POLL NOW ADDED Strathmore Route Forum?

[scottystitch]

How would anyone feel about a dedicated forum for the Strathmore Route, somewhat a kin, albeit a reduced version, to the Waverley Route forum?

 

This was a very important stretch of line that has been sadly overlook and neglected over the years, both prior to and post closure. Indeed there are few images I am aware of of the line and trains thereon outside of the period from when the A4s were working it until the end of steam.

 

Strictly speaking the line ran from Perth to Kinnaber Junction

 

Is there interest in starting a forum for Strathmore to collect and share all and any info out there?

 

If so, how do I go about setting one up?

 

Scotty

 

EDIT: POLL NOW ADDED

Edited January 15, 2015 by scottystitch

[Andy Y]

 

 

If so, how do I go about setting one up?

 

 

It's an admin function so I'd have to do it. The best way forward is to start a general topic (as you have) as see how much participation it gets and where the potential lies.

[scottystitch]

It's an admin function so I'd have to do it. The best way forward is to start a general topic (as you have) as see how much participation it gets and where the potential lies.

 

Thanks Andy, much appreciated.

['CHARD]

Just spotted this topic on Page n of VNC, and most worthy it is of a shameless bounce!

 

http://www.geocities.ws/railphotosuk/40forfar.jpg

[scottystitch]

My favourite station on the line, would love to see a model in N...Alyth Junction:

 

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=21149

Edited January 13, 2015 by scottystitch

[sulzer27jd]

My favourite station on the line, would love to see a model in N...Alyth Junction:

 

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=21149

 

There is a rather nice restaurant there if you ever get the chance. It used to be fitted out with the seats and partitions from Mk I coaches, but sadly this was removed by a previous owner.

[scottystitch]

There is a rather nice restaurant there if you ever get the chance. It used to be fitted out with the seats and partitions from Mk I coaches, but sadly this was removed by a previous owner.

That's right, the hotel just at the end of the road overbridge. I was there for meal as a 9 or 10 year old, too many moons ago, as my Uncle lived in nearby Meigle, right beside the site of Meigle station. I remember the seating as you describe.

Edited January 14, 2015 by scottystitch

[scottystitch]

Coupar Angus, a sizeable station and yard, and the junction station for the Blairgowrie branch

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=7375

 

http://myrailwaystation.com/FORMER%20LOCATIONS/pages/COUPAR%20ANGUS%20STATION%20%20Ex%20C_%20R_%20c%201920_jpg.htm

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5563/15044351021_779a1a8624.jpg

[Mad McCann]

I'm right on board for this one, gents!

[scottystitch]

Ardler Station and Ardler junction, between Coupar Angus and Alyth Junction, period pictures of which seem to be rarer than rocking horse do-do. The scene of a fatal collision between a main line express postal/passenger and a local branch line train, the latter of which had over run a stop signal.

 

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3550/3659216690_a206f6f409_z.jpg?zz=1

 

The 1948 accident report can be read here: http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_ArdlerJunction1948.pdf

 

 

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/polopoly_fs/1.157668.1385380375!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620/image.jpg

[Torper]

Forfar would make a fantastic model, but you'd need a lot of space.  Operationally you'd have the West Coast main line up to Aberdeen plus four separate branches originating from the station to Kirriemuir, Brechin, Arbroath and Dundee.  Enough space and you could also have a football pitch!

 

DT

[scottystitch]

Forfar would make a fantastic model, but you'd need a lot of space.  Operationally you'd have the West Coast main line up to Aberdeen plus four separate branches originating from the station to Kirriemuir, Brechin, Arbroath and Dundee.  Enough space and you could also have a football pitch!

 

DT

 

 

Forfar was interesting, quite a good sized yard and quite a sharply curved station. It was of course the county town and so had a sizeable agricultural industry.

 

Had it retained it's railway, with modern servioces, it would have been ideally placed for commuting into Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen. Could have been quite a different town.......

Edited January 15, 2015 by scottystitch

[wiggoforgold]

I'd be interested. I last went to Forfar on a brake van trip in about 1977.

