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'CHARD

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  1. 'CHARD
    Blessed be the forum without glitches: this is the third time I've begun to write this blog entry since the problems with UK2 manifested themselves. All being well, here is the concluding (sort of) instalment of what happened to my trio of Bachmann tri-grille 47148s, Hattons bargains tied up with string etc...
     
    Having tackled 1536 and 1547 in Early Blue, as Waverley Route visitors, and seeing Bruce Mac's evocative snatched shot of D1958 whizzing through Riccarton Jct with a single BG in tow, it's time to bite the bullet and get started on this example, that was shopped ex-works from Loughborough in the livery they call Brush Blue...
     
    Here's 47148 with a sister, just so we all know what we're dealing with: and for the fainthearted here's a what happened next photo-feature:
     
    The choices were stark: a) convert an available tri-grille BFYE 47148; b) buy a sealed-headcode Serck grille BFYE 47035 or c) repaint one of my to-hand Serck TTGFYE 1764s.
     
    As surgery seemed less daunting than two full scale repaints on that snowy morning, shortly before the kids were sent home from school I took a fresh sturdy Stanley blade to a brand new loco that had barely been run-in. Here is the easy to follow hit by hit transformation....
     
    First, 47148 with its cooler group neatly filleted. The tri-grilles are separately applied parts, which they appear to be from outside the loco, but inside tells a different story, and some aggressive work with the blade is needed to remove the underlying structure. Two screw mounting points are sacrificed here, but with four other anchors I wasn't unduly concerned:

     
    Here is the Italian donor loco surrendering its Serck grilles:

     
    Reference to Class47 website showed me that the boiler ports on 1536 and 1547 are correct on the model. Delighted with this, a more appropriate solution for 1958 was sought from the donor:

    I think it's on the left of the donor in this shot, hard to see from the thumbnail as I type this draft... 1958 is weighted by the donor's ballast and that of another fallen sister as work starts on the decals.
     
    If I work this right, here's a picture inside 1958 with Serck rads No1 and No2 side installed, and the fan assembly back in place. I actually weathered the red fans with a spot of graphite while they were out of the loco:

     
    I'm sure there are a couple of steps I've missed here, oh - I spent a morning filing smooth all the windscreen surround bolts on the three blue Brush - only 1958's been retouched since. Not that you can see from this broadside shot:

     
    When I've had chance to review this over a brew I might add or swap a couple of pics, she is awaiting her boiler port blanking plate on the above shot, and the neat finish of the new port is worth showing....
     
    Here it is - albeit at the far end of a dusty 1958 on the W/B:

    Close-ups will follow when she's tidied-up and painted with headcodes applied. As the light and my steadiness of hand have improved, here's a shot of Nos.1 and 2 end. I've finally found my plasticard stash too, so blanking plate will be fettled this afternoon.
    Outdoors is always good for cruel close-ups, ho-hum here we go anyway with the basically finished D1958, when I'm in the right frame of mind it's the turn of headcodes (using larger characters than on 1536/47), decal the No.2 side, detail and then paint/ weather....

     
    And now for a couple of light-hearted insights: Rule 1 - always wash the bodyshell after filing has been completed, and leave to drain

    And here's the part-time eBay assistant, acting as workbench assistant on this occasion, displeased either at what's befallen the Brush, or what's drying on the radiator.

  2. 'CHARD
    The first of what must be, in anyone's book, one of the most successful of the Pilot Scheme classes, if not the most successful Type 2 of all, entered service at Hornsey shed on 30th July 1958. An unbelievable 52 years on, it's hard to contextualise how this gritty progeny of the even grittier district of Smethwick marked the beginning of the revolution of suburban services out of Kings Cross. Curious too how this turned out to be something of a false dawn, because hard on the heels of the unbreakable D5300 and nineteen like her, came the NBLs and Baby D's, not to mention a re-engining programme for the delightful A1A-A1A dinosaurs...
     
    Barely nine months passed before new D5320 and 21 briefly roosted at Leith Central (if ever there was a shed deserving a blog entry in its own right...) on their way to 64B from where classmates would later usher-in the Waverley Route's diesel era proper, a twilight transition that would last less than a decade, but remarkably only be completed a year before the end.
     
    And this is where the complex allocation history for the BRCW Baby-Sulzers begins. Between May and October '59, the last 27 of the class arrived at Haymarket; four months later seven moved on to Inverness (5338-43/6), leaving 64B with a 20-strong fleet that would typify the next decade. Dieselisation of the Highland Main Line was afoot, and the fantastic Derby Sulzers site ( http://www.derbysulzers.com/60.html ) is as magnanimous as it is comprehensive by chronicling the transfer north of the early class members, en route 64B to release the entire batch 5318 - 46 to 60A.
     
     
    "For the BRCWs' transfer Doncaster men worked up to Hornsey with brand new Brush Type 2s, bringing back a pair of BRCWs, with crew changes at Doncaster & Newcastle. So noted on April 12th were D5602/03 going up and D5300/01 going down and April 21st D5604/05 up and D5302/03 down."
     
    The migration north was as follows:
     
    5338-43/46 Haymarket - Inverness, February 1960
    5300-15 Hornsey - Haymarket, April - June 1960
    5320-25/8/33/5/7/45 Haymarket - Inverness, June 1960 and (Jamie to note) 5344 to 65B until Feb 61 (60A)
    5330/1/4 Haymarket - Inverness, July 1960
    5316-19 Hornsey - Haymarket, August - September 1960
    5329/36 Haymarket - Inverness, November 1960
     
    The last stragglers, 5327 and 5332 left for 60A in June '61, joined by 5318/9 in April '62 (back to 64B October '65)
     
    So, 64B had kicked off its diesel epoch during 1959, and put the BRCWs to work on the Edinburgh - Aberdeen expresses. But the wayward locos would have their second chance to work the Waverley route.
     
    In July 1961 64B put its BRCWs to work on the Carlisle services, and (usual spotter disclaimer) it's probably fair to assume that the first 18 all had a go by the time the second wave of Type 2 traction appeared five years later, leading to a significant reduction in 64B BRCWs on the line. There is a wealth of photos in the standard texts and on the net showing GSYP 64B locos from the 5300-17 batch, as they put in five years' graft on the climbs to Falahill and Whitrope. This painfully wonderful B&W silent movie clip of a mum and two young children at Riccarton shows them boarding one such service:.
     
    But there's more to it than that. 5318 and 5319 yo-yo'd back and forth between Haymarket and Inverness, returning to 64B permanently just before the line closed, in November 1968. All of the core 64B batch 5300-5319 were recorded on the route.
    5316 and 5317 had also played away, as Highland locos from July '67 to January '68. By now though, the typical Waverley route Baby Sulzer was from a subtly different cast.
     
    In May '68, the Moray Coast network closed to all traffic. At the summer T/T change, the Inverness engines' diagrams were altered and 60A 24s and 26s could be seen interchangeably on the 2M/S52 circuit, along with 64B's remaining Class 24s. 60A locos recorded on the Waverley Route during its final summer and twilight included 5320/1/24-6/29-33/35-8/40/2/4/6. The occasional Haymarket 26 was still to be seen, and during the freight-only period, it was these that dominated, along with the 7 Class 25s, and the feral Claytons.
     
    Ironically, just after closure of the line to Hawick to freight, a further ten 26s were formally reallocated back to Haymarket, 5320-29.
     
    Now, what was I saying about Claytons? Their tale of woe is the next and last core chapter in this Best of British Haymarket series.
  3. 'CHARD
    For completeness, the ScR Deltics can't really be missed out. You'd be expecting something very generic at this point, basically saying that if there was a Scottish regiment bolted to the side there'd be a 64B stencil on the nose. And you'd be wrong.
     
