This day in history 06 November
Images
Waulkmill Glen Viaduct: On a misty November morning in 1948, Caley Jumbo 57307 of Hamilton (West) shed takes a freight over Waulkmill Glen Viaduct between Patterton and the former Lyoncross Junction.
Parkhead Shed: First day of the Blue Trains and a set heads for Dalmuir on 6th November 1960.
Riccarton Junction: Britannia Pacific no 70018 Flying Dutchman on the 12 noon Edinburgh-Carlisle at Riccarton Junction on 6th November 1961. This class was a daily sight on the Waverley Route during the brief sojourn of 70018 and classmate 70016 Ariel at Carlisle Canal Shed from September 1961 until May 1962, and then on a less regular basis while operating from Kingmoor between 1963 and November 1967, when the last known Britannia working over the line took place just a few weeks before the closure of 12A on 1st January 1968. [The young admirer is David Spaven.]
Riccarton Junction: A lightly-loaded southbound goods drifts into Riccarton Junction on the afternoon of Monday 6th November 1961, headed by Black Five No. 45330. Just to the right of the loco is evidence of recent rationalisation of the track layout, possibly a consequence of the closure of the Border Counties line to freight three years earlier.
Buchanan Street: Last day at Buchanan Street, with a Sulzer Type 2 (Class 24) in the foreground.
Buchanan Street: Last day at Buchanan Street, where at least there was plenty of open ventilation for the clouds of exhaust from the departing Swindon diesel unit. Diesel fumes would have rather less room to escape after the next morning's switch to Queen Street High Level.
Mistley: Numerous holiday trains from the Midlands to Clacton and Walton could have passed beneath this brickwork - if only the line had not been abandoned while half completed. In November 1977, this infilled bridge east of Mistley was one of the few tangible remains of the Mistley, Thorpe and Walton railway whose construction was abandoned after the contractor was forcibly removed from the works in 1869. The line would have allowed excursion trains from the Midlands to reach Walton (and then Clacton) directly via Ely, Bury St Edmunds and Manningtree north curve without reversal. In the event, Walton and Clacton became primarily a destination for holidaying Londoners while the Midlanders mostly headed to Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Newport: 45106 calls at platform 2 of Newport station on 6 November 1982. Note the mailbags being transferred.
Hereford: Stanier Coronation Pacific no 46229 Duchess of Hamilton northbound out of Hereford with the Welsh Marches Pullman on 6 November 1982.
Torrington: The end. The 'Last Train to Torrington' railtour following arrival at Torrington station on 6 November 1982. The locomotive is 31174, with 31158 on the other end of the train.
Torrington: BR souvenir ticket for the last train to Torrington, Saturday 6 November 1982. See image [[12884]]
Killiecrankie Viaduct: SRPS Railtours' 'The Highlander' from Edinburgh to Inverness, hauled by 44871 rolls across the viaduct and approaches Killiecrankie Tunnel on 6 November 1993
Perth New Yard: 08883 shunts engineers wagons at Perth New Yard on 6 November 1997 see image [[22580]].
Maud: Approach to Maud station in November 2006. View is south with the Peterhead route to the left and Fraserburgh to the right.
Inverurie: Main station building at Inverurie from the car park on the afternoon of 6 November 2006.
Longside: Not the station, but called Station House, Longside - view north in November 2006. It was not the station itself, this was to the west of station and over bridge. It has been substantially rebuilt since this photograph was taken.
Inverurie: Looking south across the platforms at Inverurie in November 2006. The recent refurbishment and repainting work included the footbridge.
Inverurie: Inverness - Aberdeen service leaves Inverurie in November 2006.
Maud: Surviving turntable pit to the south of Maud Junction in November 2006.
Oldmeldrum: The listed station building at Oldmeldrum (renamed from Old Meldrum in 1902) photographed in November 2006, with the surrounding site in use as a garage. The wooden building appears to be in remarkably good condition considering the station closed in 1931. Approval has been obtained from Aberdeenshire Council and Historic Scotland to relocate this building to Milton of Crathes on the Deeside line. See image [[40765]]
Dyce: A ScotRail 158 bound for Aberdeen stands at Dyce on 6 November 2006.
Inverurie: Looking south along the main platform at Inverurie with its refurbished canopy and fresh paintwork in November 2006.
Inverurie: Aberdeen - Inverness service at Inverurie in November 2006.
Cruden Bay: The former station masters house at Cruden Bay in November 2006.
Newmachar: Looking north along the trackbed at Newmachar in November 2006.
Water of Cruden Viaduct: Looking east towards Cruden Bay from Golf Road in November 2006 showing The remains of the viaduct that carried the Boddam branch over the Water of Cruden. The branch from Ellon closed in 1948.
Oldmeldrum: The station building at Oldmeldrum in November 2006, soon to be moved to Milton of Crathes on the Deeside line.
Oldmeldrum: Evening sun on Oldmeldrum station in November 2006.
Inverurie: About to leave Inverurie for Inverness on an Autumn afternoon in 2006.
Dyce: The impressive Dyce signal box, November 2006.
