Ah ne'er git a telegram fae th' queen oan mah 100th birthday, bit I’m nae th' type wha holds grudges; efter a' thare ur ferr a few lik' me wha didn’t git yin either. Althoogh I’m nae as spry as ah wis, wha wid be at mah age? I’ve mair miles oan th' timepiece than ah care tae mind 'n' they’ve taken thair toll ower th' years.
Bein' a bawherr o' a romantic, I’ve hud ferr a few ‘attachments’ in th' bygane 'n' though I’m single noo, that doesn’t fash me overmuch as I’m ne'er lonely in mah Bo’ness retirement hame whaur mah ‘carers’ ur forever fussing aboot 'n' attending tae mah needs. Thay say a'm needin' some major ‘surgery’ tae keep me richt, bit wi' waiting lists th' wey they're thae days I’m nae haudin' mah breath! Anyways, wi' a' this hain time oan mah hauns it lets me reminisce 'n' think back tae whit a guid lee I’ve hud 'n' a' th' interesting fowk 'n' places I’ve seen. Althoogh ah wis ‘born’ in Glescae, some o' th' mair senior residents o' Kirkliston kin mind me pottering aroond th' auld distillery whaur ah used tae labour fur a guid few years. Whiles mah wirk teuk me th' length 'n' breadth o' Britain 'n' ah an' a' ‘did mah bit’ ower in France while th' war lik' mony ithers in they troubled times. Ah don’t lik' tae brag, bit in mair peaceful times I’ve bin oan th' telly 'n' even played a starring pairt in a movie – ah wis ferr a ‘looker’ back then, althoogh I’ve hud ‘a bit o' wirk done’ fae time tae time! Mibbie 'twas mah movie part that caught th' attention o' folk in Kirkliston fur thay decided it wid be a crakin' idea tae name some local streets efter me. Whisper it ever sae quietly, bit I’m beyond proud o' that as it's th' sort o' tribute ainlie given tae they who’ve awready kicked th' bucket!
Visiting hours at mah hame ur gey relaxed, sae if ye'v git some hain time oan yer hauns you’re fàilte tae poap in 'n' see me, 'n' ah promise nae tae keep ye overlong wi' mah lee story as I’m ferr short o' puff nowadays. Don’t fash takin wae me ony grapes or bunches o' flowers fur me either as I’ve git bonny muckle everything a'm needin', althoogh a wee drap o' coal fur mah fire wouldn’t gang amiss as it's an awfy cost thae days.
[English Translation
I never got a telegram from the Queen on my 100th birthday, but I’m not the type who holds grudges; after all, there are quite a few like me who didn’t get one either. Although I’m not as spry as I was, who would be at my age? I’ve more miles on the clock than I care to remember and they’ve taken their toll over the years.
Being a bit of a romantic, I’ve had quite a few ‘attachments’ in the past and though I’m single now, that doesn’t bother me overmuch as I’m never lonely in my Bo’ness retirement home where my ‘carers’ are forever fussing about and attending to my needs. They say I need some major ‘surgery’ to keep me right, but with waiting lists the way they are these days I’m not holding my breath! Anyways, with all this spare time on my hands it lets me reminisce and think back to what a good life I’ve had and all the interesting people and places I’ve seen. Although I was ‘born’ in Glasgow, some of the more senior residents of Kirkliston may remember me pottering around the old distillery where I used to labour for a good few years. Sometimes my work took me the length and breadth of Britain and I also ‘did my bit’ over in France during the war like many others in those troubled times. I don’t like to brag, but in more peaceful times I’ve been on the telly and even played a starring role in a movie – I was quite a ‘looker’ back then, although I’ve had ‘a bit of work done’ from time to time! Maybe it was my movie role that caught the attention of folk in Kirkliston because they decided it would be a nice idea to name some local streets after me. Whisper it ever so quietly, but I’m beyond proud of that as it’s the sort of tribute only given to those who’ve already kicked the bucket!
Visiting hours at my home are very relaxed, so if you’ve got some spare time on your hands you’re welcome to pop in and see me, and I promise not to keep you overlong with my life story as I’m quite short of puff nowadays. Don’t bother bringing any grapes or bunches of flowers for me either as I’ve got pretty much everything I need, although a wee drop of coal for my fire wouldn’t go amiss as it’s an awful price these days.]
-ooo-
Maude Close, Maude Park and Maude Place are the Kirkliston street names to which Maude refers above. However, Maude is neither male or female (or any other gender for that matter!) If you hadn’t already guessed, Maude is a railway locomotive built in Glasgow in 1891 for the North British Railway Company (NBR). For those of you who are railway buffs, it is a 0-6-0 NBR Class C No. 673 which later saw service with the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) 1923-1946 and British Railways (BR) 1946-1966. From the very start, No. 673 was intended exclusively for general freight duties over long distances, an uncomfortable experience for the two-man crew as the scanty cab offered little or no protection from the elements. Victorian goods trains like No. 673 travelled very slowly as the only brakes that could be applied by the crew were fitted exclusively on the locomotive. If additional braking was required, the driver would whistle for the guard in the brake van at the far end of the train – a somewhat risky and haphazard setup – which was why No. 673 was not safe enough to pull passenger carriages.
