Ex-North British Railway Reid 'J83' class 0-6-0 Tank No. 9831. Built by Sharp Stewart & Co. in May 1901 as NBR No. 831 and withdrawn in November 1958 as BR No. 68478.

Busying itself with station pilot duties, 9831 is seen in August 1935 as it passes the impressive signal cabin at the west end of Edinburgh Waverley. A classmate can just be discerned beyond the gantry. The huge 1902-built 'North British Hotel' with 167 rooms dominates the skyline. Since 1902, the hotel's clock has been set three minutes fast to ensure that the people of Edinburgh wouldn't miss their trains. Remarkably, this is still the case today!

© Les Hanson-David Hanson Archive