Rail Galleries by Euan Cameron http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/ 10 rows en-gb 60 Return to the Valley Railroad, Essex, CT http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1736838.html On 1 August we paid our first visit to the Connecticut Valley Railroad for three years. Much had changed - CPR No. 1246 and the Baldwin Prairie had moved to a museum elsewhere in the state, No. 40 was fully restored and a new mikado had arrived for rebuilding. Still the unique charm of the train-and-riverboat combination remained the same. Thursday 6 August 2009: On 1 August we paid our first visit to the Connecticut Valley Railroad for three years. Much had changed - CPR No. 1246 and the Baldwin Prairie had moved to a museum elsewhere in the state, No. 40 was fully restored and a new mikado had arrived for rebuilding. Still the unique charm of the train-and-riverboat combination remained the same.

No. 40 re-entered traffic last year and appears in fine condition although it was cold in the yard on this occasion This Porter saddletank is apparently being restored cosmetically for display only. It would certainly be too small for Valley Railroad passenger trains Closer view of No. 40, formerly of the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad Valley has its Thomas (under wraps when not in use) but it also has its little red caboose, run on special weekends The heavyweight passenger cars come mostly from the Lackawanna and Central New Jersey systems Study in contrasting ironwork No 97, A product of Alco's Cooke works in Paterson, NJ, latterly owned by the Birmigham and Southeastern shortline railroad in Alabama, runs up the yard passing No. 40 No. 97 rumbles past running round its train 1920s commuter cars recreate the period of the railway very well On the right is former Knox & Kane Railroad No. 58, a 2-8-2 built by Tangshan Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works in July 1989 (construction number SY1658M) and purchased by the Valley Railroad on October 10, 2008 at the liquidation auction following a fire at its home shed Valley Railroad is definitely a preservation as well as a tourist railway. They can have little use for luggage cars but preserve them anyway The heavyweight Pullman car at Deep River Box-car at Deep River station The next few pictures were taken of the 2 p.m. departure from Essex A lower angle of view emphasizes the chunkiness of the 2-8-0 Crossing the multiple level crossings just north of Essex station, with rather a lot of street furniture Clearer view as the Alco 2-8-0 passes 'Going away' shot The open car and the Pullman regularly form the northmost two cars of the train The caboose tails off the train as it leaves Essex The Chinese mikado has been stripped down for rapid restoration and is intended to be restored to as near a New Haven J-1 2-8-2 as possible, with the never-before used number of 3025 Left-hand view of the Porter Tender end view of No. 40 The Valley Railroad logo closely resembles the ornate design used on New Haven diesels and electrics as well as latterly on the tenders of the Hudson 4-6-4 of the 1400 series Right-hand side view of No. 40 in shade Maine Central boxcar at Essex

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]]> Thu Aug 6 2009 Museum of Transportation, St Louis, 18 June 2009 http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1720839.html The Museum of Transportation at Kirkwood, in the suburbs of St. Louis, Mo., owns a nationally significant collection of railway motive power and rolling stock. Thanks to the generosity of new friends at the conference my wife and I were attending, I was able to visit the Museum for a very hurried two hours' rush around in 90-degree heat on Thursday 18th June. Many thanks to Jim Pakala for the ride there and back, and to the staff member named Warren for kindly showing me around areas of the museum not normally open to the public. Friday 3 July 2009: The Museum of Transportation at Kirkwood, in the suburbs of St. Louis, Mo., owns a nationally significant collection of railway motive power and rolling stock. Thanks to the generosity of new friends at the conference my wife and I were attending, I was able to visit the Museum for a very hurried two hours' rush around in 90-degree heat on Thursday 18th June. Many thanks to Jim Pakala for the ride there and back, and to the staff member named Warren for kindly showing me around areas of the museum not normally open to the public.