[scottystitch]

Glamis, the site of which was (and maybe still is) occupied by the Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club.:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cessna152towser/5641094153/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cessna152towser/5641692396/in/photostream/

 

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/39/25/392557_0a9648e0.jpg

 

http://www.monikie.org.uk/flying-scotsman-glamis-station-1964.jpg

[scottystitch]

Still standing in all it's glory at Ballathie, the bridge of the Tay, at the mouth of the Isla. I've loved and been fascinated by this bridge since I were a nipper. Although it would take a bit of time, it seems modelable.......

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cessna152towser/5778072216/in/set-72157626541391698

 

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/03/39/1033962_da8e47df.jpg

 

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3187/2928212668_e1c25cc688.jpg

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MJ56mowUb7Y/S0LvS39NvkI/AAAAAAAAIR4/qa8MJrt00Yw/s400/P1020461.JPG

[Torper]

Forfar was interesting,...........Had it retained it's railway, with modern servioces, it would have been ideally placed for commuting into Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen. Could have been quite a different town.......

 

I doubt it would have been much different.  I shouldn't think there is or would have been much commuting to Perth or Aberdeen and in any event both are easliy accessible by road, as is Dundee.  There's a very regular bus service to and from Dundee, but not much to Aberdeen and only minimal to Perth which suggests that there is little demand for such services.  As it is, Forfar is a fairly prosperous town with an expanding population.

 

The Strathmore Vehicle Vintage Club does indeed still occupy the site of Glamis station.  The signal box, which was in a state of considerable disrepair, has however been demolished though I did hear that it had been removed elsewhere - I don't know if there's any truth in that.  Bachmann's CR signal box was apparently based on Glamis, though with the addition of lower windows as found on other CR Northern Division boxes.

 

DT

[scottystitch]

I doubt it would have been much different.  I shouldn't think there is or would have been much commuting to Perth or Aberdeen and in any event both are easliy accessible by road, as is Dundee.  There's a very regular bus service to and from Dundee, but not much to Aberdeen and only minimal to Perth which suggests that there is little demand for such services.  As it is, Forfar is a fairly prosperous town with an expanding population.

 

The Strathmore Vehicle Vintage Club does indeed still occupy the site of Glamis station.  The signal box, which was in a state of considerable disrepair, has however been demolished though I did hear that it had been removed elsewhere - I don't know if there's any truth in that.  Bachmann's CR signal box was apparently based on Glamis, though with the addition of lower windows as found on other CR Northern Division boxes.

 

DT

I see where you're coming from, and that may have been the case for a time, but if we look now at places like inverurie, laurencekirk, Stonehaven, Elginetc, there is a shift recently for people to be living there and commuting particularly to Aberdeen. Traffic into Perth from the A93 direction is less than fluid  in the morning. An accelerated Express train service might serve Perth and Aberdeen, with journey times for both well under an hour, very well as we speak. Forfar to Dundee, to be fair, was always a circticious route and the A90 would no doubt still be the preferred option, but in these circumstances, I'd have thought Forfar could well be an increasingly devleloped housing location by now, had the line been left open and developed.

[scottystitch]

Are you sure that first photograph is of Ardler? If we were looking in the down direction the train would be on the level crossing and the signal box would be to the left, rather than what appears to be a goods shed. I thought that Ardler goods yard was one that did not have a goods shed at all. If were a goods shed then we would need to be looking in the up direction towards Coupar Angus as the yard was at that end of the station, however it would be to the right of the running lines rather than to the left as shown. 

 

Investigation proceeding!

 

John

Hi John

 

There's not much I am sure on to be honest, hence trying to set up a discuission on here to discuss and try and further our knowedge.

 

Railscot has this picture as Ardler. The station building on first glance looks the same?

