Inverclyde Lines Excursions

[Ian Smeeton]

I have come across a few photos of excursions, usually to/from Gourock, but there must be others, like this one:

 

 

and this one:

 

 

Does anyone know where they were to/from, and their make-up, in terms of the formation, stock origin etc?

 

Even  a rough idea would be of assistance in sorting out coaching stock for PSJ. I just fancy a bit of variety from the ubiquitous BR Mk 1 subs and their predecessors.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[pH]

The top one was taken on July 4 1958. It's a 14-coach 'Starlight Special' from Gourock, reporting M524. It has come off the Joint line at Shields Junction and is heading for Terminus Junction, Strathbungo Junction and the line to Barrhead and Kilmarnock. Somewhere after the picture was taken, it picked up a pilot to work to New Cumnock. (Information from "An Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways" by Smith and Anderson, and "Starlight Specials" by Peel. Incidentally, "Starlight Specials" says the pilot was picked up at Corkerhill, but that's not possible given the railway geography.)  14 coaches was long for a "Starlight", and there's no details of the makeup of that particular train. However, the makeup of 3 other 14-coach "Starlights" that year is given as BSO/6xSO/BSK/5xSO/BSO.

 

The second one is taken at Gourock. I can't say any more than that.

[Ian Smeeton]

Thanks, pH, I had a feeling that you would be along before long with pertinent information, and, as usual, far in excess of what I expected.

 

Another couple of books to add to my list.

 

Once more, many thanks.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[luckymucklebackit]

I have a fond memory of being in 6th year at Coatbridge High School, near the end of the last term and hanging about in the common room between exams when our house master came in "looking for volunteers to help on an old folks outing" and of course refusal was not an option.  However the day was not unpleasant, a free lunch in a local restaurant, then down to Coatbridge Central then onto the first of two loco hauled special trains (one hauled by a 25, the other by a 37) from there to Gourock, then onto the Queen Mary II for a cruise round the Kyles of Bute more food and a couple of underage beers and back to Gourock where we opted for 37 haulage back to Coatbridge.  Just a pity I did not take more footage with my old Super8 movie camera!

 

jim

[Legend]

That's right . There used to be an annual day out for the Pensioners  which usually involved a trip to the Clyde and a Steamer excursion. My Gran and Papa used to look forward to that .I had forgotten !

 

I wish I'd been around to sample the old G&SWR line from Elderslie , over the top of Port Glasgow and down into Princess Pier . What a rich maze of lines in Inverclyde , thanks chiefly for rivalry to get to the coast . Unfortunately my only encounter was in 1967 when the line had shut . We drove to Princess Pier to see my sister off on the school cruise . She left on the Dunera . The station was still there .Even then I loved railways and boats!  Didn't they use the line until quite late for connections with Ocean Liners that left from the Tail o'the bank ?   I know the CP Liners used to call there . Must have been very emotional with a lot of families emigrating to Canada.

 

I have the book "Illustrated History of Glasgow Railways " I think there was a follow up publication too.  There was a publication available from Inverclyde musuems on the old Princess Pier line a few years ago. Other than that the only other reading matter I've seen were in "Steam Days" where they used to do a history of various lines .

[pH]

Princes Pier! Princes Pier! (I get absolutely irrationally annoyed at "Princess Pier" - sorry!)

 

Yes, the line was kept open for several years for freight and boat trains after regular passenger service ended, and they stopped in 1966. Both Canadian Pacific and Cunard ships on Canadian service stopped at Greenock. We saw an aunt and two cousins off to Canada from there in 1956.

 

My girlfriend, now wife of many years, lived close to the site of Upper Port Glasgow station. After it was lifted, but before the Devol Viaduct (the Nine Arches) was blown up, we walked, in stages, the route between Kilmacolm and the part that was kept for access to the container terminal. The views out over the river are spectacular. 

[luckymucklebackit]

With the container port now the berthing point of choice for the big cruise ships, if the track had remained in place it would have been brilliant to have connecting steam hauled excursions to various destinations.

 

Coincidentally there was a fantastic set of photographs of the branch on a Facebook group the other day, can't for the life of me find them now!

 

Legend - the follow up to "Illustrated History of Glasgow Railways" was "Glasgow Railway Memories", a smaller but no less valuable volume!

 

Jim

[luckymucklebackit]

 

Found this in my files, this was something that lasted into the 1970s, my childhood home overlooked the Airdrie to Glasgow line near to Coatdyke Station and this was one of the highlights of the summer,  Monday to Friday there would be an excursion from AIrdrie to various destinations, this would be along the lines of Ayr one day, Gourock the next, Largs and possibly further afield (one went to Edinburgh).  When I remember them, haulage was usually class 27 with five or six mark 1 coaches.  Never went on one and I kick myself for missing them as they used the City Union line to get across Glasgow!

