#caledonian

I understand that. I didn't just land on the planet. I thought the Anon meant Vicky had posted something on HER private Instagram account. I thought the Anon meant Vicky had posted two drinks. So, I posted the Anon and I said I was waiting for confirmation from my Vicky sources to see what Vicky posted on her own account. But my sources who follow her ended up saying she didn't post two drinks. So, it was nothing.

On July 31st 1845 The Caledonian Railway Company was incorporated by the Caledonian Railway Act.

In spite of its initial promotion and capital subscription being largely English, the Caledonian Railway became the most Scottish of the pre-grouping companies: its blue locomotives reflected the Saltire, and its adoption of both the “Lion of Scotland” and the Royal Arms of Scotland as the Company Coat of Arms meant that these appeared on everything from locomotives and carriages to buildings, timetables, stationery, and hotel crockery.

The first section of the railway between Carlisle and Beattock was opened on 10 September 1847. The line was completed to Glasgow and Edinburgh on 15th February 1848 and to Greenhill / Castlecary on 7th August 1848, where it joined the Scottish Central Railway. The line to Glasgow utilised the earlier railways Glasgow, Garnkirk & Coatbridge, and the Wishaw & Coltness, which it purchased in 1846 and 1849 respectively.

Between 1849 and 1864 the company repeatedly tried to absorb the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway Co. into the Caledonian system. If it had succeeded the Caledonian would have had a virtual monopoly of Scottish Railways. The company however acquired other lines and later the services encompassed Aberdeen, Dundee, Forfar, Perth, Stirling, Oban, Ardrossan, Peebles and a large number of other locations.

The Company also owned two very fine hotels as part of the stations at Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Princes Street. The development of the majestic hotel and golf course at Gleneagles was interrupted by WW1 and was not fully completed until after the grouping.

"Breakvan"

[Donald and Douglas'] plan was good; but they had reckoned without a spiteful Brake van.  The van had taken a dislike to Douglas. Things always went wrong when he had to take it out. Then his trains were late, and he was blamed. Douglas began to worry.

'Ye're a muckle nuisance," said Donald one day. "It's tae leave ye behind I'd be wantin.'"

"You can't," said the van, "I'm essential."

"Och are ye?" Donald burst out. "Ye're naethin' but a screechin' an' a noise when a's said an' done. Spite Douggie wad ye? Tak that!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" cried the van.

Widebody Wednesday - Caledonian L-1011 postcard.

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Caledonian folding Back in the early Cambrian some 500 million years ago, the continental dance had an active phase that resulted in the assembling of many of the plate fragments that form the bedrock beneath the European continent. Chunks of rock that were joined then that have stayed together through the vagaries of supercontinental gathering (the formation of Pangaea, completed some 300 million years back) and dispersal. There were two main landmasses in those days, known as Gondwana and Laurentia (for a piece on the formation of Gondwana see http://on.fb.me/1D548m8).