Carstairs
Carstairs junction has always been a popular location for a day or evening "field trip", despite much of the station's character having been removed during the drastic but necessary rationalization of  the early 1970's. The recent demolition of the station buildings have not helped at all.
The station was opened by the Caledonian Railway in February 1848 and was always an important location, being the junction for the routes to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and it was always the station where coaches were attached or detached, or full portions of trains split for various destinations.  This requirement for easy marshalling of passenger trains led to the development of the somewhat unusual track plan, laid out around the single island platform which originally sported an overall roof, but this was removed in 18??.
The changes of 1971-3 gave the engineers several problems as they tried to adapt the station to suit the requirements of  modern traffic patterns using high speed electric trains. Their remit was to raise the speed limit through the station to 90 mph, a speed unthought of when the original layout was planned, whilst retaining the flexibility to continue the practice of splitting and joining through portions of trains.  The main problem in the design of the new layout was the line from Edinburgh, which entered the station on an already tight curve, and originally had no connection with the up main line.  For maximum flexibility the Edinburgh line was to be single track from Dolphinton Junction, joining the up main line, which required the appropriate superelevation (or cant) for 90 mph working, on a facing connection, with a crossover road to the down Platform line.  To make this possible the station platform was shortened as far as possible at the south end, and this lost length made up by lengthening the platform at the Glasgow end.  During the reconstruction the few evening or overnight trains still using the station had to "double draw", as the platform was for a while too short to accommodate most trains.
The resulting connection for Edinburgh trains is therefore on a "negative cant", with as you would expect, a severe speed restriction.  While this was acceptable when all trains from Edinburgh were stopping in the station for a locomotive change, it is now quite a severe handicap for GNER trains to and from Glasgow, which do not stop and would otherwise pass at high speed.  The effect on a train passing over the junction shows up well in the photograph below.
A further problem with the up main line was that the ground underneath the track was unsuitable for excavation in order to have the required deep ballasting required for high speed running.  This is the reason for the steps up to that platform face, as the rail level had to be raised.
The importance of Carstairs as a junction has been diminished with the completion of electrification to Edinburgh, which has removed the necessity for locomotive changes, this has also led to the gradual phasing out of the practice of combining and splitting trains, all services now run direct to Edinburgh from Strawfrank Junction.

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Summer evening sunshine,  is reflected off the DVT bringing up the rear of a Glasgow bound express, as a class 86 adds a van to the up West Coast Postal which is sitting in the up platform.  This "forming-up" of the Postal was a feature of a Carstairs evening before the reorganization of postal services, with portions from Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow being combined for the journey south.


Spring snow.  The Scottish weather has a remarkable ability to change from a pleasant spring
afternoon to a raging blizzard in a matter of a few moments.  Class 47, no. 47482 departs with
the down Clansman for Inverness, which by this time was being routed via Edinburgh


47210, my pet engine on an ECS working about to depart for Edinburgh

The problems of reverse cant! The Scotrail / Intercity liveried class 47 nearest to the camera is arriving from Edinburgh with the up "Clansman", and is negotiating the connection with the up main line.  In contrast, large logo 47 number 47660 "Jimmy Milne", in the background is heading towards the Edinburgh line via the through siding, which despite only being laid out for slow speed running, has at least the correct degree of superelevation.

A train is made up in Carstairs station.  The procedure for bringing together the Glasgow and Edinburgh portions was as follows
1) The Edinburgh portion was scheduled to arrive first, and was signalled into either platform.  After completion of station duties, the train was drawn forward into the up passenger loop.  In order for this move to be signalled under main aspects rather than shunting signals, a "permanent red" signal was provided at the Glasgow end of the loop.
2) The Glasgow portion arrived and ran into the up platform.
3) The Edinburgh portion was then propelled from the loop into the up platform to join the Glasgow portion "tail to tail" as shown above.
There were good reasons for discontinuing the practise of joining and splitting trains as frequently the procedure took longer than the time allotted in the working timetable due to problems with brake pipes or couplings. The unwary passenger had also to be careful not to find him or herself in the wrong section.  I witnessed a good example of this at Carstairs in 1971, when I boarded the "Midland Scot" for Glasgow.  The train was very busy and I ended up standing next to the rear door of the last coach of the Glasgow portion, and as the train left the station two young ladies appeared.  They were travelling to Edinburgh but had chosen the wrong time to visit the buffet car, which was in the Glasgow portion.  They were understandably very concerned, as their coats , luggage and other belongings were by now on their way to Edinburgh.  Thankfully the guard was on hand to put them at ease, and arranged for their belongings to be safely stored until alternative arrangements could be made to get the girls to Edinburgh.

I took this photograph from the road bridge which crosses the station, showing the layout of the yard.  On the extreme left, the sidings in which the electrification maintenance train is sitting is the site of the locomotive depot. The reason that I took this photograph was that there had been speculation that there were plans to build a new link from the Edinburgh line, bypassing the station and avoiding the existing "reverse cant" turnout and its associated speed restriction.  Nothing has came of this plan at the time but I am sure that if GNER could put enough pressure on Railtrack then the project could be completed


This photograph of 47361 calling at the station on an evening Cory Distribution
parcels train shows the railing erected to separate the two platform levels.


 A general view of the station buildings, sadly now demolished.


A chance positioning of a class 86 and 90035 in the sidings next to the station
allowed this photograph to be taken from the road next to the station.


A class 26 is seen leaving Carstairs towards Motherwell.  In the
background is the P.W. (or should I now say infrastructure) sidings


Drag #1 The class 315 EMU's used on the Edinburgh to North Berwick Service are maintained
at Shields Road depot in Glasgow.  37250 is seen here dragging one of the units back
to Edinburgh after attention.  Why a diesel drag was used for this working is curious,
as this route is electrified throughout, or the alternative non-electrified route via Shotts is shorter


Drag #2 This class 91and Mk4 set was being taken to Polmadie for driver training before
full introduction of electric services between King's Cross and Glasgow.  Train engine is
47517 "Andrew Carnegie"


The Edinburgh contribution for the West Coast Postal was usually one BG, and 87026
is more than enough power for this "train"

HST power car no. 43069 brings up the rear of an evening ECS working from Glasgow to
Craigentinny, while 86241 "Glenfiddich" awaits its next duty in the down loop.


A pair of class 56's led by 56111, leave for Millerhill with a MGR coal train from Ravenstruther


The coal loading facility at Ravenstruther is only a few miles from Carstairs on the road to
Lanark.   56112 and a second unidentified 56 pass under the hopper.