Steam Trains, Ship Lifts, and Castles

before I forget – I am making progress on my knitting –

three columns - ie the bottom tier complete

Bo’ness and Kinniel Steam Railway

The first stop on our route today was the above named Steam Railway (with the complete story at the link). Completely run by volunteers, it is part of the Scottish Preservation Society. We arrived a bit too early for the museum but were extremely lucky – Beverley and I got a tour of the working yard.

the partial railyard

A volunteer who has been with the organization over 30 years escorted us through the sheds.

refurbishing of boilers in progress

The steam locomotive is obviously coal fired. The crew arrives about 0600 in the morning to start up the engine with the first run scheduled at 1045

making sure there is enough coal

As it turns out, perhaps the only time I was really warm all day was when we were allowed to climb up into the engine.

fired up boiler

The journey travels along the Firth of Forth. From the start in Bo’ness through Birkell to Manuel and back

steam engine pulling the cars back to the station

Falkirk Wheel

Now, let us say you have two canals traveling through the Scottish countryside. Perhaps you would like to change from one to the other. Unfortunately, they just happen to be at different elevations. The normal solutions of multiple locks is not practical when faced with a 35 meter difference in a very short distance.

Hence, the Falkirk Wheel –

at rest

with one bay connecting with the upper canal (Union Canal to Edinburgh) while the lower is in the holding pond connecting to the Forth & Clyde Canals.

It is actually a rotating boat lift that works partly by counter weight

almost halfway through a cycle

as one loaded boat comes down and another is lifted.

The connection to the Union canal travels first on pylons, then through a tunnel

traveling away from the boat life toward the Union Canal

Linlithgow Castle

Does Mary, Queen of Scots ring a bell? Her home – Linlithgow Castle perches just above the town of the same name. Destroyed in Jan 1746 by the Duke of Cumberland, the Castle walls, turrets, cellars remain.