Inverurie: A late afternoon Aberdeen - Inverness train leaves Inverurie on 6 November 2006 and heads north west towards Inveramsay.
Gretna Green: A Glasgow Central - Carlisle DMU about to call at Gretna Green on 6 November 2007. As can be seen, redoubling work on the 8 mile Annan - Gretna section was underway at this time, with the project scheduled for completion by August the following year. Meantime a northbound service is being held on the other side of the road bridge in the background waiting for the single line section to clear.
Bowness: Seen through the trees at Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria, in November 2007 is the former Bowness station. Opened in 1870 and closed in May 1921 it was the last station before crossing the England-Scotland border on the Solway Viaduct.
Solway Viaduct: Part of the 440 yard long sea embankment that formed the southern approach to the Solway Viaduct, seen in November 2007, with the last of the cast iron piers still standing. Some 5 miles away on the north shore is the decommissioned Chapelcross nuclear power station. Although the cooling towers were demolished earlier in 2007 the four Magnox reactor halls still stand. The last train crossed the Solway Viaduct in August 1921 and it was finally demolished by Arnott Young & Co of Glasgow in 1934/5.
Homerton: 313120 from Stratford to Richmond, arriving at Homerton station on 6th November 2007. The line here opened in 1850 with Homerton station being added in 1868; both closed to passengers after heavy war damage in 1944. The line was reopened to passengers in 1979 with a new station at Homerton, on the site of the previous station, opening in 1985.
Solway Viaduct: Standing at the end of the embankment at Bowness-on-Solway on 6 November 2007 looking north across the border to the shoreline at Annan. After clearing the northern embankment the line climbed to Shawhill Junction which gave a choice of G&SW or Caledonian routes north. On the right of the trackbed is the pipeline built to carry waste water down to the Solway from Chapelcross nuclear power station - see [[17107]].
Solway Viaduct: View north from Bowness towards the Solway Firth showing part of the west side of the sea embankment that once carried the railway out onto the Solway Viaduct. The image provides an indication of the amount of stone used in the construction of the 440 yard long sea embankment.
Solway Viaduct: Last stand. Rusting cast iron columns and oxide stained rocks mark the southern remains of the Solway Viaduct. View across the firth towards the town of Annan in November 2007. Eagle-eyed observers may be able to make out the corresponding embankment on the north shore, which is situated approximately 1.1 miles from the camera position.
Solway Viaduct: Surviving piers of the Solway Viaduct stand at the end of the embankment on the Cumbrian shore on 6 November 2007.
Solway Viaduct: View north across the Solway Firth on 6 November showing the remains of the embankments that once supported the Solway viaduct. The metal structure top right is/was used by cockle gatherers in the area.
Gretna Green: A green light and a wave for a Glasgow - Carlisle DMU on the western approach to Gretna Green on 6 November 2007. In the right foreground is part of the workforce engaged on the Annan - Gretna re-doubling project.
Gretna Green: Widening work underway in connection with the Annan - Gretna redoubling project approximately one mile west of Gretna Green station in November 2007. View is towards Annan as a Carlisle - Glasgow Central service eases slowly past the activities.
Kielder Water: One of the coaches for use on the proposed Green Dragon railway displayed at Leaplish Waterside Park on Kielder Water in November 2007. Two narrow gauge, wood-burning, locomotives have been acquired to haul the trains, one of which, The Green Dragon, has given its name to the proposed line. See image [[17590]]
Kielder Water: Proposed route of the Green Dragon narrow gauge railway at the northern end of Kielder Water which could see trains running once again over the historic 150 year old Kielder Viaduct on a route between Kielder Castle and a ferry connection point at Gowanburn on the east side of the reservoir. See image [[17589]].
Cadder Yard: looking towards the yard at Cadder this SPT livered 170 about to pass over the trailing points
Cadder Yard: Falkirk Grahamston service just leaving the Up Slow at Cadder
Gretna [CR]: A southbound Voyager, having just run through Gretna Junction, heads south past the former Gretna station and on towards Carlisle on a wet 6 November 2007.
Leith Walk: Sign of the times 'Leith Walk' November 2008. (No sign of rails yet ...)
Bathgate Central Junction: View west from the new Bathgate station on 6 November 2010, with the line into the former single platform terminus now severed.
Kinghorn: Shale oil production is mainly associated with West Lothian, but the shale stratum carries on under the Forth to make it into Fife (just) and there was a pit and works at Binnend, behind Burntisland. Production lasted a mere 16 years until 1893/4. The two mile branch built to serve it opened in 1887, so had an even shorter working life. Not surprisingly faith and imagination is needed to follow most of its course today, but this bit of evidence is incontrovertible. This bridge, photographed on 6 November 2010, is about half-way along the former line on the other side of the B923 from Kinghorn Loch.
