Waverley Route new image links and discussion

['CHARD]

I'm sure I've seen the smokescreening pair somewhere before though

 

 

Yep, page 98 of WR - Postwar Years (Robotham), they've staggered as far as Steele Road where Derek Cross caught them. Without doubt the same day, locos and train, although the date and i.d. of the second loco differ on captions (25 vs 29 June and 8573 vs 8579). Marking them chain by chain up the valley, driving the B6379, watching the products of incomplete combustion fill the Cheviot skies - I can't imagine what the cacophony must've been like, as four Paxmans threatened to explode...

 

 

[Welly]

^^^

That's why I sometimes call the Claytons - "Clagtons"!

[Guest Max Stafford]

Chard, imagine 4 1970s vintage David Brown tractors giving it simultaneous pelters with extra bass and your pretty damn close...!

[millerhillboy]

Mate, I love that shed. When I'm up there next I shall drink a toast to its memory - if there's anything remotely resembling an ordinary saloon bar in the vicinity these days, that is

 

Oh there are saloon bars for sure in the very near vicinity. Whether you'd want to go in them is another matter altogether ;-)

[26power]

I think The Central Bar will be named after the station. If I remember rightly right at the station site, naturally.

 

You have had your "jags" though?

 

Cheers,

 

26power

 

Mate, I love that shed. When I'm up there next I shall drink a toast to its memory - if there's anything remotely resembling an ordinary saloon bar in the vicinity these days, that is

['CHARD]

"At last become what it should be - one of Edinburgh's finest looking pubs. Big horseshoe bar, Victorian cornices, tiling - it was always a great site but in the past could be a tricky place. I was once asked to leave in the 70's for leaving a pint on the bar when going to the toilet. "That sort of thing jist causes trouble", I was told. It is now nothing like that and those who have never seen it should now make the effort."

It was 'a tricky place.'

Essence

['CHARD]

A couple of reasonably contemporary station pics. Surprisingly, the early southern closures remain intact as private houses, here's Scotch Dyke, familiar to anyone who's driven the A7 and knows what to look out for

http://www.geog.port...lbums/bmq29.htm

compare to what's here - the centre photo is totally atmospheric - how remote does this feel, but stood there with the bobby busy in his box a few yards away, in times past a traveller would still have felt very connected to the rest of civilization: http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Scotch%20Dyke

 

and Harker, where landscaping has taken place in the area between the platforms since I last stood on the bridge

http://www.geog.port...lbums/bqj37.htm

 

And Lyneside, where the building on the left was the locking room of the former signal box

http://www.geog.port...lbums/bqj57.htm

 

 

Taken from this source, although it occurs to me I've never posted the link despite it long being an interesting byway:

http://www.geog.port...gaz/lk01239.htm

['CHARD]

"In May's good weather the work-hours were longer, the pays bigger, and men swarmed into Hawick like an infection. The town was swollen with them. Pubs strained their skins like unlanced boils as navvies multiplied bacterially in their warm intoxicating environments. The town's skin swelled to splitting. In places it did split: navvies spilled out of the jail, spewed out of the pubs openly flourishing whisky bottles. But if navvies were the bacteria, the constables were defective white corpuscles quite unable to clean them up. All got drunk together. Superintendents took to patrolling navvy pubs."

This beautiful prose taken from here:

http://www.victorian...ullivan/12.html

"Through it all the work went on. By the end of summer the arches [110/111] at the Shankend viaduct were being closed. All the piers were at full height. The Lang Burn kept on slipping but the Whitrope tunnel was almost there. From Scotch Dyke to Carlisle the permanent way was already laid except for a stretch over the Eden. Rails were being spiked at Newcastleton. Then early in the Spring of 1862 Frederick Kelly's highwaymen began waylaying provision carts near the Turf Hotel.* The carts belonged to respectable burghers: James Turnbull, grocer; Mr Mabon, grocer;"

 

Mr Mabon, grocer eh! Is it too far-fetched to imagine that a century later Newcastleton's pastor, Brydon Mabon, who would campaign so passionately to save the line, was in fact a descendent of said local grocer?

