Rothesay Pier: The inner harbour at Rothesay in 1961, with the Clyde puffer 'Invercloy' in the foreground and the fine Victorian pier terminal building as backdrop. The clock tower was destroyed by fire in 1962, and the building demolished thereafter.

Barrow Hill Shed: Royal Scot no 46164 'The Artists' Rifleman' on shed at Barrow Hill in April 1962.

Clarkston East Junction: BR Standard tank 80021 climbs past the site of Clarkston East Junction on 8 April 1963 heading for East Kilbride. [Ref query 6574]

Polkemmet Colliery: BR Standard class 3MT 2-6-0 77005 stalled while taking Scottish Rambler No 5 towards Polkemmet Colliery on 8 April 1966. The engine is seen here restarting after the train of 12 brake vans was divided.

Milton Junction [Glasgow]: Standard Class 3MT 2-6-0 77005 brings the Scottish Rambler No 5 brakevan railtour past Milton Junction on a murky 8th April 1966.

Paisley Gilmour Street: Standard 2-6-4 tank No 80054 (of Hornby Dublo fame) makes a smoky entry to Paisley Gilmour Street on 8 April 1966 with a train from Gourock. Note the partly hidden Stoneybrae signal box in the background.

Cleland: BR Standard class 3 2-6-0 no 77012 with the Scottish Rambler no 5 brakevan tour of 8 April 1966. The photograph is thought to have been taken at Cleland during a photostop on the trip from Springburn to Polkemmet Colliery. [Ref query 10138]

Polkemmet Colliery: The 12 brake vans of Scottish Rambler No 5 railtour head for Polkemmet Colliery, Whitburn, on 8 April 1966 behind BR standard class 3MT 2-6-0 no 77005.

Kingshill Colliery No 1: Scottish Rambler No 5 poses at Kingshill Colliery on 8 April 1966 with BR standard class 3 no 77005 in charge of 12 brake vans.

Paisley Gilmour Street: Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No 80045 enters Paisley Gilmour Street station on 8 April 1966 with a Glasgow Central to Gourock train. The impressive signal gantry at Wallneuk can just be seen in the background.

Busby: The 5.8pm service from St Enoch about to enter Busby station on 8 April 1966. Locomotive in charge is Corkerhill standard class 4 tank 80004.

Kingshill Colliery No 1: Standard class 3 mogul 77005 of Motherwell shed stands at Kingshill Colliery with Scottish Rambler No 5 railtour on 8 April 1966.

Milton Junction [Glasgow]: Standard Class 3MT 2-6-0 77005 brings the Scottish Rambler No 5 railtour past Milton Junction on Saturday 8th April 1966, when the weather was just awful. For some reason the locomotive was sporting a shorter chimney than usual, perhaps borrowed from a Standard class 4 or 5. I don’t know what had brought this about.

Busby: Standard 2-6-4T 80130 at Busby on 8 April 1966 with the 5.33pm from St Enoch about to collect the tablet before continuing its journey to East Kilbride.

Noblehill Junction: The Perth - Kensington Olympia Motorail service starts to pick up after passing through Dumfries station in April 1971 and is about to run past Dumfries South box. View is north west towards the town centre, with the distinctive outline of St Mary's parish church on the extreme right of the picture.

Dumfries: A northbound service leaving Dumfries for Glasgow on an overcast morning in April 1971. Note the Type 2s stabled for the weekend in the former Kirkcudbright and Stranraer bays on the right. For a painting based on this photograph see image [[22888]].

Dumfries: Holbeck 'Peak' no 16 calls at Dumfries with the 15.25 Glasgow Central - Leeds in the spring of 1971.

Martinton Bridge: A 'Peak' takes the down Thames Clyde Express across the 1850 Martinton Bridge over the River Nith shortly after leaving Dumfries in the spring of 1971.

Preston: Two early Class 40s at the signal gantry to the south of Preston station in 1980. These signals control the reduction from six tracks to four and 40028, formerly Samaria, on the Up Goods line has been given the road ahead of 40010 once named Empress of Britain. 40028 only lasted another fifteen months in service before withdrawal from Kingmoor but 40010 continued until October 1984 when it was withdrawn from Longsight.