St Louis Iron Mountain & Southern 4-6-0 No. 635, exihibiting the typical characteristics of its period Right-hand view of the 19th-century 4-6-0 Full details, even the price. The Missouri Pacific Railroad was colloquially known as the Mopac Engineer's view (almost) of the Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4006. Various examples of this class are distributed around the US, unfortunately none of them currently in working order Engineer's driving position on UP 4006 The backhead of the Big Boy is actually relatively standard, until one realizes how far forward the firebox extends The Big Boy seems to go on for ever. Some figures at the left give some idea of scale Given the vast size of the Big Boy the valve gear actually appears rather lightweight Several major museums have Big Boy 4-8-8-4s, and all the superlatives about them are long exhausted. This is a quite extraordinary feat of locomotive design and engineering NYC&StL (Nickel Plate Road) 4-6-4 No. 170, one of a small but successful class of Hudsons built for express work The Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 'Kanawha' would have been called a Berkshire type nearly anywhere else This massive Santa Fe 2-10-4 'Texas' type was displayed in beautiful cosmetic condition. By the end of the visit I wished they had not advertised the opportunity to ring the bell, though In haste I photographed the excellent captions on the exhibits as a way of recording the data Boston and Providence 4-4-0 Daniel Nason dates originally from 1858. It is an 'inside-connected' 4-4-0 with the cylinder block below the smokebox, a primitive bogie and a huge wood-burning stack Lackawanna 'Mother Hubbard' 4-4-0 No. 952, one of the classic anthracite burners with a central cab This view of Daniel Nason shows the inside-connected arrangement very clearly Frisco 4-8-2 No. 1522 has been something of a celebrity in recent years, described to me by one of the staff as the nearest to working condition of all the museum's steam locomotives Front view of the Frisco 4-8-2 Front-end view of the massive Norfolk & Western 2-8-8-2 No. 2156. These N&W articulated locomotives were true Mallet compounds, with the huge front cylinders using low-pressure steam vented from the high-pressure cylinders behind This N&W Y6 2-8-8-2 is in very fine external cosmetic condition, unlike some of the other exhibits Duluth, Missabe and Northern 2-10-2 No. 502 As a NYCS enthusiast in a small way I was glad to see L-2 Mohawk No. 2933 but sorry to see it in rather rough condition with its boiler cladding and sandbox removed; but apparently some restoration work is being done to it now and then 'You do realize we own a Daylight?' I was asked as I walked around the exhibits. This sounded like a leg-pull until I realized that what was meant was this smaller-wheeled 'Baby Daylight' GS-6 4-8-4, designed as a mixed traffic locomotive in wartime Deep sun shades the front of the Mohawk but does not entirely disguise the classic NYC appearance Shades of Charles Sheeler. The NYC particularly favoured the Baker valve gear, which has only pin joints, nothing sliding or rubbing in its moving parts The 'Daylight' was in deep shade and its matt black paintwork needed some enhancement in the computer for this shot This was a first view of Chicago & Northwestern 4-4-2 No. 1015, a rare survivor of the Atlantic type built by Alco in 1900 No. 1015's cab showing a clear need for some restoration. Wood was a key ingredient in many of these older locomotives' cabs and suffers after years out of doors The trailing axle of the Atlantic carried the firebox and cab above it In deep shadow, the bogie and driving wheels of the C&NW Atlantic This slightly different angle shows more of the boiler fittings of the Atlantic This was the nearest to a front view that I could take as the Atlantic was jammed alongside other vehicles. The front-end in the left foreground is an Italian electric locomotive This low-angle view shows the cylinders of 1015, designed to allow for outside connecting rods but inside valve gear with piston valves This large 0-8-0 switching locomotive displays one of the final characteristics of American steam locomotive building, with the frames and cylinders cast as a single huge piece of foundrywork and machined as a single object. This constructional method coped well with the stresses of very heavy loads Front view of the Missabe 2-10-2 Wabash Mogul No. 573 The Wabash Mogul seemed rather human-sized and accessible alongisde some of the much larger exhibits Missouri Kansas & Texas (MKT or 'Katy') 4-4-0 311 was built in 1890 and refurbished in 1923 for the 'Katy Flyer' train 'Katy' 4-4-0 No. 311's neat front end, with Marmora on the right A first view of Boston & Albany 4-4-0 No. 39 'Marmora', an elegant domeless-boilered 4-4-0 with a fine reputation but, alas, no tender Marmora was rather squeezed up against the tender of C&NW 274 This long and rather elegant 4-4-0 was built for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and exhibits typical features of the early 1870s. It was owned for many years by Purdue University's Museum Information card for 274 Close-up of the firebox and cab of this very elegant 4-4-0, unfortunately in need of a little care and attention No. 274 was one of the earliest locomotives to have the Westinghouse automatic brake with the company's preferred system of brake shoes between the driving wheels operated by cams from a centrally mounted air cylinder Boston & Albany 'Eddy Clock' 4-4-0 No. 39 next to its caption board. Note the absence of dome View of Marmora's front end. Note the spoked bogie wheels - so many American locomotives have solid bogie wheels Baltimore & Ohio 'Camelback' 4-6-0 No. 173 is a real curiosity in the shed at the farther end of the museum. On the right one can just see the massive flank of a GG1 electric locomotive, unrestored and in Amtrak livery Information board for No. 173 One could not quite resist the feeling that 173 had been the victim of a collision with a signal box