Kinghorn: A short stretch of the trackbed of the short-lived mineral line from Kinghorn to Binnend Oilworks, photographed on 6 November, looking west. The line curved right under the B923, in the middle distance, and climbed to the works which closed in 1893/4. Of the works there is not a trace, but up the hill are fragments of the ghost village of Binnend. It once had a population of several hundred workers, and survived closure of the works with the last resident not moving out until the 1950s. It was also used as holiday cottages, which must have been pretty basic as there was no mains anything, including water, and no road access. After abandonment it was used as target practice by the TA!
Kinghorn Candle Works: The product of the late-Victorian Binnend Oilworks was sent off on its two mile branch to join the network immediately north of Kinghorn station. Some of it however didn't get that far as there was a candle factory on the branch. The building survived until recently. This is the site of it looking east on 6 November 2010. The line curved round to the right, where that fence now is, and passed where I'm standing. You'll have to imagine the walrus moustaches, gormless expressions and total disregard for health and safety.
Boghead Junction: 55022 Royal Scots Grey slows for a signal check on the approach to Bathgate on 6 November with the West Lothian Pioneer Railtour
Forrestfield: A pair of West Coast Railway class 37s heading west near Forrestfield with a 'Spitfire Railtours' excursion on a grey and wet 6 November 2010.
Forrestfield: Deltic 55022 Royal Scots Grey with 'The West Lothian Pioneer' heading east towards Bathgate on 6 November 2010 along the south shore of Hillend reservoir on the recently completed Airdrie - Bathgate line.
Bathgate: Arrival at the new Bathgate station, 6 November 2010.
Uphall: 55022 Royal Scots Grey running over an hour late with The West Lothian Pioneer, passes slowly through Uphall on an overcast 6 November 2010 in the wake of the ScotRail 1254 ex-Bathgate service.
RNSD Lathalmond: A repatriated oil tank wagon at the Shed 47 Group site at Lathalmond on 6 November 2011. Recently delivered from Boness but originally from RNSD Lathalmond.
Ladybank: 66141 stands in the down loop at Ladybank Junction with an engineer's train on 6 November 2011. To the left is the line through Newburgh to Hilton Junction with the remains of the old wagon shops in the background.
RNSD Lathalmond: View from the footplate of NCB 29, showing sister locomotive NCB 17 at Shed 47, Lathalmond, on 6 November 2011 see image [[29863]].
Buckshaw Parkway: Black 5s nos. 45407 & 44871, with their support coaches, pass Buckshaw Parkway on 6th November 2011 whilst heading from Carnforth to the ELR at Bury. The pair had worked a railtour to Buxton the previous day.
Chorley: A First TransPennine service to Manchester Airport passes the site of Rylands crossing in Chorley in November 2011. When this was a foot crossing it was the scene of several near misses. The crossing has now been replaced by a footbridge and provides an ideal spot for photography.
Bridge of Allan: The up Highland Chieftain disappears into sunlit mist at Bridge of Allan on November 6th 2011. At the time, there was some doubt as to whether this long distance service could survive the eventual withdrawal of the HST stock and a 'Save the Chieftan' campaign had already started.
Irvine: Irvine Station has been named Best Adopted Scottish Station 2012 by Passenger Focus, the independent watchdog. [See previous news item] The photograph shows (L-R) Tom Rout of Kyle Model Railway Club; ScotRail's external relations manager, John Yellowlees; Robert Samson, passenger manager (Scotland) for Passenger Focus, and Louis Wall of South West Station Gardeners Group.
Fleetwood Ferry [Tram]: The road layout at the Fleetwood Ferry tram terminus has changed significantly recently. 004 waits outside the North Euston Hotel on a wet November day. See image [[36351]] for an earlier view of the same spot.
Bellingham (North Tyne): The base of the former signal box at Bellingham, Northumberland, now in use as a store by the local council. Photographed on 6 November 2013 looking south over the fence from the heritage centre car park. The old station building is off to the right. See image [[1843]] [Ref query 4787]
Bellingham (North Tyne): The two coaches located alongside the platform at Bellingham, seen here in November 2013, provide a tea room and exhibition space for the local heritage centre which stands off picture to the right. The old station building itself is used as offices by the local council.
Loch Leven: Looking south on 6 November 2011 over the remains of the former rail bridge which carried the closed main line from Edinburgh to Perth over the South Queich River. The Up span has been crudely cut away. In the left background is the Loch Leven Station House.
Bellingham (North Tyne): The 1861 station building at Bellingham looking north across Redesmouth Road (leading to Reedsmouth Station) on 6 November 2013. Note the bricked up pedestrian entrance alongside to the left. If anything, the old building looks even creepier from this side see image [[17629]].
Borthwick Bank Signal Box: Looking north towards Gorebridge on a wet and windswept 6 November 2014. Freightliner 66605 stands on Borthwick Bank with a ballast train.
Sheriffhall [2nd]: A tamping machine heads south at Kings Gate, just south of Sheriffhall, on 6th November 2014. The alignment of the original Edinburgh and Dalkeith railway trailed in from the right.
Gorebridge: Not the most far-sighted piece of railway design - the location of the new Gorebridge platform and gabion baskets, seen on 6th November 2014, guarantees that any future need to extend the loop from Tynehead (which terminates a few hundred metres to the south) will be an extremely expensive exercise.
