Rosehearty - GNSR New Aberdour Branch

[John Duffy]

At the outbreak of World War I the Scottish drifter fleet approached 1000 boats, landing and curing over 2 million barrels of herring. The big advantage of the steam drifters were the powered net hauls and the ability to return to port quickly. By the end of WW2 the herring fleet was just about gone, with declining stocks and a general preference for white fish. The need for ever larger boats saw the fleet concentrated in fewer, larger ports like Fraserburgh and Peterhead. The latter, today lands more fish that all of the other UK ports combined.

Unfortunately of course, none of it now goes by rail.

John

 

[Joe's Garage]

Hi John
I see Messer's Dunbar, Glenn and Glenn have been visiting Rosehearty. Lovely pregrouping stock.
The yard looks very busy.
Thanks for sharing.
Julian

 

[John Duffy]

Hi John
I see Messer's Dunbar, Glenn and Glenn have been visiting Rosehearty. Lovely pregrouping stock.
The yard looks very busy.
Thanks for sharing.
Julian

Thanks Julian.

 

[John Duffy]

I had my camera out today to catch "Bahamas" on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen special and found a load of images on the hard-drive that I didn't know were there. It shows how much the iPhone has replaced a full sized camera. But here are a couple of shots that may be new of Rosehearty.

I have tried to mimic the look of some early colour film suitable for the late 1940's era.











John

 

[Joe's Garage]

Thank you John, I did enjoy my little stroll down to the station.
As always, lovely, hope you find more photos!
All the best
Julian

 

[John Duffy]

Thank you John, I did enjoy my little stroll down to the station.
As always, lovely, hope you find more photos!
All the best
Julian

Thank you Julian

Here is your stroll towards the station;









Cheers

John

 

[John Duffy]

Working the pick-up goods at Rosehearty;

Quite the stranger here on the Buchan coast!


The R Class clears the Facing Point Lock.


Sorting out the incoming wagons before setting them.


Ready for the off to Fraserburgh. Short straw today, 3 fish vans and a cattle van. Hopefully the wind is blowing the other way!


John

 

[Joe's Garage]

Not sure if I have said this before John but the track is very realistic, I do like the interlaced sleepering, so typical of the Great North.
Also as you say the R class is a long way from the "stubbies"!
Yes the smell must have been "fresh"!
Cheers
Julian

 

[John Duffy]

A quiet overview of the yard




John

 

[Joe's Garage]

Hi John
I wonder when you go to your railway room and look at the layout do you here the sound of the sea and gulls? Very David and Shirley Rowe style. The photo gives that impression, lovely to escape the pressures of the World.
Not sure if I have asked before but did you scratch build the R class loco? I am sure there was an article in an old Model Railways magazine in which Vic Smeed (?) rebuilt and painted a model in GNS livery, lovely model.
Thanks for sharing
Julian

 

[John Duffy]

Hi John
I wonder when you go to your railway room and look at the layout do you here the sound of the sea and gulls? Very David and Shirley Rowe style. The photo gives that impression, lovely to escape the pressures of the World.
Not sure if I have asked before but did you scratch build the R class loco? I am sure there was an article in an old Model Railways magazine in which Vic Smeed (?) rebuilt and painted a model in GNS livery, lovely model.
Thanks for sharing
Julian

Absolutely Julian, it is my escape from reality.

The R class is the old SM Models kit now available from Ace Products. I actually started it with the intention of putting it into Pickersgill green but could never find out what colour the bunker tops were painted. I ended up painting it LNER black to fit the article that was in MRJ and so it has remained.

With my increasing levels of pre-grouping stock I am currently considering a change to the back story of the layout. This would allow me to run both GNSR and Caledonian stock without the need to alter the physical layout. A move down the east coast of Scotland and a freelanced "might have been" could facilitate the two separate eras on the one layout, so you never know the R class might just turn up in green someday.

I really appreciate the feedback and thank you all for your encouragement.

John

 

[John Duffy]

Train on.

The staff at the station open the gates by hand and operate the signals.

This gives the photographer just enough time to get along the line and into position.

Here a service from Fraserburgh passes the yard entrance with its ground frame.




Station stop, before heading to the terminus at New Aberdour.


After the burst of activity, the whole scene returns to its quiet country life.


John

 

[John Duffy]

I've been trying to get a few things off of my workbench (well, actually my windowsill) so these have migrated back to the layout.







They will add a little variety and hopefully add to the post-war/early BR feel.

John

 

[Joe's Garage]

Hmm John...is that Welsh wagon a refugee from the earlier days of good old steam coal for the Navy?
Lovely photos.
Cheers
Julian

 

[John Duffy]

Hmm John...is that Welsh wagon a refugee from the earlier days of good old steam coal for the Navy?
Lovely photos.
Cheers
Julian

Thanks Julian. A not very subtle attempt to show the wartime pooling arrangements of coal wagons. Actually it’s a refugee from a project that didn’t get much beyond the planning stage.

John

 

[John Duffy]

The pick-up goods runs from Fraserburgh straight to New Aberdour before working Rosehearty on the way back. The branch pilot passes through Rosehearty on its way down the branch.


Passing the headland at the Bay of Lochielair


John

 

[John Duffy]

Part 2

On its return along the branch the pick-up goods enters Rosehearty.




Then heads to the groundframe.







The shunting then deals with the setting out and picking up.



There is normally a spare fish van kept at Rosehearty and extras are dropped off as required.



Shunting completed the outgoing wagons rejoin the train, the groundframe is re locked and the service continues on its way to Fraserburgh.





There then descends the quite calm over the station and the branch line returns to its normal hush.

John

 

[Joe's Garage]

I can imagine standing at the front, John, just watching the shunting being performed, as if at an exhibition with these lovely photos. Enjoying the 3 link coupling take up.
What gets me is the fact that the layout is quite a subtle formation yet the length gives the impression of a much larger layout. May I ask how long this is? Not sure if anyone has asked but do you have a plan of the layout.
As others have said less is more and I will always enjoy seeing this layout.
Thanks again for posting
Julian

 

[John Duffy]

The yard at Rosehearty is extremely busy which means either there has been a delivery of something like fertiliser for the local farmers or I am finally getting things off the workbench. (It’s the later)



Some unfitted vans join the wagon stock.



The photographer must have climbed the trees to get this shot overlooking the station.

(Sorry Julian, I just saw your question. The scenic area is about 28' x 33" and hopefully the photo serves as a plan - thanks again)
John

 

[Joe's Garage]

No worries John, lovely shot of whole scene.
Better to spend time modelling than surfing! You have had a very productive 6 months, wagons a plenty.
All the best
Julian