Manningtree: The curved platform at Manningtree gives the driver of Norwich-bound 47 605 a good view of proceedings on April 8th 1985. Electrification work was nearing completion for the 'switch-on' to Ipswich and Harwich. The remaining section to Norwich was completed the following year and Class 47s were destined to be replaced by Class 86s on London-Norwich services.

Millerhill South Junction: My first photo of a 66... 66050 parked in the headshunt near the wagon shops at the south end of Millerhill Yard, on 8 April 1999.

Dahuichang Limestone Works: An 0-8-0 metre gauge locomotive at the Dahuichang Limestone works on the outskirts of Beijing on 8 April 2000. I understand one of these is now back in the UK. Ugly is an understatement.

Chengde: SY 2-8-2 No 1493 outbound from Chengde, north of Beijing, on 8 April 2000. A steady procession of heavy coal trains left the China Rail sidings at Chengde for a steel works up this branchline. Being China, every inch of space is used and  where the line ran through suburbia, the back door was roughly at the sleeper end. The average train weighed 2000 tons and the gradient out of town was severe enough to warrant a train engine and two bankers for about six miles. The returning bankers were lethal as they dropped off the train and drifted silently back down to the sidings. See image [[32581]]

Chengde: Here come the bankers... see image [[32569]]. Further action at Chengde on 8 April 2000 with the two bankers assisting SY1493 on the climb - JS 2-8-2's Nos 6227 & 6403 - about to charge past the photographer.

Daihuchang: The narrow gauge railway at Daihuchang, China, in April 2000. A C Class 0-8-0 tender engine in action hauling limestone to a local steel mill.

Buckfastleigh: GWR 0-4-2T no 1420 running round at Buckfastleigh on the South Devon Railway on 8th April 2001.

Goathland: BR Sandard 4MT 2-6-0 76079 with a train at Goathland station on the NYMR in April 2004.

Loanhead: Remains of Loanhead station in April 2004, following opening of a surfaced walkway along part of the trackbed behind the camera as far as Roslin.

Sanquhar: The station building at Sanquhar in April 2006 looking rather forlorn. Happily, work on restoration of the structure is currently well advanced.

Bellgrove: View east over the entrance to Bellgrove station on a Sunday morning in April 2007 looking like somebody opened the wrong door on a pigeon special!

Kelvinhall [Subway]: Entrance to Kelvinhall Subway station from Dumbarton Road in April 2007. See image [[30572]]

Charing Cross [GC and DR]: Approach to Glasgow's Charing Cross station in April 2007 looking across Elmbank Crescent.

Anderston: Looking west along Argyle Street towards Anderston station in April 2007.

St Georges Cross [Subway]: St Georges Cross Subway, 8 April 2007, looking towards Great Western Road.

Preston: The 1545 Voyager to Motherwell stands at Preston on 8 April.

Westburn Viaduct: The sandstone piers and lattice deck girders of Westburn Viaduct, Carmyle, photographed in April 2007 looking south across the Clyde. The line closed in 1983.

Westburn Viaduct: View of Westburn Viaduct from the north bank of the Clyde at Carmyle in April 2007. The signal box which once stood at the south end controlled Westburn Junction where the L&A spur from Kirkhill joined the GCR line from Newton to make the crossing.

Westburn Viaduct: Looking east along the Clyde at Carmyle towards Westburn Viaduct in April 2007. The viaduct closed in May 1983 following the end of the freights between Carmyle Junction and Westburn Junction serving British Steel, Cambuslang.

Hillhead [Subway]: 'Smile...' Hillhead SPT Subway station looking east across Byres Road early one Sunday morning in April 2007.

Cowcaddens [Subway]: Cowcaddens Subway station, Sunday 8 April 2007.

Cowcaddens [Subway]: Sunrise over Cowcaddens. April 2007.

High Street Junction: Looking west over High Street East Junction towards High Street station and Glasgow city centre on 8 April 2007. After crossing the Clyde the CGU line comes in on the left to join the GCDR, while the line from High Street to Bridgeton Central passed under the formation in Gallowgate Tunnel. In the background stood the great goods depots of College (left) and High Street (right) with the massive warehouse of the former now standing as flats in the left background.

Argyle Street: Sunday morning on Argyle Street, 8 April 2007.

Edinburgh Waverley: SPT class 156 at Waverley platform 10.

Dundee: First ScotRail 170 pulls into platform 3 at Dundee.

Edinburgh Waverley: EWS works train at Waverley.

