 

Tues 11 Feb: 5V45 9ED (best I can decipher)

Monday 17 Feb: to Gala (referring to bell code 2-3 then 2-2) [looks like the departure of two light engines] 8577 and 8612 (these numbers are pretty clear as is the UP line entry)

Friday 21 Feb: 17 (referring I think to a light engine movement)

Mon 24 Feb: (whole entry) E 10 depart 1610 E & V D 295 failure to work this (not distinct)

 

There are no further entries in the DOWN "Remarks" column at all.

 

It looks like the detail of the entry in the register has been very much at the whim of the travelling signalman, and what I've posted might raise more questions than answer 'Chard's query about Lothian 26s.

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