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]]> Fri Jul 3 2009 Burntisland Station 1883 and 2009 http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1709058.html The East of Scotland 4mm Group have been working over the past years to extend their award-winning model of the railway terminus at Burntisland, on the south coast of Fife, as it was in 1883 before the Forth Bridge was built. The Group extended the kindest of hospitality to me when I visited on 30th May, the weekend of their AGM. When complete the model will include working slipways for the train ferries that carried wagons across the Forth, as well as hoists that unloaded coal wagons at the dockside into waiting colliers. Only some indication of the breadth of this ambitious project can be given here. Some photos taken at the present-day Burntisland harbour are included for comparison. As some members of the group were not able to be present when I visited, some of the exciting new locomotive models, especially Bob Hetherington's Wheatley Goods No. 415 and Ian Terrell's Big Drummond Goods No. 456, do not yet feature in this collection. My hope is to add these in due course. Sunday 7 June 2009: The East of Scotland 4mm Group have been working over the past years to extend their award-winning model of the railway terminus at Burntisland, on the south coast of Fife, as it was in 1883 before the Forth Bridge was built. The Group extended the kindest of hospitality to me when I visited on 30th May, the weekend of their AGM. When complete the model will include working slipways for the train ferries that carried wagons across the Forth, as well as hoists that unloaded coal wagons at the dockside into waiting colliers. Only some indication of the breadth of this ambitious project can be given here. Some photos taken at the present-day Burntisland harbour are included for comparison. As some members of the group were not able to be present when I visited, some of the exciting new locomotive models, especially Bob Hetherington's Wheatley Goods No. 415 and Ian Terrell's Big Drummond Goods No. 456, do not yet feature in this collection. My hope is to add these in due course.

Note the Parsonage building behind No. 32 represented here in Allan Goodwillie's highly artistic backdrop. Here 32 stands in the station roads at the back of the model railway. 32 is here seen with its wagons with the station in the background. No. 358 was one of two 0-4-0 tender locomotives built by Wheatley in 1868. Jim Summers's model shows the orginal form of the class. For the final rebuilt version of this class see http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/p39482916.html. Stalwart of the Burntisland layout is Jim Summers's 2-4-0 No. 38, a model of a locomotive built in 1869 from spare parts. Flash photography slightly bleaches the colour of 358 in the goods yard. Work in progress! This view shows two jetties of the West Dock at Burntisland, with turnplates for wagons and a coal hoist under construction. The artistry displayed in the harbour walls is remarkable. This building, modelled with meticulous care by Allan Goodwillie, represents the Engine Hoise that provided the power for the hydraulic hoists and other equipment for the coal transhipment operations. Also in progress is the unique 'flying bridge' arrangement for the wagon ferry. The 'bridge' moved up and down the inclined plane to allow for tidal changes and a bascule connected the tracks with lines laid on the deck of the ferry. 'Massive' is certainly not a word to apply to the Wheatley ferry pilots, a class of 0-6-0STs built in 1874 and used specially at the ferry ports. This wonderful new model by Jim Summers is only 8cm long without buffers. For a drawing of 32 in later Holmes livery see http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/p45042166.html. 38 is here shown with the 1840s NBR carriage stock, a highly attractive if slightly anachronistic feature. One of the major tasks of the Group is to reproduce the large numbers of mineral wagons. These splendid little models were made from resin castings and fitted with compensated chassis during the weekend. This view shows the 'brake side' of the wagons - in those early days they had one brake lever acting on one wheel only. Fortunately speeds were very slow. Here is the East of Scotland 4mm Group's model of the terminus. When exhibited the forecourt is populated with carriages, passengers and many other details. The Forth Hotel from the south-eastern side. This model is quite massive even in 4mm scale. This most impressive model of the Forth Hotel and Downie's Stables was recently completed by Don Rowland for the Group, and shows the meticulous accuracy typical of this project. The Forth Hotel itself, originally a manse, was unfortunately demolished in the late 1990s after lying derelict for many years. This view gives a little context. In the foreground is the present-day station; on the rear of the 1847 station building one can see the marks of the train sheds; behind is the Forth Bridge that effectively ended Burntisland's role as a railway harbour. Two landmarks in Burntisland are the 1590s Parish Church with its distinctive tower and the 19th-century Parsonage. This view shows the church on the occasion of a visit made fascinating by a helpful church officer. Burntisland's imposing stone terminus dates from the 1847 opening of the first section of the Edinburgh and Northern Railway (later the Edinburgh Perth & Dundee Railway). The building has not been used as a station since the opening of the Forth Bridge approaches in 1890 but is still visible. The buildings known as 'Downie's Stables' were built in the 1840s for the railway's staff. They latterly included a hostelry and carriage hire service. This detail view shows the care taken when the station was first built - note the detail on the capitals of the columns. This view shows the interesting curved corner to the building complex. The Forth Hotel used to stand just to the right of the picture. The side-on view gives some sense of how the station functioned. The present-day main line station lies on a curve just to the north-west of the original site. The tower of the parish church may be seen at the far right. George Hay Forbes's massive Parsonage building as seen from the harbour area. This Gothic pile figures in many historic photos taken of the Burntisland railway scene.