 

Jim

[pH]

Ian, if you're looking for “... a bit of variety from the ubiquitous BR Mk 1 subs and their predecessors”, you could look at the CTAC Scottish Tours Express which ran in each direction on summer Saturdays. Engines were changed at Carlisle, definitely in the up direction, and I think in the down direction as well, since the down service usually arrived in Gourock behind a Kingmoor engine. Power on the down train included rebuilt Jubilee 45736, Britannia 70039 and at least one unrebuilt Jubilee, but was usually a Kingmoor Black Five. The most notable engine I saw on the up train was Patricroft Caprotti 5 73129 ex-works and presumably being worked back towards its home shed.

 

I can't find any pictures of the down train, but here are several of up services. (The first one doesn't specifically say it's a CTAC express, but the title implies it.)

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/43728086@N00/30113737606/in/photolist-bhUwyV-LTPML-kuYk6g-9qJ5Vi-Gge4Fg-ntNaoZ-oVqU13-e8a4vw-aeW1k9-obVnYJ-4aE8t2-8VSeKp-ehmMTf-dd4C9h-ehg5q6-9oCzfJ-dd4Bzo-e4WPwE-7Mv4DJ-d621YY-dpkgfZ-MT3M3w-d622pJ-4mXNzw-c6pyvC-d623fu-4uuxKm-9qYqCk-bcGgZD-9gHhHz-eie8mc-d622BU-d621A3-8VAezF-nJySJy-8aUwQ5-5DoD8G-kH4h7D-7XJcCm-7XJd1d-7ZZ73x-4x7Z7T-d7c8vG-oCXK3R-oTqSWW-agQ6Gf-6GT5Bz-4CJNtN-aeNExy-9Yg7KX/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/40/314/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/29/678/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/52/419/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/41/433/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/51/86/

 

I was never too interested in trains as complete 'things', or coaches – the main interest was always the engines – so I've not got too much information on specials/excursions. However, here's what I do have:

 

The first B1 whose number I noted was 61292 of Dundee Tay Bridge at Wemyss Bay in June 1962. It was coupled to another ex-LNER engine – I think another B1. I presume this was either a double-headed excursion (there's a long stretch of 1-in-66 on the Wemyss Bay line) or the engines off two separate excursions.

 

B1 61197 of Eastfield at Gourock in May 1963. I've noted it as coupled to St. Rollox Caprotti 5 73146, but I don't think they were double-heading. They had probably laid over at Ladyburn shed after having brought in trains in the morning, and were coupled together to run to Gourock to pick up the return trains.

 

Black Five 45009 of Motherwell at Gourock in June 1962. My notes include some details. A reporting number of “-70”; a train of “twins”, the smokebox numberplate with a blue background, and the engine very clean.

 

Black Five 45309 of Motherwell bringing in and taking out a 12 coach ICI excursion from Linlithgow in June 1963.

 

Black Five 44976 of Dalry Road bringing in and taking back out an excursion from Edinburgh on the same day. Here's a picture of it being turned at Gourock – by the shadows, in the evening before returning to Edinburgh.

 

 

Jubilee 45589 of Wakefield (!!) on a return Blackpool excursion to Gourock in September 1964.

 

73064 of Polmadie on a train carrying a headboard of “Drinka Pinta Showboat Express”, presumably in connection with an evening steamer cruise, in July 1962. I've tried to find out anything about this train, was it something regular, or a one-off? I don't have notes of another, though that doesn't mean much. Presumably, it was something run by the Milk Marketing Board – instead of the more common 'booze cruise', this would therefore be a 'moos cruise'?

 

And, on that note ...

Edited February 16, 2019 by pH
To correct a number

[pH]

On 15/02/2019 at 00:29, luckymucklebackit said:

Coincidentally there was a fantastic set of photographs of the branch on a Facebook group the other day, can't for the life of me find them now!

 

Jim, was it this set?

 

https://travelandmixpix.smugmug.com/Rail/Princes-Pier-Line/Princes-Pier-Line-Old-Images/

 

[luckymucklebackit]

The ones I saw were of the last few workings over the branch, class 37s on container flats to and from the terminal

 

Jim

[Ian Smeeton]

Thanks, gents, for the links and the photos.

 

We are still a long way from running trains on Paisley St James, but despite the lack of updates to the main thread, work continues slowly. Currently wiring, and with the prospect of a little spare cash this year, some items of stock being aquired, hence the questions.

 

Once again, many thanks.

 

Regards

 

Ian