Tynehead Junction: The day after reaching Scottish Borders Council territory, the rail-laying train inches south towards Falahill on 6 November 2014 - seen from the infamous Overbridge 41 see Image [[48014]].
Borthwick Bank Signal Box: Views north and south on Borthwick Bank during a wet and windswept 6th November 2014. See Image [[40919]]. The view south in particular brings to mind AJ Mullay's description of the Waverley Route's 'serpentine succession of curves'.
Lancaster: Two Class 37s take the Down Through at Lancaster station on 6th November 2014, avoiding the platform road. DRS 37610 and 37602 are on the morning Crewe - Sellafield nuclear flasks service.
Lady Victoria Pit Signal Box: A track machine heading south past the former Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, on 6th November 2014 see Image [[40800]].
Port Glasgow: Station staff members Barry Limbert and Elaine Phillips with the restored Hood's Well at Port Glasgow Station. The public fountain dates from 1843 when James Hood, the first stationmaster at Port Glasgow (opened 1841), retired - this being his choice of retirement gift. The well was re-discovered during vegetation clearance in 2001.
Haddenham and Thame Parkway: The late running 18.13 to Marylebone arrives at a soaking wet Haddenham and Thame Parkway on 6 November. I had arrived via the new curve at Bicester see image [[47183]].
Dalmuir: The Fort William - Euston Caledonian Sleeper calls at Dalmuir on 6 November hauled by 66733 and 72969.
Lindores [2nd]: Diverted over the Perth - Ladybank route, DRS 66423 climbs past Lindores Loch with Inverness - Mossend containers on 6th November 2016.
Euxton Balshaw Lane: Ian Riley's LMS Black 5s nos. 44871 and 45407 make an impressive sight as they pass Euxton Balshaw Lane station whilst working 'The Tin Bath' railtour from Preston to Sheffield on 06 November 2016.
Newcraighall South Junction: The 0845 Sunday morning ex-Tweedbank approaching Newcraighall South Junction on 6 November 2016. In the background work is well underway on the site of the new EGIP electric train depot, while on the right the Biogen attenuation pool has gained a new fence. See image [[53982]]
Millerhill EGIP Depot: Works entrance to the site of the EGIP electric train depot at Millerhill on 6 November 2016 with construction activity halted for the weekend. View is south from Whitehill Road.
Dalmuir: An Edinburgh - Helensburgh train calls at the rather austere but autumnal Dalmuir on 6 November.
North Berwick: Each afternoon a diesel visits North Berwick, and here it is, the 1443 from Edinburgh Waverley arriving to form the 1522 back which goes forward to Dundee.
Beattock: A Virgin Voyager, on 9M53 the 1000hrs Glasgow Central - Birmingham, passing Beattock on 6th November 2017.
Martin Mill: 73962 has the rail head treatment train, leaf busting and cleaning of the rail head passing through Martin Mill on 6th November 2017.
Cork Kent: Cork Kent station on 6 November 2018. The 1300hrs from Dublin has just arrived
Dalreoch: No leaves on the line. Leaf blowing in full swing at Dalreoch in November 2018.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Work continues on the concourse at Queen Street High Level on 6th November 2018.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: Hoardings, cranes and the now very visible 'fanlight' at Glasgow Queen St on 6th November 2018.
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: 43035 with a HST training set at the Queen Street buffers on 6th November 2018.
Dublin Heuston: The imposing exterior of Dublin Heuston station on 8 November 2018.
Dublin Heuston: Dublin Heuston station interior, with class 22000 DMUs visible, on 6 November 2018.
Stonehaven: 6th November 2019 was another bad day for the sleeper service. 73971 was ninety-five minutes late into Stonehaven.
Crossgatehall Halt: The railway cut through the crossroads at the hamlet of Crossgatehall and the roads had to be bridged. The arrangement has never been altered as seen in this road sign on 6th November 2019. You cross the old line on an iron-parapet bridge requiring traffic lights. The historian of the line says there are no known photographs of the short-lived halt here, though I do know that the wooden platform was on the other side (north) and that the sole building looked like an outhouse. Access was from the Musselburgh road.
Carberry Colliery Pits Nos 2 and 3: The Carberry Colliery branch had a trailing junction south of Monktonhall and crossed Carberry Road at this point, half way up the brae between Inveresk and Crossgatehall stations. The gateposts on the other side of the road, photographed by Douglas Blades in 1971, have unsurprisingly gone but one remains here on the east side. Mary Queen of Scots' forces were repelled here in 1567. I was not too impressed myself.
Edinburgh Princes Street: The scant remains of a signal gantry on the approach to Princes Street. The gantry spanned only the passenger station lines, and surely carried only Down signals; Gardner's Crescent bridge, where I am standing, would otherwise have been in the way.
Crossgatehall Halt: Crossgatehall Halt had a tiny shed-like building and I initially thought it unlikely that it warranted live-in accommodation several times the size, so I didn't bother photographing the house. However Google Street View shows it to be of the right period and maps have it appearing nearest the halt - or as near as possible on the right side of the line - at an appropriate date. This must have been a pretty cushy billet. The signs are an anachronistic fancy (and in the wrong colour).
