Steaming Forth . . .
. . . The Joy of Steam
To celebrate the 130th Anniversary of the Forth Bridge, this exhibition shows a number of unique and seldom-seen photographs, by renowned railway photographer John Clemmens.
Sadly, John passed away on February 6th 2021.
Here is his obituary from The Scotsman and another from Railway Magazine.
1. Sir Robert Reid’s (Chairman of British Railways) – Retirement Special from Waverley Station headed by A4 Pacific Union of South Africa is seen starting away from the Fife (north) Cantilever masonry arch of the Forth Bridge after a short stop.
The class of A4 locomotives were designed by Gresley for the London & North Eastern Railway – built in Doncaster during the 1935-37 period for express operation between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley with some services being non-stop.
Inside the masonry arch on the north side of the Forth Bridge – west side there is a spiral staircase which allows one to reach the top; a place that the well-known artist Terence Cuneo was fond of for his famous and iconic poster paintings.
Photographed – March 1990.
2. An excursion from Waverley station to Aberdeen headed by the Union of South Africa (renamed Osprey for a period for political reasons.)
The A4 Class locomotive was built for the London & North Eastern Railway at Doncaster to a Gresley stream-lined design of 1935.
The elevated position chosen to fire the camera from shows the highlights of the Forth Bridge of 1890, North Queensferry Station on the left hand side and the North Queensferry Primary School on the right.
The photograph was shot from the old right of way situated over the south portal of the tunnel. This right-of-way was used by cattle to access grazing land on Ferry Hills.
Photographed – May 1990.
3. What a place to breakdown!
Maude having failed mid-way across the Forth Bridge is seen being propelled by a following service train to Dundee to a convenient siding at Inverkeithing.
Maude – Number 673 (65243) – was built by Neilson of Glasgow to a Holmes design for the North British Railway in 1891.
This excursion train was to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of setting up the Scottish Railway Preservation Society in 1961.
The reason for the failure of Maude was found to be the misalignment of the blast pipe located inside the smokebox.
Photographed – September 1986
4. Maude returning the Strathearn Express excursion from Perth through North Queensferry Station during British Railways days, October 1983.
She served overseas during the great war. She is now resting in the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway Museum at Bo’ness, West Lothian.
Photographed – October 1983.
5. The Great Marquess Class K4 2 6 0 is seen bursting out of the tunnel onto North Queensferry Station with a short train of empty stock from Thornton to Glasgow and Fort William the next day.
The Great Marquess was one of a small class of three cylinder engines for the West Highland Line and the extension to Mallaig – then operated by the London and North Eastern Railway.
An interesting point concerns the ‘tunnel’ at North Queensferry. When the Forth Bridge was opened in 1890, the ‘tunnel’ was actually a cutting through Ferry Hills. Owing to the instability of the cutting it was later converted to a tunnel.
Photographed – May, 2008
6. To celebrate the centenary of the Forth Bridge, the Forth Centennial Railtour was organised to run from Edinburgh Waverley Station over the Forth Bridge and around the Fife Circle before stopping briefly at North Queensferry Station.
John Cameron’s A4 Class Pacific Locomotive of 1936 the Union of South Africa was in charge.
Today it has been proposed the engine will end up in a museum when its boiler certificate expires in 2020, but we hope not.
Photographed – March 1990.
7. Forth Bridge Commemorative Walk.
One Sunday morning during March 1990 the Forth Bridge was totally closed to trains in order for some local residents and members of the North Queensferry Heritage Trust to walk across from the north side to Dalmeny – where a diesel multiple unit was waiting to return the walkers to North Queensferry Station.
The objective of the well-organized British Railways walk was to commemorate the opening on March of 1890.
The photograph shows the walk in progress on the Fife Cantilever, a view often referred to as the Cathedral of Steel
Photographed – March 1990.
8. The Forth Centennial celebratory excursion from Edinburgh Waverley Station to commemorate the centenary of the Forth Bridge opening on March 4th 1890 is seen starting away from what is now Platform 19 to the Forth Bridge and Fife Circle route.