 

 

* the Turf Hotel was on the wild road (B6399) close to what Waverleyites would know as Shankendshiel

 

['CHARD]

Couldn't resist posting the link to this charming page:

 

http://homepages.enterprise.net/iainlogan/railway/citadel.html

['CHARD]

Strictly OT but posted here because it's an ex-Waverley engine, why has the former D5345 got 26/0 bogies in this pic, a swap for the one-way trip, perhaps?

 

http://www.dieselelectrics.photos.gb.net/p59722599.html

[Jamie]

Another few from my regular Railbrit trawl

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29882

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29841

 

Not really on topic, but still from the sa'at an' sauce side of the country - Corstorphine might make a nice wee model:

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29869

 

Quick, the antidote please: ... ahh, much more like it

[Guest Max Stafford]

Good spotting Jamie. It looks like I have an identity for my other K3 thanks to you and Bruce!

 

Dave.

['CHARD]

Another few from my regular Railbrit trawl

http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=29882

http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=29841

 

Not really on topic, but still from the sa'at an' sauce side of the country - Corstorphine might make a nice wee model:

http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=29869

 

Quick, the antidote please: ... ahh, much more like it

I put it to you that the first pic is of D5095 and the three passenger coaches are all maroon, the last being a Blue&Grey BG, which means this particular 2S52 is slightly short-formed for that diagram - so of huge import to me with my minimalist imperatives.... Also that's a new jocko to add to the 'I worked over the Waverley' list, so excellent spot, sir

 

The Lochpark pic is also excellent, as that's the first glimpse of track inside the PW depot that I've had - not much bigger than a Cheviot midge, granted, but just visible between the prefabs.

 

I'm a huge advocate of modelling Pinkhill, Corstorphine etc, even as a DMU project, so the use of a ready antidote was well advised, and isn't Hurlford reminiscent of a place of worship? Love it.

 

Now for my monthly visit to RailScot, who knows, maybe an entire gallery dedicated to Claytons and Baby Sulzers on the NB Kinross - Bridge of Earn direct line has magically appeared....

 

 

 

 

['CHARD]

How many poster frames??? And how many parcels???

Here's an excuse to retain another GFYE Standard Type 4: D1110 at Galashiels, answering my call for an elevation, however oblique, of the main station building, into the bargain. Typically fantastic caption too, pop-pickers:http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29757

 

Well worth the browse, as here's the seemingly common but elusive on camera twin-centre headcode genre of Peak, in BFYE on a matching rake of blue&grey MkIs, early corporate retro at its awesome best. My theory for this undated shot of Robin's is that this is the winter '68-69 Waverley replacement and the headcode is correct. If Russell Saxton and I were left in a room for long enough with a typewriter we'd eventually come up with this loco's i.d.

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29735

 

Hassendean again, I'm guessing winter '68-69 and a palpable air of finality about the whole thing. Never before have I seen so many contrasting platform surface treatments in such a small space.

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29759

 

This lady was later to wear economy green with full yellow ends (eGFYE), a unique combination in which, I'd like to think, she plied her trade here again:

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=23790

 

A J36 fit for heroes:

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29516

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29695

 

Bittern and Clayton

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=27269

 

Well you can never have too many Claytons, so here's another pair:

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29700

 

And a quick spot-the-difference at Melrose:

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=29640

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=13843

 

Torwoodlee, previously unseen exceptional broadside of an entire 2S52 consist, note the tail load of three fitted vans, awesome! Not sure I trust the '68 claim though, given that the Peebles loop is still intact...

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=27597

['CHARD]

Couldn't resist another lightly weathered GFYE Brush on the ersatz down winter Waverley EDIT 2M52, possibly, this stands a chance of being one of the 64A Nine in fact:http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=29713

[Jamie]

The Torwoodlee shot is excellent and one that I'd missed before - sparkly BRCW and such a modellable train. - Hornby Stanier BG, Bachy Mk1s and vans. Reminds me, I need to acquire and build more vanfits to bolster the tail traffic pool.

