Just Trains Newcastle to Edinburgh - Now Available

[AndyB1972]

The branches to Leith Coal Reception sidings and the Powderhall line are both included.

I'm going to have to lie down in a dark room to calm down! Will be quite surreal driving my local branch line - rumbling along past Matalan, under the bridge that Seafield Road snakes over - then hold your nose for the 'Seafield Stench' as you pass the sewage works (hopefully someone will have opened the manual level crossing gates there and we won't have to hang about too long...

Been trying to find out if the branch is still in use - most recent photos/videos I've seen uploaded are from 2010-ish. Anybody know? There are some seemingly abandoned low loader-type wagons sitting there - possibly used to transport pipes?

Andy

[almark]

My section of the route is Berwick-Newcastle so I'm afraid I haven't really got a lot of research on the Edinburgh branches (Mully no doubt has),but certainly I haven't heard of any workings along the Leith branch (but then I haven't really been looking),Powderhall is still in day to day use though.

Looking forward to recreating the Oxwellmains bins with a nice 37/4 off the Fort William beds...maybe a UKTS scenario upload to go out at the same time as the route releases...?

Mark
JT

[AndyUK]

A look on Realtime Trains shows several trains in and out of Leith every day on the plan but how many actually run is another matter.

Andy L

P.S. Something ran in March last year! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/munrobagge ... otostream/)

[AndyB1972]

Thanks for looking in to that - well, seems likely the line still sees some use then. I live near it, but not in view of it and while I did use to regularly see 66-hauled coal trains if I was out and about in my car or on my bike, I haven't seen one in ages. Probably just my timing. My 2 year old is always so disappointed when we drive past the level crossing at the yard entrance and there is no sign of a train. Must check out that site and see if we can find out times, etc.

[whittaker]

Wills factory ,even down to the new housing development ,very well done

Joe Whittaker

[749006]

For the short distance, 4 miles of single track, the North Berwick branch might be of use.
We already have the 322(321) & 380 emus.

Peter

North Berwick branch is included, it was mentioned somewhere above,

Regards,

Richard

thanks Richard - missed that bit.

[749006]

Does it matter that it's technically Gateshead? If we were to apply the same logic then Manchester Victoria should be called Salford Victoria.

Why? It's in Manchester not Salford?

It's on the boundary of the City of Manchester and the City of Salford.

Calling it Salford Victoria would make as much scense as calling the south end of this route Gatshead Central

Maybe you should have a go at the chap who did North East Rails for not including much south of the Tyne.

[almark]

On the Leith South Yard subject,seems there is still a fair amount of stored wagons dumped in the sidings there...such as this Cartic,God knows how long that's been there!:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52706710@N ... WmE-fGDPG6

Cheers,
Mark
JT

[31160]

On the Leith South Yard subject,seems there is still a fair amount of stored wagons dumped in the sidings there...such as this Cartic,God knows how long that's been there!:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52706710@N ... WmE-fGDPG6

Cheers,
Mark
JT

Isnt that one of the motorail loading ramp thingys?

[almark]

On the Leith South Yard subject,seems there is still a fair amount of stored wagons dumped in the sidings there...such as this Cartic,God knows how long that's been there!:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52706710@N ... WmE-fGDPG6

Cheers,
Mark
JT

Isnt that one of the motorail loading ramp thingys?

It is indeed a mobile loading ramp used for loading car trains,there is a better image,below.

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/ ... p?id=11752

Cheers,
Mark

[rfletcher72]

It is certainly old, the underframe appears to be of a design that pre-dates BR,

Regards,

[rcetank]

The branches to Leith Coal Reception sidings and the Powderhall line are both included.

I'm going to have to lie down in a dark room to calm down! Will be quite surreal driving my local branch line - rumbling along past Matalan, under the bridge that Seafield Road snakes over - then hold your nose for the 'Seafield Stench' as you pass the sewage works (hopefully someone will have opened the manual level crossing gates there and we won't have to hang about too long...

Been trying to find out if the branch is still in use - most recent photos/videos I've seen uploaded are from 2010-ish. Anybody know? There are some seemingly abandoned low loader-type wagons sitting there - possibly used to transport pipes?

Andy

I worked on the Seafield site a few years back, a couple of times I got held up at the level crossing waiting for trains. some times if I was lucky the guy on the gate would let me pass before closing the gate across the road. Nobody ever seemed in a rush.

[AndyB1972]

This photo from 2007 shows some of the 'spine' wagons that lie abandoned in the sidings at Seafield. Apparently they were never used for any revenue-earning service. They are still there to this day, rusting behind a fence that was erected after this photo was taken. You get a good view of them from an adjacent stretch of cycle-track that was once an elevated section of Caledonian Railways' line into the docks (probably where the photographer is standing). Such a desolate, grim, dirty, run-down place today... Hard to believe there's any traffic still using the line.

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/ ... p?id=13862

[AndyB1972]

I worked on the Seafield site a few years back, a couple of times I got held up at the level crossing waiting for trains. some times if I was lucky the guy on the gate would let me pass before closing the gate across the road. Nobody ever seemed in a rush.

It's a fascinating place, the whole area must've been quite a sight in it's heyday - especially with that elevated bit of the Caledonian Railways line snaking over the city and down into the docks. I've always wanted to explore beyond Seafield level crossing and last summer I rode my bike around for as far as I dared without trespassing - but all the interesting bits were fenced off. What I did see was a bit depressing as fly-tippers and unscrupulous tyre/exhaust companies are using the place as landfill...

[rfletcher72]

This photo from 2007 shows some of the 'spine' wagons that lie abandoned in the sidings at Seafield. Apparently they were never used for any revenue-earning service. They are still there to this day, rusting behind a fence that was erected after this photo was taken.

These were intended for an Anglo-Scottish intermodal trial/service conveying Royal Mail swopbody trailers. Alas, the service never started operations and the wagons have remained at Leith ever since.

Regards,

Richard