CliveM

Okay, I've gone "off piste" with my final two photo's but perhaps the historical interest is worth it. The first is the old Speyside station. I took this on holiday back in 2001 and yes, it's still there, in exactly this condition! The owner was using it to house pigeons and hens! This was the Elgin to Aberdeen line via the coast. The second photo is the wonderful and notoriously difficult to find Knockando (pronounced Knock 'n doe). Set deep in the Speyside hills it was renamed by the distillery that owns it. For the model maker, notice the platform supports, rails, cut and buttressed up against wooden sleepers! All original, further, this station had a wonderful, ornate underpass for passengers to access the other platform. The underpass is now, sadly filled in.

Admittedly we've strayed into the '90,s but just for the fun of it here are two photo's taken by me. We were camping not far from this location, and could hear the train leaving Oban three miles away! The first is a regular Timber flow where the wood was loaded between Taynuilt and Dalmally, then forwarded on. For a while Taynuilt was a very busy siding. The photo is the (diverted) Euston sleeper, ex Oban. Obviously some issue going on up at Ft Bill but nice to see a direct sleeper service to/from Euston for Oban!

Class 20's did make the occasional foray to Oban and I recall one heading the first train out of Oban for Q Street, must have been '76 or '77. So here is 20901, admitedly early 90's now.... this was on the tail end of the weedkiller train.

Another busy scene in Oban, circa '78. Two of the original English class 27's spluttering away, awaiting their next thrashing out of Oban. The odd Class 26 made it up here on one or two occasions too.

Here it is, the very first Deltic arrives in Oban and as you can see, not exactly a huge amount of interest! In fact there was me, my brother (just along for the 'bike ride) and the platform staff. The train was packed with day trippers and it was a lovely warm sunny day for them - quite an achievement for Oban! You'll note the new brickwork on the station building, and freshly painted station in Caledonian Blue (not BR blue). The staff kept the old station clean, fresh and inviting - all tyo no avail as just four years later the station was closed. Sorry about the poor quality, taken with my Kodak, but I was there

I think it all started under Chris Green, he was a far sighted manager and could see the eventual demise of the BR corporate Blue, and let's be honest - drab and boring doesn't even begin to describe that era! Also, by the early/mid 1980's the new InterCity livery was appearing, all part of a new, fresh marketing approach I guess. My last journey up the WHL to Oban was Sep 1986 and guess what? A class 27 with three shabby MKI's... However the loco put in a great performance, adhering to the Class 37 timings throughout, including the obligatory 10 minute refreshment at Crianlarich and a quick chat with the Oban train crew. I just wish I had kept all my old photo's from that era, poor quality, but they did tell a story of a busy wee station with a mixture of freight and passenger work.

This is the late train, ex 1800 Hrs or thereabouts setting off for Q street. These trains were often loaded to at least 7 often 8 during the summer months. The train on the left is a Euston special, load 14, Daytripper. It had left London the night before, arriving Oban about 12 hours later. The passengers seemed a jovial lot for such a long journey in MKI's and off they went to Mull, Iona and Easdale. Four class 27's and a total of 22 MKI's in Oban that day, it was busy! The Daytripper left Oban 30 minutes after the late train, once it had cleared the first block - Taynuilt.

A bit of a conflab going on here as the leading loco was being typically cantankerous, every time the train crew tried to put the multiple working cables on all hell broke loose! Fire bells ringing, engines shutting down...mercy me! It was decided to couple the loco's the other way around, hence the unusual move, which worked. Confirmed when FULL POWER was applied from a standing start and both loco's rocketed across the points into the middle distance. Driver Herbert Blaney in the first loco, his mate Ian McKenzie and Neily McDougal, at the points. All now sadly gone.

Can't recall the number of the loco, sorry! The WHL was dominated by Class 27's in those days and the same loco would often turn up day after day! This loco would do the afternoon shunt, move the two MKi's into the bay, shunt the 5 ton coal mineral empties out of the coal yard and then disapear for an hour down to Connel to collect the Shell tanks.

Here are a few more phot's of Oban circa 1976 whilst on holiday. Sorry about the quality as I only had a cheap Kodak camera. A general view of the platforms. Note how the loco off the first ex Glas Qu Street is berthed over to the left. The two MK I's on the right were off the 0100 ex Q street. This train usually consisted of a BG and BSK. It was usually crammed with mail and parcels with limited passenger space. However passengers did use it for connections to Colonsay and Barra. The coach in the bay is a BG which will be added to the late train.

I have some holiday snaps taken on the very first occasion of a Deltic visit to Oban. Yes, the push/pull MKIII set was used, and looked rather out of place to be honest, obviously the first time such stock had been that far West too! Edinburgh train crew worked throughout with a Pilot from Eastfield, plus traction inspector. All photographed as per below, sorry about the quality! You'll note the Deltic left Oban on one engine! At about halfway out (Soroba) the other engine burst into life and the train flew up to Glencruiten!

ADDENDUM Here is a pic from circa 1978. It shows the two carriages off the 0100 berthed on the left, the set on the right was "probably" the miday as it is a lenghty train. During the summer months all the WHL trains were stremgthened to 7 coaches. You'll also note the small goods depot to the left, on this occasion there was no BR van so I guess this must have been a Saturday.

The stock was shunted onto the old Ballahulish platform at the station, and was added to the late train during the afternoon shunt turn. In those days there was a mid afternoon booking on turn for men to shunt the carriages, take the daily BR ventilated van from the small goods depot and place it in the goods yard for the return overnight freight, and then they would sometimes run down to Connel light engine to collect the ESSO tanks and be back for 4 pm. All in all a busy wee shift. I have some old phot's I'll dig out and post up.

"a number of OBA wagons at Oban carrying bagged aggregate"... Dried sea weed from South America, for the alginate factory at Barcaldine. The contract ran for three or four years and provided a much needed boost to the line. The alginate factory closed and work went to China and San Diego.

Cats eyes and no tail lamp... suggest a shunt move to me.