Wex Cel

Hi @158722, sorry to bother you but I wondered if the books had been dispatched now? I don't really like to ask, because it sounds like the height of impatience on my part(!), but I'm going away for a period and I wondered if I needed to ask my neighbour to expect a parcel on my behalf while I'm away. (I don't think it'll fit my letter box and my local sorting office keeps inconvenient hours.) Thanks, Wex Cel.

Load 5 typically but sometimes 6 or 7. After the HML linespeeed increases in 1984/5 were implemented the journey times weren't too bad, particularly after 1987 when the pattern was tidied a bit; Glasgow-Inverness was about 3h37 on average, but the Glasgow services essentially formed the stoppers - calling all stations Larbert-Carrbridge inclusive, so arguably that's quite a decent performance. For some reason they only seemed to call at Larbert northbound. The first train from Edinburgh ran in the path of a regular interval Dunblane, so was all stops Edinburgh-Dunblane, but semi-fast over the Highland Line. The other Edinburgh services were usually semi-fast, both the ScotRail morning services and the InterCity Clansman and Chieftains. The current service is almost the best ever, worth remembering that as recently as 2011 Glasgow had only three direct Inverness trains per day. Other than the few COVID-period adjustments, the 2011 pattern essentially remains except Edinburgh has lost one train pair. The short HSTs look good, but I never seem to obtain one! Either cancelled, substituted or I don't pick an HST-booked service! C'est la vie!

Yes, a 2A doesn't really work for conversion does it! I have been down the lines of considering it, then getting cold feet and I certainly wouldn't want to cut up any Accurascale 2Bs - they are far too nice for such brutalistic surgery, especially at my very un-surgeon like hands. I do hope someone comes along with a 2C, perhaps Accurascale again as one of their NIR models is a 2C design iirc? Yep, that seems to be what invariably happens - one goes to the bother of doing a conversion and almost immediately on completion - an RTR model is announced! Sod's Law of course, can't get away from it.

The only unresolved question I have really is use of BGs in formations. I thought perhaps if I linked to some photos, it might demonstrate what I meant about use of BGs. These are from 1987-89 and are all of the 0933 Glasgow QS-Inverness service. All have a BG in formation, one actually has two. These first two are from Bruce Galloway: 0933 GLQ-INV 15/05/87 0933 GLQ-INV 05/04/88 Then two of John Whiteley's: 0933 GLQ-INV 09/06/88 (Note 2×BGs on rear) 0933 GLQ-INV 11/06/88 (At least I think that's a Mk1 BG just in shot at the back.) Finally, one of Michael J. Collins: 0933 GLQ-INV 21/03/89 So, it seems the 0933 was booked to have a BG? Other workings do have one, but not with any regularity. So, would it be correct to assume specific services were intended to convey a BG? Ie the 0933 ex-Queen Street, possibly others? Thanks again.

Yes, I'm getting the impression that that was the case even before Inverness' carriage stock allocation was reduced in the Sprinterisation period. I haven't seen any of those variations, but good to know - would make for an interesting change to the standard plain all Blue/Grey sets. Unfortunately I lost many notebooks of material in a house move, I would have sworn I packed everything and certainly I did a double check that every room and cupboard was completely empty before handing the keys to the estate agent. (No furniture was left either.) 8 years later? Still not found those notebooks... *sigh* I've rather given up finding them now. Definitely an issue, yes. I'm not hugely confident at doing conversions, so ready-to-run 2Cs would be extremely welcome I must say.

Thank you, Flood. That's very useful, so 5 sets were required and presumably that carried into 86/87. Even better, that's very handy. So for '87, there were five diagrams it might be best to put it, formed as mentioned above of two sets essentially. Because there were only 5 CK and 5 TSOT, obviously that needed some form of maintenance cover and that's where the BFK/TSO set comes in. Very nice to have that explanation now. It was actually a video on YouTube that prompted my original query re use of BFK vehicles (Queen Street, 1986 - perhaps you've seen it? Or I could probably find the link again), but in that video the set had a BFK and no TSOT on the 1233 GLQ-INV. Subsequent study of photos on Flickr showed use of BFKs to be common enough, but also sets with no First Class and/or TSO at times. There's a superb shot of 47643 in early 1990 on load 5 nearing Dalwhinnie, with the distant Cairngorms acting as a magnificent backdrop, the set there was 3 2A TSO, 2D TSOT, 2C BSO as best I can tell - no First Class. Thanks for the photos, some hood ones there. Such was one of my overriding attractions to the HML, as well as the scenery, I have a very legitimate excuse to go overboard with 47s on the rolling stock front!