Edinburgh Waverley: A meeting of generations - a GNER HST and Virgin Voyager both about to head south.

Bellgrove: View north east across Bellgrove Street on 8 April 2007 as one of the first Sunday morning customers of the day prepares to descend the steps to the platform.

High Street Junction: View towards Bellgrove from High Street Junction on 8 April 2007 above the point wher e the CGU line from Gallowgate joined up with the GCDR. Note the original width of the trackbed at this point. The major goods depots at High Street and College stood behind the camera.

Fort William Junction Yard: Fort William - Mossend freight (consist 12 Alcan PCA and 5 TTA tanks) being reversed out of Fort William yard by EWS 66099 on 8 April 2008.

Leyland: The Great Britain II railtour with 34067 Tangmere which hauled the Bristol to Preston leg on 08 April 2009. It is seen here running effortlessly through Leyland at the end of that leg on the Down Fast line.

Markinch: The afternoon northbound East Coast HST about to race through Markinch station on 8 April 2010.

Didcot Parkway: 165102 calls at Didcot on 8 April 2010 on a Paddington - Oxford working. New exhaust system?... maybe not..

Cholsey: A CrossCountry service photographed at Cholsey, Oxfordshire, on 8 April 2010.

Balshaw Lane Junction: Black 5 no 44871 pilots Britannia 70013 Oliver Cromwell towards the end of day 3 of The Great Britain III tour of 2010 as it approaches Balshaw Lane Junction on 8 April, running some 110 minutes later than expected.

Didcot Parkway: Scene at Didcot on 8 April 2010 as a Paddington bound First Great Western 165 DMU coming off the Oxford line passes 66024 on a freight.

Ladybank: A Dundee-Edinburgh service, formed by 170428, calls at Ladybank on 8 April 2010.

Aberdour: 67021 nears Aberdour with the empty stock of the 17.21 Edinburgh - Cardenden service on 8 April. See image [[28405]].

Cholsey: A pair of class 66 locomotives, led by 66138, with westbound oil tanks through Cholsey in April 2010. The tanks are destined for the Westerleigh oil depot near Yate.

Irvine Harbour: Peter Ovenstone, Chairman of the Railway Heritage Committee presents the painting Kyles of Bute by Alasdair MacFarlane, on behalf of owner BRB (Residuary) Ltd to Sam Galbraith, chairman of trustees at the Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine.

Cholsey: Arriva X-Country 221138, eastbound at Cholsey on the Great Western main line, bound for Reading and probably the south coast on 8 April 2010.

West Ferry: 170 418 has just past the former station at West Ferry on 8 April 2011 as it heads south towards Dundee.

Magdalen Green: DRS 66423 with the 4A13 Grangemouth - Aberdeen intermodal, seen on 8 April near the site of the former Magdalen Green station on the western approach to Dundee.

Dalgety Bay: 67007 coasts downhill towards Dalgety Bay on 8 April with the Edinburgh - Fife - Edinburgh evening commuter train.

West Ferry: The 4A13 Grangemouth - Aberdeen intermodal train, hauled by DRS 66423, seen heading north from Dundee near West Ferry on 8 April 2011.

Cardrona: Looking south east along the trackbed of the Peebles Railway towards Cardrona on 8 April 2011. Standing on top of the hill to the left are the ruins of Horsburgh Castle, a sixteenth century tower house.

Hest Bank: Light engine movement at Hest Bank as Freightliner 66545 heads south over the level crossing. The line between Lancaster and Carnforth is very busy and the crossing barriers at Hest Bank and Bolton-le-Sands are often down for lengthy periods while several trains pass.

Murraygate [Dundee]: Dundee City centre has a short stretch of redundant tramway (just like Edinburgh!) from the system closed in 1956. This is Murraygate on 8 April.

Horsbrugh Viaduct: View south across the River Tweed on a warm and sunny 8 April 2011 towards the former station at Cardrona. The converted station building, now a general store, stands just beyond the other end of the bridge. As can be seen from the sign, much of the surrounding area now forms part of the local golf course.

Dalgety Bay: 158 725 about to leave Dalgety Bay station on 8 April 2011.

Carnforth: Restored 'Jubilee' 4-6-0 no 45699 Galatea at Carnforth station on 8 April 2013 prior to undertaking an initial test run to Hellifield See image [[59244]].