    These eight were Haymarket's usual stable:
     
    9000
    9004
    9006
    9010
    9013
    9016
    9019
    9021
     
     
     
     
    However, during October - December '67 it looked like this:
     
    9001
    9003
    9004
    9006
    9009
    9010
    9013
    9021
     
    And from January - April '68 9012 swapped vice 9013
     
    These balancing transfers were effected whilst the dual-braking programme of the Deltic fleet as a whole was completed. The Scottish eight were back at 64B in time for the commencement of the May '68 new timetable.
     
    Like a certain Johnny-come-lately VF Type 4, the Deltics had a role in the Waverley Route's supporting cast. Never normally diagrammed over the line, other than for diversions and excursions, they did provide occasional superpower on the 0400 Edinburgh - Hawick and 0658 return, as in this delicious detail conflated from sources including the fantastic Napier Chronicles site.
     
    23rd December '66: D9010 was released from Doncaster with full yellow ends applied to its 2-tone green. The loco also received double-arrows. Probably working over the whole line during diversions occasioned by DP2's untimely demise in July '67, the uniquely decorated Type 5 celebrated the first birthday of its full yellow ends being allocated by Edinburgh control on the 0400 Class 2 to Hawick and the 0658 return commute working. What an incredible early Christmas present!
     
    The Deltics were by no means signature Waverley Route traction, however, they are now embedded in its lore.
    They have attained iconic celebrity status in the line's context, by association with numerous episodes of East Coast diversions, the final weekend's specials and, for devotees, the Control fixes which would see the Borders awake to twin plumes of blue smoke and a half-remembered marine hummmmm...
    Having already acquired and sold-on a blue THE BLACK WATCH as not quite right for Teviotbank, it is every bit my intention to commemorate the Deltics with a tokenistic D9010 in its unique transition livery.
     
     
  4. 'CHARD
    An update on my life mission, which is a work-in-progress, to grip the true flavour of the WR's diesel era.
     
    Part One, the Last Summer and Twilight: May '68 - Jan '69.
     
    CLASS 17.
    Roughly half the class worked over the WR, principally by virtue of 64B's substantial allocation, for some time the largest at a single shed. Although their WR heyday (1966-67) was behind them by this time, they were prolific performers and usually worked in pairs, and I'm judging their numerous trips to make them responsible for approximately 40% of the Class 4 traffic between Kingmoor and Millerhill.
     
    CLASS 20.
    I doubt there was ever a regular through working of this type, except maybe by a 65A/66A stray despatched by Kingmoor, who we know poked the odd chopper up the Langholm branch. Some Lothian coal trips may have occupied the 64B contingent on the northern reaches.
     
    CLASS 24.
    By this period, just shaded into second place on the Class 2 traffic by BRCWs. The 15 strong 64B fleet was on the wane by '68, having been staple power since '63. This small minority of the class put in thousands of miles over WR metals, and from May '68, the 60A HBS population was regularly diagrammed onto 2M52 and 2S52. Fifteen of its 19 charges performed, making the nicely varied 24 stable responsible for approximately 40% of the Class 2s and regular parcels services.
     
    CLASS 25.
    Apart from the 64B 'Seven' (D7602-08), the use of this class was relatively insignificant on the WR. In 'trip' terms, it looks like 12A used 65A machines as kick-outs along with a handful of its own and borrowed LM locos. Upwards of thirty foreign Rats made it over the Waverley, it is possible that some of these worked more than once on the cartrains. I'm prepared to bet that the only common engines were the 'Seven' and these principally on Class 8s with general merch, coal and fuel.
     
    CLASS 26.
    Majority motive power on the Class 2 and Class 3 turns. The most intensively-worked class over the WR. By maths alone, the BRCW base model is the signature diesel of the route and it was daily power for a full six years, with 80% of the class performing during this period, and the majority of 60A's machines 5320-46 joining the fun from May '68.
     
    CLASS 27.
    10% of the class appeared on WR metals. These were probably one-offs or fill-ins, deputizing for non-availability. In one famous instance appearing on the Royal Train to Gala, other occasions look like 12A was keen to send someone else's GTi off to Edinburgh, although as we know their temperamental boilers thwarted this on occasion!
     
    CLASS 37.
    15% of this large class is believed to have appeared on the route. 64B's significant allocation is instrumental in this, as was 12A's borrowing policy of Eastfield/Polmadie locos. On face value their use looks similar to the 25s, but their trip freight use is shaded by the tractor power being applied to the Class 4 freights, very effectively in the final few years, in fact it looks like their use was on the increase, replacing the unhappy Claytons. So they take their place as a key ingredient of the twilight Waverley's fast freight portfolio, powering 10-20% of the diagrams. Famously, first ScR tractor in eBFYE D6845 worked passenger too on the 0658 Hawick, as captured in the recent Cross tome.
     
    CLASS 40.
    The Waverley Route Maid of All Work. By far the most statistically significant single class of diesel to traverse the line, with upwards of 180 having performed. They achieved this as a genuine mixed-traffic locomotive. LM and ER examples passed through on car trains and expresses, the latter very much in the shade of the BR Type 4s. By anecdote, the 1M42 sometimes produced Class 40 power on this, the last up train of the day (beds excepted). Heavy use was also made of the forties on the class 4s, with the 64B locos pretty much sharing top-billing with the Claytons, and regular service on the 2MS52 circuit.
     
    CLASS 45, 46.
    The Waverley and Sleeper principal motive power, mainly from NER sheds, their regional predominance reflecting their specific allocations. Peaks are truly the signature Class 1 motive power on the WR, even during the twilight and right down to D60 working the final train of all. Far less common on freight there are sightings on the cartrains, and tanker traffic is also a possibility. 70%+ of the 45s and roughly 85% of the 46s worked the route.
     
    CLASS 47.
    60% of the huge class using the line makes the standard Type 4 numerically the most numerous loco class to work it, over 300 locos doing so. However, many of these will have been single trips from ER and LM sheds. The 64B 'Nine' were clearly prolific performers on freight and passenger but these are the only real signature locos, although there are obvious poster-stars including early blue 1536 and 1547. Locos on WCML diversion do pad-out the numbers. By the last summer, I'm suggesting 20% of class1, 10% of class 3 and 4 and diversionary appearances characterise the locos' Waverley activities.
     
    CLASS 50 and 55.
    Diversionary use only, plus occasional Edinburgh control fixes for Deltics working out and back to Hawick.
     
    This blog will be revisited later with more detailed stats that I'm using for the purpose of shaping my fleet for Teviotbank.
     
    Ciao Waverlites!
  5. 'CHARD
    January 1966, 64B had 90 main line diesels allocated, comprising:
     
    Clayton Type 1 (34)
    BRCW Type 2 (20)
    EE Type 4 (19, max)
    Brush Type 4 (9, max)
    EE Type 5 (8, max)
     
     
    January 1967, the fleet has grown to nearly its maximum size, 140 locos call 64B home:
     
    Clayton Type 1 (47, max) - Haymarket had the largest single depot allocation of Claytons during the period 5/66 - 7/67
    EE Type 1 (4) - at the time of 64B's largest ever allocation, 144 in May '67, this stood at 5
    BR-Sulzer Type 2 1,160 hp (15, max)
    BR-Sulzer Type 2 1,250 hp (7, max)
    BRCW Type 2 (18)
    EE Type 3 (13) - from May - August '67 this stood at 14
    EE Type 4 (19, max)
    Brush Type 4 (9, max)
    EE Type 5 (8, max)
     
     
    January 1968, fleet shrunk to 129 principally through wastage of the Claytons and transfer away of the 24s:
     
    Clayton Type 1 (37)
    EE Type 1 (8, max)
    BR-Sulzer Type 2 1,160 hp (10)
    BR-Sulzer Type 2 1,250 hp (7, max)
    BRCW Type 2 (19)
    EE Type 3 (12)
    EE Type 4 (19, max)
    Brush Type 4 (9, max)
    EE Type 5 (8, max)
     
     
    January 1969, line closes except for freight to Hawick and Lady Victoria pit, 64B's allocation has dropped to 93:
     
    Clayton Type 1 (17)
    BR-Sulzer Type 2 1,160 hp (8)
    BR-Sulzer Type 2 1,250 hp (7, max)
    BRCW Type 2 (21, max)
    EE Type 3 (10)
    EE Type 4 (18)
    Brush Type 4 (4)
    EE Type 5 (8, max)
  6. 'CHARD
    When I've got this entry down I can put the instructions to the central-heating boiler away, because the core details are written on the back of its warranty envelope - along with the addresses of some RMWebbers! - is that you???!!!!
     
