Hydro Films, Killin Staion etc

[Alistair Ferguson]

For those who have not seen them before You Tube have a a series of films on the building of the HYDRO in and around Killin,

Have a search on you tube for British Transport Film 1959 ERF Foden Morris Leyland BRS

there are 4 parts and there are some fine shots of the Sation and the lads on the lorries, should bring back some memories

[Franco]

I know this post is quite old now but I have only just discovered the Killin website. I felt I had to comment on Alistair's post as I have the DVD of the British Transport film he is talking about. The film was made in 1960 and tells the story of four British Road Services lorry drivers who were based at Killin station for two years, their job being to unload bags of cement from incoming railway vans onto their lorries and make two trips per day up to the Giorra Dam which was under construction. I have long been fascinated by this nostalgic tale but it was only recently that I drove up to Killin myself and made the very journey these lorry drivers made daily for those two years. It has to be said it must have been quite a trek for them, bearing in mind the demanding roads up to Glen Lyon and the very basic trucks they were driving compared to their modern day equivalents. The only thing I didn't manage to do was to have a look at the site of the old railway station which I understand is now a car/bus park and council depot.

[Mitchell Watson]

Franco
Your post interested me as I lived in Killin at the time of the hydro schemes as my father was a civil engineer working on them. I always liked to see the trucks and diggers on the sites but did not know much about how all the materials were delivered. The route to Giorra Dam the cement trucks used was probably up Glen Lochay and then over the hill to Glen Lyon and Lubreoch Dam via the new hill road that was built for the purpose. It's still used today but is technically a private road. Before it was built those going from Killin to Lubreoch Dam and Glen Lyon had to negotiate the route from the A827 past Lawers Dam to Bridge of Balgie and then on to Lubreoch. It was a long trek particularly in the winter. I also remember the railway station very well as I used to have to go school in Callender on the train every day.
Cheers Mitchell

[Franco]

Hi Mitchell. Thanks for the post - I was beginning to think I'd never get a response! Yes, the route the BRS trucks took is the one you described and apparently it is only 21 miles or so but it must have seemed an eternity to those drivers. It certainly felt a lot longer than that when I drove it in the car.
If you are interested in a copy of the DVD I can send you one if you give me you postal address via Personal Message.

Cheers.

[Nevis]

Very interesting footage, thanks for bringing it to this forum. Been on holiday in Killin in 2009 and liked it very much so we spent another holiday there in 2010. Last holiday we drove up that road and saw that dam. It was hard enough driving there with my rented VW Polo, so hats of to those lorry drivers. Steering was something different than driving a modern lorry today, and loading the trucks by hand must have been hard too. What "good old days". Interesting to see how that dam was build. Film is from 1959, my year of birth, it made me feel pretty old too, looking at the material, telephones, telex etc that were used in those days. Walked, from what was once the railway station, over the railroad path as well, over the iron bridge in to the nature. Film certainly ads to the knowledge in the history of this fine village.