National Railway Museum York: Preserved Gresley EM1 1500V dc locomotive 26020 (latterly BR class 76 no 76020) at the National Railway Museum, York, in April 2013.

Gogar Tram Depot: View over the Gogar Tram Depot, Edinburgh, on 8 April 2013. The tram on the far left was being tested at the time.

Gogar Tram Depot: Trams 'In-Line' at Gogar Tram Depot on 8 April 2013.

National Railway Museum York: Gresley A4 Pacific no 60008 Dwight D Eisenhower at the NRM, York, on 8 April.

Carnforth: 45699 Galatea rolling slowly through the platform line Carnforth on 8 April at the start of its first mainline test run to Hellifield see image [[42647]].

National Railway Museum York: Bulleid Q1 0-6-0 no C1 on display in the National Railway Museum, York, on 8 April 2013.

National Railway Museum York: Flying Scotsman in the NRM workshops at York on 8 April 2013. The locomotive is in wartime black livery and carrying the number 502 on the buffer beam (the number it carried in the early part of 1946). The latest overhaul has been the subject of much criticism - see recent news item.

Kensington Olympia: 59204 heading north through Kensington (Olympia) on 8th April 2014.

Gospel Oak: Colas Rail Freight 66847 doing a Sir Cliff Richard, 'Travelling Light' as it heads east past Gospel Oak onto the Barking line, on 8th April 2014. The scene here has now changed with the addition of overhead wires.

Kensington Olympia: LMS Stanier Black 5 no. 44932 arriving at Kensington (Olympia) with Steam Dreams 'The Cathedrals Express', from Ashford International to Winchester, on 8th April 2014. Built at Horwich Works, it entered service in 1945 and was withdrawn in August 1968 and immediately sold for preservation.

Hexham: Right away at Hexham on 8 April 2014. View east from platform 2.

West End - Princes Street [Tram]: Tram 265 heads west along Atholl Place on 8 April.

Coventry Arena: Progress at Coventry Arena station on 8 April 2015. The Northbound platform appears almost complete and there is some new brickwork in place on the Southbound platform. Completion of the new station is expected by June 2015. See image [[50538]].

Bermuda Park: Evening view South at the new Bermuda Park station between Nuneaton and Coventry on 8 April 2015 see image [[50607]]. The Southbound platform is substantially complete, with supports for the Northbound platform now in place. Opening is due in one month.

Rosyth: DRS 68004 on the 17.08 from Edinburgh meets 158732 heading in the opposite direction at Rosyth, on 8 April 2015.

Geilston Level Crossing: GBRf 66737 passes over Geilston Level Crossing, just west of Cardross.

Coventry: A Voyager for the sunny South Coast enjoys a gap in the rain as it approaches platform 2 at Coventry in April 2016. It will shortly swing right and pass through Kenilworth without stopping on its way to Leamington Spa.

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Large hoardings on the concourse screen the public from the Queen Street works.

Martholme Viaduct: The tall and curving Martholme Viaduct, on the old Padiham Loop, seen at track level looking towards Great Harwood in 2016. See image [[20590]] taken at river bank level. It carried its last train over the River Calder in 1964 but in 2018 Railway Paths carried out work to reopen the viaduct carrying a cycle route. [Ref query 5 January 2018]

Garstang and Catterall: 46100 Royal Scot passes through the site of Garstang and Catterall station on a movement from Crewe to Carnforth on 8th April 2016. The 4-6-0 worked a Cumbrian Coast Express the following day.

Whalley Viaduct: A Clitheroe bound Northern Sprinter passes the ancient Whalley Abbey gatehouse as it slows for the station, which is just at the northern end of the 48 arch viaduct.

Bermuda Park: The driver of this Southbound freight had to take it easy around the curve in the background, but now has the hammer down, as I believe those American truck driver chappies say. Loco is Freightliner 66570, looking towards Nuneaton. [Ref query 11 January 2018]

Hyndland East Junction: Safety 365. Impressive artwork at Jordanhill in the 'v' of Hyndland East Junction.

Bedworth: 66.002 does its best impression of a guard dog as it sits in the throat of the Murco oil depot at Coundon Road. see image [[50675]] View looks North. Notice that the train has been divided to facilitate unloading.

Coventry: A Voyager from the South looks for shelter from the rain as it approaches Coventry from the Leamington Spa direction. See image [[74046]] for the opposing movement.