    Haymarket became synonymous with the EE Type 4 over two decades' faithful service, it received 19 examples from new. Displacing A4s and the like from the Aberdeen expresses was just one of their party-pieces. On the Waverley Route, they established themselves as reliable and prolific performers. However, like Class 25, the picture was a complex one, with local engines working out-and-home on captive diagrams, but vast numbers particularly of London Midland engines usurping Black Fives and appearing on inter-regional freights including the Bathgate car trains.
     
    The two batches were D260-266 and D357-368, delivered in February and March 1960 and between August and December 1961 respectively. Apart from D368 that spent a week on loan to Gateshead in March '68 the entire batch stayed intact at 64B until D363 left for Eastfield in the June where she stayed for two years.
     
    So with the exception of 7 loco-months, Class 40 provided the backbone of Haymarket's main line mixed traffic fleet throughout the diesel period of the Waverley route, and 18 outlived the line still based at 64B.
     
    At this point it all gets a bit hazy, of course. 260-66 were built as disc fitted locos with nose end doors but were converted to square-corner central headcodes in the mid sixties. A couple had received BFYE before January '69, others full yellow ends over their original green, and later pictures show the arrival of round-corner replacement headcodes on some locos.
     
    The later locos were centre headcode from new, and GSYP held sway as the predominant livery from then until after the line closed. Haymarket Class 40 liveries and the headcode differences within 260-266 remain one of the least clear aspects of the Waverley domestic fleet, not helped by uncaptioned photos which actually feature 52A or 12A engines, or others from further afield.
     
    Photos are reasonably plentiful of both local types and their ER/ LMR counterparts at work on the route. 64B's Forties were reasonably common on the Class 2s and 4s, they are reputed to have handled the Waverley itself (1S64 and family), and could reasonably have been expected to feature on the heavy overnight parcels traffic, although there is no evidence of this to hand. Along with the Claytons principally, they also worked tracklifting trains during 1970-71.
     
     
     
     
     
  7. 'CHARD
    Does what it says on the tin really. Photographed in artificial light, 1547 features a blank headcode at No.1 end as discussed on the Waverley images thread, and photographed at Melrose in December '68. To get her north onto what we assume was a 2M52, I've optioneered a night mails at No.2 end, 3S01. Same disclaimers apply as to finishing sister 1536.
     

  8. 'CHARD
    Don't be fooled, this is a simple summary of Peaks to scale the two summits of the Waverley Route during the seven or so years of their dominance 1962-1968.
     
    What we have here is the makings of a database, to which I will return occasionally to finesse and elaborate on the detail.
     
    Anyway, Peaks were the staple motive power for the up and down Waverley class 1s, they filled in on secondary services (albeit not as much as many of the published works seem to suggest; that accolade seems more suited to 64B's Class 40s), and they powered many of the legendary car trains after steam's retreat. I have yet to do a depot by depot analysis to compare LM, E and NER predominance. I am ignoring D1-10 from this exercise, apart from trial of D7 and D10, they did not feature on the line.
     
    Peaks are both a livery and nose-end-detail minefield for followers, and bearing in mind the Waverley closed in January '69, the class was in the midst of a huge transition in both respects at this time, with split-box specimens being rebuilt with single centre boxes.
     
    Any class member to have traversed the WR (of the 140 that are thought to) can be assumed to have had opportunity to do so in original as built GSYP livery. The same cannot be said of any other livery without dated photographic data, or signal-box register evidence coupled with works repaint records.
     
    Here, however, is the quick and dirty.
     
    Split-box with doors D11-15, rebuilt with centre headcode.
    Said to be common, regular performers on the WR, these do feature regularly in photographs. 12, 13 and 14 all wore eGSYP (economy green) before, presumably, going into works and emerging with the single centre headcode box mod applied to all of 11-18. 16 also wore eGSYP. Of this group, some photos exist of specific locos' use on the Waverley in split-box AND centre-headcode configuration.
     
    Split-box no doors D16-30, D68-107 (16-18, 21, 82, 85, 86, 90, 91, 94, 106 rebuilt with centre-headcode).
    All of 16-30 and a majority of the later batch worked the Waverley.
    D24 wore BFYE without logos, whilst 25 uniquely went GSYP - eGSYP - eGFYE before BFYE, and 26 wore GFYE. No known aberrations exist from the remaining eight of the batch 19, 20, 22-23, 27-30, these are thought to go straight from GSYP to BFYE and retain their split boxes into the TOPS era.
    Of Waverley interest, from the forty later build: 71, 91, 92 and 101 wore BSYP, 98* and 102 eGSYP, 83 BSYP no logo (along with 24 the second of only two in this livery, and both may have worked the WR like this). 100* had GFYE. Nice.
    From the D68-107 batch, 68/72/3/6/8/9/80/2/4/7/93/4/103/5/6 are not known to have worked the line so I have omitted livery details for these.
     
    Twin centre headcode panels Class 45: D31-67, D108-137 (33, 43, 51, 53*, 59*, 60*, 115, 116, 120, 126 rebuilt with centre-headcode)
    Of the early batch, 40/9/50/6/8/65-7, and 109/10/3-6/9/26/31/2/4/7 of the latter, are not known to have worked the Waverley line and are excluded from the livery analysis.
    The following sported eGSYP: 34, 36, 42, 63*, 123 and 125.
    These had BSYP: 47, 51, 52*, 55*, 57, 59*, 61*, 64*, 133 and 135.
    No twin-centre headcode 45s wore GFYE.
     
    Class 46s were prolific performers over the Waverley Route, 47 of the 56 working it at some stage, the nine not yet confirmed as doing so being 141/4/6/9/51/2/6/8/9, which are considered no further here .
    D138-166 were built with twin centre headcode panels (many people forget this, are in denial about it or living in ignorance of the fact, nonetheless it's true). D167-193 had single centre headcodes from new. We cannot tell without photographic evidence what state an individual loco was in when it worked a Waverley service. However, the rebuild of Class 46 to 'standard' happened fairly quickly between 1965 and 1967.
    What is also true is that later 46s kept their tired original GSYP into the next decade.
    Economy green 46s: 145, 147, 163*, 166 and 193, also later appearing in eGFYE were 166 and 193.
    GFYE: 138, 154, 155 and 188.
    EDIT: 192 acquired a unique squared-off black paintjob treatment to her headcode panels when she was first painted BFYE making them appear larger than usual.
    No 46s wore BSYP.
     
    Asterisked locos were those namers running in 1968.
     