Skipton North Junction: DRS 37218 + 37716 topntail respectively 3S29 York Thrall Europa to Hellifield RHTT working crossing the River Aire near Niffany west of Skipton.
Abbey Wood [EL]: 345008, just arrived at Abbey Wood at 13.40 with the ex-12.35 service from Heathrow Terminal 4, waiting to depart as the 13.54 service to Maidenhead on Sunday, 6th November 2022, the first day of Elizabeth Line through services. On the left is 345 029 with the 13.47 service to Heathrow Terminal 5. This was the first time these destinations had been served from here.
Abbey Wood [EL]: 345029 at Abbey Wood, waiting to depart with the 13.47 Elizabeth Line service to Heathrow Terminal 5, on the first day of through services, Sunday, 6th November 2022. The train sports a poppy for the following weekend's Remembrance Sunday, the first without HM Queen Elizabeth II following her passing in September 2022.
Inverkeithing East Junction: 68016 'Fearless' climbs away from Inverkeithing East Junction with 6K11 Millerhill to Auchterarder ballast on 6 November 2022.
Abbey Wood: 700048 with Thameslink service to Kentish Town arriving at Abbey Wood, National Rail side, in pouring rain on the afternoon of Sunday, 6th November 2022. Having travelled from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Abbey Wood on the first day of Elizabeth Line through services, my intention was to go home on that as far as Whitechapel, the Overground to Highbury & Islington and then Victoria Line to Finsbury Park and W3 bus to Crouch End but when I saw this train I plumped for this route instead and then the Northern Line to Archway and W5 bus.
Heathrow Terminal 4 [BAA]: 345008 at Heathrow Terminal 4 waiting to depart with the 12.35 Elizabeth Line service to Abbey Wood on Sunday, 6th November 2022, the first day of through trains. I travelled to Abbey Wood on this train in one hour and five minutes, a timing that was never possible between the two before this day. But oh! those wretchedly hard seats.
Pitlochry: 158710 passes Holy Trinity Church as it approaches Pitlochry on a grey 6th November 2022. This was a Sunday working from Perth to Inverness, actually a 5-car train as 170413 was on the rear.
Westbourne Park: View of Westbourne Park station, from the ex-12.35 Heathrow Terminal 4 to Abbey Wood Elizabeth Line train, on Sunday, 6th November 2022. The Hammersmith & City Line had opened jointly between the Metropolitan and Great Western on 13th June 1864 with Westbourne Park added on 1st February 1866. On 30th October 1871, the GWR provided a station here with the H & C station re-sited to provide an interchange. However, the GWR platforms had a 30mph speed restriction and in 1990, when the Heathrow Express was about to be inaugurated, BR decided this was unacceptable but, instead of modifying the platforms, closed and demolished them. This view looks to the surviving H & C station with, in the foreground, the site of the demolished main line platforms. On the bridge, the building shows the blocked off staircase entrance to the former down main line platform, now in the disused part of the station.
Kentish Town: The only original platform building at Kentish Town to survive is this on the main southbound platform, seen here looking north on Sunday, 6th November 2022. Some original Midland Railway platform awnings, typical of that company, have been re-sited on the bridge outside the station to form a shelter for an al-fresco coffee bar. See image [[77170]]. This station is an interchange with the London Underground Northern Line (High Barnet and Mill Hill East branch).
Ealing Broadway: Ealing Broadway station, up-side, seen from an Elizabeth Line service from Abbey Wood to Heathrow Terminal 5 on Sunday, 6th November 2022, the first day of through services when the two EL sections were finally linked at Paddington. (Through trains on the eastern section to Shenfield also began on this day on the new connection between Whitechapel and Stratford but, for the present, run only to and from Paddington.) In the background, beyond the Central Line terminus, a train of LU S7 stock can be seen in the District Line platforms, waiting to return east. Torrential rain over London that had begun 24 hours earlier had eased here at this time (around lunchtime) but, back in south-east London in the afternoon, it came on again with a vengeance.
Inverkeithing East Junction: 66724 'Drax Power Station' climbs away from Inverkeithing East Junction with 6K10 Millerhill to Auchterarder ballast on 6th November 2022.
Pitlochry: 170413 is on the rear of a 158/170 combination approaching Pitlochry from the south on 6th November 2022. The road under the bridge is still the main access to Pitlochry but no longer designated the A9 as the town is now bypassed.
Moy: The autumn and winter days have been very short and gloomy in the north but a daytime ecs movement of sleepers going north to Inverness was a good opportunity. 66769 and 73969 haul the stock for that night's sleeper service to Edinburgh, then London Euston, on 6th November 2022. 66769 Is in a special livery to highlight Prostate Cancer with the Man of Men Logo. It also has a nameplate above the number, 'League Managers Association' and another below the cab window, 'Paul Taylor Our Inspiration'.