In 1915, after well over 20 years of continuous
service, No. 673 returned to Glasgow for a major rebuild and upgrade. With
World War One underway, it was no great surprise when No. 673, along with 24
other members of its class, was commandeered by the military for service with
the Railway Operating Division (ROD) behind the lines in France in 1917.
Thankfully, all 25 locomotives returned safely to the UK in 1919 after
cessation of hostilities. To commemorate their war service each of the
locomotives were given names in memory of various battles and allied
commanders. ‘Maude’ was in fact Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude
who had commanded the successful British forces in Mesopotamia [the area which now
includes Iraq, Kuwait, Syria and part of Turkey] until his untimely death from
cholera in 1917.
By the 1920’s, elderly locomotives like Maude were displaced from long distance trains to local trip working, although they remained very reliable and trouble free. That was how Maude came to be a familiar sight in Kirkliston, shunting wagons back and forth in the distillery which stood at the foot of Path Brae.
Maude was eventually retired from regular service in July 1966 and would probably have been broken up for scrap but for the timely intervention of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) and the Association of Railway Preservation Societies. Recognising that this venerable engine was the last surviving example of its class, the SRPS launched a successful appeal for funding and was able to purchase Maude for the not inconsiderable sum of £1,250 from British Railways. From that moment on, Maude was to enjoy a new lease of life participating in many colourful and varied activities.
Gates closed at the level crossing in Wellflats Road allowing Maude to pull a goods train through Kirkliston Station
yard. The line where the gates are open (one large white gate is clearly visible) gave access to the distillery siding.
In 1980, Maude returned to the main line when it had the honour of representing Scottish railways by undertaking a return journey to Liverpool where it took part in the 150th birthday celebrations of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. In May that year, Maude also took part in the 150th anniversary celebrations of George Stephenson's Rocket at Rainhill, Lancashire. Additionally, in the 1980’s Maude operated mainline rail tours including Santa Specials on the Edinburgh suburban line. By this time, the SRPS had addressed the problem of Maude’s braking system by upgrading it to the required standard for passenger transportation soon after they took ownership of the engine.
In 1988, Maude arrived in Bo’ness for a heavy overhaul and was then able to resume work on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway. In November 2010, Maude had the honour of being a major exhibit at York’s National Railway Museum in the Great Hall for a 3-year period, although some may regard Maude’s appearance in the 2000 film The Railway Children as the supreme accolade. Despite the various upgrades and overhauls, Maude is currently on static display in the Museum of Scottish Railways in Bo’ness awaiting funds for a major overhaul having last steamed in 2002. I’m sure it would be much cheered if you went along and paid a visit!
Snippets:
While in its role as a British Railways locomotive, Maude was ‘adopted’ by Dunfermline High School Railway Society whose members repainted it.
The modelling company Hornby has produced detailed models of Maude in its three incarnations (North British Railway; London and North Eastern Railways; British Railways) that enthusiasts like the singer Rod Stewart would probably drool over.
At one time, Maude was somewhat asymmetrical, being fitted with one small and one normal sized buffer at the front end. Damage incurred when it was snow-ploughing for British Railways necessitated the fitting of a new front buffer beam so Maude no longer looks as if it is winking cheekily at you!
There is a Mount Maude in the Cascade Range of mountains in Canada named after General Maude.
Maud or Maude is an Old German name meaning ‘powerful battler’ which is an apt description of this locomotive that has soldiered on so well and for so long.
Amazingly, there have been other railway locomotives named Maude:
OLd Maude (also known as Maude the Mule, after a cartoon character) resides in Georgia State Railroad Museum, Savannah USA. Built in December 1879 for the Southern Railway, USA, (making it even older than its Scottish namesake) it performed similar shunting* duties to those of the Scottish Maude. (Why the spelling was changed from Maud to Maude is puzzling.)
* In the USA, a shunting locomotive is known as a 'switcher'.
Maud L. has had an extensive history. Originally built in 1902 for the Laurel Valley Plantation to haul sugar cane to their plantation in Thibodaux, Louisiana, she was finally retired in 1926. The Maud L. is now in regular service as the Ward Kimball on the Disneyland Railroad.
Maud of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad built in 1904. Currently, it is disassembled awaiting restoration at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia USA.
Queen Maud of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) was a 4-6-2 steam locomotive belonging to the Princess Royal Class of locomotives and was built at Crewe in 1935. She was withdrawn from service in 1961 and subsequently scrapped.
A P George
Kirkliston Heritage Society
SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Betty Hamilton, Kirkliston Heritage Society
Bing.com
Flickr.com
Hattons
Images of Scotland - Kirkliston. Kirkliston Local History Archive (1998)
Museum of Scottish Railways, Bo'ness
Pinterest.co.uk
Weebly.com
Wikipedia
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