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]]> Sun Jun 7 2009 Trains around Washington DC, 2006 http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1549407.html A teaching assignment over ten weeks in Washington DC in October and November 2006 gave multiple opportunities to observe Amtrak and MARC stock in the environs of Union station. Wednesday 23 July 2008: A teaching assignment over ten weeks in Washington DC in October and November 2006 gave multiple opportunities to observe Amtrak and MARC stock in the environs of Union station.

One of the ubiquitous P42 The second SW1500 passes the train on which I was travelling Amtrak has a total of ten EMD SW1000R switchers dating from 1950, including No. 797. MARC 71, a GP39H-2 rebuilt from GP40 class, came from Penn Central via Conrail, and was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen in 1987 Amtrak switchers include some of the oldest diesel locomotives in regular service. The three SSB1200s from EMD, including 562, date from 1953 Two more GP40WH-2s on shed Two massive CSX 12-wheel freight diesels outside Union Station The typical electric passenger locomotive on the Eastern Corridor regional trains is the AEM-7 class, in this case the refurbished AEM-7AC class as rebuilt by Amtrak and Alstom in 2002 MARC runs a small fleet of GP40 diesels built specially in the early 1990s using parts left over from an earlier order made to the manufacturer The two Amtrak SW1500s, previously owned by CSX, are here waiting just off the platform ends at Union station

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]]> Wed Jul 23 2008 Vintage carriages at Bo'ness http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1545749.html On 19th June 2008 a group of friends including myself was shown around the exhibitions and the carriage shed at the Scottish Railway Preservation Society's site at Bo'ness. Carriage restoration is less glamorous and high-profile than locomotive restoration but an equally vital part of preserving the railway heritage and history of Britain. These photographs show both the challenges and the achievements. Thanks to Jim Summers and colleagues for the tour. Wednesday 16 July 2008: On 19th June 2008 a group of friends including myself was shown around the exhibitions and the carriage shed at the Scottish Railway Preservation Society's site at Bo'ness. Carriage restoration is less glamorous and high-profile than locomotive restoration but an equally vital part of preserving the railway heritage and history of Britain. These photographs show both the challenges and the achievements. Thanks to Jim Summers and colleagues for the tour.

These photos of an Ashbury third date not from 2008 but the early 1970s: for comparison with the SRPS carriage they show the body of one of the once-numerous Ashbury 25' open thirds that was used as a store at Markinch. Regrettably it was burned out a few years later Side views of the Ashbury third had to be taken in sections because of an inconvenient fence The right-hand view of the open third Detail view of door and ventilator: compare with the SRPS carriage This Glasgow and South Western third class was built to Peter Drummond's designs in 1914. It awaits restoration but is relatively complete though in need of much renovation Another view of the GSWR carriage The SRPS has in its keeping a very rare survivor of the Ashbury company's four-wheel stock built for the NBR: a 22' 8 Unfortunately the Ashbury was squeezed against a shed wall, requiring some awkward photo angles A photo taken without flash to show more of the detail of the wooden bodywork The survival of the teak bodies of these ancient carriages, exposed to the elements for decades as 'bothies', is remarbkable: the mouldings and ventilators are in quite fair condition and very restorable This wheelset from a NBR carriage chassis illustrates the construction of the wooden-centred Mansell wheels so widely used in late 19th-century carriages This shows the interior of the Mansell wheelset The other end of the Drummond third, showing some significant but repairable damage to the mainframe Thompson's LNER postwar steel-bodied carriages were scumbled to resemble the traditional varnished teak. This finish has been recreated with amazing skill and creativity by one of the SRPS's painters The SRPS's NBR saloon has travelled in railtours since preservation but is now receiving some care and attention. This unique vehicle has a complicated history This shows the glass-like finish being achieved in the ongoing restoration of LNER Gresley buffet car No. 644. A truly remarkable job is being done here. End view of the LNER open third

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]]> Wed Jul 16 2008 The model locomotives and rolling stock of 'Burntisland 1883' http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1295786.html The exhibition layout representing the railway station of Burntisland harbour, on the Firth of Forth, in the late Victorian era has won many awards over the past few years. Through the generosity of Allan Goodwillie and Jim Summers I was able to photograph some of the models on the model railway at Allan's home in May 2007. Thanks and congratulations to all those involved in this fascinating project in historical railway modelling. The remarkable scenic backgrounds, which add so much to the photos. are the artistry of Allan Goodwillie. The collection will be added to as new photographs become available Tuesday 5 June 2007: The exhibition layout representing the railway station of Burntisland harbour, on the Firth of Forth, in the late Victorian era has won many awards over the past few years. Through the generosity of Allan Goodwillie and Jim Summers I was able to photograph some of the models on the model railway at Allan's home in May 2007. Thanks and congratulations to all those involved in this fascinating project in historical railway modelling. The remarkable scenic backgrounds, which add so much to the photos. are the artistry of Allan Goodwillie. The collection will be added to as new photographs become available