Skipton: DRS 37716 + 37218 topntail respectively 3S29 Hellifield to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train passing Niffany west of Skipton. When the train appeared round the corner there seemed to be no chance of getting the shot in the sun but amazingly sunshine preceded the train down the line, it was as if the train was pushing the shadows away! 37716 was delivered from English Electric to Gateshead depot in February 1963. Fingers crossed it makes it to February 2023!
Bolton Abbey: Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway. 'Cumbria' heads the 14:15 Bolton Abbey to Embsay with a mixed rake of vintage carriages at Stoneacre on a dull November afternoon.
Dalgety Bay: 5Z16 passes Dalgety Bay behind 66769 and 73969 on 6 November 2022. This was an empty stock movement of eleven sleeper coaches from Polmadie to Inverness, necessitated by the weekend rail strike disruptions. The train took this route because of engineering work between Perth and Stirling and retraced it later that evening with the southbound sleeper service.
Heathrow Terminal 5 [BAA]: 345048, just arrived at Heathrow Terminal 5 with an Elizabeth Line service from Abbey Wood, and waiting to return thereto at 11.52 on Sunday, 6th November 2022, the first day of through services between the two termini. Elizabeth Line trains also began running through from Abbey Wood to Reading on this day too while in the east, trains from Shenfield began running through as far as Paddington only via the new connection at Whitechapel although a few Shenield trains continue to serve Liverpool Street main.
Pass of Killiecrankie: A few autumn colours cling on in the Pass of Killiecrankie as 66769 and 73969 roll down the gradient, with a long rake of ecs Caledonian Sleepers from Polmadie to Inverness, on 6th November 2022. This unusual working was caused by the planned rail disputes on 5, 7 and 9/11. Although they were suspended just before the first date, no trains ran on the Highland Main Line on 5/11.
Events
Events from the chronology which occured on this day. This generally lists events before 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1843 | Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway | 1st_>Bellahouston 1st station opened. (At Ibrox). |
| 1873 | Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway | Edinburgh Loanhead and Roslin Railway opened from Millerhill Junction. (Or 23 July 1874.) |
| 1950 | Peebles Railway | Thornielee closed. |
| 1960 | Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway | Crow Road closed. |
| 1960 | Glasgow City and District Railway | 1st_>Hyndland 1st Branch closed to passengers, but new electric train maintenance depot was opened by the station's island platform so the branch is retained, although the station tracks lifted. |
| 1967 | West Riding and Grimsby Railway | Carcroft and Adwick-le-Street closed |
| 1967 | Dundee and Newtyle Railway Fairmuir and Maryfield Goods (Scottish Central Railway) | Ninewells Junction (excluded) to Fairmuir Junction to Fairmuir Goods and Maryfield Goods closed to freight. |
| 1967 | South Queensferry Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) | 1st_>South Queensferry 1st to Dalmeny Junction closed to freight. |
| 1967 | Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway | Scotland Street goods and Heriothill Goods to Trinity Junction (excluded) closed. Scotland Street goods depot is closed. (The Warriston Junction to Bonnington East Junction approach had closed in 1960.) |
| 1982 | Torrington Extension (London and South Western Railway) | The 'Last Train to Torrington' railtour runs, 15 carriages 'topped and tailed' with locomotives 31174 and 31158. |
| 1988 | Vale of Rheidol Railway | Aberffrwd closed |
| 2001 | Virgin Trains | Press trip around Fife by new Virgin Voyagers. (Voyagers first crossed the Forth Bridge on the 30th of October.) |
| 2004 | Great Western Railway | Car stopped on Uffton Level Crossing leads to the death of six on board the train and injury to 130 when struck by a HST which derailed. |
| 2007 | London Extension (Midland Railway) Channel Tunnel Rail Link Phase 2 | St Pancras International is opened by the Queen, completing the construction of HS1. (When opened only 10% of route capacity was used.) |
News
These are old news items which which occured on this day. This generally lists events after 1995, the creation of the website.
