Cowlairs Carriage Sidings

[GrimShady]

Looking for information on Cowlairs Carriage Sidings which I'm sure some of you remember, or maybe even worked in?

When was it constructed?

What types of stock did it service?

When did it close? 1989?

 

[Altfish]

I'm sure you've already looked here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowlairs_railway_works

 

[GrimShady]

I'm sure you've already looked here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowlairs_railway_works

Thanks for the reply Altfish but that's the works not the coach depot which was on the opposite side of the tracks.

 

[Altfish]

Thanks for the reply Altfish but that's the works not the coach depot which was on the opposite side of the tracks.

Apologies.

 

[Taunton]

I think the sidings referred to were those in the fork between the Queen Street and the Springburn lines.

I was passing them in the 1970s, when they were almost wholly Mk 1 stock, for the Aberdeen, Inverness, West Highland etc services, rakes plus various loose vehicles and parcels vans. There must have been about 15 or 20 open sidings, plus a small maintenance shed. They would be wholly Scottish Region internal stock, unlike over at Polmadie where the WCML stock was. DMUs at this time were kept along the line at Eastfield loco depot.

In the daytime the spare Edinburgh Push-Pull, Mk 2 stock with Class 27 each end, was commonly stabled on the loop track nearest the Queen Street lines ready for rapid deployment if required.

 

[Hooligan]

The 47 hauled push and pull sets used to go in there late 80's
Also remember getting fright of my life when walking around set of coaches, that I was taking to Craigentinny, and bumping into BTP with a big dog !

 

[GrimShady]

Thank you both the responses.

Are you aware of any pictures taken inside the shed?

Apparently an old LMS restaurant coach used to be knocking around the depot in the 70s/early 80s!

 

[delt1c]

Thank you both the responses.

Are you aware of any pictures taken inside the shed?

Used to pass it regularly in the 70’s and never saw an LMS Resturant coach. Did see the palsy Thompson LNER buffet there in Blue and grey

Apparently an old LMS restaurant coach used to be knocking around the depot in the 70s/early 80s!

I used to pass there regularly in the 70’s and never saw an LMS catering vehicle, although saw the last Thompson LNER buffet car there a few times in Blue and Grey

 

[GrimShady]

I used to pass there regularly in the 70’s and never saw an LMS catering vehicle, although saw the last Thompson LNER buffet car there a few times in Blue and Grey

That's the one Deltic!

 

[47271]

It's worth bearing in mind that the carriage shed was still there, albeit very dilapidated and overgrown, until around ten years ago when the current Network Rail centre was built on the site.

It really isn't that long since it was pulled down.

 

[dubscottie]

My dad visited there regularly when he worked for BR. He always said that it was the most dangerous site he visited. Nobody went anywhere alone especially at night/in the morning.

The large number of local homeless/alcoholics & drug users used the coaches to sleep in or take drugs in.

They often became very violent when disturbed by cleaners etc.

I believe no stock got serviced there after early 1991. All the remaining loco hauled stock started or finished its day at Inverness or Perth at that point. (Apart from the Fife set which was stabled at Millerhill and swapped on a Sat with a fresh set from Inverness)

I think the last time the sheds were used was in early 1992 when a contractor repainted a few rakes of Mk2z/a stock into Regional Railways livery.

 

[Rover]

If this is any use I went round a few times (unofficially) in the 80s and recorded the following:

Fri 27th March 1982
4078 4205 4206 4750 4772
5125 5164
9294 9433
12127
14003 14099
16221
80973 81298
86396 86796

Sat 29th Jan 1983
2448
4218 4234 4316 4427 4755 4758 4768 4771 4774
9416
5201 5221
13410 14030 14083
21184
80726 81515
86129 86612

Sat 14th April 1984
2425 2443 2452 2555 2827
3247 3740 4096 4204 4210 4231 4417 4426 4428 4434 4631 4747 4756 4776
5082 5143 5393 6613
9000 9004 9231 9294 9401 9404 9416
13314 13380 13382 13385 13428 13430
15850 15853 15856 15918 15966 15972
16000 16093
17059
18259 18385 18865
24023 24084 24427 24580 24844 24859 24880 24894 24897 24900 24964 25183 25249 25618 26131 26171 26201 26214
30972
34507 34923 35038 35067 35069 35070 35116 35124 35375 35409
80537 80851 81347 84271
93188 93210 93919
94151
M45045M ADB975649(3015)

Wed 18th Sep 1985
4081 4221 4300 4418 4478 4561 4614 4642 4704 4749 4756 4774 4808 4919
5300 5561
7066
9003 9004 9005 9011 9012 9440
10579 10608
12004 12031
13411
17059
18361 18378 18865 18895 19192
30972
34665 35029 35477
84280 84571
92211 94151

 

[delt1c]

That's the one Deltic!

I believe it is now preserved