    Hopefully here, I have linked a pdf of an Excel spreadsheet summarizing the above blurb:
    Peak livery matrix.pdf
     
    And here's an allocation summary for the period May '62 when Peaks took over the Class 1 workings, until August '68, the last Peak reshuffle proper, before the WR closed:
    Peak allox history.pdf
  9. 'CHARD
    On the Waverley images thread the temptation is getting ever stronger to stretch my layout envelope back to 1966 to permit me to drop the fires on steam's reign. Developments in N have nearly tempted me to consider that as a viable alternative, too. So imagine my delight when a mate conspiratorially mentioned, after refreshment had been taken, that he was returning to the hobby and tackling Glasgow Queen St in 'N.' This way, should I decide to pick up any 2mm T&RS, there'll be a place for it to stretch its wheels. And now that the roundy is definitely staying 00, I won't be averse to strategic signature steam, if the opportunity arises.
     
    Keen to turn my hand to odds and 'N', I've been trying out a couple of techniques in the smaller scale with a view to constructing their larger brethren for Teviotbank. Using 12mm MDF faced in Peco concrete mouldings and Slaters plasticard, distressed using Games Workshop washes, a few hours work has got a usable formula sorted.
     
     
    Anyway, using the blogs as intended, here's a couple of throwaway images of my first take on NGQS Platform 7:
     

     

     

     
  10. 'CHARD
    Possibly the least-photographed and recorded class based at 64B to feature in Waverley route (re)collections.
    A dozen strong for the majority of the Waverley's diesel era, the tractor fleet remains elusive, despite Neil Caplan attesting to their late mastery of the route in the Railway World WR Special (Ian Allan 1985).
     
    However, there is probably a solid explanation for this. The Clayton fleet was still retained in quantity until inroads were made during '68, matched to a degree with routing away of traffic from the line. The only footage so far of 37s would point to greater use in the final year, but in any case their massed transfer from South Wales was timed explicitly to eradicate steam in Fife. During '68 some EE Type 3 were either surplus or displaced, and prior to transfer west it may have been that with less dedicated work, Millerhill was able to put spare locos to use on the Waverley.
     
    So in this rare case, my view until persuaded to the contrary, is that Haymarket kept its 37s away from Millerhill rather than having them as common-user freight locos, and they only rarely strayed when traction was acutely short. Pictures do exist of Polmadie units heading north, symptomatic of problems - or opportunism - at Kingmoor perhaps. The facts will only be known if and when signal box records come to light.
     
    D6838/44-51 came from 86A, and 6837/58 from 87E in September '66
    D6857/9 joined them from 66A in October '66
    D6903 from 86A later, in April '67
    D6936 and 6937 right at the death in September and June '68.
     
    Of these, ten: 6844/6/7/50/1/7/8, 6903/36/7 outlived the Waverley at Haymarket
    6859 returned whence it came in September '67, along with 6837
    6838/45 moved across to Eastfield in September '68 and were joined by 6848/9 the next month
     
    All locos were workstained coal luggers, that retained GSYP livery whilst the line was open, as far as is known. Somewhere there is a photo of one in BFYE working between Lady Victoria Colliery and Hawick, during the line's freight only period. Any pointers of into-blue dates for these ScR 37s would be very welcome indeed.
     
    EDIT Friday July 2 to add 6936 and 6937 info.
     
     
     
     
    One can't help imagine that, had the rationalized line survived, Large Logo Blue 37s would have been its signature Eighties traction, bearing names such as 'Reverend Brydon Mabon,' 'Riccarton Outward Bound,' 'Lord Steele of Etterick & Lauderdale,' 'Paul Riley' etc...
  11. 'CHARD
    This was about the most basic of kits, albeit crisply moulded for its day and blissfully free of flash - I suspect it was minted in pretty new tools thirty-plus years ago. There were a few finger-smudges on the off-white walls from handling straight from the shop way back when. Except for a couple of things detached and loose in the box, everything was still attached to its sprues.
     
    First off, I sprayed the walls with Hobbycraft Ice-Cream aerosol. The walls came moulded with a very subtle stippling to represent stone rendering - I guess - anyway, with a nice fresh base colour to work with, I did a few trial assemblies. The chocolate brown of the windows, doors and drainage details failed to convince in a Borders setting, however, so that set of mouldings got a dose of oily black near-gloss from the same source, the parts looking pleasingly tarlike and weatherproof. A found Flickr image of a Keswick alehouse referred to on the superb resource that is the beer-in-the-evening www persuaded me to the all-black windows.
     
    Typically for seventies kits of European origin, the Sow's Ear comes with a base, the L-shape and layout of the rear elevation (not self-evident from the serving suggestion) soon becoming clear.
     
    Here's an early assembly shot:
     

     
     
    Spot the deliberate mistake That was the view that triggered the build. I think it's a walker's hostel, but I just loved the location no prizes for guessing the railway connection. Seeing it reminded me I had the Heljan-Hales kit waiting in the wings, and that night in June I dusted it down with a can of cider for company.
     
    Here's the promised early assembly shot:
     

     
     
    And the rear, beer garden aspect:
     

     
     
    Tensions were literally running high at this point. Liquid poly didn't feel entirely at ease with the elderly Europlastic, and there was a small but critical amount of permanent-set evident in the long walls, meaning the whole assembly had to be weighted and clamped whilst standing to set. Cue the le Creuset kitchenware again.
     
    To finish off for this evening, how inappropriate does that Scandi roof actually look, as the Norse gods intended?

     
     
    Note at this stage too that the bay window arrangement from the serving suggestion has already been placed on decision.
     
    I'm gonna click publish just now and be damned, review the foregoing and you can catch up with the next stage in the Sow's Ear saga tomorrow night.
     
    That's all for now folks

     
     
    Kitchenware in action:

     
  12. 'CHARD
    Fortunately, I was on-message with research of my signature villages of the Waverley's watershed. In this case, Lilliesleaf (served by and named on the running-in board of Belses) and its one and only inn, The Plough.
     
    Happily, the off-white and black decoration of Lakeland pubs (that I'd adopted to give the build some momentum) was borne out by some GCSE-level Googling. I'd stress at this point that my familiarity with Lilliesleaf is confined to driving thoughtfully along the village street no more than thrice. I have yet to sample the hospitality of The Plough in person.
     
    My prayers were barely answered superficially, however, and on further reflection my heart well and truly sank. That chalet-style roof frowning over the kit's windows really had to go. Moreover, there's no room for bargeboard decoration of the gable-ends; au contraire, the end walls should stand proud of the slates.
     
    This necessitated a rethink. Happily though, I'd been seeking a work-around for the roof in any case, to somehow address the effects of compounded distortion and permanent-set of the roof halves - it was proving nigh impossible to harness these elements without building a special jig for the purpose. And no, cookware would not do this time.
     
    Biting the bullet, I opted to raise the end walls using microstrip, and painstakingly trim the roof to fit between the gables.
     

     
     
    I had also decreed that sills were vital, not to mention a rich black nameboard for the front:


     
     
    Notwithstanding the overspray that had afflicted the WC and bottle-store annex, a touch-up was in order at this stage to tie the whole decor together. This was a mix of Games Workshop acrylics (white with a tiny dash of bone I think) to mimic the Hobbycraft ice cream used at the outset.
     

     
     
    And the place 'designed' to receive the bay window, has been bricked-in with breezeblocks (Wills sheet), and a small bar window aperture cut. The window itself is Dapol. This has also been tied-in with Games Workshop daub.
     

     
     
    Not sure if the details are on in this photo - can't make out from the thumbnail. If they are, chimney pots and downpipes are Wills and ridge tiles are strips from N-gauge concrete block plasticard - I think. The gold lining of the front board is with self-adhesive gold strip from Letraset's D-I-Y birthday card pack, with bare edges inked-in black with a mapping pen.
     
    There are still a few jobs to complete, principally the pub name, and no it won't be The Silk Purse .
     