These coal wagons represent the earliest design of freight wagon. Note the primitive braking This first class carriage represents the second generation of NBR coaching stock, and was built by Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. to design No. 1376 from 1864 onwards This MRCW composite carriage is shown in NBR claret This passenger brake matches the MRCW 1860s carriages The rake of coal wagons is shown next to two NBR locomotives and Bob Hetherington's nearly finished model of a Stockton and Darlington long-boiler 0-6-0 Another rather merciless profile view. This model represents an interesting class of dock shunters used on both sides of the Forth for shunting trains near the ferries that operated on the firth before the 1890 bridge was built These Wheatley saddletanks appeared with two different wheel sizes: this version shows the larger size Even in such a tiny model the pressure gauge is reproduced This interesting 0-6-0 represents an engine built originally by Hawthorns of Leith and rebuilt by Wheatley in the early 1870s. It resembled Wheatley's standard goods except for the smaller, lower boiler and four-wheel tender No. 80A with the Neilson tank behind This view shows the tender with its attractive sloped flare to the tender tank This is a slightly freelance model for the NBR, based on a Neilson industrial design from the 1870s. Compare http://uk.geocities.com/chris.gibbon123@btinternet.com/Pages/neilsonpage.htm for the design The Wheatley double-framed 2-4-0 was scratchbuilt based on drawings prepared by myself, to be seen elsewhere in this gallery Three-quarter front view of the 2-4-0 Profile view of No. 38. These closeup views are a little cruel to the models, since even a dustspeck shows up at full size No. 38 sits awaiting a train with coal wagons in the background This windowless third class carriage would have been very much obsolete by 1880 An interesting feature of the Burntisland stock is these first-generation four-wheelers from the 1840s. They are an anachronism for 1883 but a rather engaging one The guard's compartment on this early carriage is a design that would later be more commonly found on continental than British railways This Cowlairs incline brake has been well travelled, appearing on Burntisland as well as Blackston Junction This model shows Wheatley's first class, a 0-4-0 tender class first built in 1868 from scrap and spare parts, shown here in almost original condition Profile view of the 0-4-0 in closer detail This attractive little Drummond 4-4-0T was built from an etched kit. These small tanks were seen all over the NB system until the 1920s Another view of the Drummond tank showing the bunker and toolbox. The tiny numberplate on this model is especially fine Now coupled to the very early NBR coaching stock A second view of the MRCW first class carriage, next to the matching composite Three-quarter view of engine and tender The toughest test! Jim Summers recently completed this wonderful model of the small-wheeled ferry pilot 0-6-0ST No. 32 designed by Wheatley in 1874. The model (8cm long over bufferbeams) is shown above a photo of the original from the same angle. The accuracy is extraordinary. Photo by courtesy of Jim Summers No 358 moves out along the wall of the East dock at Burntisland. The second stage of this modelling project will be something to see when it is exhibited next year These three photographs were kindly supplied by Jim Summers and are published here with his permission. Here Wheatley 0-4-0 No. 358 shunts on the Burntisland layout with No 42 in the background Since 358 was a goods engine, let's say that it is shunting the early unbraked passenger stock here ... the exquisite quality of the scalefour track is well displayed in this photograph Jim Summers's delightful No. 32 from the left-hand side, showing the numberplate newly fitted

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]]> Tue Jun 5 2007 Rail Exhibits in the Museum of Scotland http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1086168.html The refurbished Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh contains a number of fascinating exhibits related to Scotland's railway heritage. Here are a few photographs taken on a hurried visit on 13 June 2006. Thanks to the Museum staff for their enlightened and tolerant attitude towards photography of the exhibits. Sunday 17 September 2006: The refurbished Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh contains a number of fascinating exhibits related to Scotland's railway heritage. Here are a few photographs taken on a hurried visit on 13 June 2006. Thanks to the Museum staff for their enlightened and tolerant attitude towards photography of the exhibits.