Christon Bank: Looking west towards the level crossing over the ECML. The grassy verge was the course of a 2'9' gauge tramway to Embleton Quarry, a mile and a half away, which entered Christon Bank goods yard just beyond the road junction, to the left. It operated from about 1895 to 1941.

Christon Bank: The handsome station building and goods shed at Christon Bank, a few miles south of Chathill on the ECML, closed to passengers on 15 September 1958 and goods on 7 June 1965.

Coventry Arena: 66571 looks very purposeful as it hauls a container train through Coventry Arena towards Coventry on 8th April 2016. Compare to image [[35643]]

Ravenglass: Two gauges at Ravenglass: the narrow gauge viewed from a train on the standard gauge railway. The signal box, although in good condition, no longer controls trains.

Grantown-on-Spey East: Refurbishment work continues apace at Grantown-on-Spey (East).

Golborne South: 88002 'Prometheus' passed here northwards yesterday on what may be its final loaded test train ... consist of loaded stone wagons with 68025 'Superb' tucked in behind 'Prometheus' for insurance. Spot on time as seen on all these outings, so looking like no problems encountered. So we should see these powerful electro-diesels out and about on the WCML ere long.

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: 5 days in, these items spied lying in the yard area in Dundas Street are the only signs of progress on the rebuilding work at Queen Street Station.

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Quick shot through the window of the temporary Travel Centre which has been constructed opposite the Dundas Street entrance to the station. This was formerly The Vale pub.

Marchwood Military Port: View from UK Railtours' excursion from Waterloo, heading down the Fawley branch on 8th April 2017, passing the junction with a still intact section of the Marchwood Military Railway that opened in 1939 from just south of Marchwood station to Cracknore Hard. Much of the eastern end of this line has been abandoned and obliterated but these few yards still existed at the time of this photo. The Fawley branch itself closed to regular passenger traffic on 14th February 1966 but 21st Century attempts to reopen the line, at least as far as Hythe, have so far not come to fruition.

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: April 2017 view of the former car park area at Queen Street where construction of the new staff facilities is due to start shortly.

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Consort House, the former HQ of SPT, is due to be demolished as part of the Queen Street station rebuilding project. I tried very hard to make it look like an attractive building in the photograph but my efforts were doomed to failure, and for some reason I suddenly felt hungry for a waffle.

Glasgow Queen Street High Level: The OHLE gantry with the isolation switches at the station throat blends well with the Modernist look of the Buchanan Galleries car park link corridor.

Marchwood: UK Railtours excursion from Waterloo passing Marchwood station, on the Fawley branch in Hampshire, heading towards Fawley on 8th April 2017. The line and station closed to regular passenger traffic on 14th February 1966. Attempts to reopen the line to passengers as far as Hythe, which would include Marchwood, have so far not met with any success. (See recent news item.)

Gorebridge: A 4-car 158 combination forming a Sunday morning service from Tweedbank calls at Gorebridge on 8 April 2018, with the rear of the train alongside the south entrance constructed for the station reopening in 2015. The cars parked along the upper left of the picture belong to the congregation of St Margaret's Church, just visible through the trees, the station car park being located beyond the far end of the platform.

Inverkeithing East Junction: DBC 66230 passes Inverkeithing East Junction, bound for Millerhill, with a short train of track panels recovered from between Perth and Dundee. 8 April 2018.

Gorebridge: ScotRail 158739+158730 forming the 0945 ex-Tweedbank approaching Gorebridge on its way to Edinburgh on Sunday 8 April 2018. The train has just passed below the 'footbridge in a field' see image [[54218]].

Gore Glen Bridge: ScotRail 170409 photographed running south midway between Newtongrange and Gorebridge on 8 April 2018. The train is the 1011 (Sunday) Edinburgh Waverley - Tweedbank.

Colzium House: The narrow gauge railway in the grounds of Colzium House.

Dalfaber Level Crossing: The Strathspey Railway's Sunday Lunch Special, pictured north of Aviemore, hauled by Class 27 No. D5394 in BR green.This train is usually steam hauled, depending on availability.

Broomhill Junction: A fine sunny morning finds Caledonian Railway 0-6-0 No.828 with the first train of the day from Aviemore to Broomhill. Pictured just past Fisherman's Crossing, north of Boat of Garten. In the background,The River Spey and the Cairngorms.

