Newcastleton P.Way

Rewinding to an earlier thread on here..... The NRM have advised that they wish to dispose of their NEPTUNE unit currently in residence at Shildon. As a former ScR machine, its almost certain that this particular example would have recorded the Waverley during its wanderings around the system north of the border. I'll register interest on behalf of WRHA: the unit would look great on our "diorama" recreation of the pre-closure, double track WR which is in currently a work in progress at Whitrope Summit cutting. On the subject of our diorama, Chard had only just raised the subject of an LNER pre-cast concrete platelayers hut when Network Rail advised they've got a pristine example (still in use as a crossing keeper's cabin) coming up for disposal from the Selby area in August. The proposal is that this would replace the example which formerly stood on the Down side just north of the summit itself, and be used as a hidey-hole for Max Stafford, Tony G and co when the p.way work gets a bit too physical for them. I've said it before, but the best way to model the old WR is in 1:1 scale.....

I assume that this is the train shown in Stuart Sellar's photo on page 77 of Border Country Branch Line Album. It shows a J38 propelling a rake of Sturgeon wagons south on the Down line over the Golden Bridge, so is it safe to deduce that the gangs were going in to lift snow in Ninestanerigg cutting? Sturgeons would have been the ideal wagon for this task, having a low deck height, but how did the gangs get home once the wagons were full of the white stuff???

American sharp- ended dogspikes traditionally spiked the foot of the rail directly into the hardwood "tie". The seating area of the sleeper was usually adzed to give the correct inclination to the rail. The elastic spike, as Bill states, carried out a dual function: fixing the BR1 baseplate to the sleeper AND fixing the rail to the baseplate. The baseplate was necessary due to the predominant use of softwood pine sleepers in the UK. In practice, the round- ended elastic spike quickly lost its hold in the softwood sleeper under traffic, resulting in gauge spread, loss of toe- load on the rail, rail creep, baseplate shuffle and other p.way maladies... The Yanks frequently did better than us, for instance with their early adoption of the air brake....

The fact is that BR mass- produced fastening systems in the 50's and 60's which were not properly tested, in use on other railway sytems outside these shores or for which experience in service existed. Examples included the elastic spike, the AD (Arthur Dean), the L1 lockspike, the SHC (Spring Hoop Clip), the RD (Research Department), the list goes on. Many, almost all, proved unfit for purpose in a very short space of time. Some have even been responsible for a few notable derailments. The one thing they ALL have in common though is that BR installed hundreds, possibly thousands, of miles of each of them in a relatively narrow timeframe at an undoubtedly high cost. Sadly, a new generation of engineers, section managers and track staff have the headache of keeping miles of this rubbish in day to day service, even in 2013. These guys would rather see early flat bottom track relaid than considerably older, but easier to maintain, bullhead on S1 chairs installed by the pre- nationalisation companies. As one of their number, I have no hesitation in describing the decision to rush ahead with these fastening systems as "sheer stupidity". If you don't believe ME, I'm more than happy to call upon the testimonies of MANY colleagues.

You can understand experimentation, but to purchase and intall large volumes of a fastening system before it had been proved in practice was sheer stupidity. The elastic spike was the p.way version of the Class 17 Clayton: little wonder BR was broke in the sixties.... Spikes are well known for losing their hold in the sleeper and baseplate UNTIL you want to remove them, when all of a sudden they put up the most ferocious fight. We are still removing MILES of BR1s and elastic spikes in 2013.

I believe the contractor was Eagre Ltd, which became respectively Grant Lyon Eagre, Grant Rail and Volker Rail, still with us to this day. It's interesting to note that huge swathes of the WR were relaid with 109lb flat bottom in the 10- 15 years prior to closure: I can only guess what effect it had on the balance sheet. The ultimate irony is that upon tracklifting in the early seventies it was all obsolete, with 113A rail and the Pandrol clip being BR's new "standard" for the network.

