This morning I faced the earliest start of the week. Dragging myself out of the warm hotel room into the damp, dark streets of Aberdeen was not easy. Hit by a distinctly wintery nip in the Northern air too on my way to the station. The place was almost deserted, but noted the unit which was to work to Inverness was ticking over at the North end of platform 6. Took the opportunity to wander around a bit and figure out how the station works, as I've not really been here long enough to puzzle it out in the past. Soon on our way on the 06:25 to Inverness. Managed to snooze a little while it was dark, did notice both the Royal Scotsman with 57601 at the helm and the DRS operated Rail Head Treatment Train (that's dealing with leaves on the line, for the uninitiated!) at Keith.
Only a short time at Inverness to find breakfast and get to the Kyle train. Noted that the service was heavily reserved, mainly for a couple of coach parties. Found a seat in the declassified First Class area and settled in for the journey to the coast. The first part of the trip followed the same route as the Far North Line, but after calling at the surprisingly busy Dingwall, we took a sharp curve to the left and began an ascent into the hills. More incredible scenery - trying to describe it here would do it very little justice in fact, and its rare I'm stuck for words on this usually excessively verbose blog! Consistently surprised by the well-kept and maintained stations along the route - even the smallest single-platform halt seemed to be tidy, in excellent repair and inviting. With both coach parties on board, the rather busy train made its way slowly Westwards.
Descending towards the coast, the settlements become a little larger, and a fair number of passengers seemed to join or alight at Strathcarron, Stromeferry and Plockton. I particularly loved this stretch of line, which still seemed to be the typical rural community railway which we all imagine. Soon arrived at Kyle, and immediately its well tended station, museum and tea room were packed with tourists and ferry passengers.
Interesting to note that the independece of the Highland Railway is preserved here - from the plaque commemorating Kyle's centenary to the stag emblem on Kyle of Lochalsh Signal Box. There also seems to be a pride in customer service and timekeeping which doesn't exist south of Platform 2 at Inverness! Took some pictures of the Skye Bridge and of our train. Purchased some postcards and a booklet about the line to make my contribution to the Friends of the Kyle Line group, and reboarded for the trip back.
This part of the journey had the potential to go very wrong - an eleven minute connection into the Edinburgh service at Inverness, and a certain knowledge that the staff at the station had little regard for interchange between the Highland Line and the main line south gained by bitter experience. We crossed another train as planned at Strathcarron with little delay, and made up a couple of minutes caused by long station stops with no problem. Arrived on time and made the dash over to the Edinburgh train which was already filling up. No seats in the back end of First Class so headed for the front. Soon realised that the ex-Hull Trains 170s have been stripped of all but seven seats of First Class. With no time to go hunting for a seat, found myself standing in a vestibule as far as Perth - not a high point of the trip. Didn't miss much in terms of a view however, as the mist descended and the rain started to fall around Carrbridge - a damp dark and gloomy evening to match my mood perhaps?
After writing the above I discovered the following snippet of verse which reminded me that while my minor irritations on this route were nothing compared to those who tackled the formidable Drumochter Pass on foot or horseback, there has always been a miserable aspect to the place:
Mi gabhail Straith Dhruim Uachdair,
'S beag m'aighear anns an uair so:
Tha an latha air dol gu gruamachd
S'chan e tha buain mo sproc.
(As I travel the Strath of Drumochter,
Little my joy at this season:
the day has turned out grimly
and that does not help my gloom.)
John Macdonald c1620-c1710, from "A Lament for the State of the Country"
Finally arrived at Waverley, which was still in the grip of it's rush hour. Made some quick purchases and found a seat on the very quiet 18:10 to Newcastle. A really relaxing and pleasant end to a long and tiring day. The trip to Kyle of Lochalsh was incredible - and worth the effort, but I can only dream of what it would have been like with a real locomotive!
Day two's proposition was to head out West, before recrossing Scotland and ending up on the East coast. Despite a fairly leisurely start to the day, set off early in order to have coffee in my favourite spot on Renfield Street - lots of memories here, where I began to over-mythologise things a bit as ever. A quick walk to Queen Street soon shook off the melancholy which had descended, and there was time to watch the morning rush hour as I waited for the stock of the 08:20 to Oban and Mallaig to arrive. A second 156 duly joined one already standing at the platform - front coaches for Oban and rear for Mallaig. Found a seat and settled in for the long journey into the West Highlands. Much of the route remembered from last year's Fort William trip, but interesting to see how much money is being spent to keep the SPT stations in good condition and repair - it seems to work too, because people are clearly using the trains. At Helensburgh we turned North and began to climb steeply, skirting Loch Gare and Loch Lomond and heading deeper into the Highlands.