Neilson and Co. was one of the earliest Glasgow locomotive builders Grant Ritchie of Kilmarnock was an interesting small locomotive builder that imitated the neighbouring Andrew Barclay's products The North British Locomotive Company was founded by the amalgamation of three Glasgow builders in the early 1900s and lasted until an unsuccessful venture into diesel building in the 1960s The company founded by Henry Dübs at Glasgow in 1865 was distinctive for its lozenge-shaped works plate The beautifully engineered motion and valve gear are fully operational Self-portrait with locomotive model The model is cut away on the left hand or driver's side Many of the cab controls are replicated This model of one of W. P. Reid's impressive Atlantic 4-4-2 express locomotives is a beautiful reminder of a class that narrowly escaped being preserved in full size Unfortunately there are some mistakes: no engine had the narrower cab and mechanical lubricator, both shown on this model, at the same time; no engine of the first set appeared unrebuilt in LNER green Closer view of the boiler and motion Cab and numberplate. The pale blue lining on the panels is a puzzle for locomotive historians The name and number on the model are misleading. The real Abbotsford had driving wheels spaced a foot further apart and a slightly broader as well as longer boiler than on the design used for this model Dugald Drummond supplied drawings for a class of small 4-4-0s with 17 Many Andrew Barclay locomotives survive, but this builders plate comes from a very early example Hawthorns of Leith was a significant locomotive builder in the 19th century (not to be confused with the more prolific R & W Hawthorn's of Newcastle) Ellesmere is an interesting 0-4-0 well tank from 1861, restored for the Museum after a long career as an industrial shunter The restoration has made the locomotive fully operational as a running chassis although the boiler is not functional Cylinders and motion. The vermilion paint on the wheels is a little gaudy Ellesmere is unusual in its outside Stephenson's link motion, a valve gear more common used with inside cylinders on British locomotives Dome and cab. There is an interesting set of information on this locomotive at http://scran.ac.uk/ Cab and controls. The beautiful brasswork has of course never been used in working conditions Typical, and original, boiler clack valve (one-way valve) on the boiler side

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]]> Sun Sep 17 2006 Valley Railroad, Essex, Connecticut http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1056594.html The Valley Railroad, based in Essex, CT is home to an interesting operation called the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat. Steam-hauled trains operate on a section of the former New Haven branch between Saybrook and Hartford, and link with a cruising boat on the Connecticut River. These photographs were taken on 12 August 2006. Saturday 19 August 2006: The Valley Railroad, based in Essex, CT is home to an interesting operation called the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat. Steam-hauled trains operate on a section of the former New Haven branch between Saybrook and Hartford, and link with a cruising boat on the Connecticut River. These photographs were taken on 12 August 2006.

Valley Railroad 2-8-0 No. 97 runs round its train at Essex after arriving tender first The locomotive is backed up to the passenger cars Running round again, this time at Deep River landing where passengers change for the riverboat Another shot as the loco runs round A rather dramatic contre-jour view as the engine approaches its carriages with the visible side in deep shade A portrait of the 2-8-0 in bright sunshine after the last run Note the large cabs typical even of the smaller American locomotives This locomotive was originally sold to the Birmingham and Southeastern shortline railroad in Alabama. It has worked at Essex since the early 1970s Here it shunts prior to stabling for the evening Portrait shot. The graphic on the tender imitates the style of the former New Haven Railroad Reversing, almost without exhaust. The puff of steam ahead of the chimney is from the generator for the headlamp Further across the yard Motionwork gleams in the low sunlight This little Baldwin 2-6-2 originally worked on the Sumter and Choctaw Railroad. It ran trains at Essex in the early years but became too small American railways often leave stored engines without boiler cleading, possibly to demonstrate that all asbestos is removed Note the slide valves, slightly archaic even when the engine was built in 1925 The prairie attached to a Lehigh and New England freight car A closeup view of the Baldwin worksplate Essex has several cabooses (cabeese?): this one is stored with the static freight Later in the day, lower sunlight shows bogie details This Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 has worked in preservation, but not for many years. It belongs to the Railroad Museum of New England, which is separate from the Valley Railroad, but would make a wonderful sight in passenger traffic The massive tender of the Canadian locomotive This open verandah car is slightly more archaic in design than most of the rolling stock and is used as a restaurant A heavyweight Pullman car used for diner trains Constructional details of the heavyweight carriage The whole train after returning to Essex for the last time that afternoon A typical passenger car Another heavyweight Pullman - see the six-wheel bogies This A row of boxcars in the liveries of traditional north-eastern companies is parked in the siding Open freightcar of the Lehigh and New England Railroad, a well-known A boxcar lettered for the Maine Central Railroad These General Electric diesel switchers, known as 44-tonners, were made between 1940 and 1956 and are very popular on small heritage lines

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]]> Sat Aug 19 2006 Fife Industrials, June 2006 http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c1055692.html On a sunny afternoon in June I visited the small railway preservation centre at Kirkland yard in Leven run by the Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society. Thanks to the friends I met there for their hospitality and for showing me around. This will be an interesting evocation of the colliery railways of West Fife when it is fully up and running in due course. Friday 18 August 2006: On a sunny afternoon in June I visited the small railway preservation centre at Kirkland yard in Leven run by the Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society. Thanks to the friends I met there for their hospitality and for showing me around. This will be an interesting evocation of the colliery railways of West Fife when it is fully up and running in due course.

