Interlopers

[Mikey60]

Glad you liked the pictures. Sadly, they are the only remaining ones I have left from that era.
I once got a ride on the footplate of a J39, from Tweedmouth station, across the Royal Border Bridge and back. But had to keep out of sight at Berwick station, in case the driver got caught. He was a neighbour and knew my parents.
I was not aware of the death of Peter Short, but had visited the old Norham station several years ago. The museum was not open that day, but he explained its purpose and let me wander around taking photos. I'll see if I can get them scanned and uploaded.
I have a couple of prints from the shop in Castlegate. One of Tweedmouth station and another of the yard. However, since they are copyrighted, I don't think it is my place to post them. The owners have a huge collection of old photographs of Berwick and surrounding area and many are railway related. Hopefully they will find a way onto the internet someday.

Regards

Mike

[60041]

I visited the Norham Station Museum not long ago, and Mrs Short assured me that she would be keeping it open for the foreseeable future. One thing that I found a little worrying is that quite a few pictures have disappeared since I last visited, and it looks like some visitors have been helping themselves.
As regards Whittingham Station, I have heard that there are 3 offers in, at or around the asking price so it seems that £900,000 is not too much for some people. I can only hope that the eventual purchaser is a railway enthusiast with deep pockets! A good restoration would be rather expensive.
Details of the sale can be found at

http://www.struttandparker.co.uk/proper ... 80038.html

[60041]

I like the tale of the trip on the J39 across the Royal Border Bridge. I was always trying to get a trip, but never managed it. The nearest I got was when the fish van was shunted from the short bay at Berwick onto the front of an up passenger train, and I could sometimes beg a ride out onto the bridge far enough to clear the points and back again, about 30 yards or so! I managed to get a trip on an A3 once, but it was usually a diesel (class 40 I think) or once a Deltic. I was lucky because a friend of my parents worked in the office a Berwick Station, and he seemed to know most of the drivers.
I went to school with someone whose dad was a driver at Tweedmouth and he would sometimes give us a trip around the yard when things were quiet.
Happy days!