    It is presently sitting adjacent to Midlem Road station as a placeholder.
  13. 'CHARD
    In a moment of extreme old-school modelling nostalgia, I couldn't resist this, for less than the price of a round for the band, on eBay:

    Yes, that's the original shop-soiled seventies packaging, and here's a close-up:

    Gulp! quite a horror isn't she?
     
    Join me soon, as I set to work on The Sow's Ear, an irresistible Borders Inn....
     
    Next time:
    a summary of the kit as supplied and its evident compromises
    opportunities and areas for improvement, based on some field observation.
  14. 'CHARD
    As David Cross says in the caption in Last Years of the Waverley Route, pictures of EE Type 3s on the WR are extremely rare. Since Stuart's post above on Waverley Route new image links I've still only come up with these four:
     
    i. the latest published one - unidentified early BFYE at Stow on the 0658 Hawick - Edinburgh
    ii. D6838 - GSYP at Whitrope (on Railscot and featured on the WR picture links thread)
    iii. unidentified FYE body colour not known on up class 4 at Steele Road (published, cannot trace)
    iv. unidentified BFYE in the freight-only period north of Hawick on class 8 (published, cannot trace)
     
    The early blue livery distinction is important. Of the largest class of loco, Brush Type 4, only 19 received the variant (per my two - 1536 and 1547), and the first one to receive standard blue was in traffic in December '68. I have not seen figures for the 37s, but by my reckoning only about a dozen would have received early blue, characterized by the application of four double-arrows, squeezed beneath each cab window with the number above. Cramped and very wrong-looking, and consequently profoundly modellable.
     
    The D-prefix was dropped on repaints in late August '68, so our Stow 37 will almost definitely have a D-prefix, even though she looks pretty ex-works. There's no equivalent class 37 web resource to Class47.co.uk so traditional methods are the only way into this. I turned-up split-box 6753 and 6797, centre panel 6831, non-boilered of 30A, and 6992 of Cardiff without the two clips above the headcode box. None of these fit the bill.
     
    Until last night. Quite why I glanced in the 1973 Combine is unknown even to me, but there on p41 is 6845, still in the early blue she would have worn as a 64B machine in 1968. The clincher is the offset numbers, the Ds themselves have been removed or painted-out, but the digits are right-justified against the double arrow.
     
    So, that's a definite where my models' i.d.s are concerned: 6845 joins the roster in eBFYE which will be a pleasure to recreate, her sisters will be green with small yellow panels and full yellow ends respectively.
  15. 'CHARD
    How time flies: it's a year ago that I first discovered what booked traffic used the WR according to the 1968 timetable, thanks to the kind provision of original info by forum members. After some frothing on RMWeb3 I've left the subject alone with a basic understanding of what's required to run a convincing service. Yesterday I revisited the passenger W/T/T through the eyes of a youthful basher to see what a Freedom of Scotland might have promised...
     
    On the redeye, we took advantage of a seasonally balmy Edinburgh night to work out to Teviotbank in the two MkIs available for public use on 2M01, behind two-tone green 64B Class 24 D5072, arriving at 2351. Here the passenger coaches are cut, and two BGs added in their place (one for Carlisle and Euston, the other Leeds and thence Burton-upon-Trent), the train going forward at 0012 as 3M01.
     
    At 0132, D214 worked 6S09 northbound, at 0223 a pair of Claytons running half an hour early with 4S40 woke us just too late for us to i.d them. D263 whistled through at 0359, five minutes down, towards Kingmoor with 4M49 comprising three dozen vans. Evidence of another Control fix maybe as D9010 in its unique TTGFYE livery with double-arrows worked in at 0447 from Millerhill with the local freight trip: Dreadful!
     
    With the Deltic's characteristic hum adding to the gentle caress of the Teviot, as she idled in the sidings, not a quarter of an hour passed before D5095 clattered to a noisy stand with 3S01, the Waverley Postal. Allowed 14 minutes station time, the Royal Mail lads worked hard to get her away. The local newsagent's Bedford creaked under the stacks of broadsheets as it spluttered off into the dawn.
     
    At 0543 the bell code for train in section startled a couple of the guys. A cluster of early starters shuffled about wearily awaiting arrival of 1S22 the Down Pullman, as it's known locally. Split-box Peak D25 unique in its austerity green with full yellow ends drew in on the usual load nine. Two of the group, being Peak main men, asked the guard if they could have a Second Class compo to themselves, and getting the nod they bade us farewell as the sixteen wheeler headed off towards Waverley.
     
    Unseen to us, a 64B Brush 4 had been stood awhile at Platform 2 on another Class 3, picking up barrows full of catalogue packages. Turns out it was D1973, yet another recipient of full yellow ends on green livery; she soon gave a mournful monotone toot as the driver notched up to slide slowly off southwards. No sooner had the tail light disappeared than another yellow snout nosed into view under the A7 bridge, awesome - D8612 and D8609 in a pair on 4M60, nearly half an hour early - plenty of time for the booked crew change.
     
    As the three of us wondered aloud what was in the never-ending string of vent vans, and which service the Blue Spot fish four-leggers come down on, a two-tone horn heralded yet another Class 4, this time from the Whitrope direction, 4S41 with unusually D6903 at its head. Checking the clock on platform 3 it showed 0628, and right on cue the stock for 2M53 was making its way towards the Carlisle bay. Now it was decision time....
     
     
     
  16. 'CHARD
    This week I acquired the CD shelving I'd long promised myself, having identified it as the main delay factor on the layout front. How the divil does that work, you ask? Read on and I shall tell you.
     
    The under-layout mainly comprises cascaded Ikea storage units, of which eight drawers are earmarked for T&RS. Instead of this however, they've temporarily been full of CDs. For about a decade. With nowhere to safely store locos off-layout, as a result it has taken on the car park appearance that is so anathema to me. With so many locos about, relaying the track on cork was a pig of a job, and obviously reinstating the wiring for DCC has been all but impossible.
     
    Now the shelves are up, the CDs are away and the locos too. In fact, I found a couple of interesting spacers in the back of drawers. Instead of the expected polystyrene, in one lurked a M-I-B Lima GFYE Class 47, in another a M-I-B Bachmann 08243. The former will be off to pastures new with a few Lima 40s; as for the Jocko I have to confess to having completely forgotten about her. I must've thought I had already sold her on eBay. This raises a question of identity if she stays, one for a 64H shunter blog entry I think.
     
    Returning to the shelves, some lighting will be mounted on these to combat the dark spots in the garage - long overdue. Their underside will also mark the top edge of the backscene.
  17. 'CHARD
    For far longer than I'd care to mention, the grubby recesses of my existence have been dedicated to establishing what traction worked the Waverley Route. Obviously this process went warp-speed with photo-sharing sites and this forum literally opening up a new vista of data that, even five years ago, who'd have believed existed out there. Take a bow all you photographers and chroniclers of legend who kept hold of your collections, no matter how fragmented or ill-structured for 40-plus years, in the belief that they would be useful to someone, some day. Their value cannot be overestimated.
     
    Elsewhere I've got the W/B blog running, and even more sporadically the Teviotbank layout gets a look-in, and so do you dear reader, into the twisted shapes that grow in 1:76 from the contortions of my researching this lamented railway. On the New Image Links thread there's energetic discourse about prototype workings, gleaned from - if you're new to all this black magic - you guessed it, found images from anywhere on the net.
     
    So what's the point of all this throat-clearing, well it's simply this: we are nowhere near having a definitive list of what worked over the route and its branches, but we can gradually shade closer to that particular grail. On this blog I plan to launch the process publicly. For no better reason than I can begin to chuck out scraps of paper and random jottings relating to the various home classes.
     
