Ploughman
Established Member
Any news?
Clips of Tipping stone tamping and regulating, Stressing?
S+T work.
Clips of Tipping stone tamping and regulating, Stressing?
S+T work.
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Borders Railway - Now Open
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This is as close as I have managed to get
http://youtu.be/V0bWo-HhzjU
Howerver I did find something just as interesting further down the line
http://youtu.be/XPSnBpzU3wc
Also
http://youtu.be/9NboAoNvkXw
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Although - and just to be a little pedantic - it's the part of the Borders which has only been in the Borders since 1975. Prior to then it was in Midlothian with the boundary being crossed at Bowland, south of Stow. The 1975 local government changes moved the boundary from Bowland to the Cakemuir Burn, so you could say that the rails on the section of track between Bowland and the Cakemuir Burn were lifted in one county and relaid in another.
Tracklaying update Sat 8th Nov.
Track laid to just north side of the new Falahill road overbridge. Bottom ballasting and sleeper placement going on just in front of tracklayer through Heriot old station site. Ballasting has reached Borthwick Bank with up line more complete than the Down.
Track laid to just north side of the new Falahill road overbridge. Bottom ballasting and sleeper placement going on just in front of tracklayer through Heriot old station site. Ballasting has reached Borthwick Bank with up line more complete than the Down.
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Railsigns
Established Member
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The first signals on the new line were erected yesterday. All six signals associated with the northernmost dynamic loop are now in place.
Yesterday video efforts.
Warning they are a bit long and contain a few typos etc. I am trying to keep up with events to keep them newsworthy as time for editing is limited, errors are all too easy
Track lay has reached just north of Stow.
Check out my latest youtube efforts. Apologies for the typo etc. These were filmed yesterday 21st November, So post production was rough and ready
Track laying
http://youtu.be/D9U47F0-HRo
Final preparation at Stow
http://youtu.be/Bz7Os8SqPGY
The ballast train returns home
http://youtu.be/2Z1d2fp5ydg
Warning they are a bit long and contain a few typos etc. I am trying to keep up with events to keep them newsworthy as time for editing is limited, errors are all too easy
Track lay has reached just north of Stow.
Check out my latest youtube efforts. Apologies for the typo etc. These were filmed yesterday 21st November, So post production was rough and ready
Track laying
http://youtu.be/D9U47F0-HRo
Final preparation at Stow
http://youtu.be/Bz7Os8SqPGY
The ballast train returns home
http://youtu.be/2Z1d2fp5ydg
I am sure we all appreciate the efforts to keep those of us that aren't local up to date - thanks for posting these!
Zoidberg
Established Member
Hear, hear.
L&Y Robert
Member
Hugely informative! - especially the tracklaying one. I now understand the functions of all those strange bits of equipment - answers all my questions. Many thanks.
Ploughman
Established Member
On the trackbed prep work at Stow.
Driving over Geotextile was always a NO NO unless you had at least 100mm of cover over it.
Especially with a wheeled vehicle. Rubber tracks maybe not so critical and never a Dozer.
Probably some sort of excuse due to working towards the vehicle access point.
Driving over Geotextile was always a NO NO unless you had at least 100mm of cover over it.
Especially with a wheeled vehicle. Rubber tracks maybe not so critical and never a Dozer.
Probably some sort of excuse due to working towards the vehicle access point.
The first train in over 40 years slowly makes its way into Stow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h52NcV_mR14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h52NcV_mR14
Ploughman
Established Member
Are they rerailing both tracks in the loops as they go?
Or are they dropping rail off later for traditional thimbling methods?
Or are they dropping rail off later for traditional thimbling methods?
They laid one track then the other at Tynehead, though according to info today they have started on the other track at Stow before going any further. This could be because they are still laying sleeper just ahead of the next section.
The train lays its complete load of rails each day 0.8 of a mile per day or 4 miles of single track per 5 day week.
PaxVobiscum
Established Member
May I add my sincere thanks to fegguk for his contributions to the thread.
As one who is old enough to remember the last days of the Waverley line (and who has often looked at the depressing pictures and footage of the line being lifted) I feel considerably cheered by watching these videos. A pint, sir (or possibly several!) for you if we should cross paths.
L&Y Robert
Member
I hope there is someone out there suficiently familiar with the Borders Railway territory to recognise my description and give me a pointer to a picture, and the precise location. I have been trying to find a photograph I have seen on the internet of a section of the route with houses built on it. They were modern-ish houses, but in the photograph already boarded up. Also in the picture distance was a more substantial older building of some sort.There may have been several pictures in the suite, because I have a recollection also of an image taken at ground level of this respectable close of "new" houses, all boarderd up. My interest is that here we have a very substantial representation of the change in attitudes to 'railway' in general from the 60s to attitudes now. The houses are in the way, but in the 60s one would have been laughed off the set if suggesting that they might be in the way in future.
Only two places where houses had to be removed as on trackbed. One at Stow and a row of houses at Gorebridge. These will more than likely be the ones you refer with the older building being the old station house which is still there.
In the 60's they would not have been there anyway?
In the 60's they would not have been there anyway?
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NotATrainspott
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There are various places on the Airdrie-Bathgate project where they have had to demolish houses as well, e.g. in Armadale to fit in the station car park.
Chris125
Established Member
Are you thinking of Harvieston Villas at Gorebridge?
Photo from http://waverleyrouteha.wordpress.com/ via a google images search
Chris
Photo from http://waverleyrouteha.wordpress.com/ via a google images search
Chris
L&Y Robert
Member
Yes Chris125 - those are the ones and that's the picture! Thanks. Thanks to Fozzie49 as well for putting me on the scent. No, the houses wouldn't have been there then, I suppose, but what I'm getting at is the attitude of mind in those days - "Old railway land? - Never be needed for that ever again. We've got cars now" - sort of thinking.
How many miles per day could a typical team of navvies lay?
That depends on how many navvies are in a typical team.
I've seen the NTC lay a quarter mile of new track in just over an hour. The restriction on daily output is getting the sleepers to it.
Does anyone know where the bottom and top ballast comes from please? Being the same colour I assume from the same quarry but bottom ballast is moved by truck. Is this from a nearby virtual quarry? I have not noticed one on my few visits to the line.
PaxVobiscum
Established Member
There is (or was) a quarry a Falahill for the main construction phase but it didn't seem to produce the reddish (Lanark Red granite?) stone that is being used for ballasting.
The Falahill quarry can be seen in operation in this video from about 17' 12".
The Falahill quarry can be seen in operation in this video from about 17' 12".
L&Y Robert
Member
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The TS website states that at peak times four services in the morning will continue through Edinburgh towards Fife with a similar return arrangement in the evening. Would it not have been possible to run all services through to Fife via Haymarket with it's tram interchange? Basically just extend the existing Newcraighall services.
All the Borders ballast and sub-base stone is indeed Lanark red from Cloburn quarry. Just outside Carstairs.
Sadly it is delivered by road. Despite a redundant Coal loading plant at Ravenstruther or Renstrie as locals of the area would call it.
Progress?
It is certainly possible. However, it is felt than a combined Tweedbank/Fife Circular service would not be suitably robust in case of significant delay enroute. The risk is that due to the predominately single track nature of the Borders section any delay on the Fife Circle would necessitate a cancellation or part cancellation of a train to Tweedbank due to the necessity of having trains passing at the correct times at the loops. Therefore the services have been separated.
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