In the event, I didn't manage to stay awake long at all. Despite the excitement and festivities going on around me, and the superbly noisy engines in the otherwise quiet early hours, a couple of nights with little sleep soon caught up with me and I dozed fitfully along Chat Moss, and snoozed entirely through the departure from Manchester Victoria and what I'm assured was a cacophonous ascent of Miles Platting! Woke in earnest at Milford Junction and enjoyed the surreal and very early arrival at York into an almost silent, eerie station. Our engines didn't even manage to disturb an amorous couple who clearly didn't know that a few hundred, mostly male spectators had just arrived from the south west! Lots of time to explore and attempt a variety of shots of the engines in the lights of the trainshed. Quite a bit of stock stabled too. Caught up with folks in other parts of the train, and discussed progress so far. Felt sleepy and stumbled back on board well before time to await departure, after which I was soon asleep again, waking briefly at Newcastle as we slowed to pass through the station - arriving at the same time as the stock of the first London-bound train of the day.
My next recollection is somewhere on the coast - the North Sea scudding by to the east, and Scottish placenames on the signposts of the A1 to our west. Orientated myself a little better at Oxwellmains, and once I'd established I was completely awake set about readying myself for the day ahead. We slowed near Drem, pulling into the loop - no surprise as we were a little early and this was the start of the morning peak as it wasn't a Bank Holiday north of the border. However we seemed to sit for a long time. A very long time. Soon our early had become very late, and there was no information forthcoming. Eventually on the move again, about an hour behind schedule arriving at our final pick-up at Wallyford. All was now revealed - the paperwork for the line into Millerhill Yard for our next loco change was missing and Network Rail wouldn't let us in. It was assumed that the Freight Line Authority for Alloa was OK but we'd clearly have missed our path. At this stage Deanside was also questionable. With the whole tour looking a bit shaky, we were being routed into Edinburgh Waverley on the mainline with out current motive power, where hopefully more information would become available. There were unashamed expressions of anger on the train - towards Pathfinder, perhaps more deservedly towards Network Rail, even towards fellow passengers who'd been quick to say 'told you so'. A rather miserable train arrived at Waverley, with staff keen to kick us out as soon as possible.
Except they couldn't. Someone noticed the headlight on 37417 was out. It had probably been out all night, at least since York. Without it, the loco was a failure. Some mucking about with the other loco and the lamp at the rear of 417 produced three lights with totally different fittings! They needed the platform desperately, so only one thing to do...proceed via Haymarket Central and the Edinburgh Suburban Lines to Millerhill Yard! So, a brief trundle at 20mph along the first new track for me, and we were soon in a place where we technically weren't allowed to be! The 37s were swiftly removed and the new engine, 60100 'Pride of Action' placed on the rear to retrace our steps to Haymarket. As we passed the shed at Millerhill a fitter could already be seen working on the offending headlight. The missed bit of track was minor, but annoying - but a small bonus in getting both sides of the triangular junction at Haymarket I suppose. Good to be moving at speed again, as we passed over the Forth Bridge and resumed the booked route. A quick spin around most of the Fife Circle, with a good few photographers in evidence as we approached Dunfermline and the eastern end of the day's main target - the recently reopened connection to Stirling via Kincardine and Alloa. Despite now fairly horrible conditions, there were still plenty of spectators as we progressed westward, coming alongside the Firth of Forth once again, and passing the huge Longannet Power Station site. A brief curve inland, and to our left on a short spur from the line was the new Alloa station, beside the town's vast Asda supermarket. Against all the odds we'd achieved the goal from which the tour took it's name!
No stopping here though, and we were soon back on the coast at Cambus. With the Wallace memorial towering over us we curved into Stirling station, the new line completed and a few sighs of relief from the Quail-marking crowd on board! Now, in rather unexpected sunshine, we were heading for Glasgow via a much simplified route which missed out the originally promised City Union lines and opted for a suburban spin through Coatbridge, Rutherglen and then the classic arrival over the Clyde into Central Station. The break here had been cut short by keeping the same departure time. About 45 minutes then in my favourite city, just time to get a drink and a newspaper, and to have a look around the place before watching the 37s return to the front of the train for our short trip to Deanside. The weather was actually startlingly good up here, and we set off again in bright sunshine, with the added bonus of a requested route via the Smithy Lye through siding (which had also been covered in part on the Routes and Branches tour which the SRPS ran yesterday I understand). At Cardonald, turned north and covered almost all of the surprisingly long branch belonging to Deanside Transit and serving the container depot. Since we ended up on the perimeter fence of the Shieldhall shopping complex, amazed SPT hadn't thrown together a station and run a shuttle service! A swift run around here, and with 37422 now leading we set off back to Shields Junction, then via the Burma Road to Larkfield Junction, and onto the West Coast Mainline. With almost all of the planned unusual track covered and a couple of bonuses, we were finally heading homeward.
Some fine running saw us consistently early, and meant a wait in the loop at Beattock before arriving at Carlisle with just one loco powering. This meant an impressively noisy climb into the station from a signal check just outside too! A fairly long break here due to an early arrival, and things were looking good for beating the rather late 01:30 target for Bristol. With 92002 on the front we continued to fly along, except when we ended up catching a local and skipping signal to signal through Lancashire. At Crewe our final loco change saw the impressive 92 depart in favour of 66187 which was to lead us all the way home. Our driver was evidently keen on an early finish too, as he coaxed a fair turn of speed out of the loco, despite a bit of a lull around Northfield when a Cross City Line train went ahead of us at Kings Norton. Despite this setback, made good progress and avoided the long fester which was timetabled at Bristol Parkway. Arrived in a quiet Temple Meads with just a few stragglers for the 01:34 to Cardiff or camped out for the next morning's early trains. I suspect they'd have been ejected shortly after our arrival, as would a good few cranks who didn't have hotels or onward transport prepared. Trudged wearily off the station and met my lift home. Sadly couldn't help out others due to not having enough seats.
So, a long, initially frustrating and overall pretty successful couple of days. A tremendous amount of mileage, some very unusual new track and a few interesting locomotives too. The stay in Glasgow was brief, moreso when I think of my original plan to work a longer trip around the SRPS jaunt - but in the end I'm glad I did this tour. Now there's just a small matter of that spur to Alloa station.....
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