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=4

 

This one is definitely Ardler:

 

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3307/3659216964_0d83c9be8a_z.jpg?zz=1

Edited January 15, 2015 by scottystitch

[Torper]

I see where you're coming from, and that may have been the case for a time, but if we look now at places like inverurie, laurencekirk, Stonehaven, Elginetc, there is a shift recently for people to be living there and commuting particularly to Aberdeen. Traffic into Perth from the A93 direction is less than fluid  in the morning. An accelerated Express train service might serve Perth and Aberdeen, with journey times for both well under an hour, very well as we speak. Forfar to Dundee, to be fair, was always a circticious route and the A90 would no doubt still be the preferred option, but in these circumstances, I'd have thought Forfar could well be an increasingly devleloped housing location by now, had the line been left open and developed.

 

Forfar has grown fairly substantially over the last 50 years.  In the mid 50s the population was about 10000 - indeed, it had shrunk a bit over the previous century.  Now it's getting on for 16000 according to Angus Council.  Moreover (and thankfully), it isn't a commuter town as such - over 30% of the workforce are employed in manufacturing and construction, which is well above the Scottish average.  And I have noted that when I've turned onto the A90 at Petterden in what might be considered the morning rush-hour but is in fact minimal by southern standards, there's usually more traffic going north (Dundee to Forfar) than there is going the other way!

 

The examples you've given are all considerably more focused on Aberdeen where housing costs are among the highest in Scotland and where one might therefore expect people who work in Aberdeen to have little choice but to live outwith the city.  Angus and Dundee housing is much less expensive (in fact, houses in the county are rather more expensive than those in the city) and the same considerations don't therefore apply.

 

DT

[scottystitch]

This may be of use?

 

http://maps.nls.uk/view/82898553

[scottystitch]

Forfar has grown fairly substantially over the last 50 years.  In the mid 50s the population was about 10000 - indeed, it had shrunk a bit over the previous century.  Now it's getting on for 16000 according to Angus Council.  Moreover (and thankfully), it isn't a commuter town as such - over 30% of the workforce are employed in manufacturing and construction, which is well above the Scottish average.  And I have noted that when I've turned onto the A90 at Petterden in what might be considered the morning rush-hour but is in fact minimal by southern standards, there's usually more traffic going north (Dundee to Forfar) than there is going the other way!

 

The examples you've given are all considerably more focused on Aberdeen where housing costs are among the highest in Scotland and where one might therefore expect people who work in Aberdeen to have little choice but to live outwith the city.  Angus and Dundee housing is much less expensive (in fact, houses in the county are rather more expensive than those in the city) and the same considerations don't therefore apply.

 

DT

Thanks for that DT

[JohnR]

I would love this, although obviously it should include the numerous branches off the main route to places like Blairgowrie, Kirriemuir, Brechin (both via Bridge of Dun and Forfar), Dundee, Arbroath and Montrose. 

[scottystitch]

I would love this, although obviously it should include the numerous branches off the main route to places like Blairgowrie, Kirriemuir, Brechin (both via Bridge of Dun and Forfar), Dundee, Arbroath and Montrose. 

Thanks JohnR. Completely agree re the branches etc. I'd want it to include everything from either Perth or Stanley Junction (whichever was the concensus) all the way to Kinnaber Junction, and Arbroath plus the direct line to Dundee and all the branches in between.

['CHARD]

Well, you can see what amount of resources we've managed to unearth on the Waverley route, which has its own Interest Group and how many sub-topics these days!

 

I'm certain that there won't be as much in the public domain on the Strathmore; it was more remote, closed earlier and so on, but it had its devotees particularly during the A4s' final fling. I wonder if any local enthusiasts or historians captured the infrastructure in particular, in the way that the WR Spartans managed! Surely the intrepid crew of the MNA bashed up and down on the three hour expresses, there must be photos by Riley et al.

 

We need to check the RCAHMS database and see if the redoubtable John Hume took photos of the Strathmore stations as he did elsewhere in Scotland.

 

EDIT: yes he did! A quick search on Forfar brought this up:

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/87513/details/forfar+railway+yard/

and

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/87512/details/forfar+motive+power+depot+and+repair+works/

 

Viva Strathmore!

Edited January 15, 2015 by 'CHARD

['CHARD]

Three of Coupar Angus, nice Cortina MkII

 

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/68070/details/coupar+angus+station/