['CHARD]

Amazing the collections that keep on appearing, following a link in the household coal thread, these:

 

Port Carlisle Jct in '66 showing the simplified formation in the line's final years:

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501651.html

 

and for Dave, a view of 12A from the Waverley, this is incredible:

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501652.html

 

absolutely lovely, but not as captioned, this is surely Bowshank, and a nice colour close-up of the own-brand occupation bridge so typical of the route

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501653.html

 

I'm going for Bowland in this shot:

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501654.html

 

There are Hawick seminar shots that I've not bothered to link to, and next, somewhere north of Hawick, 4472 meets a southbound Peak - truly an incredible moment to click the shutter:

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501658.html

 

Hmmmm... could this be just north-west of Gorebridge? What sidings does that box look after?

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501659.html

 

64A - take time out to savour this one:

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501660.html

 

and a cheeky one inside St Margarets:

http://georgestrainpics.fotopic.net/p65501734.html

['CHARD]

George, we owe you one, here's a Peak at Riccarton http://georgestrainp.../p64089884.html

 

A gorgeous earthy study of 1S64 on the S&C:

http://georgestrainp.../p64089878.html

 

for MH-boy, check around this pic in the source gallery:

http://georgestrainp.../p64089925.html

 

apologies if we have had this V2 at Riccarton

http://georgestrainp.../p64136957.html

 

Jamie may have linked to this previously, I'm including it because of the GUVs and CCT mid-train which are quite possibly car carriers on this occasion

http://georgestrainp.../p64137049.html

EDIT: it has pointed out, there's an LMS vehicle in the mix that should nix 'Chard's First Theorem of covered carriage I really should look at the detail - I have a theorem of Teviotdale knitwear too, however

 

filthy Black Five anyone?

http://georgestrainp.../p64127491.html

[Scottish Modeller]

Amazing the collections that keep on appearing, following a link in the household coal thread, these:

 

Hmmmm... could this be just north-west of Gorebridge? What sidings does that box look after?

http://georgestrainp.../p65501659.html

 

If it is - Even though I've walked the line and known it since childhood - I don't recognise it!

 

I think it's more likely to be to the south east of Gorebridge.

 

Somewhere near a place called Catcune - see map and aerial overlay.

 

But - I could be wrong...

['CHARD]

If it is - Even though I've walked the line and known it since childhood - I don't recognise it!

 

I think it's more likely to be to the south east of Gorebridge.

 

Somewhere near a place called Catcune - see map and aerial overlay.

 

But - I could be wrong...

 

Now that does look right. I'd completely forgotten the sidings that diverge on Borthwick bank, there were two possibilities here - the ash tip for St Margarets' waste, and the quarry at Esperton, both of which point at Catcune for the handling loops and sidings.

 

I was uneasy with the background in the photo as being where I suggested, having walked that section too I still haven't seen photos of the Gorebridge end of the colliery branches and it's hard to imagine how it once looked from the traces left on the ground since the seventies road realignment.

 

So a huge thanks for that, great bit of detective work and now there's a known photo we can tick off another of the uncharted wants-list locations.

 

And to celebrate, here's a beautiful pose at Carlisle, with thanks to pH for the link:

http://www.geoffspag...g/page03/09.jpg

 

EDIT: also courtesy of pH was this link, to a B1 captioned as Tynehead, what's the bizarre headshunt - if that's what it is - on the right???? ??? ?? ? http://www.geoffspag...b/page04/04.jpg

EDIT2: incredibly, having just looked at the Google Earth satellite of Tynehead, the line climbing up the cutting side is still visible as a rough track ...to what was once a goods yard at road level (based on the shape and layout of what's there now)! Working that must have had some special arrangements to stop runaways!

[Scottish Modeller]

Now that does look right. I'd completely forgotten the sidings that diverge on Borthwick bank, there were two possibilities here - the ash tip for St Margarets' waste, and the quarry at Esperton, both of which point at Catcune for the handling loops and sidings.

