The Border Counties Railway

[Sassanid]

Here I am again with more difficult questions please. I have tried to find the answers on the net and at the local library, but there seems to be very little. I do have Neil Caplan's "Border Country Branch Line Album" on order which may have some of the answers, but in the meantime...

Reedsmouth, Border Counties Railway - I believe had a quite important permanent shed. It was also used to store historically important locomotives during WWII. Anyone have any ideas which ones? And what was normally based there - from the 30s through to the 60s? Any one got any ideas?

Many thanks again if someone can help or point me in the right direction.

[x568wcn]

As mentioned before,
On 14 May 1927, Gladstone was displayed in Platform 12 at Waterloo Station together with the then-new 4-6-0 No E850 Lord Nelson. During the subsequent week it was available for inspection to members at Battersea Park Shed before being hauled to York, where, on 31 May, it was ceremonially handed over to the LNER for safe keeping in the old Railway Museum. Gladstone never moved to South Kensington as had been intended and, except for storage at Reedsmouth during World War 2, remained at York.

but that is all I know

[Colombo]

Sassanid,

The lines in that area were worked by classes F8, G5, D23 and J21. For instance in 1928/9 F8 no. 172 was stationed at Reedsmouth, followed by F8 1583 from 1929 to 1936, together with J21s 1588 and 1813.

Reedsmouth engines worked the branch to Scotsgap.

See Ken Hoole's "North Eastern Branch lines since 1925".

Colombo

[Sassanid]

Thanks again guys!

In Allan Stobbs' "Memories of the LNER Rural Northumberland" he mentions, and I quote - "...yet memories of trains travelling on them remain as fresh as ever. Not least the sound of a "Scott" whistle echoing round the hills as it climbed the 1 in 100 from Deadwater to Saughtree (on the Border Counties Line). Once heard never forgotten.

What locomotive do you think he is referring to?

[richard]

The "Scotts" were a North British 4-4-0 class. The LNER gave them the classification of D29 and D30 - the latter was for the superheated version.
My pages are here:

http://www.lner.info/locos/D/d29.shtml
http://www.lner.info/locos/D/d30.shtml

They were so named because they carried names from the novels of Sir Walter Scott. This results in what must be one of the most colourfully named classes of locomotive.


Richard

[Colombo]

My favourite Scott has the most un-PC loco name of all time:.. Wandering Willie!

Colombo

[Bullhead]

I've always like "Jingling Geordie", though it doesn't have quite the double entendre quality of WW. Down the Bigg Market in Newcastle of a Friday or Saturday night you can see plenty of both!

[John B]

I always liked the name of 62427"Dumbiedykes" It's now the name of some Stalinist housing close to Queens Park and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, but I wonder if there is more behind the story??

[Colombo]

Dumbiedykes was a grasping character in The Heart of Midlothian. He was Laird of the land on which stood the farm of Jeannie Deans. JD was both a NBR and a LNWR Loco name. The HoM was the gaol in Edinburgh.

Colombo

[Bullhead]

The HoM was the gaol in Edinburgh

The site of which is still visible on the Royal Mile (or High Street, if you aren't a tourist) near St.Giles' cathedral - it is marked by a heart-shaped pattern set into the pavement. It's supposed to be good luck to spit on the heart, for some reason.

[52D]

Bullhead When you are looking for Jingling Geordie down the Haymarket watch out for 60099 & 60108 if you bump into them take 60512 and turn into a 60108 or go to the 60012