This lot must have been broken down in-situ as opposed to departing in panels: why else would these two worthies be pulling elastic spikes out manually? Sad to say we're still eradicating BR1 baseplates and elastic spikes (the most shocking fastening system known to man) from the national network to this day, and plenty left to be going at. As I've said before, the WR is just a BADLY over-running track renewal....

Whole crossovers in Cowlairs Tunnel!! Not unknown, but not common to have points in tunnels. Traps a definite no-no. I've just read the full string there and agree with Matt that it's got all the hallmarks of a railwayman's p*ss take that one, a bit like the "national reserve" of steam locos bricked- up somewhere inside Box. I would also be gobsmacked if the railway authorities tagged live ammunition on the back of passenger trains, even in wartime.

Aye, the p.way like their creature comforts, especially in remote corners where they think they're not going to get bothered by the "gaffers". A LNER pre-cast concrete p.way hut (deliciously art- deco) reinstated in the cutting at Whitrope Summit is a long cherished ambition, but I fear I'll have my work cut out dragging Max Stafford, Tony G and Co away from the fire on a cold winter's day. Dare say the modern day "general interest" publications will find their way in there too....

My washing machine sounds just like that. I often stick dets in during the spin cycle to upset the cat. Anyway, I hope it was dets and that 8606 wasn't drawing anti-tank rounds from the cemetry...

The challenge for you sir is to disguise a 37 as one of these prior to 6/1/14. Two extra wheelsets required for a start I'm coming to the party in the guise of the local p.way called out to remove a Landrover....

I pondered the number 44 on your behalf from soggy Lincolnshire: all I could come up with was the last junction on the M6 and the age I'll be next week. As for "new dawn", darkness gradually morphed into battleship grey around about 08:15.....

Next but one chosen: 77021 from the cancelled lot, another fictional resident of 67B and regular performer on the Ardrossan, Ayr and Darvel services. That's not to say a subsequent reallocation to Blaydon isn't possible, with regular appearances between Riccarton and Hawick.... You only get one life, so you need to dream BIG!!

Don't know if this has ever been covered on here before, but does anyone have a photo of a BR Standard 3 (77xxx) on the Waverley? I've seen photos of the NER based locos on the Borders Counties (did 77011 traverse the route on the last day?), but never seen any of north of Riccarton. I always thought they were good looking locos and regret none survived, plus a previous generation of my family had experience driving the ScR examples out of 67B Hurlford.....

Pleased to report that my employer is planning to donate a number of signals for reuse at Whitrope next year. Stirling Middle 'box is a listed building, and so too are the mechanical pegs it works, which means that when they come down and the colour lights go up, they need preserving in an appropriate setting. The Railway Heritage Committee has now ratified the deal, and Iain Mac has produced a signalling scheme plan showing where they'll be re-erected. While the ones we've been offered are LMS/ BR tubular posts as opposed to NB lattice, they'll still be a lovely sight up there, especially at night when the lamps are lit. Tentative plans are being formulated to design and build a replica NB 'box to work them, albeit closer to the summit than the original. As ever, WRHA welcomes any offers of assistance, financial or physical, and would be delighted to hear from any of you out there with practical experience in modelling the Sick & Tired in 1:1 scale (when it comes to the "black arts", Newcastleton P.Way is firmly muggle-born).

Try bromide in your coffee mate...

Jeez, a Victorian thunderbox! Blue or green plastic just doesn't cut the mustard compared with that........

Wasn't '71 the year when the last of the Claytons were withdrawn? If so, the WR demolition trains must have been amongst their last duties. I still think that NR's contractors should hire D8568 and let it haul the Balfours NTC train down the Gala Valley for old times sake: make one of these vultures help put it all back again! One thing that won't be recreated is that rake of poorly loaded flatbeds behind the loco. Any self respecting 21st century loads examiner would have apoplexy if he saw that lot sat at the marker boards. Miniature snow ploughs on a Clayton! Pimp my ride!!