This elegant Barclay saddletank used to work at Granton gasworks. It is well conserved under cover and has received a cosmetic restoration The ogee curve to the back of the cab is distinctive The older Barclay needs some boiler work but is very restorable This sturdy saddletank worked at Kinneil colliery, then at the Frances colliery near Dysart. It was latterly painted blue and kept at Lochty before travelling to Kirkland Formerly numbered 21, this locomotive received a cosmetic restoration and was numbered 17 Unfortunately the weather has been unkind to the paint job and its former lettering is showing through a little Some views from the cab Wild flowers grow profusely in the yard Fittings have been removed but the boiler is intact A low-angle view of the younger Barclay A final view of the large Barclay This NBL diesel-hydraulic called 'River Eden' worked for RAF Leuchars. It is undergoing some cosmetic repaints but is basically operational The front of River Eden next to the BR Shark ballast guards van The older Barclay, the Shark, and River Eden This impressive six-wheel NBL shunter worked for the NCB in Fife This North British Railway wooden box van is quite a rare museum piece This little four-wheeler used to shunt at Lochty. It was painted in North British olive and named 'North British' but has not worked for some years

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]]> Fri Aug 18 2006 North British Railway Locomotives in CAD http://euankcameron.fotopic.net/c838077.html This collection shows my growing collection of drawings of the locomotives of the North British Railway, mostly in the years before 1900. All these drawings were prepared using CAD and "captured" from the graphic display before being converted to JPEG. All are based on information derived from official sources found in museums and archives. For more about this collection, and fuller captions to the drawings, see http://www.noble101.freeserve.co.uk/page2.htm, http://www.noble101.freeserve.co.uk/Captions.pdf and http://www.noble101.freeserve.co.uk/Cadintro.pdf (these are only updated occasionally to spare the host work, so not all drawings may be captioned at all times). I will respond to serious requests from modellers wishing more detailed drawings of a particular type: if you wish to be in touch please leave a message on the 'comments' section, which I check from time to time. Tuesday 24 January 2006: This collection shows my growing collection of drawings of the locomotives of the North British Railway, mostly in the years before 1900. All these drawings were prepared using CAD and "captured" from the graphic display before being converted to JPEG. All are based on information derived from official sources found in museums and archives. For more about this collection, and fuller captions to the drawings, see http://www.noble101.freeserve.co.uk/page2.htm, http://www.noble101.freeserve.co.uk/Captions.pdf and http://www.noble101.freeserve.co.uk/Cadintro.pdf (these are only updated occasionally to spare the host work, so not all drawings may be captioned at all times). I will respond to serious requests from modellers wishing more detailed drawings of a particular type: if you wish to be in touch please leave a message on the 'comments' section, which I check from time to time.