Gore Glen Bridge: A ScotRail DMU runs south through the Gore Glen during the morning of 8 April 2018 with a Tweedbank service.

West Auckland: The view east from the site of West Auckland station. On the right is the formation of the original Stockton and Darlington line to Shildon, via the rope worked Brusselton Inclines. The bridge abutments that can be seen used to carry the Gaunless Bridge over the river of the same name. This was one of the world's first iron railway bridges and is now an exhibit at the National Railway Museum in York. Curving left is the trackbed of the line to Bishop Auckland and it was the opening of this line, and a chord to Shildon, that allowed the Brusselton line to close in 1858. The Bishop Auckland to Barnard Castle line, and West Auckland station, closed to passengers in 1962.

Boat of Garten: Boat of Garten Railway Station, looking south towards Aviemore, in April 2018.

Falahill Summit: A Sunday morning service on the Borders Railway passing Falahill Village on 8 April 2018. Photographed from alongside the A7, below which the train is about to pass see image [[56265]]. [Ref query 8 April 2018]

West Auckland: The station site at West Auckland, looking south west on the line towards Barnard Castle in April 2018. Apparently there were two platforms here, but they both faced the same direction, a curious arrangement. The line closed in 1962 and only Station House survives. [Ref query 10 April 2018]

Inverness: A pristine looking 170470 sits in platform 2 at Inverness. This was one of the units painted in SPT livery, though they were repainted a few years ago. The rest of the batch were transferred away to Arriva North leaving this one and 170471 left with ScotRail.

Blaenau Ffestiniog [FR]: Special train to Caernarfon via the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, double-headed by 'Linda' and 'Blanche' as far as Porthmadog, just departed from Blaenau Ffestiniog on 6th April 2019.

Harome Siding: A moderate distance north of Harome Sidings there were two bridges in close proximity to each other, one a narrow humped farm access road overbridge and the next an accommodation/ footpath rail overbridge. The humped bridge has been demolished as it was unsuitable for larger farm equipment, but the other bridge is still fully extant. View is looking south from bridge HMY8 along the embankment running towards site of bridge HMY 7 and Harome Siding. See images [[74126]] and [[74246]]

Wanton Walls Junction: Both bridge abutments immediately to the north of the junction remain; here is the northern one seen on 8 April 2020. Wanton Walls farmstead has recently been demolished to make way for housing (built by a strangely named company) but as can be seen the name will live on. Photographed incidental to my daily exercise permitted under emergency Coronavirus legislation.

Harome Siding: A moderate distance north of Harome Sidings there were two bridges in close proximity to each other, one a narrow humped farm access road overbridge and the next an accommodation/ footpath rail overbridge. The humped bridge has been demolished as it was unsuitable for larger farm equipment, but the other bridge is still fully extant. This is a view looking east to bridge HMY8, that crosses a combined farm track and public footpath.

Harome Siding: A moderate distance north of Harome Sidings there were two bridges in close proximity to each other, one a narrow humped farm access road overbridge and the next an accommodation and footpath rail overbridge. The humped bridge has been demolished as it was unsuitable for larger farm equipment, but the other bridge is still fully extant. This view is of the remaining stone from the humped overbridge HMY7. I was advised by the farm owner that the better pieces of stone were used in the construction of a shop front in Helmsley; which I hope to get a view of as Covid rules are relaxed. See image [[74272]]

Harome Siding: A moderate distance north of Harome Siding there were two bridges in close proximity to each other, one a skew farm access road overbridge and the next an accommodation/ footpath rail overbridge. The skew bridge has been demolished as it was unsuitable for larger farm equipment, but the other bridge is still fully extant. View is looking north from bridge HMY8 along the embankment running towards Helmsley

Harome Siding: A moderate distance north of Harome Sidings there were two bridges in close proximity to each other, one a narrow humped farm access road overbridge and the next an accommodation/ footpath rail overbridge. The humped bridge has been demolished as it was unsuitable to larger farm equipment, but the other bridge is still fully extant. View is looking south across bridge HMY8, towards location of demolished bridge HMY7 and beyond Harome Siding.

Niddrie North Junction [Lothian Lines]: A look north west along the course of the Lothian Lines 'main' line. Wanton Walls junction was behind me, Niddrie North was (and is) ahead. The tarred path could easily continue to the point where it meets the next street but for some reason (that pylon?) we are encouraged to vere off. Photographed incidental to my daily exercise permitted under emergency Coronavirus legislation.

