Stranraer Harbour and Town Stations

[southwestern]

As a boy...some 50 years ago...I would travel to S W Scotland on the overnight "Paddy" from Euston to Stranraer. Steam hauled.

 

Now close to retirement..the thought of creating a model of how things might have been if the "Port Road " stayed open are in my mind.

 

Can members of the forum suggest diesel class types that might (or did) frequent the Glasgow to Stranraer line. OR....might have run between Dumfries and Stranraer had the line remained open.

 

Victor

[scottishlocos]

Hi there

 

Diesels that would or could have visited are class 26, 27, 37, 40, 47 maybe a class 31 from Carlisle

you could also feature shunting locos class 06 and 08 all the locos mentioned would cover the 60's 70's and 80's

 

If you are modelling the current scene them class 60 class 66 and 67's would be a must with the odd 31 or 37 from

Network rail or DRS.

In addition if you model from 2000 onwards then Deltics and Westerns could appear on railtours

 

regards

 

Dave

[edcayton]

Might not some of the class 50's have traversed the route before the WCML electrification was complete and they were transferred to the WR? They may have even kept a couple on for working the heavy sleeper trains.

 

Ed

[souwest]

If you are modelling the 1980s, dont forget the SeaLink coaches in red, light and dark blue which ran on the G&P line.

['CHARD]

I think we've touched on this elsewhere, but a couple of years ago. No diesels are thought to have worked over the line in revenue service, although BRCW Type 2 (Class 27s) were used on track recovery trains.

 

Assuming Route Availability is adequate, the most likely candidates for use over the Port Road would have been Classes 20, 25 and 27, to a lesser extent 24 and 26, each phasing out in line with their classes' respective demise. Class 40s (if they were cleared for the route) would have been favourites from Kingmoor, later on 37s and 47s and as has been mooted the odd 50 might have put in an occasional appearance.

 

Don't forget that most of the intermediate stations would have closed, and there may have been a Class 2 stopping service provided by DMUs, Class 108 from KD again possibly.

[Guest stuartp]

I started to draft a reply to this a while ago then got hopelessly lost in a haze of axleweights and RAs before realising that I was out of my depth. The point I was originally going to make was that the heaviest locos known to have used the Port Road were Clans (RA 8, 19 tons axleweight). The Britannias were also RA8 but 20.5 tons axleweight and there's no evidence of them at Stranraer until the Paddy was diverted via Ayr when the Port Road closed.

 

I assume the restriction was caused by weak bridges - the strapping and brick reinforcement on the Big Fleet viaduct is well known but Loch Ken viaduct also had to be strengthened and the Cree viaduct was a timber trestle to the end. Of course, if you're going to extend the life of the PP&W you could always have a bridge strengthening program as well !

 

A couple of real numbers from an out of print book - the Bradford Barton album "Deisels on Scottish Region" has early 70s photos of 27s stabled in the town goods yard (5358 and 5381), with Class 24 5096 pottering about on the causeway with the empty stock from the boat train. All BFYE, numbers on all 4 corners on 5381 and 5096 at least (can't see all of 5358), no 'D' prefixes, arrows in the middle.

 

Personally I fancy the prospect of double-headed (Gateshead ?) 24s on the Newcastle boat trains...

[southwestern]

Many thanks to all who have given time to respond to my question.

 

Victor