TWEEDSMUIR PARISH HISTORY.
Talla Railway
Puddle Clay Train.
Image(1) above shows the west end of the puddle clay trench in the centre of the Talla dam wall. The dimensions of the trench can be gauged by the size of the workmen working at the foot of the trench. The trench was filled with clay either from a shute - seen at end of trench or by an overhead ropeway named Blondin that delivered a skip full of clay - image below(1).
Oliver House would have had a good view of the dam workings - the house can be seen at ten o'clock from the plume of smoke from a locomotive that is probably hauling the next train of puddle clay. The trees on the site of Oliver Castle can also be seen faintly at twelve o'clock above the plume.
The clay for the dam was ultimately secured from the clay pits at Carluke. This area had brick/tiles works until very recent times. It had been originally thought that clay from pits near Broughton station would be suitable but trials of the material proved that the quality was poor and a supply was looked for elsewhere(1). A train of 12 wagons with the Broughton clay derailed in Broughton station c1901(1).
The amount of clay required for the Talla dam was prodigious.
There must have been several clay trains per day from Carluke comprising of say twenty open wagons. But by 1902 they were perhaps behind schedule as John Best, the Contractor, ordered a new locomotive that would appear to have been specially manufactured for use on the Talla route - a 0-4-4T standard gauge from Hudswell Clark - Works - No 612, inside cylinders (18x26in). It was delivered to John Best of Broughton new(3) It was coloured blue with white lining and was officially named Edinburgh(2) A very impressive locomotive for industrial use.
The image(2) shows six men who obviously wanted to be photographed with the new locomotive while it was being watered - the slope of the track can be clearly seen
The new locomotive appeared to have done what it was designed to do. At the end of the Talla project in 1905 the locomotive was probably used on other John Best projects but she was sold in 1919 to Samuel Fox & Co. Ltd Stocksbridge Ironworks. Then to Lilleshall Co, Oakengates No 12. She was scrapped in 1931(3) at the very early age of 29.
A Hudswell Clark 0-4-4T is very unusual and is probably the only locomotive of this type made by Hudswell Clark.
References.
1) Tait, W, A; Edinburgh & District Water, Notes regarding Old and New Works, Banks & Co, Edin, 1905.
2) Marshall, Peter; Peebles Railways, Oakwood Press, Mon, pp162-168.
3) Hardy, Clive; Hudswell Clark and Company Ltd, Locomotive Works List, Thomas Aleksandrs, Birmingham, 1982, p95.