| Year | Companies | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Helensburgh Central station canopy re-glazing to begin. | |
| 2000 | ScotRail^s Highland Sleeper Suspended | ScotRail^s Highland sleeper with portions from Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen has been cancelled. The service is expected to re-start in the new year. On the day the first train was cancelled passengers were not aware that the sleeper was cancelled until arrival at stations. |
| 2002 | Talk by Richard Bowker | A talk will be given by Richard Bowker, Strategic Rail Authority Chairman, to the Institute of Logistics and Transport (but open to all) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edinburgh on Wednesday the 6th of November. Arrive at 17:30 for 18:00. The Crowne Plaza Hotel is in the High Street, just below The Bridges. |
| 2002 | Glasgow Underground closed by strike | The Glasgow Underground was closed by an unofficial strike by drivers which was started due to extra duties and safety concerns. Trains are replaced by buses. Strathclyde Passenger Transport has sacked striking drivers. |
| 2002 | New footbridge for Lockerbie station | Lewis Macdonald, the Scottish Executives Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, announced a commitment to make up to £750,000 available to Dumfries and Galloway Council for the provision of a new, fully accessible, footbridge for Lockerbie Station which will finally allow passengers whose mobility is impaired to access the stations southbound platform. Toby Rackliff, Railway Development Officer for Dumfries and Galloway Council, responded for the council, "... The new accessible footbridge, coupled with the proposed early morning services to both Glasgow and Edinburgh from next May, represent the final elements of a package of improvements which should enable Lockerbie Station to assume its rightful role as the InterCity gateway to Southern Scotland.” |
| 2002 | Edinburgh Park station | Lewis Macdonald, the Scottish Executives Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, announced that two new trains will be provided for the opening of Edinburgh Park station. Previously the SRA have also awarded funding from the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund. Edinburgh Park will be the first new station opened on the Edinburgh and Glasgow line since the 19th century and the first intermediate call between Haymarket and Linlithgow since 1951. |
| 2002 | Extension of CCTV to further stations in Fife | Lewis Macdonald, the Scottish Executives Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, announced that £150,000 funding will be provided for the additional staff needed to extend CCTV to the remaining stations on the Fife Circle (Rosyth, Lochgelly, Glenrothes with Thornton, Kinghorn, Burntisland, Aberdour, North Queensferry, Dalmeny) and Carnoustie and Bridge of Allan. |
| 2004 | Major delays forecast after freight train derailment [Scotsman] | MAJOR disruption to rail services on the busiest cross-Border travel route is expected to continue today after a freight-train derailment closed part of the east-coast main line. |
| 2006 | Calls to scrap allowance as MSP claims £979 a month for mortgage [Scotsman] | TAVISH Scott, the transport minister, claiming from taxpayer to pay for his £380,000 house in Morningside |
| 2007 | STATION TRANSFORMATION WELL UNDER WAY [Network Rail Article] | |
| 2007 | Rail enhancement gives Aberdeen an international rail freight corridor [EWS Railway] | The formal opening today, Tuesday 6 November, of the enhanced rail route from central Scotland to Elgin, opens up an international gateway for Aberdeen to receive intermodal boxes by rail rather than road. |
| 2007 | STATION TRANSFORMATION WELL UNDER WAY [Network Rail Article] | |
| 2007 | DERBYSHIRE LEVEL CROSSING USERS URGED NOT TO RUN THE RISK [Network Rail Article] | |
| 2007 | SHIPLEY STATION ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS [Network Rail Article] | |
| 2008 | Glasgow Central services affected for four days [Network Rail Article] | Network Rail will complete a number of major engineering operations over the festive period, with the primary focus on the completion of an £85m Glasgow Central resignalling project and the commissioning of a new £200m signalling centre in Cowlairs, North Glasgow. The work will result in no train services into and out of Glasgow Central high level station from Friday 26 December until start of service on Tuesday 30 December while signalling operations are transferred to the new West of Scotland signalling centre at Cowlairs |
| 2008 | CHRISTMAS RAIL WORKS MARK CULMINATION OF MASSIVE INVESTMENT [Network Rail Article] | Major improvement work affects Glasgow Central services for four days First ScotRail introduces replacement bus services to minimise disruption |
| 2009 | North east rail repairs ahead of schedule [Network Rail] | Following the return of a limited service between Dundee and Aberdeen this morning, Network Rail is pleased to inform rail users that full repairs to the line are expected to be completed by tomorrow evening (Saturday 7 November) with services returning to normal from Sunday. |
| 2009 | Brown joins by-election campaign [BBC News Article] | Gordon Brown describes the Scottish government^s decision to ditch the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project as ^short-sighted^. |
| 2009 | Insight Newsletter [First ScotRail] | See extracts from latest issue of Insight. [With thanks to David Panton for passing on.] |
| 2010 | New High Speed 1 operator announced [DfT] | The successful bidder to run Britain’s first high speed railway is a consortium comprising Borealis Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. [From Mark Bartlett] |
| 2011 | Steam in Australia and New Zealand [Railscot] | Those with an interest in the last years of steam in Australia and New Zealand, from the late 1960s until 1985, will be interested to hear that the well known Shane McCarthy book ^Patterns of Steam^ documenting that era is now available as an iPad App. [see news link] |
| 2012 | Borders railway completion date put back as cost of project soars [Scotsman] | THE cost of the long-delayed Borders Railway has increased to £350 million and it will not now be completed until 2015. Transport minister Keith Brown confirmed both the increase in cost and the delay in the project today as a deal to build the line was finally agreed with Network Rail. |
