ardbealach

CR 55204 departing from Whithorn heading north to Newton Stewart.

But don't forget that everyone who had a grand dad who was a steam locomotive driver on British Railways drove Flying Scotsman at sometime in his career!!!   

Found NCE does all I want it to do.

Incidentally, can anyone give a rough idea of how intensive the Ravenscraig service was? Just interested in what was pretty much a very heavy MGR for the ore.

I recall in the late fifties and into the sixties it was probably once a day Monday to Friday - can't remember any Saturday services - and being Scotland and the Sabbath - I don't recall any iron ore trains on Sundays! 

Thank you Arthur for letting us know what the various steelworks structures were built for in #10 - sadly now all gone.  

And thanks pH for reminding me that the 66A Polmadie Stanier 8F 2-8-0's 48773 / 74 / 75 were definitely used for this traffic coupled to the WD's.  As a local trainspotter I recall seeing them on these iron ore trains.

In the early sixties, and before the introduction of the 2 Class 20's, the iron ore trains ran from General Terminus in Glasgow to Ravenscraig with a WD 2-8-0 and a WD 2-10-0, double headed, in charge of the 28 wagon fully fitted train + brake van at each end.  Out to Ravenscraig via Rutherglen Junction / Carmyle / Coatbridge and returning empty on West Coast main line via Uddingston.  Sadly I have no photos of these trains but well remember the sound of them passing my house.   I understand later trains had Class 37s in charge.

The attached photos from my own collection are at Carmyle and show an NBL 2 passing the Clydebridge and Clyde Iron  Works and the photo with BR 76102 shows the iron ore unloading facility in the background.  Both date from 1962.  Apologies for the quality of the images - home processed all those years ago!

4mm world is a better place with SLW diesels.  Out of the box and onto EM gauge track with no wheelsets to change!  What more can we ask?

Found this pre Second World War photograph of Crianlarich with the 'Northern Belle' and K4 Mogul 3446 'Macleod of Macleod' BR 61998.  Sorry no date with the picture.   The train is heading north.   Note the three water towers to accommodate the double headed steam trains for simultaneous water filling - all fed from a large reservoir tank on the same side of the station as the brick built shed.

Looks good - but seems as if there are lots of men, though.  Are all the women going to be standing on the street corners of Lime Street?

Will make a start on the scanning.

A

Looked in the back of the cupboard and I have found my notes on that slide of the Class 47 on the Forth Bridge (posting 32).  It was taken in August 1967. Apologies for wrong-guessing the year.  I have a few more slides taken on that day on the Forth Bridge, if there is any interest - perhaps on a new thread?

Thanks for that link.  Never heard of the word 'neodymiums' then found it in an article in the Model Rail which arrived today.

AM 

Thanks for that Ben Alder.  You are right - its only when you start operating you find where uncouplers should be located.  And a new word to me 'neodymiums'  - will now google it.  That's the great thing about model railways - always something new to find out about.  Thanks again.

Started to use Sprat and Winkles on my 4mm layout and going through the process of fitting them to my stock, I was seriously considering using electromagnets for uncoupling.  Am I right in understanding from the last two postings that it would be better to use the permanent magnets for uncoupling?   

Having opened the tin box with my green 24 inside, my initial comment must be on the quality of the protective packaging. I haven't read, in any detail in this thread, remarks on the quality of the packaging; not just the tin itself, but the protective foam, as well as the locomotive being fixed secure in its own perspex plinth and cover.  And I thought Heljan had a good standard of packaging! Even this is on another level for us modellers.

As an EM modeller, it is wonderful to have a 5 star EM model straight out of the box that can be put straight on the track - without having a six month wait for a decent set of wheels, and the necessary adjustments to brake blocks etc etc..  And all those brake pipes and connectors are ready and securely fixed in-situ without the need to get out the superglue and mess up the buffer beams.  Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!

Usually my first job is to weather my new locomotive purchase, but I fear this one is going to continue to run in ex-works livery for some time.

The downside of all this new standard in 4mm diesels is that many of us will now be putting off our potential 4mm diesel purchases for fear that we will buy one, only to find that our purchase will be the next more superior model to be delivered from Suttons Locomotive Works.  

Thank you Silver Sidelines for the Galloway picture find.  Very useful find of the platform side of Whithorn Station which provides me with more info for my 4mm model based on this station.  

No on-board proper old style catering?  Try the ATW early morning Holyhead to Cardiff via Chester and Shrewsbury.  Full English - and not from a microwave on the way south, and full dinner in the evening on the train back.  OK you pay the mark up for business (not first) class, but I understand that you can also order the same food at the buffet bar for standard class.  A reasonably priced bottle of Merlot - but not for breakfast - and was the same variety of wine we had recently bought in Sainsburys .  Good choice of meals on the menu - just check the ATW website.  The smell of the lamb being cooked wafting from the kitchen down the coach made my mouth water in anticipation -so not microwaved either.  And as a bonus in a Mark III coach with proper window seat and hauled by a Class 67 push pull.    What more can you ask for?

Just to say that a 4mm EM model is in progress at present based upon Whithorn in Galloway.  The station was the most southerly railway station in Scotland when it was open. 

Modelling licence assuming the branch line didn't close on the 5th October 1964 so a mixture of steam - with the branch locomotive stove pipe Caley Jumbo 57375 - and green diesels. 

Working hard right now for its first outing and appearance at the Chatham Kent Show in June.  

AM