Douglas McNaught delves into the reminiscences of John Scarlett, who joined the LMS
just two days before the nationalisation of Britain’s railways.
Completed in early 1877 to supersede Kilmarnock shed about two miles to its north-west,
the six-road Hurlford engine shed is pictured during an enthusiasts’ visit in 1965;
we are looking south-east from the elevated coaling road. John Scarlett was on the
workforce here from 1950 through to 1966. The low single-storey buildings on the left
continue out of view and included the blacksmith shop and joiners shop, messroom,
stores, and foreman’s office, and a large north-west facing goods yard, Hurlford mineral
sidings, go unseen to the other side of this, as had the by now truncated branch line
that skirted it to serve the nearby Barleith station on the route to Darvel. The houses
to the far left are in Drumleyhill, off the A76 main road that had crossed Barleith
station as it headed through Hurlford and into Kilmarnock. To the south side of the
shed is an engine hoist and six dead-end sidings, with three of these linked to a
route that passed to the south of the elevated coal stage. In terms of motive power,
the scene is one of transition from steam, with Stanier ‘Black Fives’ and BR Standard
tender engines alongside at least two 350hp diesel-electric shunters and even a three
car diesel-unit. The roof-line of the southern terrace of ‘The Blocks’ – 143 houses
for railwaymen – can just be seen beyond the stabled diesels.
Rail-Online
I have long since heard of scarlet women – not that I ever knew any, I hasten to add
– but it was not until a few months after his death that I first heard of a scarlet
man. The man in question is John Scarlett, who had a quite remarkable railway career.
For a while his career had been routine, after starting on outdoor machinery at Kilmarnock
Works, and then successively being a cleaner, fireman and driver at Hurlford shed,
a transfer to the Southern Region saw new opportunities, these peaking with the distinction
of being selected as an ‘Orient Express’ driver. Almost certainly he was the only
engineman from ex-Glasgow & South Western Railway (G&SWR) territory to achieve this
accolade, and possibly he was the only engineman from anywhere in Scotland to undertake
the role.
Footplate work was not just a job for John Scarlett; he carried out a love affair
with steam engines. He first became hooked on railways when at the age of seven in