    During the final years of the route, Haymarket assumed the lion's share of traction responsibility for the captive traffic: including freights running between Kingmoor and Millerhill yards, the stopping passenger services (2M52 and 2S52 diagrams) and parcels trains which formed portions at Carlisle. Haymarket locos in the diesel era therefore dominated the regular sightings.
     
    In best trainspotting tradition, it can't be assumed that every loco or DMU allocated to Haymarket (add St Margarets and Leith Central) between 1960 and 1969 worked over the Waverley. What can be done relatively easily though is an analysis class by class of what Control had at its disposal during the Waverley's diesel twilight. And what easier place to start than the venerable EE Type 1
     
     
    Haymarket had a small allocation of 20s whilst the Waverley Route was open, ten different locos in total, but no more than 8 at any one time. All were reallocated away before the end, Claytons being drafted in to replace them. The days of the Fife coalfield's innate association with triple twenties were some years away.
     
    Happily the fleet is split into 5 disc and tablet-catcher fitted engines, D8028-32, and five late build headcode fitted locos, blue from new D8316-19/23. It is extremely likely that the early ones stayed in GSYP, adding to the alluring symmetry.
     
    Loco by loco:
     
    8028 2/66 - 6/67 4 months
    8029 2/66 - 8/67 6 months
    8030 2/66 - 6/68 16 months
    8031 9/67 - 6/68 9 months
    8032 10/66 - 7/68 9 months
     
    8316 5/67 - 5/68 12 months
    8317 11/67 - 5/68 6 months
    8318 11/67 - 5/68 6 months
    8319 1/68 - 5/68 4 months
    8323 10/67 - 2/68 4 months
     
    NOTES: 8028-30 from Kittybrewster, from Polmadie (8031), Inverness (8032); to Gateshead (8028/9), Toton (8030-32)
    8316-19/23 new to Haymarket, all to Eastfield, 8323 via Polmadie for a couple of weeks.
     
    What my handwritten commentary said:
    "Class 20s statistically had a very short window for diagrammed service over the Waverley. 64B had at most 8 locos at any one time in early '68 but lost these at the Summer timetable change. In modelling terms, a pair can be justified, but only just. These would most likely be GSYP 8030 and BFYE 8316."
     
    It's worth noting that the locos were operated singly in this period, unlike the Claytons, and their principal duties were similar to 64B's small allocation of Class 25s: branch freights. They did appear on the Waverley route's northern reaches, diminishingly so south of Newtongrange (Lady Victoria Colliery). It is thought that a handful reached Hawick on the 0450 freight. However, the only recorded examples - on camera at least - worked in via Kingmoor on the Langholm branch freight. There's a possibility these reached Hawick on the Carlisle tripper too. As for an EE Type 1 going all the way, that seems unlikely, unless paired or rescuing another service. We'll have to wait and see...
     
    Next I'll tackle the 64B Seven, the BR-Sulzer Type 2s mentioned above.
  18. 'CHARD
    Well, after the hectic postings of yesterday and my knee-jerk reaction to EE Type 3 feedback, there seems to be an unprecedented level of traffic to my mindless number-crunching, so here goes with one particular Haymarket Best of... that I was dreading, Class 24s. And it turns out to be as benign an allocation history as it's possible to get.
     
    Every oral history of Waverley dieselization makes great fanfare of the same classes: Peaks, EE Type 4s and 'BRCWs,' probably because they were the usurpers that did the lion's share of steam displacement. When I blog Class 26, it will be evident why. In the next breath, 24s, DMUs, Deltics and Claytons get a mention.
     
    Despite their seemingly universal admiration, the Co-Cos merit a mere footnote, probably because the advent of 47s and 37s in 1965 and '66 was a full five years after the initial impact of diesels was felt. In fairness, the 24s belong in this bracket, as they joined in the fun shortly after the 37s, in '66, many transferred from Great Northern services out of The Cross as part of the last push to rid the Waverley route of steam.
     
    Consequently, the 24s were Waverley through-and-through - unlike the Co-Cos (37s particularly), and I would rate them as signature traction. Signalbox records would make interesting reading here; I expect that not a day went by after October '66 without a 24 active on the route, and other data does suggest that all 15 Haymarket examples put in mileage along its length.
     
    Lest we forget, with the honourable exception of local proponents of the line - not necessarily enthusiasts per se, the railway fraternity was otherwise occupied for much of '67 and '68, chasing the end of a subtly different era. So ever the Cinderella, the Waverley's diesel heyday was being pretty much overlooked.
     
    So, to the mixed traffic anchor of the second wave, the dependable, BR-Sulzer Type 2 synonymous with the Waverley Class 2.
     
    Two principal periods here, with 64B fleet strength basically of 15 (autumn T/T '66 to winter '67) and 8 (March '68 onwards), reflected in many 'DerbySulzers' reports and Railbrit/ published photos of the era. The class was prolific on 2M52 and 2S52 diagrams, the short turn-back Class 2s, the intensive parcels service and quite possibly other unreported traffic, although being boiler-fitted their use on the expected daily pick-up freights was possibly minimal. I'd love someone to prove me wrong, but I've yet to see a 24 on a Waverley Route freight.
     
    So how did 64B do it:
     
    During August '66 bashers turning up at Carlisle to rake-in 4-6-0s or down-at-heel Pacifics over Whitrope would have been increasingly disappointed to find a "fruit-machine" leaking steam instead at the head of their load 4-plus-van, as D5061/2/4-6/8/9/71/2/94/5 had arrived at Haymarket. The following month, slotters 5067 and 5070 filled two gaps, and with 5063's arrival in October '66, the dozen block of D5061-72 that became synonymous with the line was complete. D5050 made up the 15-strong complement in December '66.
     
    As The Waverley's last year dawned, the first 5 locos (numerically) moved away, followed two months later by 5065 and 5066, leaving the octet of 5067-72/94/5 to share the reducing duties with imports from 60A for the rest of the year (of the 5114-32 batch all but 5114/26/9/30 are believed to have worked over the route). These locos outlived the Waverley Route at 64B, later joined by 60A's TOPS era survivors. Coincidentally, or carelessly, 5067 and early (November '66) blue repaint 5068 both suffered accident damage in 1972 that led to withdrawal, their surviving sisters and the Highland fugitives succumbed to the inevitable as ScR culled its 24s late in 1975.
     
    Please note that due to a flashover of the brain, I have been transposing 5066 and 5068's livery history lately, 5066 stayed GSYP - apologies to anyone I've confused. Error now corrected in body text above.
     
    5072 was one of the rare repaints into TTGSYP (as modelled in factory-weathered condition by Kernow) and had the poignant distinction of calling for the very last time at the first Waverley Route station to close, Tynehead on Saturday January 4th, so writing itself indelibly into the history of a majestic main line.
  19. 'CHARD
    LOL! Couldn't resist, and there'll no doubt be a Facebook campaign to have me exiled to some railless British region just for the sheer temerity of that comparison... Well the Borders will do just fine, ta - its natural majesty is still there to be inhaled, even if its diesel denizens and hill-climbing 2-6-0 stalwarts exist only in spirit form.
     
    Claytons were allocated to 64B from new; in summer 1966 Haymarket consolidated its position as the largest home depot for the would-be 'Standard Type 1' with 47 examples, ahead of Polmadie, Kingmoor and Gateshead/ Thornaby. That the class was considered massively unsuccessful cannot be disputed, and its service life was characterised by huge reallocations, periods spent in and returning from store, and untimely withdrawals as the handful of sheds attempted to wrest useful mileage from their charges.
     