| 2013 | Uncertain future for Darlington^s railway museum [Northern Echo] | THE birthplace of the railways could lose its steam heritage museum, after council bosses revealed it may be forced to close to cut costs. Darlington Borough Council is looking to save almost £15m over the next six years and aims to look at transferring the running of the Head of Steam museum, along with Cockerton Library, into community hands by March 2016. A two-year search for partners willing to take on these services is expected to follow, but the council has acknowledged that no funding will remain in the budget for them after that point. [From Richard Buckby] |
| 2014 | GB Railfreight operates first Channel Tunnel train [Railway Gazette] | EUROPE: UK freight operator GB Railfreight ran its first service through the Channel Tunnel on the night of November 3, hauling a Dourges – London intermodal service between Calais-Fréthun and Barking International Rail Freight Terminal. The train was operated under a ‘hook-and-haul’ agreement with sister Groupe Eurotunnel company Europorte France, which has a contract to move containers from Dourges to Barking for logistics company John G Russell Ltd. GBRf used two of the 16 Class 92 electric locomotives which it had purchased from Europorte earlier this year. |
| 2014 | German railway takes legal action against striking train drivers [Reuters] | Nov 6 (Reuters) - German state-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn will take legal action against a train drivers^ union staging a four-day strike from Thursday to Monday which has paralysed passenger and freight transport across the country, the company said. |
| 2014 | Borders to Edinburgh railway: Track laying reaches Scottish Borders [BBC News] | Track laying along the 30-mile route of the Borders to Edinburgh railway has crossed into the Scottish Borders. It marks the completion of the rail installation process in Midlothian. Track is now in place over a number of landmark structures including the Lothianbridge Viaduct near Newtongrange and the new Hardengreen Bridge. [From Richaed Buckby] |
| 2015 | ScotRail fined for failing to meet performance standards [BBC News] | ScotRail has been fined more than £250,000 for failing to meet strict standards for trains and stations. New figures show that the franchise was hit with £265,282 in penalties between July and September. |
| 2017 | South West Railways train derails near Wimbledon [BBC News] | A train has derailed near Wimbledon station in south-west London, South Western Railway has said. Nine fire engines were sent to the scene, where there was one minor injury, according to the London Fire Brigade The rear axle of the last coach of the eight-carriage train derailed at low speed as the train was coming out of Wimbledon station. The train was the 04:54 commuter service from Basingstoke. |
| 2017 | Aberdeen railway station marks 150th milestone with ceremony [Evening Express] | Aberdeen railway station, celebrated the milestone on Saturday with a ceremony in the station, where one of the very first high-speed trains to be built was officially named the Aberdeen Station 150th Anniversary train. Organised by ScotRail Alliance, the event included information on the planned redevelopment of the station, an exhibition on the history of the station produced by the Great North of Scotland Railway Association, as well as details on the ongoing improvement plans for the Aberdeen to Inverness line. |
| 2017 | ScotRail reveals poppy appeal trains [BBC News] | ScotRail has joined forces with Poppyscotland to unveil specially-branded Poppy Appeal trains. Ahead of Remembrance Day, five trains in the ScotRail fleet have become the first to have their normal logos replaced with a special poppy design. The ^poppy trains^ will be used on routes between the seven cities within Scotland. The redesigned logo will remain displayed on the carriages after the end of the remembrance period. Soldiers from the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Highlanders, two infantry battalions of the Royal Regiment, helped unveil the trains. |
| 2018 | Runaway train derailed in Australia after 50 minutes [BBC News] | A freight train was deliberately derailed after hurtling through Western Australia at high speed for 50 minutes without its driver. The 268-wagon train, owned by mining giant BHP, travelled for 92km (57 miles) with no-one on board in the outback Pilbara region on Monday. The company said it had derailed the train remotely from Perth. It has since suspended its rail operations. |
| 2018 | How travelling home by car instead of the train this Christmas could save families more than £300 [Daily Mail] | The average cost of a family of two adults and two children travelling by train between cities in the UK was £221.75 - compared to just £55.87 for the average drive. |
| 2018 | Network Rail outlines Christmas engineering works [Rail Engineer] | Team Orange will work around the clock over the Christmas holidays to deliver 330 vital projects. Most of the network will be unaffected, with the majority of the upgrade work being carried out when there are no scheduled train services – such as on Christmas Day – but some areas will be impacted as Network […] |
| 2018 | ScotRail Living Wage commitment contributes £800 million to economy [ScotRail] | ScotRail has contributed £800 million to the countrys economy since becoming one of the largest organisations in Scotland to receive Living Wage accreditation. In addition to the benefits to ScotRails 5,000 employees, £250 million is also spent each year on the extended supply chain, with all major contracts requiring companies to pay their employees the Living Wage. The commitment to the Living Wage in the organisation includes trainees and the company intern programme, recognising the role all employees make to the business. |
| 2019 | Glasgow Central drivers pay most in Scotland for station parking [Evening Times] | Commuters in Glasgow are facing huge parking bills if they choose to park and ride on trains across the country. |
| 2019 | The next king of Scotland: Inter7City HST train test [RAIL] | Many redundant HSTs are finding a new lease of life north of the border, with a refurbishment programme under way. Pip Dunn went to test the new-look classics. |
| 2019 | Plans for new £10million railway bridge in Moray pushed back five years despite traffic fears [Press and Journal] | Plans to build a new £10 million bridge in Elgin have been pushed back five years amid hopes the upgraded A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road will stop traffic in the town grinding to a halt. |
| 2019 | One in five Deeside Railway Line walkers feels route is unsafe [Evening Express] | Among the concerns raised were that of cyclists going too fast and not always using a bell and dog walkers failing to control their dogs. |
