Watson Railway Engineering Ltd

23/10/2024

This page will be deleted on the 31st October 2024. If anyone wants any photographs from the page feel free to download them.

29/06/2024

This is going to be the hardest post I have written. James passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday morning while on holiday with friends in Florida. We are now in the process of bringing him home to then arrange the funeral. I cannot thank Bill and Annis enough for all their help and support at this time and it is a comfort that he was with such good friends when he passed. As soon as arrangements are finalised I will let everybody know. It is a great comfort to me to have close family and friends around me especially my two sons Andrew and Keith who are my rocks. There is a hole in my heart that will never be filled and I just hope Jim knew how much he was loved.

25/04/2024

Just back from a day down in Newcastle speaking to civils students at the University of Northumbria on the joys of planning and implementing track renewals. Hopefully some will be inspired to follow a career in railway infrastructure engineering!

08/04/2024

Delighted to support our local football team: unbeaten all season and promotion to the Championship for next season!

16/03/2024

A hectic week at Bo'ness for the Permanent Way Institution's Practical Trackwork Challenge. The delegates, from all over the UK, seemed to have had a great experience so objective attained! Big thanks to all the industry supporters, in particular Story Contracting, Progress Rail, McCulloch Group, Cloburn Quarries, SB Rail and Railcare. Not forgetting the local PWI and SRPS volunteers and our other industry partners.

07/03/2024

Preparatory work started on site today for the 2024 Permanent Way Institution's Practical Trackwork Challenge. The event is being held at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway (home of the Museum of Scottish Railways) and is being supported by Scotland's Railway and its supply chain. The delegates will spend two days getting a close up and hands on experience of track renewal and maintenance activities in a safe controlled environment and be able to see a variety of processes and equipment which will significantly enhance their professional development.

I'll post further updates over the coming week.

Today Story Contracting have been forming a safe access route to one of the worksites.

29/02/2024

Scotland at it's best! South Queensferry this morning: what a terrific setting for a breakfast business meeting.

25/12/2023

Wishing a Merry Christmas, god jul, Nollaig Shona, Geseënde Kersfees, Joyeux noël to all our colleagues, friends and clients.

04/11/2023

An interesting project assisting Siemens with the planning and management of the renewal of embedded switches on the Edinburgh Tram system. Track work being ably delivered by Story and RSS Welding. Quite a different environment to that experienced with heavy rail and the first on street &C renewals undertaken on the system so its a steep learning curve for us all!

09/08/2023

Came across this wee film on YouTube: happy memories of the ECML electrification with BR 35 years ago: Drem, Calton South, Joppa and all those other bridge reconstructions! In the days when projects were managed, when Project Managers were Project Managers and Engineers were given their rightful place! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wJejg8NxIM
Now who is that @ 5.25min?

British Railways Board film on the electrification of the East Coast Mainline & the then new Class 91 loco with Mk4 coaches. Produced by Cinecosse in 1989.

07/07/2023

Been down in Birmingham since Wednesday afternoon: a couple of long days but but a lot of positive discussion on Professional Registration and the way forward for the Professional Engineering Institution for Railway Infrastructure Engineers. Onwards and upwards for the Permanent Way Institution!