No probs with the telegraph pole: it doesn't look a tall one. It's planned to install a semaphore signal CLOSE to this location, but it's likely to be of the LMS tubular post cantilevered type given the constraints imposed by the new platform/ drainage etc. Newcastleton P.Way: WRHA Vice Chairman (apparently), Committee Member, Ganger, de facto Safety Bloke, S&T Apprentice and Blog Updater. Beat that Tony....

Strange how the railway seems much nearer the road from this angle: the road seems a lot further away when you're stood trackside. It's intended to reinstate the ballast bin (under the cab steps) sometime soon, and I guess there must have been a quarter post somewhere in the vicinity as well?? Does anyone know what the post is to the right of the telegraph pole? It doesn't look like a stay for the signal... Nice to think that an operational railway exists once more at this location, and that the "Andy Goram Suite" (off camera to the right) is no more...... Take 2: my first thought was that this was just north of the Golden Bridge, but now I realise its the north end of the siding, opposite what is now the platform. Strike first and second comments!! Even nicer to think there's double track (almost) back in place here, and the destruction of the Andy Goram Suite is still worth celebrating.......

The event was filmed too for Border TV, and the footage can be found on YouTube. It shows the twin- jib tracklayer loading a flat wagon about six panels high (a far cry from the more usual three we get on an Osprey nowadays), so what was lifted on the day definitely went back to Carlisle! Its an early tracklayer which required the services of the Clayton for propulsion: the later Plasser tracklayers (still in use today) are self propelled but still travel to and from site in train formation.

I dunno, but I hope he and his mate at the far end of the first coach have a T2, sorry line blockage, in place. There could be some brown trousers if there's "one on" on the Up line........

Presumably the closed line was under engineering possession by that time? If so, a transit by a track machine wouldn't have needed much in the way of notice or paperwork. A recording run would've been a quick and relatively cheap way of ascertaining the geometrical condition of the remaining single line, and establishing what fettling work would be required to return it to traffic carrying condition eg. lifting and packing or tamping to remove twist faults. This though would indicate only short term aspirations: if BR had been serious about reactivation for diversionary purposes in the longer term, they would surely have looked at some major realignment of that remaining single track, easing curves using the wide double track formation sudddenly available, as well as some significant relaying with more modern materials. My own personal view was that it never got off the drawing board because of a) the relatively low overall linespeed and heavy gradients, B) the condition and maintenance liability of the jointed, wooden sleepered track (much of which had been cascaded once already) and c) the Sou' West offered a far better diversion to Glasgow. Answer: keep the GWSR route open, relay large chunks of it and resignal Annan, Killie, Barrhead etc. No brainer as they say.

The photos supplied in response to Bernard's query elsewhere show the NEPTUNE as I remember it, altough I had forgotten about the fore and aft trolleys. Further rattling of old p.way cages confirms my belief that the saloons never ran with geometry recording equiment, so I'm convinced that the "recording car" referred to by Modern Railways was the ScR's NEPTUNE. As an aside, the car was still to be found at Rutherglen when I last visited in the mid- nineties, but heavily vandalised and verging on the derelict. A sad end for such an interesting vehicle. Dave: unfortunately you're about ten years too late to take a tour of the former CCE workshops at Kilmarnock. Oh the dinosaur carcases that were to be seen there!

Funnily enough, I've still got the special ruler for measuring the offsets, but I haven't seen the old "Hallade handles" (which held the fishing line to the rail head) for years, although you can still get hold of them. I've got the instructions and the versine formulas somewhere in the study, and would be happy to pass them on. Have I seen reference to a Waverley Route curve register on this forum before, or is this something the WRHA archivists can lay their paws on? It'll be a busy document, as there weren't many straight bits! The Waverley Route never actually shut, the ballast train with the new materials is just VERY late.....