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Mallaig and the Road To The Isles


mallaig1983
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4 hours ago, pH said:


OK, that works.

 

I was confused by the “… turned sharp left 180 degrees …” in your original post. Also, I didn’t know that the west to north curve at Rutherglen was in use for public services (obviously, not many).

 

Thanks.

 

Sorry about that bit,  not being familiar with the area I assumed that having turned left twice in quick succession that we'd turned 180 degrees straight away whereas we'd actually first turned less than 90.  Looking at Google maps, the Rutherglen junctions and curve are sharper than 90 followed immediately by crossing the Clyde again so maybe that's muddled my memory, and its not far between the 2 sets of junctions.   It was dark and over 35 years ago !. 

 

I always stayed in the Inverness area and no matter which route I took north, I don't ever recall having to travel to somewhere else for the return south, so I always came back from Inverness,  therefore I don't know if the southbound Fort William service ran via Glasgow Central.   

 

 

 

Edited by Combe Martin
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Just a final thought on this - a diesel-hauled sleeper running through a station like Argyle Street must have been something worth seeing and hearing!

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On 12/08/2021 at 20:33, Combe Martin said:

 

In the 80s...

 

Inverness services changed loco in Mossend yard, Sparky off and 47 on.  But Euston to Fort William services never went near it or Queen Street but rather ran straight into Glasgow Central ...

 

The first time I came up to the West Highlands must have been 1984 or 85, just after the Mallaig steam trains had started.  We joined the train at Crewe and ran (presumably) to Mossend then into Glasgow Queen Street HL.  We must have run into platform 1 as I well remember looking up at the blank brick wall, as seen on the left in this pic (not one from the 1980s I know, but the only one I could find!)  I also remember the awful pulsing as we ran back up the tunnels, which I now know was the Cl37 slipping as it tried to climb the damp rails of the Cowlairs Incline...
https://www.cpr-resurfacing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/queenstreet_video_coverimg.png

Edited by DavidBird
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It was the Euston - Fort William Motorail service that I used.  I know others have said that the 'sleepers only' went via Mossend and  Queen Street.  

 

Looking at the map, going via Queen Street  would need a stop at Mossend for a loco change (Sparky off), a run to Cowlairs ?, then a reversal presumably there (with another loco coming on the other end unless the new front loco ran round) then a trip to Queen Street with a reversal there and another loco coming on the front (unless the new Mossend loco stayed on and the whole lot was topped and tailed down to Queen Street.  By going via Central, one stop only was needed for loco change and reversal.  

 

Going via Central seems a lot simpler and probably quicker than Queen Street, so I do wonder why the sleepers went that way. 

 

Ah, because they were split from a northbound service onto a Queen Street -Mallaig, whereas the Motorail sleeper was a whole train and unsplit.

Edited by Combe Martin
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Just reading this thread for the first time and although I'm modelling Exeter in the 80s all the 37s and mk1s made me have a quick run of a BR blue 37 with a mk1 rake (one of my favorites!) I went to the shed to top up the dog food container but was gone for an hour!:D

 

Your layout looks great.

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17 hours ago, bootneckbob said:

Just reading this thread for the first time and although I'm modelling Exeter in the 80s all the 37s and mk1s made me have a quick run of a BR blue 37 with a mk1 rake (one of my favorites!) I went to the shed to top up the dog food container but was gone for an hour!:D

 

Your layout looks great.

Thanks Bob, that’s very kind of you to say. Yes the 37s do get under the skin a bit.

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I'm not a mega train geek by any stretch of the imagination but I have driven a 37:D Dose that negate the first sentence?

 

My wife bought me one of those Experience days; day out on the Severn Valley Railway driving a tractor! Actually she got me flying too but that's another story.

 

She knew it had to be a 50 or 37. I'm glad it was the 37 tbh as my first train set was the Hornby class 37 intercity set. Unfortunately it was broken so xmas wasn't quite what it was supposed to be. As the shop had no 37 sets left I ended up with the HST set a few days later. I don't think I'd even seen an HST at the time! Needless to say the class 37 has always had a special place in my heart. 

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Your wife sounds a wonderful lady. I can understand why you decided she was a ‘keeper’. Lucky you and I can imagine you had a fantastic day.

Sorry to hear your class 37 train set was broken. I can imagine the heartbreak back in the day but it certainly looks like you’re making up for it now. Your layout is going to be something very special. I’m enjoying your thread.

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I don't think that this has been mentioned in this thread before but I've just watched 24 mins and 10 secs of quality 1983/4 Mallaig line footage that I've never seen before via You-Tube entitled Weir's Way: Forty Miles to Sky.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GasBGCLRgg

 

At least 4 different locos appear as the film crew follow the Mallaig service (over several days) which also features the two saloons Loch Eil and Lochaber throughout.