 

I was uneasy with the background in the photo as being where I suggested, having walked that section too I still haven't seen photos of the Gorebridge end of the colliery branches and it's hard to imagine how it once looked from the traces left on the ground since the seventies road realignment.

 

So a huge thanks for that, great bit of detective work and now there's a known photo we can tick off another of the uncharted wants-list locations.

 

And to celebrate, here's a beautiful pose at Carlisle, with thanks to pH for the link:

http://www.geoffspag...g/page03/09.jpg

 

EDIT: also courtesy of pH was this link, to a B1 captioned as Tynehead, what's the bizarre headshunt - if that's what it is - on the right???? ??? ?? ? http://www.geoffspag...b/page04/04.jpg

EDIT2: incredibly, having just looked at the Google Earth satellite of Tynehead, the line climbing up the cutting side is still visible as a rough track ...to what was once a goods yard at road level (based on the shape and layout of what's there now)! Working that must have had some special arrangements to stop runaways!

'Chard,

 

If you need any current photos of locations....

 

I have loads.

 

Even if I don't have a location it's a 10 minute trip for me to check and snap..

 

Tynehead....

 

I have a comment from a local ex railway worker for you regarding this.

 

'Brake van to be positioned at least 25yds from the mainline connection, brakes to be locked, wheels to be scotched'.

 

also said something about 'lock sleeper to be positioned once work done'.

 

Not sure about how this was in effect.

 

My earliest rememberal walk at Tynehead was after closure - so I can't add anything much to that comment.

 

I can ask questions though!

 

Thanks

[Guest Max Stafford]

Are we dragging you in yet, Phil...?

 

Dave.

[Scottish Modeller]

Are we dragging you in yet, Phil...?

 

Dave.

Hi Dave,

 

No....

 

I modelled Waverley route when it was still live and I could model the things I saw!

 

Now - It's all nostagia and lost memories.

 

Once it's back to life (when it is) maybe I will.....

 

And - if I do......

 

That will be 2FS model of the new Gorebridge station - I think.

 

You all need to remember - the Waverley route is at the bottom of my garden - across a field and I see it daily!

 

Thanks

[Guest Max Stafford]

And you saw it in the old days? You lucky b*gger! I suppose I still do, since the Brunthill goods line is about half a mile from here. About 18 months ago, I saw 37422 on it shoving some cargowaggons up to the city's official freight terminal. Probably the first EE type three on this end of the Waverley since 1969!

By the way, please PM me if you still want that project we were talking about.

 

Dave.

[Scottish Modeller]

And you saw it in the old days? You lucky b*gger! I suppose I still do, since the Brunthill goods line is about half a mile from here. About 18 months ago, I saw 37422 on it shoving some cargowaggons up to the city's official freight terminal. Probably the first EE type three on this end of the Waverley since 1969!

By the way, please PM me if you still want that project we were talking about.

 

Dave.

Hi Dave,

 

My first encounter with The Waverley Route was as a child of 6...

 

My grandfather worked for the NCB as a cobbler and took me around to several pits etc over the summer holidays on a couple of occasions in the early 60's.

 

I can remember being hoisted on a trip that started at Newcraighall, to the Millerhill sidings, up to Bilston and back to Newcraighall.

 

I also remember a road trip to Newtongrange, being put in a coal wagon and getting shunted about the sidings whilst my grandfather went about his business...

 

The particular trip to Catcune was to attend to the annual boot issue and repair - (one of grandfathers homer - I think). It's possible I mayt be wrong as he was paid off by NCB and went Self Employed, still worked the pits for miners boots and the quarries as well.

 

I do remember Flying Scotsman on the Waverley - if I'm correct we were on Newtongrange station to watch it go through.

 

I've just had a thought that maybe there are still some photos from that period in the family.

 

I will need to find the step grandmother to see if I'm right!

 

Thanks

 

ps - you have pm