Menu
  PHOTO GALLERY GROUP 25
 
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
 

Above: Here's something that you don't often see - a disused railway turntable. This example is at Harby & Stathern, in Leicestershire, where a turntable was provided in the station yard as this was once the main exchange station on the Bottesford to Hallaton line, run jointly by the Great Northern and LNWR. August 2007. (John Davies)
 
Above: Here's another rare sight – the remains of the water tower at Harby & Stathern. The central drain can be seen clearly at the bottom of its brick-lined hollow, with the concrete bases of two of the supports visible nearby to the left and right. Both this and the turntable site were cleared in 2007. We extend our thanks to the present owners of the old railway yard (Bailey's Transport), were very helpful with the background and history. August 2007. (John Davies)
 
Above: Five months later, a small group of members from the club's West Midlands Area set out from Eaton to explore the old ironstone mineral line that ran along the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire border. Along the way, they too visited Harby & Stathern, where the substantial brick built goods shed still stands, seen here in crisp winter sunshine. 5th January 2008. (Bob Prigg)
 
Above: Russell Road Viaduct on the Caledonian Railway's branch from Princess Street, Edinburgh, to Leith North. Ralph Rawlinson visited the city in July 2007 and writes: 'Cyclists and walkers of old railways who live in or near Edinburgh are fortunate because they have access to what must be the largest network of cycleways converted from disused lines of any conurbation in the British Isles.' Chequerboard painting like that at the bottom of the pier in the road was applied extensively to road hazards during the war, when the blackout was in effect – surely this feature couldn't date from that time? Or could it? Please send us an e-mail via our Contact page if you know the answer. July 2007. (Ralph Rawlinson)
 
Above: Close up of the motif on West Coates Bridge, another rail-over-road crossing on the CR's Leith North branch. They really do not 'make 'em like that any more'. July 2007. (Ralph Rawlinson)
 
Above: Murrayfield Viaduct is another fine structure on the CR line to Leith North, viewed here from the south west; the river is the Water of Leith which has its own 'Water of Leith Walkway', seen here in the foreground. If you wish to find out more about the complex history of railways in the Edinburgh area, and their remains, Ralph recommends Edinburgh & Lothians: Exploring the Lost Railways, a book by club member Alasdair Wham. Copies priced £9.99 plus £2.50 p&p can be ordered from the publisher at , but check first that the p&p has not gone up following recent postal increases. July 2007. (Ralph Rawlinson)
 
Above: Ferry Road Bridge was situated between Craigleith and Granton Road stations on the middle section of the Leith North branch. The original girder span was removed for scrap after the branch closed, but was replaced when the cycleway was established in order to achieve 'grade separation' between path users and the road below. The bridge is seen here approaching from the south, and looks very striking in its fresh red paint. July 2007. (Ralph Rawlinson)
 
Above: A view of Ferry Road Bridge at ground level, taken from the west. The new span re-uses the original abutments, which were made good to take their new load. Obviously, this is a relatively lightweight structure compared with the earlier stone viaducts, but it is still difficult to avoid the conclusion that, with all these engineering features en route, the Leith North branch cost the Caledonian Railway a small fortune to build. July 2007. (Ralph Rawlinson)