Steele Road

I've been pondering about the points and signal inside Whitrope tunnel. Could they have been there to allow banking locos on the down line to cross over and return to the Holm on the up once they had assisted their train over Whitrope summit? As for being operated by Shankend box; that would have been a very long pull, especially considering Whitrope Siding 'box was a lot nearer. Hmmm...

Just to play Devil's Advocate here, could he have meant removed as in disconnected ie removed from operation/switched out of use?

Not sure if this has been posted before but I came across it on the All Our Yesterdays bashers group on Facebook. The only details given are that it is D5317 waiting to leave Carlisle for Edinburgh on the last day 5/1/69.

Fascinating stuff. Am I right in interpreting that this 'secret siding' was in another spur of tunnel which branched off the the main bore (and later sealed up) as opposed to running alongside the up/down lines inside the existing tunnel? The reason I am assuming this is having walked through the tunnel myself, it does not look wide enough to have accommodated three lines at any point.

I didn't have to do much to it at all really, just a trim and a level boost and a bit of EQ to reduce the tape noise as it had a bit of hiss. So nice to find it and get it transferred and uploaded for an appreciative audience!

I found this BBC Radio Scotland documentary about Riccarton Junction on an old tape recently and have transferred it to MP3 for you: https://soundcloud.com/northwestaudioarchive/radio-scotland-riccarton

Scotch Dyke?

Sounds like the Waverley Route version of the Elgin Marbles!

That garage will have to go though!

I noticed this football card sold on ebay recently for about £20. The description dates it between 1890 and 1920. A little research into the cards says that the company that produced them specialised in little known local teams. I didn't know there was once a Riccarton Junction FC!

Did you see the remains of the turntable just beyond it Tony?

Don't worry, you're not losing the plot! I remember seeing it too but can't remember who posted it.

Great shout that Chard, the line of the trees on the horizon has barely changed!

I viewed those pictures earlier but after your post the penny's just dropped and I've now realised whose website it is. For the record he was a real pain in the arse at several WRHA AGMs in the early days!

I've always been fascinated by the social history of the line and the lives of the people who worked on it. This shot (from the WR Lynn Collection) is a personal favourite. To me, it captures the atmosphere of a bygone era. It's like a time machine, you could almost be standing there in Riccarton South box having a brew and a blether!