SteamMemories
NorthEastScotland
ImagesfromtheNevilleSteadcollection CompiledbyDavidSpaven
SteamMemories NorthEastScotland
ImagesfromtheNevilleSteadcollection CompiledbyDavidSpaven
(4)FormerGNoSRClassD404-4-0No.2280SouthesksitsattheheadofapassengerserviceboundforMacduffatAberdeenJointstation'sbayPlatform12 inthemidtolate1940s.Notethedistinctiveplatformnumbersignsandtheabbreviated'NE'ratherthan'LNER'onthetenderside.Builtin1920bytheNorth BritishLocomotiveCompanyinGlasgow,SoutheskwasnotoneoftheeighteenD40locomotiveswhichpassedfromLNERintoBritishRailwaysownership in1948.FortunatelysisterengineGordonHighlander,theonlysurvivingGNoSRlocomotive,wassavedfromthescrapyardandisnowbased-asastatic exhibit-attheScottishTransportMuseuminBo'ness.
(13)Z4No.68191propelsafreighttripthroughthenarrowgapbetweentheRegentQuayshedsandtheLeith-registeredFinlandcargoshipinanundated shotthoughttohavetohavebeentakeninthe1950s.Thedockrailwaysystem-thefrstsectionsofwhichwereopenedin1887-extendedwellintothe distancebeyondWaterlooQuay,servingAberdeenGasWorksandtheSandilandsChemicalWorks.Whentheformerconvertedfromcoaltooilin1975,the railwaylostitscoaltraffctothegasworks,andthedocksystemclosedcompletelywhenthechemicalworkswasshutdownin1985.
(16)Last-minuteinstructionsorjustpassingthetimeofday?DriverandfremanlookdownandlistenattentivelytoacolleagueastheirClassV42-6-2 locomotiveNo.61701preparestohaulamixedfreightandparcelstrainoutofGuildStreetgoodsyardon26June1957.TheV4-ofwhichjusttwowerebuilt -wasthelastdesignofSirNigelGresleyoftheLNERbeforehediedin1941.61701wasnotnamed,butwasknownunoffciallyasBantamHentomatch 61700'soffcialnameofBantamCock.Bothwerewithdrawnfromservicein1957.
(18)A4No.60019BitternwasoneofthesmallgroupofthisclassallocatedtoworkGlasgow-Aberdeenexpresspassengerservicesintheirfnalyearsto 1966withdrawal.HereBitternisrestingbetweenturnson16April1965besidethecoalingplantatitsAberdeenFerryhillbase.BuilttoaNigelGresley designfortheLNER,itwasintroducedtotraffcin1937,andwasinitiallyallocatedtoHeatonengineshedinNewcastle,transferringtoFerryhillin1963. BitternwaspreservedandsetanewspeedrecordforaBritishpreservedsteamlocomotiveof93mphbetweenYorkandNewcastlein2013.
TheBuchanlines
(33)AheavyfshtrainforsouthernmarketsishauledoutofFraserburghin1950byClassB1No.61323andanunidentifedClassB12.Fishwasakeytraffc onthelineafteritsopeningbytheGNoSRin1865,andaslateas1962–thebestpartoftwoyearsafterdieselshadarrivedenmasseinAberdeen–itwas stillthepracticeforfshspecialsfromFraserburghandPeterhead(andRoyaltrainstoandfromBallaterontheDeesideLine)tobeworkedbysteampower. PassengertrainstoFraserburghceasedin1965,butthefshtraffcsurviveduntilalmosttheendoffreightservicestotheBuchantownin1979,fnally succumbingtocompetingroadhaulage.
(34)HeadedbyClassD404-4-0No.62272,anAberdeen-boundtrainpreparestoleavethePeterheadterminuson4July 1951.Thetwo-platformstationhadashortoverallroof,alsospanningagoodssiding.Openedin1862aspartofthe Formartine&BuchanRailway(absorbedbytheGNoSRin1866),passengerservicesatPeterheadwerewithdrawnin1965, havinglongsufferedfromacircuitousroutetoAberdeen(viaMaudJunctionontheFraserburghline)comparedtothe moredirectroutebybusandcar.Freightservicessurvivedonlyuntil1970,justastheNorthSeaoilerawasdawning.
(41)ClassD40No.62276AndrewBainpokeshernoseoutofFraserburgh'sneatlittleengineshedon20May1952.Thedistinctiveskylinehereiscompleted byFraserburghSouthChurchofScotland(left)andDalrympleHall(right).Theturntablecanjustbeseentotheleft:anessentialsteam-agefacilitywhich becameredundantwiththearrivalofdieselsenmassein1960-61,sincetheoverwhelmingmajorityhaddrivingcabsateachendofthelocomotive.Today theoldshed-nowpartofawholesalefshmerchants-isvirtuallytheonlysurvivingphysicalevidenceoftherailwayinthisBuchanfshingtown.Both FraserburghandPeterheadarefurtherfromtherailnetworkthananyothertownsoftheirsizeinBritain
(81)PlentyofactivityatElginEaststationon14June1960.Class2PNo.40663sits‘lightengine’inoneoftheloopswhileBlackFiveNo.45476standsat theheadofatrainatPlatform1.ThelatterwasathroughplatformlinkingtheformerGNoSREaststationwiththeformerHighlandRailway'sWeststation, givingthecombinedBRstationatotalofsixplatforms.TheimposingGNoSRstationbuilding-openedin1898,andclosedtopassengersin1968-wasbuilt inthe'ScottishBaronial'style,andhasbeenbeautifullyconservedasaB-listedstructure,includingthesuperboriginalbookinghall(nowpartofaprivate businesscentre).
ISBN978-1-913893-03-3 £12.50 ThedistinctivecharacteroftheformerGreatNorthofScotlandRailwayiswellillustratedbythis selectionofphotosfromtheNevilleSteadcollection.Largelyfeaturingtheperiodfromthe1940s tothemid-1960s–whentheBeechingAxedecimatedtheNorthEastScotlandrailnetwork–the albumcapturestheatmosphereofawidevarietyofrailwaysacrosstheregion.Fromthecityof AberdeenandthemainlinetoKeith,throughcross-countrycorridorsinSpeysideandviathe coasttoElgin,tobranchestoAlford,Ballater,Banff,Fraserburgh,Lossiemouth,Macduff, PeterheadandStCombs,theworldofthetraditionalsteamrailwayisdelightfullyportrayed.