Some railways kept number 1 for elite engines. On the NBR this No. 1 (the second to carry the number) was a humble coal 0-6-0 built in 1870 with 4'2 This shows No. 1 after a reboilering and modernization in 1898. It surrendered its number to a new 4-4-2T in 1911 and was withdrawn as No. 1150 in 1916 NBR No. 2 was somewhat like No. 1, except that it was 6 In 1869 St Margaret's works built this 0-6-0 with a set of St Margaret's-built 0-6-0 No. 17 as thoroughly reconditioned by Holmes in 1896. The locomotive received a new boiler and platework, steam brakes and a Neilson tender. It ran as 818 until 1901 and as 1018 until the First World War Dugald Drummond designed these cute passenger tanks and built 24, variable as to details, between 1875 and 1878. This example was built 1877-8 and originally called 'Langholm': the drawing shows it as in the late 1880s This toy-like shunter was one of six built by Thomas Wheatley in 1874 for shunting the docks either side of the Firths of Tay and Forth. Most had 3’6” H-section wheels as shown here. The engines were never rebuilt and lasted into the early 1900s This rather elegant 2-2-2 was built in the late 1860s, reportedly at St Margaret's Works. By the 1880s it had acquired a chimney from a Dübs & Co. 341 class 2-4-0 and a Drummond round cab Wheatley's 2-4-0 No. 38 built 1869 from older parts as running before 1893 rebuilding Wheatley's 2-4-0 No. 38 built 1869 from older parts and as rebuilt 1893 Wheatley numberplate on No. 38: original size of plate 16 Wheatley's 0-6-0ST No. 39 as rebuilt by Holmes in 1895 and in the period livery 2-2-2 No. 55 as built at St Margaret’s from older parts in 1867 and as running c. 1890. This engine was rebuilt with parts from a Crampton 2-2-2-0 of some twenty years earlier Enlargement of the worksplate on No. 55. St Margaret's Works in Edinburgh had its own distinctive design of plate in the 1860s, approx. 11 2-2-2 No. 55 built 1867 from older parts, as rebuilt 1897 with a Drummond boiler and Holmes cab, numbered 809 in 1895-1901 and thereafter 1009 Wheatley's 0-6-0 No. 70 in 1874 form and in Drummond goods livery In 1872-3 Thomas Wheatley rebuilt 80 and 81, two 0-6-0s built 1861 by Hawthorns of Leith, extending the frames and fitting his own boiler and cab. The resulting rebuilds lasted until the early 1900s Wheatley 0-6-0 No. 135 built 1869 at Cowlairs from spare parts. These engines were known as 'Longbacks' and included wheels without crankpins from scrapped Hawthorn engines Wheatley's 0-6-0 No. 135 as rebuilt by Holmes with new boiler and cab in the mid-1890s Wheatley’s 2-4-0 No. 164, the twin of 141, as running in the early 1880s in mostly original condition but with a Drummond cab and livery Wheatley Cowlairs Worksplate on No. 164: size of plate 7 Wheatley’s 2-4-0 No. 141 as rebuilt by Holmes in 1890 No. 146 was the only Wheatley dock shunter known for certain to have carried T-section 4’2” wheels, typical of slightly larger Wheatley tanks and coal engines, throughout its existence. It is shown as running around 1890 Double-framed 0-6-0 No. 155 was built at Cowlairs, like 135 in 1869. Although technically replacements of two EP&DR 0-6-0s by Hawthorn of Leith, 154 and 155 were made to the ‘Longback’ design with whatever materials were to hand Despite their antiquated appearance and miscellaneous origins, most of the 1860s ‘rebuilt’ 0-6-0s were reboilered and modernized by Holmes. No 155 received this treatment in 1898 and lasted in traffic until 1914. Ex-Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee Railway 0-6-0 No. 159A. This locomotive was built on the frames of a Neilson & Co. 0-6-0 of 1861, with components from a 0-6-0 built at Burntisland The Drummond 0-6-0 passenger tanks were quite variable as to details. No. 161 was one of those originally fitted with crosshead pumps and later altered with injectors inboard of the front wheels. It is here shown in Drummond livery and still with Adams safety valves on the dome Dübs-built goods 0-6-0 from 1865/6 as rebuilt in 1892, the Inverbervie branch pilot Beyer, Peacock 2-2-2 No. 211 of 1861 as rebuilt by Drummond in 1880 Beyer, Peacock 2-2-2 No. 213 as first built 1856 as E&GR No. 6 Beyer, Peacock 2-2-2 No. 213 as rebuilt by Wheatley 1875 and as running in the early 1880s, with brass dome-cover and no brakes on the engine Beyer, Peacock 2-2-2 No. 216 after it received a very heavy rebuild by Holmes in 1885. The fully enclosed splasher had been fitted earlier by Drummond. This was the last NB single in operation, withdrawn late 1912 Wheatley's 4-4-0 No. 224, recovered after the Tay Bridge disaster and repaired in mostly original condition in 1880 but with an enlarged cab and minor modifications Wheatley's 4-4-0 No. 224, recovered after the Tay Bridge disaster and rebuilt 1885 as a tandem compound with Joy's valve gear. Livery amended on new information After two years with the Nisbet four-cylinder tandem compound arrangement, 224 was rebuilt with the forward pair of cylinders removed. At the same time it was repainted into the then standard Holmes mustard livery with red and yellow lining Wheatley's 4-4-0 No. 224 after its final rebuilding in 1897 with larger, lower boiler and larger tender Wheatley's 0-6-0ST No. 228 after rebuilding by Holmes in 1901. This was the last surviving large Wheatley saddletank, withdrawn by the LNER in October 1924 Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0 No. 237, built 1859, as rebuilt by Drummond 1881 Wheatley's 4-4-0 No. 264 as built 1871 and running c. 1880 Wheatley's 4-4-0 No. 264 built 1871 as rebuilt 1893 Wheatley's 0-6-0 No. 283 as rebuilt 1889 with standard Holmes boiler and round-topped cab Ex-E&GR Beyer, Peacock 0-4-2 No. 317 of 1859 as rebuilt by Wheatley in the early 1870s with a new boiler and a wooden-framed tender Beyer, Peacock 0-4-2 No. 326 as rebuilt by Holmes in 1895 and coupled to an ex-E&GR Johnson tender 0-4-2 No. 330 was one of a class of six, Nos. 329-34, built by the E&GR at Cowlairs in 1864. William Stroudley reportedly had a hand in the design, remote ancestors of his LB&SCR 'Como' class 0-4-2 No. 330 is here shown as rebuilt by Holmes in 1892. Holmes supplied these engines with a newly-designed tender at rebuilding. This example worked the Edinburgh suburban lines Edinburgh and Glasgow 2-4-0 No. 351 built 1862, as first rebuilt 1882 in c. 1890 livery Edinburgh and Glasgow 2-4-0 No. 354 built 1863 and as first rebuilt 1882 Edinburgh and Glasgow 2-4-0 No. 354, built 1863 and as rebuilt 1897 Edinburgh and Glasgow railway No. 356 as rebuilt by Holmes in 1889 Wheatley's 0-4-0 No. 358, duplicate No. 1011, after its final rebuilding in 1911 with smaller wheels and roofed cab

Published in Rail Galleries by Euan Cameron

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