 

Also available via STV player I know of at least one other episode which features the WHL at Crianlarich and suspect that there are others in the 45 episode series with railway footage. Being a DVD man myself I'll now have to check for availabilty ....but what a film ! (IMHO)

 

Regards,

Ian.

 

(12 disc collection subsequently ordered for £20 inc P+P)  :yahoo_mini:

 

Edited by 03060
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What a brilliant find! Blue 37s, at least one white stripe, observation cars and Glenfinnan looking like N gauge from above. What's not to like. Possibly ducked under the radar on searches because of the walking title.

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Oh my. Ian, collect your books and come and sit at the top of the class! Thank you so much for tipping us off to this absolute gem. Quite the find. This is all 1983 footage and just as the white stripe started to appear. Note how it was only 2 inches wide in a subtle ‘let’s see if anyone notices and if we can get away with it style’. Some absolutely priceless footage for me, so good to see the train, a through sevice from Glasgow to which the obs cars were added to each end at FW. But for me the absolute crowning glory of this program is the ariel shots of Mallaig at the end. So much information in that shot. Lay of the land as I knew it but with confirmation of exactly how everything sat I’m 1983. My life just got a whole lot easier. Thank you so much for sharing to this thread. Sir, I owe you a beer. 

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I'm pretty sure that the white stripe 37 is 37 014 which according to the recent article in Traction (Iss.264) was the first to be so treated and was given a 2cm stripe as an experiment, 37 039 received a similar thin stripe but on a 2nd viewing of the film, plus several rewinds, I'm 99% sure that the last digit is a 4.

 

Glad the link was liked, I was actually looking for a much later clip of two 47s at Rhu with a Network Rail yellow engineers wagon in between them from 2000+ that I've seen before ....but I was much happier with the Mallaig find ! Another You tube find yesterday was decent conclusive video which showed 37 423 in Sector grey livery with a Scotrail liveried Mk3 push/pull set including DBSO reaching at least Fort William in 1988 which I've seen in the background of photo before (possibly one of Irishswissernie's.) That one is titled British Rail: Scotrail 1988 Part 1 - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fort William - The Ray Bowden Collection (40 mins of late 80's train movements if you have the time.) I need to see if there are any more from this collection.

 

I've had a good week off so far .... but haven't got very far building my new layout ! :rolleyes:

 

Regards,

Ian.

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I’ve also only just discovered the Ray Bowdon collection. Started of with New Street and then Inverness. Some really great footage. 
yes I’m sure it was 37014. I didn’t re read the article in Traction last night choosing instead to watch the YouTube video for a third time. Really interesting article wasn’t it? Filled in a few gaps in the knowledge.

Thanks again for the pointer. You must start your layout! 

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1 hour ago, 03060 said:

 

 

Glad the link was liked, I was actually looking for a much later clip of two 47s at Rhu with a Network Rail yellow engineers ....

 

 

 

Well the 47's weren't far away judging by the sound dubbing of the 37 leaving Ft Bill and crossing through the gates at Morar LOL

 

Scott

 

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Thanks for the link Ian, that indeed is a good half an hour's watch!  Even a good chunk of Aaron Copeland to help the story along the way!

 

For those who might want to acquire the DVDs, they are on ebay at rather less than Ian paid (sorry Ian!).

 

The maroon observation cars were something I had not known much about.  I am familiar with the old beavertails and the converted DMU end cars, but what are these.  I am only looking at them on a small screen but are they (or at least one of them) a converted Thompson?

 

 

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On 19/08/2021 at 20:08, Combe Martin said:

It was the Euston - Fort William Motorail service that I used.  I know others have said that the 'sleepers only' went via Mossend and  Queen Street.  

 

Looking at the map, going via Queen Street  would need a stop at Mossend for a loco change (Sparky off), a run to Cowlairs ?, then a reversal presumably there (with another loco coming on the other end unless the new front loco ran round) then a trip to Queen Street with a reversal there and another loco coming on the front (unless the new Mossend loco stayed on and the whole lot was topped and tailed down to Queen Street.  By going via Central, one stop only was needed for loco change and reversal.  

 

Going via Central seems a lot simpler and probably quicker than Queen Street, so I do wonder why the sleepers went that way. 

 

Ah, because they were split from a northbound service onto a Queen Street -Mallaig, whereas the Motorail sleeper was a whole train and unsplit.

Hi,

 

I'm not sure what the procedure was with down Fort William sleepers in the 80's, but in July 1983 I travelled from Oban to Euston, leaving Oban at 18.10 and changing at Crianlarich.  The train from Crianlarich consisted of 7 coaches, of which the sleeper portion consisted of 2 sleepers and a sk, which was my coach, hauled by 37 178.  

