37175

An excerpt from the forthcoming article: "Towards the final days of the line a few rare workings took place, including that of a class 27 working the 15:58 Carlisle - Edinburgh on 7th November 1968. On 2nd January 1969 the 09:20 Carlisle - Edinburgh had another class 27, D5350, on the front only as far as Stainton Junction but due to steam heat problems this was removed and replaced with a class 26, D5340 from Kingmoor, whilst D5350 went onto the depot." So ... given that the window hanger took a photo with D5340 in it, I suppose it's safe to say that had the original motive power been on it at this point we would have seen an extremely rare "most wanted" shot!

A view of Riccarton I've only seen previously without a train in shot .... Loco ID anyone?! http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=34907 Talking of Riccarton, I wandered down there yesterday to reacquaint myself and introduce Mrs 37175 to it ... shame the turntable brickwork is overgrown again, but nice to see a lot of clearfell where the forestry once stood. Also took a wander for a couple of shots of the old bridge over Leysburn that once took the path from Store Brae to Phaupknowe. Another bit of heritage that WRHA once tried to get reinstated! Shame the clearfell detritus has now covered the road down to it from the concrete stile (that is also no longer!) adjacent to the north 'box.

I would think he probably does, not seen him for a while to ask though. Bruce may know more about Norman's image library.

That's the guy selling Norman (G.N.) Turnbull's images ... don't think I'll be partaking all things considered, better to see Norman for duplicate slides then at least he gets something for his labours.

Pretty sure that image came up for sale on Ebay recently, didn't it? I avoided it as it didn't look like any part of the WR I recognised.

It's a bit too far gone unfortunately ... the bodywork needs pretty much complete replacement, the power unit needs a full overhaul and I think most of the electrics have been stripped. Plus, one of the wheelsets is on a skate at the mo, new leaf spring or axle bearing required, can't recall which at the mo. I can't see it being restored TBH, and in any case it's got shaved noses so would need new access doors fitted along with split boxes to look anything like that great photo of Bruce's. Damn shame, even though I'm not really a Peak fan I do realise the significance of this particular loco.

One of the earlier numbered class 45s to work the route was D14, seen here at Hawick in one of Bruce's photos: http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=23706 This is also one of the handful to survive into preservation, though for how much longer is not clear as it is due to be scrapped pretty soon: http://www.preserved-diesels.co.uk/engines/45015_index.htm

Wow! Lovin' that one!

Not sure if this gem from Railbrit has featured on this thread yet, I think the reverse view did when discussing brake vans: http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=23975 EE Type 4, GFYE with a southbound class 3. This was the other view: http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=31873

More digging .. this time through Brian Irwin's site: http://www.deborahirwin.plus.com/Waverley/Waverley.htm Some interesting photos on there, including this one of Shankend, which may be of interest to anyone modelling it. Don't think I've seen this one before, so it's nice to see exactly how the sidings were laid out, including the catch points.

I wasn't too sure which thread this magnificent piece of news should go in, so it's here: http://waverleyroute...waverley-route/ So who's going to be first to model Whitrope with a Ruston & Fowler?!

Ah yes, the Border Union Railway Company (in its second form) .... the prospectus certainly makes interesting reading! There's a copy of it at the Liddesdale Heritage Centre at the Holm, and amazingly I picked up a copy on ebay a few years ago. One of the chaps involved is now with WRHA ... living the dream, and I'm really pleased for him as it's great to have that sort of commitment & continuity in the projects!

Ooh .. think I've got one of them tucked away somewhere as well Incidentally, I recall doing some research about Riddings Junction (that I eventually used on http://www.wrha.org.uk/history.html) which in 1857 was "Canobie Junction", (no "n" in Canonbie) and a year later in 1858 was called "Langholm point-road". I don't know how far & wide the use of these terms were, that's something I never managed to unearth!

Now that's a beauty, 'Chard ... I've never seen that bridge before. Ta!