    64B had examples of all sub-classes. From new it had D8554-85 of the standard type, plus Rolls-Royce engined 17/2s D8586/7. Later D8604-16 of the Beyer-Peacock-built 17/3 sub-class with Crompton Parkinson traction motors, generally considered to be better put together and more reliable, also migrated to Edinburgh from Barrow Hill and Gateshead.
     
    8552/3 also spent a short time at 64B on loan from 66A to maintain fleet strength at 47 while 8604/5 returned to their native NER in summer '67. Heljan staple 8545 had been an early Lothian engine, spending a month at Leith Central for familiarization before Haymarket's scheduled allocation arrived.
     
    Until the May '66 T/T the allocation comprised these original 34. In the pursuit of steam replacement, the NER baker's dozen arrived. The allocation stayed at 47 for fourteen months.
     
    As the Waverley's traffic was run down and diverted away, and other Lowland duties failed to sustain the numbers, the unloved Claytons went west to Polmadie, 4 in 8/67 and 3 in 10/67 after the new T/T, more light wastage reduced the totals to 31 to operate the Summer '68 T/T, although half a dozen went in the August. Rather bizarrely the reallocations were in number order starting with the lowest. There was obviously an anal retentive in the back office. As it were.
     
    8502/15 and 8525 unexpectedly moved to 64B in October '68 as Kingmoor dispensed with their services, but their stay was short and the decline of the Millerhill outbased class continued. The Waverley closed as a through route with 23 on Haymarket's books, the closure resulting in a cull of another six, 8571/2/3/4/6/82. Fourteen remained, and saw out the Hawick freight-only period. The allocation grew once more before the end of the decade, with the transfer in of homeless stragglers from the NER and Polmadie. As everyone knows, no BR main line diesels were retired during 1970, but as Granma Broon will attest, the writing was on the wall for the pretty looking Class 17s, and it read 'EXTINCT BY THE END OF 1971.'
     
     
     
    I understand that Heljan make a model of the Clayton, but I'm undecided about it, and I'm thinking of taking up marzipan-shaping instead.
     
    Next instalment will take a look at Leith Central's role in the Waverley Route. In the words of the mighty RAMONES, stay tuned for more Rock'n'Roll.
     
    Here's a cute pic of foxy D8505 at Millerhill, after she'd missed the Waverley Route closure:
    http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=30533
  20. 'CHARD
    Leith Central was an enigma amongst sheds. That suffix, 'H' - allocated late and following on from a certain legendary Waverley route shed, Hawick. The facility itself, adapted from a white elephant terminus station eclipsed by Edinburgh's tram and bus network. A premises whose relics survived closure by many years, achieving secondary 'fame' in TV and film.
     
    Enough for now, that chapter of industrial and social history has been told elsewhere, we can return to it here at leisure.
    Main line diesels available to the Edinburgh South division have been dissected on the 64B blog, here I turn the spotlight on the substantial DMU allocation, and in this first snapshot, the inter-urban fleet of Metro-Cammell triples, later Class 101. The period concerned is the Waverley's twilight years, 1966-69.
     
    Thirteen sets were allocated to 64H as follows:
     
    51465 + 59563 + 51535
    51466 + 59564 + 51536
    51467 + 59565 + 51537
    51468 + 59566 + 51538
    51469 + 59567 + 51539
    51470 + 59568 + 51540
     
    51795 + 59686 + 51802
    51796 + 59687 + 51803
    51797 + 59688 + 51804
    51798 + 59689 + 51805
    51799 + 59690 + 51806
    51800 + 59691 + 51807
    51801 + 59692 + 51808
     
    by March 1974, the units were still operating in the Central Belt, only by now the first half dozen at Eastfield (4) and Dundee (2). The latter batch of seven were still in Edinburgh, having transferred to the by now better appointed DMU facility at Haymarket.
     
     
    This grainy legend purports to be 64H:
    http://www.edinphoto...tral_deltic.jpg
    Amazing what you find out, the following detail is so epic I may have to link to the Waverley images thread. I think I need a drink...
    Supported by this:
    "Moving on to a photo on the site of 'Deltic' at Leith Central I have a little more info on that. The loco in the photo is in fact the prototype of the Deltic class and that came into service with British Rail in 1955. It did not appear on the Edinburgh area until 1959 when it spent five days of testing on the Waverley route. It was then diagrammed to work the East Coast Main Line (ECML) alongside the A4 Pacific steam locos."
     
    This is added gen from Napier chronicles:
     
    8th June 1959: L/E Carlisle - Edinburgh (via Waverley route), then to 64H
    18th June 1959: L/E Edinburgh - Carlisle (via Waverley route)
     
    And on that bombshell, even Jeremy Clarkson becomes a Waverley Route enthusiast...
  21. 'CHARD
    Reminder to self: make a list of what's outstanding on the workbench this month.
     

    4 Dapol SPV to retro-work into white fish vans for pre-May'68 workings, these reached the masked for primer stage last weekend, they have since received a spray coat of Plasti-kote 'Ice Cream' which looks about spot-on for these future Blue Spots. Also coupling replacement required. 4 Dapol ex-SR CCT to distress into various stages of 'sludge brown' weathered livery, masked and sprayed with Railmatch 'rail dirt' now waiting the relief of their uniform brown. Coupling replacement. 4 freelance Mainline Engineer's 5P opens and 5 Dapol 13T steel opens to relinquish chassis for re-bodying as (Parkside) Medfits - dependent on visit to Parkside when in Kirkcaldy over next fortnight. Dapols won't be converted until the Bachmann 13T steel open is released to replace the clunky ones in the fleet just now. Carflat conversions from - now - Tri-ang chassis, Bachmann chassis to be re-bodied as Sleepers. All congregated in a crate waiting feasibility study Bachmann Regional Railways BG for repainting maroon. Hornby crimson & cream Gresley buffet for repainting - what? - Blue&Grey, assuming these didn't wear maroon. Coupler replacement for missing item on standard brake van, Bachmann. Check 47s to see which one has shed a set of brake gear, and repair. Finish headcode changes on 17 Order 60's LYTHAM ST ANNES plates, for heaven's sake Finish D5116 roof details Source last pair of Cararama Beetle headlights for D5131 and move this on Paint roof D1958 Decide if a green D5233 is going to become the early blue D5233 or do I source a blue 25083 (why did I ever sell the blasted thing?) Decide whether to move on one of the GFYE 47s and retro another into SYP, to do neither, either, or both?
    That's quite enough free thinking for one session boy, now make dinner
  22. 'CHARD
    For completeness, here is some additional info about tractoring's infancy at the sixty-something depots, Polmadie having a massive early input but action concentrating on Eastfield in 1972. Obviously it's Celtic in the genealogical sense, not the football one, in which I have no interest and even less knowledge.
     
    I'm keeping the Haymarket contingent in here - amazingly the drive to rid the Fife coalfield of steam meant that 64B started off as a major player. We barely associate HA with the class these days. EDIT required on previous Haymarket EE Type 3 blog, because I found two more: 6936 and 6937.
     