 

At Cowlairs junction the train stopped, the front four coaches uncoupled and headed down to Queen Street.  After a wee wait a 37 (I didn't get it's number) was coupled up and away we went for tour of the southern environs of Glasgow, ending up at Mossend.  Here the 37 was changed for 86 218 Planet and off we went to Carlisle, just 3 coaches!  At Carlisle another 11 coaches, a mix of sleepers, parcel vans and a TPO, I believe from Stranraer but I could be wrong, were attached and we set off for Euston, arriving almost an hour down.

 

As I said, I don't know what the procedure was in the opposite direction.  After  a quick breakfast and mooch around I caught the "Royal Scot" back to Glasgow Central: 10 coaches hauled by 86 209. A daunder over to Queen Street and I was back in Oban at 21.25, 5 minutes early.  Happy days!

 

Roja

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16 hours ago, Portchullin Tatty said:

 

The maroon observation cars were something I had not known much about.  I am familiar with the old beavertails and the converted DMU end cars, but what are these.  I am only looking at them on a small screen but are they (or at least one of them) a converted Thompson?

 

 

Information gleaned from my favourite book, Tom Noble's 'The West Highland Extension In BR Days' (OPC.)

 

LOCHABER : 

ex.LNER saloon DE 902260 designed by Thompson, built 1945. Single ended, random seating for up to 30 passengers. Named at Fort William 6/6/80 numbered Sc1999. Appeared on the Mallaig line for the 1980 and '81 seasons in Blue / grey livery (this included the ends, ie no yellow), photo p.30, was in LNER 'beech brown' by the 1983 season.

 

LOCHEIL :

ex.LNER DE 900580 used by the Eastern Region as the Chief Engineer saloon for many years, built 1936. Double ended (with lower end panels also glazed) and named at Glasgow QS on 27/5/83, also in LNER 'beech brown' in 1983. Numbered Sc1998, photos p.64.

 

A London Midland Region saloon was used for the 1984 season.

I'm sure that there is more information out there regarding the two LNER saloons, I've seen film about them somewhere, either on You Tube or on a DVD in my collection ...I'll check when I get chance.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Edited by 03060
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Thanks Ian.

 

I did some digging myself and found these two entries on the 

 

Loch Eil - http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1052

 

Lochaber - http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=945

 

The former obviously in tourist stock green (in its reincarnate form for the WH services).

 

I will have travelled the line about then, strange I don't recall them.  I can only presume that it was when they were in blue & grey and as I was much more interested in loading my bike on and sticking my head out to admire the view, I missed them!

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Thanks Ian and Tatty for adding to the thread. I’d managed to dig up this info and if you did deep other photos are available. The info regarding the build dates and diagrams is of little use as to their condition in the 1980s as they had been modified over many years. I’m searching for suitable doners in model or kit form but fruitlessly as it stands. Any pointers would be very welcome. I will be using the ex LMS design inspection saloon (which was used in 1984) until I can get the info, time and skill to accurately replicate these vehicles. Perhaps a mission to far but it will always be the plan. 

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Bit of progress on the scenic side of the layout over the past couple of days. I’ve been collecting various grasses, turfs, scatters etc over the past few weeks and tried a couple of test pieces on bits of scrap board. I gingerly made a start on putting some on the layout and slowly adding more to build up to the look I want. I’m pretty chuffed with it as a first real attempt but then I am colour blind. There is obviously more to be added but this is where I’m at right now. criticism and pointers are invited but please be kind and don’t crush my confidence. 
 

 

81B00943-9D78-4204-9FB7-8DFF921FEBB1.jpeg

0BC574E3-81A5-47CF-B774-467CE14A7C49.jpeg

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22 minutes ago, mallaig1983 said:

There is obviously more to be added but this is where I’m at right now. criticism and pointers are invited but please be kind and don’t crush my confidence. 

Far from it mate!! That's a first attempt? That is GOOD!!  :yes:  :good:  In fact if the photos had cropped out the unballasted track & building shell, I'd have thought it was real, honestly. The rocks colour & weathering in particular is superb. 

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Ah bless you all, thank you for your kind words. I’ve spent much of the summer watch a LOT of YouTube tutorials and pouring over photos and video. I was supposed to be doing a field trip this week to photograph this scene but my campervan is still in the garage with serious engine management issues so it was not to be so I just ploughed on with the knowledge I’d got before me. The biggest issue with my confidence was that I’m colour blind and have to go on shades more than colour but I seem to be heading in the right direction so will continue. 
Thanks for the comments :happy_mini:

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