Thanks for the geograph tip Blandford1969, I was interested in this particular one: http://www.geograph....k/photo/2181791 The description somehow doesn't feel right. The land surrounding the line on the left (west) side looks more like that south of Steele Road rather than north of it, as described (Larriston being about a mile & a half north of Steele Road). Or, to put it simpler, if you can see Arnton & Blackwood ahead of you, you're a few miles south of Larriston. Or have I completely lost my bearings? (Which wouldn't be the first time! )

In case it's not been posted before, Tom Pyemont at Hassendean has a website dedicated to the old station & footbridge, although the comment about it being the only remaining one of its type is slightly incorrect as Stobs still has its NBR bridge as well, though rather dilapidated. http://www.hassendeanstation.com/ Funny to see some of my own words from the WRHA Travelogue on one of the pages

Before he undertook that walk he asked me for details on the aqueduct system, watertanks, and the source of Riccarton's water. I did tell him about the dam & sluice gate that are still there and even the precise location, but it isn't the easiest thing to find when looking for the first time. Though by now I've learnt off by heart which two of the Forestry Commission's millions of Sitka Spruce's to walk between to find the embankment that heads down to it!

Back to Longtown, link already used on the level crossing thread: http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/5733719533/in/set-72157626751054388

No, it's the one adjacent (just to the south) to what is now Signal Box Cottage. The one you talk about doesn't (IIRC) have a number .. but again, will have to check on S-W and see what they say. Isn't that the one that goes under the road as well, into Whitrope Burn? At the foot of the embankment next to the road there's a small inspection point for it that used to fire up like a fountain in torrential downpours! This is all testing my memory somewhat!

Whitrope Culvert is south of Bridge 200, and prior to Bridge 201 (overbridge) ... but in all the photos I've ever seen of that one spot I don't recall once seeing an ID plate. Whether it was 200B or somesuch ID, I'd have to consult Scott-Wilson. 199 is for Black Sike, more of an underbridge than a culvert.

I'll dig out my copy of the Scott-Wilson report ... that lists every single numbered structure, location & condition.

Their pairings for those runs (with depots) were as follows: D5384 (14B) + D8074 (65A) D5411 (15A) + D8070 (65A) D5382 (14B) + D8070 (65A) D5387 (15A) + D8122 (66A) 14B - Cricklewood West 15A - Leicester Midland 65A - Eastfield 66A - Polmadie

How about these class 27 workings for a start .... D5384 - 15/4/64 D5411 - 17/4/64 D5382 - 24/4/64 D5387 - 15/5/64 The above are all believed to be training runs. Then there's this little gem, just a couple of months before closure. D5354 - 7/11/68 - 1558 Carlisle - Edinburgh ... and on 2/1/69 the 0920 Carlisle - Edinburgh had D5350 on the front as far as Stainton Jct, but due to steam heat problems was removed and replaced with a 26, D5340 from Kingmoor whilst D5350 went onto the depot. I'll have to dig about and see what else I can find when I get time, no doubt there'll be plenty more in those intervening 4 years. B)

Each Tuesday & Thursday I tend to bump into Stuart (W.S.) Sellar at Bo'ness and today was no exception. I asked him if he ever photographed a 50 or a 27 on the Waverley Route, and unfortunately he didn't ... next is to try asking all the other photographers the same question!

This makes me wonder whether the following anecdote from Bill Blake, one of the old P-way chaps in an interview he gave for us in Issue 6 of The Waverley had anything to do with it, as I don't recall he told us the year in which this happened: "Sometimes I would be given the job of walking the track in our gang's section from Stobs Camp to Whitrope Tunnel and back checking for cracked fishplates, knocking in loose keys and looking for anything out of the ordinary. One day I had just passed Shankend when I noticed a long dip stretching the length of three of the sixty foot rail panels. I couldn't work out what had caused this so I went back to find my Uncle Rob the signalman at Shankend box who agreed to come up and take a look. When he saw the dip in the line he realised the embankment was sinking and went back to call the Inspector at Hawick who came up immediately on a pilot engine. When he arrived he declared it an emergency and sent for the Newcastleton and Hawick permanent way "flying squads", about 80 men in total. Just by coincidence, there had been relaying taking place nearby and there were some spare rails left over. Eight of these rails were taken and chained together on the ends of the sleepers to strengthen the track temporarily. After a few weeks, the order came through to sort out the embankment on a Sunday. Cranes were brought in from both Carlisle and Edinburgh and the track was taken up from both sides and the gangs started digging. They dug and dug, deeper and deeper to a depth of about ninety feet and never did find the cause of the problem so the boss gave orders to fill it back in again with some extra rubble brought down from Edinburgh which must have done some good because it didn't ever sink again." For any WRHA members, all the back issues of The Waverley are now available online - but you have to be a member in order to access them, so what more of an incentive do you need if not already a member? http://www.wrha.org.uk/membership.html