    Landore D6837: 64B 9/66, 66A 9/67, 64B 2/71, 66A 3/71, Cardiff 1/72 (Hymek replacement)
    Cardiff D6838: 64B 9/66, 65A 9/68, Cardiff 10/74
    Cardiff D6839: 66A 7/66, 65A 3/72, Cardiff 7/72
    Cardiff D6840: 66A 7/66, 65A 12/66, 66A 8/67, 64B 2/71, 66A 3/71, 65A 3/72, 64B 10/72, Cardiff 11/72
    Cardiff D6841: 66A 8/66, 64B 2/71, 66A 3/71, 65A 3/72, Cardiff 11/72
    Cardiff D6842: 66A 8/66, 65A 3/72, Cardiff 11/72
    Cardiff D6843: 66A 8/66, 65A 10/68, Landore 10/74
    Cardiff D6844: 64B 9/66, 65A 10/70 (loco stayed on ScR)
    Cardiff D6845: 64B 9/66, 65A 9/68 (stayed on ScR)
    Cardiff D6846: 64B 9/66, 65A 11/72 (stayed)
    Cardiff D6847: 64B 9/66, 65A 10/70 (stayed)
    Cardiff D6848: 64B 9/66, 65A 10/68 (stayed)
    Cardiff D6849: 64B 9/66, 65A 10/68 (stayed)
    Cardiff D6850: 64B 9/66, 65A 5/70 (stayed)
    Cardiff D6851: 64B 9/66, 65A 10/70 (stayed)
    Landore D6852: 66A 8/66, 65A 3/72 (stayed)
    Landore D6853: 66A 8/66, 64B 1/71, 66A 4/71, 65A 3/72 (stayed)
    Landore D6854: 66A 8/66, 64B 1/71, 66A 4/71, 65A 3/72 (stayed)
    Landore D6855: 66A 8/66, 64B 1/71, 66A 2/72, 65A 3/72 (stayed)
    Landore D6856: 66A 8/66, 65A 3/72 (stayed)
    Landore D6857: 66A 8/66, 64B 10/66, 65A 10/69 (stayed)
    Landore D6858: 64B 9/66, 65A 11/72, Cardiff 11/72
    Landore D6859: 66A 8/66, 64B 10/66, 66A 9/67, 65A 3/72, Cardiff 11/72
    Cardiff D6903: 64B 4/67, 66A 1/71, 64B 2/72, Cardiff 7/72
    Cardiff D6904: 65A 5/68, 66A 10/68, 65A 3/72 (stayed)
    Cardiff D6905: 65A 5/68, 66A 11/68, 65A 3/72 (stayed)
    Cardiff D6936: 65A 3/68, 64B 9/68, 65A 10/70, Cardiff 11/72
    Cardiff D6937: 65A 3/68, 64B 6/68, 66A 1/71, 64B 4/71, 65A 11/72 (stayed)
  23. 'CHARD
    ...because British Rail is closing the Edinburgh - Carlisle line. Instead, arrangements for the carriage of parcels previously conveyed by train have been made with Eastern Scottish Omnibuses. Your local parcel agent is Mr. Lightfoot, Baker, at Killochyett and packages will be received during shop hours, not the longer hours previously operated at Stow station. Regrettably Thursday is half day closing, the last bus to Edinburgh is the is the 1135 Service 95, to Galashiels, Hawick and Carlisle the 1110 Service 95."
     
    That's not a real verbatim quote, it's conflated from various resources, but I think it highlights just another small but infuriating way in which Borders' life was inconvenienced and made worse by the senseless, dogmatic closure of the line. Anyway, what's this all got to do with the price of fish, I hear you yawn.... (very little after May '68, fish traffic Ed)
     
    And moreover, what's social history doing on Workbench? I'll tell youse why, because especially W/B projects need to be informed by real life, its subjects have to be born of the essence of what we're trying to recreate. And in this case, like or loath it, it's the bus side of life. And I for one personally love and embrace it, not as a true competitor to the Waverley route, it could never aspire to do that effectively, but for its awesome complementary role, where in so-doing Eastern Scottish principally, enriched even further the public transport on offer in the region.
     
    With just the spine of the once extensive Waverley network remaining open to passenger services from 1964, the branches by now handling residual freight services, there was still an effective and viable public transport system, with Eastern Scottish and some independents connecting the towns denied their railway.
     
    Therefore, rural and town service buses are an essential part of the sixties Waverley landscape. Right now there are ten such vehicles sculling about the W/B or used as placeholders on the layout:

     
    They will get their own blog after this launch entry, but here are the basic introductions:
     
    Bristol Lodekka FLF6G town buses and MW6G coach

     
    straight out of the box, obviously
     
    Pair of Plaxton bodied long distance coaches

     
    The madder and cream one was previously WMPTE's unique 407Y, ex-Coventry, from previous layout, the NBC Ribble one is staying because services 501, 502, X10 and X11 interworked with Ribble and Western Scottish vehicles
     
    The obligatory Y-types

     
    Presently wearing Stratford Blue and East Yorkshire colours, ironically the real Stratford Blue vehicle became an NBC poppy red Midland Red bus the model of which I can't bear to part with. These two will be tweaked into the local finery. EFE are about to release another in affiliate company Starks of Dunbar colours, which will obviously join us.
     
    The essential Alexander/ Daimler Fleetline trio in various states of disarray

     
    one of my ultimate fave buses, because of the Midland Red and ex-MR WMPTE examples that used to take me to school and leisure, the three I've retained were expected to become fictional Borders vehicles until...
    The Western connection mentioned above - also other operators' examples did work into the area. And then, using this lot for research:
    two native local examples appeared, DD80 (DVA 680C) and DD961 (9961 SF), of '65 and '66 vintage respectively, and both H44/31F examples of the classic D body type.
  24. 'CHARD
    There's a pretty masthead for a blogger, eh!
     
    1547 was i.d-theived yesterday, the method for mechanical removal of Bachmann's tampo printing is now pretty efficient, extending to the headcode glazing. I really like the side view of this livery, it is prototypical and looks plain wrong. In the sense that compared to two-tone green it's plain, and in location of all the decals it's so wrong compared to the standard blue of December 1968 on... You can imagine it in the drawing office after Beeching's edict of corporate inflexibility: 'Yes, the numbers have gotta be squashed right up there by the TOPS panel, those double-arrows, well there have to be four - push them up as close to the doors as you can get them.'
     
    1547 was allocated to D05 (Stoke Divn: Crewe) at this time and was probably a familiar sight on the WCML and through to Edinburgh either via Carstairs or the Waverley Route.
     
    What we are hoping to achieve here is the ambience of the prototype (I reckon) as pictured at Melrose on my Waverley photo image links thread. She's got a completely blank headcode in that picture, posing a whole new challenge. As yet the mod to correct the bogies remains outstanding.
     
    Once the headcodes are done, the pair's bodies are going back on for light weathering and correction of boiler-port details.
     
    EDIT: the grey showing through bodyside windows wasn't sitting happily, so permanent marker on the chassis block has taken care of that on 1547, compare with 1536 in this photo:

     
    While we're inside here let's show the readers where the chassis block gets blacked, and also our guilty secret for i.d-ing the chassis itself:

     
    The decision Dynamis vs NCE Powercab is still unmade, so these two won't be chipped for now. In an unusual move, possibly triggered by Hornby's announcement to release the Lima 40 in the Railroad Range, a random specimen has appeared on the W/B where she sits tremulous about what might happen next....
  25. 'CHARD
    Here's a festive post for the vanishingly small number of you who have ever heard of 'Early Blue' on Brush Type 4s, and the swelling ranks of Waverley Route afficianados.
     
    Take one Bachmann 47148, in Bachmann's esoteric original 'tri-grille' configuration, the trailing edge of a Stanley blade, pencil eraser, screwdriver and sheet of Howes rub-down transfers for a real retro modelling feel.
     
    The end result, as applied to fewer than 20 locos, but representing a York machine that worked the line in its final week(s), has made me feel so strange I'm off to prepare winter vegetables and calm myself down. Next pics when headcodes are done.
     
    Enjoy.
     
     
    EDIT: the extra 'class 57' pipe loops on the secondman's side were also removed at this stage, but I've opted to leave the screen rivets/ bolt-heads alone. All being well, when an awry '1S64' is wound-up on one end and 2M52 the other, the eye won't be drawn to the screen surrounds at normal viewing distances/ speeds.
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