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https://www.facebook.com/ProjectHawick/photos/a.458484417554133.100247.404513866284522/1389792074423358/?type=3&theater Nice photo. Wonder who took it?

Photos on Railscot attributed "Dougie Squance (Courtesy Bruce McCartney)". To put the record straight, most of these photographs were taken by the late George Kinghorn of Selkirk. Dougie was handed his collection of prints and over a conversation in a pub asked me if I would scan them. There were no negatives and nearly all of the prints were home-printed on matt paper. There were three colour slides - I think they've been on the Railscot site. When I met the George Kinghorn in the late 60s, he worked for British Relay, but perhaps an earlier job had allowed him access to parts of the track-side for some of his cracking photos. George, like me, had a soft spot for the Kelso line. I lost touch with him after I left the Borders, and it was only during a chance meeting with Dougie that his collection was mentioned. Dougie is delighted that folk are seeing George's collection. Bruce

... which was rejected for a recent book! Bruce

St Boswells North box.

A question sent to me: "Do you know where the track from the Waverley route ended up? Something makes me think South Africa." I don't have an answer to where. Can someone help? Bruce.

In fact Gala still had a pilot until (at least) March 1968 to work the yard and also the Kelso branch. The last 350HP freight to Kelso took some loaded coal wagons there, so the Hawick pilot, a Clayton, cleared out the yard at Kelso after closure. At least that's what the bloke on duty at the station said the following week when I took along some photos. We'd stuck the name "Borderer" near the cab (as well as Ian Fergusson's headboard) on the locomotive. I think there was a local freight working between Hawick and Galashiels using the Hawick Clayton in the dying years, but maybe someone can confirm that. I'm sure there's one of the late Robin Barbour photos showing two 350HP diesels in Galashiels shed, I think along with a mothballed A4. It may very well be on Railscot. Bruce

Or this one from George Kinghorn's photographs - the Gala pilot D3878 in charge of the coaches for the filming! Thanks to Dougie Squance for making Kinghorn's photographs available. EDIT: As 08711 this loco is languishing withdrawn in Tees Yard at the time of writing. 'Chard

That sort-of ties in with when the primary school at Riccarton closed. I enquired at the Hub in Hawick as they have many school logs but due to privacy concerns, they weren't able to allow me to inspect the Riccarton School log to find the actual date. By then the secondary pupils from the Holm had a bus put on for them to Hawick. Interesting that the photo(s) show just one coach, my late friend who did the journey from the Holm to Hawick High always mentioned 'coaches' and that they played inside them in the yard at Newcastleton if they hadn't been locked over the weekend. Perhaps after withdrawal of the Holm school train, just one coach was needed and attached at Carlisle. I worked with a radio/TV firm during the summer holidays in the early 60s. Not long after the FC road opened from Whitrope to Riccarton, I went along in their van with a TV for one of the houses. The parents there had several books from Roxburgh County Council for education of their child at home. Previous to the FC road, the firm would take their van along the trackbed from Saughtree as far as possible and then lug the TV along the track to the house where it was installed.

From Special Traffic Notice Sc1 Sat 4 Jan to Fri 17 January 1969. I always wondered what had happened to the north-bound passengers on the last early morning "Pullman". Bruce.

An interesting snippet from the Hawick Area News of April 1966. "A Staff Bulletin with news about people and events in the Hawick Area Manager's Organisation"

A ticket for a journey from Smalmstown from just south of the MoD Gate to the connection with BR and back. Motive power was a type 1 Class 20 and the 'carriage' an old - a very old - brake. Naturally I didn't have a camera, after all, this had started as a mundane shopping trip to Carlisle, however there was a notice outside the TIC in Longtown advertising these specials so the day became brighter. Bruce.

That's super, thank you. PM sent. Bruce.

Could someone do a BIG favour for me? I'm in Sheffield when 60163 runs on the Borders Railway. A shot of the 'left hand eccentric crank' of 60163 would be great. This was the item that the late Robin Barbour's sister chose from the list of mechanical parts to be manufactured for the locomotive from the proceeds of the sale of some of his collection of books. I'll forward it to her in the States with the note that it was taken on the railway he loved. Thanks in anticipation. Bruce

Or you can have it at Galashiels, too. One of the several of 60031 at Gala in the late Robin Barbour collection A photo to 'reproduce' when HM opens the Borders Railway? Bruce

Mind you, it's better in colour!

Looks awful like it's one of mine! http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/monorail/bmcc01_htm_files/139.jpg Bruce

Guess I was there, too! https://www.railscot.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=46323 It looks as if 60009 now will head the first train to Tweedbank, so it will cover (obviously) just part of the old Waverley Route. A little head-scratcher: what was the last steam-hauled passenger train to cover only part of the Waverley Route?

Can anyone help with the number of the locomotive heading the last Up Waverley in September 1968? I was asked tonight by someone who had a penny quashed by it ~ he's almost certain that it was a Peak. Many thanks, Bruce

Paterson's No 1 siding, I think.

I had relegated this scan long ago to my "also-ran" file. However, I had a visitor today to suggested I put it on RM Web. It is, of course, taken as the loco heads out of Hawick away from Burnfoot. I have no recollection other than I heard the loco come come from Whitrope as it passed the house and I went on my motorbike to Burnfoot to catch it. I suspect that it would be some time after regular steam workings had gone from the line. Perhaps it is of interest. Bruce

30/- delivered to Hawick in 1969.

These are the last two photographs that my then neighbour, the late Robin Barbour, took of the Waverley Route.

And a "Hawick" seat name back is missing already! The coffin designer chats to Madge before it's taken through the subway for display when 1M10 arrives later. see http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=22765.

More submitted to Railscot - watch that space. Bruce.

Don't know what possessed me to say Laing Terrace. Watched the trains often enough from the bridge; I guess that the dmu will be about where the set of catch points were on the Up line. B.