Fractionally early for me, but much appreciated Keefer, thanks. I'd guess they were the Mk2C FK that were converted to CK during 1985. So use of BFK, was simply due to shortages then? Any idea how many sets of either: TSO-BSO-TSO and of TSOT-CK Thanks for your help.

Thank you, I have already come across that during my researches but appreciate it all the same.

Thank you, Keefer. I have the numbers of the CKs, as there were only five I assumed there could only be five Highland Main Line sets but then I thought you'd probably allocate one as spare - leaving four. The other option, is there were five sets and if a CK was out for maintenance then what ever was available was used, possibly though BFKs at Craigentinny you list. There are some photos where sets appear to have no First Class, usually an extra TSO is added instead. So that would seem to suggest the five sets in traffic theory with no allocated spare and simply using what was available as cover. Still, it would be interesting to have the official line as to arrangements. Many thanks for your reply though, Keefer - any information is appreciated.

Very nice. I like the colour contrast between loco and coaches in J7907.

Good evening, I'm modelling the Highland Line in the Large Logo era - circa 1986/7. I have formations for the Clansman and the Chieftain HST, the sleepers as well but I'm slightly confused with the Inverness day sets. I had a look on the ex-Yahoo Coaching Stock Group, but the Carriage Working books they have only go up to 1983 for Scotland. From other posts on this forum it seems the booked formation of the Inverness-Glasgow/Edinburgh sets was BSO-TSO-TSO-TSOT-CK, however I'm unclear on a few things. How many sets were there? I tried figuring it out from the 1986 and 1987 timetable but not having diagrams or CWNs to hand makes that difficult to calculate. Also, I've seen photos with a Mk1 BG in the formation, so were there specific workings these were added to for conveying mail or something or was it completely ad hoc - added as required? Also, some sets in 1986 seem to be strengthed to 6 or 7 coaches with an extra BSO/TSO, was this specific or ad hoc? It doesn't appear to be done in 1987 and thereafter; perhaps not enough coaches in an expanded timetable? Finally, in some photos sets have a BFK instead of a CK, was this a booked alternative or simply occasions where a BFK was all that was available for First Class? I do have a 1986 Platform 5 Combined, but I can't see any air braked Mk2 BFK allocated to Inverness, unless I'm missing something? Cheers, Wex.

Good evening, I'm modelling the Highland Line in the Large Logo era - circa 1986/7. I have formations for the Clansman and the Chieftain HST, the sleepers as well but I'm a bit confused over the Inverness day sets. I had a look on the ex-Yahoo Coaching Stock Group, but their Carriage Working books only go up to 1983 for Scotland. From posts on this forum it seems the booked formation of the Inverness-Glasgow/Edinburgh sets was BSO-TSO-TSO-TSOT-CK, however I'm unclear on a few things. How many sets were there? I tried figuring it out from the 1986 and 1987 timetable but the dated services etc rather complicate things. Also, I've seen some photos with a Mk1 BG in the formation, were there specific workings these were added to for conveying mail or something or was it completely ad hoc? Also, some sets in 1986 seem to be strengthed to 6 or 7 coaches with an extra BSO/TSO, was this specific or ad hoc? It doesn't appear to be done in 1987 and thereafter; not enough coaches in an expanded timetable? Finally, some photos show a BFK instead of a CK, was this booked or simply occasions where a BFK was all that was available? I have a 1986 Combined, but can't see any air braked Mk2 BFK at Inverness, unless I'm missing something? Cheers

Nice selection there, David. JVol7288 especially, I like the slightly squint reporting numbers on the smokebox, I don't know why I just do!