Union of South Africa is in charge. (For a short period she was re-named “Osprey’ for some political reason.)
On the return, the Forth Centennial stopped briefly at North Queensferry Station to re-enact the Opening Ceremony for the benefit of local residents.
Note how clear the view at Waverley appears when compared to that of today with the masses of overhead electrification infrastructure and cabling.
Photographed – March, 1990.
9. It is not often with railway photography that one is able to relax to compose without compromise.
This is one such occasion created at Starley Burn showing a driver training with empty stock working from Thornton – seen accelerating away from Burntisland towards Aberdour – close to the Fife coastal path.
The pleasing composition shows A4 Class streamlined Pacific Union of South Africa working well in a clockwise direction around the Fife Circle.
Today palisade fencing has arrived at the location with all access for the public locked off.
Photographed – April, 1990.
10. Another driver training with empty stock working from Thornton headed by Osprey an A4 Class locomotive.
The train is seen accelerating away from Burntisland towards Aberdour at Starley Burn (photographed when I should have been hard at work!)
Access to the location was easy in 1990 but now palisade fencing with locked gates is the order of the day. It is close to the coastal path from Aberdour to Burntisland.
The historic background shows the British Aluminium Alumina Plant (later Alcan) which processed the incoming bauxite ore for smelting and pharmaceutical use. Now the plant is closed with some parts going to Russia.
Photographed – April 1990.
11. 1990 was a busy year for driver training activities on the British Railways National Railway Network.
Here Osprey, an A4 Class Locomotive of 1935 is seen negotiating a speed restriction on the climb out of Kirkcaldy with a Thornton Fife Circle driver training special.
During past years Kirkcaldy was very much a coal exporting port with a very steep branch down into the harbour. As well as coal, Kirkcaldy was well known for cork linoleum products and various metal foundries.
Photographed – April 1990.
12. A little west of Starley Burn is this rather low-down uncomfortable location, close to the Forth Estuary.
Once again Osprey ex-London & North Eastern Railway streamlined Pacific of 1935 is seen heading a driver training with empty stock working from Thornton around the Fife Circle between Burntisland and Aberdour.
Access to this attractive location is still possible. Park in the Silver Sands Car Park, Aberdour and walk east along the Fife Coastal Path towards Burntisland.
Good luck for train-spotting.
Photographed – April, 1990.
13. An impressive sight of a three cylinder Union of South Africa seen climbing the one in a hundred gradient from Inverkeithing to North Queensferry – with a Santa excursion around the Fife Circle route via Thornton.
The pleasant afternoon lighting conditions together with a favourable wind direction made (I feel) a highly successful photographic result.
Today the view is plagued by palisade fencing and the Ferry Toll Car Park Buildings in the background. How things change in such a short time.
Photographed – December, 1992.
14. Maude at Waverley Station Edinburgh Platform Number Seven – before the intrusive overhead electrification was erected.
She is seen in all her glory departing eastwards with a Santa excursion around the Edinburgh suburban line via Morningside and Haymarket West junction.
Maude was withdrawn from British Railways service in 1966. Maude is now owned by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society and is located in their museum at Bo’ness.
Capturing the traditional background including the North British Hotel was far from easy but I feel this makes the composition complete and pleasing to the eye.
Photographed – December, 1986.
15. A stroke of photographic luck in Waverley Station’s Platform One Edinburgh showing rebuilt ‘Royal Scot’ class locomotive
Number 6100 Royal Scot heading a Scottish Railway Preservation Society railtour to Carlisle via the Suburban Line (known as “the sub”.)
The locomotive was originally built for the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1927 with a parallel boiler and a single chimney. During British Railways’ days it was rebuilt with a tapered boiler and a double chimney in 1950.
This successful photograph demonstrates what happens when occasionally everything comes together to make an outstanding railway photograph.
Photographed – August, 2016
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