Harome Siding: A moderate distance north of Harome Siding there were two bridges in close proximity to each other, one a narrow humped farm access road overbridge and the next an accommodation/ footpath rail overbridge. The humped bridge has been demolished as it was unsuitable to larger farm equipment, but the other bridge is still fully extant. This view is looking west along the farm access road, to where the narrow humped bridge crossed the railway which ran across view just beyond the pile of aggregate seen to the left. This was bridge HMY7. A small pile of assorted stone, near the trackbed to the right of the access road, is the only remnant from the bridge's existence. See image [[74158]]

Craigentinny Depot: The shed of Craigentinny Wheel Lathe is a great deal shorter than most trains it has to deal with. There is therefore nowhere for this TPE Class 802 to hide its face while having its nether regions attended to on 8 April 2021.

Prospect Place Foot Crossing: 66428 'Carlisle Eden Mind' passing through Pitlochry with the Inverness to Mossend 'Tesco' on 8th April 2022.

Tweedbank: They say a good way to gauge the key issues of the day from an an old photograph is to study the content of any billboards featured in the picture. This photograph, taken through the mesh fence alongside Tweedbank station in the spring of 2022, shows a trio of topical themes, captured here for posterity. The first is one of the many covid warnings issued at that time, stressing the importance of wearing a face mask. The second concerns the need to make journeys safer by not consuming alcohol in stations or on trains. The third, ostensibly about the availability of up-to-date timetable information online, takes the opportunity to re-emphasise the face mask message.

Fountainhall: The site of the level crossing at the former Fountainhall station on the Waverley route. View is east, in April 2022, more than 53 years after closure, with the old road linking the village with the A7 now a dead end bypassed by a modern overbridge off to the left. What was the original station house is now a boarded up and abandoned shell, with trains on the Borders Railway running non-stop past the site beyond the fence.

Tweedbank: ScotRail 170408 standing in platform 2 at Tweedbank terminus on 8 April 2022.

Galashiels: The 1425 ex-Edinburgh Waverley pulls away from the platform at Galashiels on 8 April 2022 as it sets off on the final two mile leg of its journey to Tweedbank. Note the site on the left alongside the Interchange, occupied for many years by the distinctive Abbotsford Arms Hotel, has now been cleared (see image [[46452]]).

Pitlochry: Late evening view of the former Pitlochry signal cabin in April 2022, taken from the Platform 2 access ramp. Very much cut off from the railway now by the platform extensions, see image [[15838]] from 2007 of the cabin in operational days.

Crawford: One man and his dog watch 88009 'Diana' wheel the northbound 'Tesco' through the Clyde Valley at Crawford on 8th April 2022.

Stow: The ScotRail 1425 ex - Edinburgh Waverley about to call at Stow on 8 April 2022. Note the blue community award plaque attached to the wall alongside the door of the old station house.

Ladhope Tunnel: Shortly after making its first scheduled stop at Galashiels on 8 April 2022, the 1529 ex-Tweedbank accelerates away from Ladhope Tunnel on its journey north.

Pitlochry: On 8th April, 67023 was used by GBRf on the Highland Sleeper for the first time travelling north to Inverness in the morning and returning with the southbound service that night. Still in debranded Colas livery from its days on Network Rail test trains, 67023 is seen southbound at Pitlochry. Although 67s were regularly used with MkIII sleeper coaches ([[46922]]), I understand the loco will need to be fitted with Dellner couplings and the ETS has to be modified to work directly with the MkV coaches and 73966 was coupled inside and providing ETS. 67023 will probably be reliveried when the modifications take place. Postscript: The return trip the following morning reverted to the more usual 66/7 and 73 combination.

Kilbagie Papermill: Freightliner 66554 passes the former Kilbagie Mill siding, with an empty ballast from Thornton (for the Levenmouth branch) to Ravenstruther, on 8th April 2022. This runs on a circuit every weekday, stopping overnight at Millerhill and delivering the ballast the following morning.

Pitlochry: 73966 roaring in Pitlochry station providing ETS for the Sleeper with 67027 as train engine. A one off (for the time being) working on 8th April 2022 before the train reverted to the more usual 66/73 combination. The narrow 'Hastings Line' profile of the 73s is very noticeable against other locos and the CAF sleeper stock.