After crossing an up train at Ardlui, and negotiating a points problem at the north of the station with the help of both train crews (and rather strangely a couple of passengers) we were a little late. At Crianlarich the units parted and we set off first, bearing west through Tyndrum Lower and on to the Oban line while the other unit took the high road towards Fort William. Immediately struck by the vast and open landscapes. Much of the route runs through a shallow valley, with impressive mountains and hills as its backdrop, sometimes only half-glimpsed through the mist. An equally stunning but very different view from that seen from the other branch of the West Highland Line. Sometimes it was hard to discover what was a mountain and what was a cloud formation. As we negotiated the torturous route, the cloud cover began to break and the sun began to shine. By the time we began the long curve through the town and towards the station at Oban it was a pleasant Autumn morning.
Took the opportunity to get a picture, and then to explore this curious little town. There seemed to still be a fairly busy tourist contingent, despite the late time of the year. Considering the desolation I'd travelled through to get here, I was surprised just what a thriving little port this was. Found an excellent local bakery and purchased lunch, then wandered along the harbour back to the station for the long ride back into Glasgow Queen Street, pausing to watch one of the ferries leave. Once again a fairly good run, with a short wait and a chance for a leg-stretch at Crianlarich whilst we waited for the Mallaig unit to arrive and join our train. Still a fine afternoon, but a little chilly out on the platform. I'd given up hope of much in the way of railway interest on the return journey, but I was surprised by the sudden and noisy passing of 37405 on a pair of wagons, near Summerston. On arrival at Queen Street had some time to kill before the Aberdeen train. Took the opportunity for coffee and a wander around to loosen up legs stiff from sitting for a long time. It was beginning to get dark and I realised that much of my journey to Aberdeen would be in the pitch black, just like last time.
Once in Aberdeen I remembered how miserable it was arriving here in the dark and wet. It's a strange place, somehow confusing and oddly pieced-together, and it seems to have suffered something of a decline since my last stay almost a decade ago. A walk up to Union Street took me past a fair few grim public houses, several where the Police and Ambulance staff were already in attendance. There was also a vague but omnipresent whiff of the sewers which wasn't here last time as far as I recall. Couldn't remember exactly where I'd eaten before so didn't try to find out if it still existed. Remembered it being full of wealthy oil men. Finally discovered a little Indian restaurant called 'Nawaabi' down an otherwise unpromising side street. Excellent meal, good service and some very original food. Not cheap, but I was so hungry by this point it wasn't my biggest concern. Not tempted by any of the local hostelries on the way back to my hotel, despite fancying a nice pint. I'm not sure how I feel about Aberdeen - sometimes it seems vibrant and interesting, and others grey and dull. Perhaps I need to spend some daylight hours here to decide.
ALR06/02 Day One - Ayrshire Again - A Case of Deja Vu?
Posted in Railways on Monday 9th October 2006 at 10:51pm
Never attempt to cover track in anger. Just like last time it seemed like the first day was going to fall apart - this time at the very first hurdle. My determination to cover the 'missing link' between Kilmarnock and Ayr - so short, but so annoyingly missed on the last rover - had persuaded me to make this the target for the first day of the trip. Met some of the Bridgwater gang on the way to the station, who filled me in on goings on at the WSR steam gala. A crowded but fairly straightforward trip to Temple Meads on the 07:54 - usually a train that takes me to work. Lots of time at Bristol to get coffee and a bite to eat, and to watch the goings on at the station - with 57303 passing through following seawall duties at Dawlish this weekend.
Noted the 09:17 Penzance delayed by a bridge strike. From my vantage point on platform 3, couldn't see if the train was in the station or not. Soon heard that my own train was also delayed, as the bridge strike was to the West of the station. Ten nailbiting minutes where the display just flashed 'Delayed'. Then noted the 09:17 moving slowly out of the platform towards the West. Things were moving, and soon enough so were we.
However, we didn't really recover from our shaky start. Further slow going between Birmingham and Wolverhampton left us nearly thirty minutes down. My connection at Carlisle was looking very shaky. One glimmer of hope was that the 14:22 to Stranraer was a through train, originating in Newcastle and booked to use the same platform as we were. A journey which should have been fairly relaxing was once again becoming slightly tricky.
Once north of Preston we seemed to pick up, with the Voyager tilting like crazy around the curves of the WCML. Noted we were a little over 20 late now, and the connection was looking possible, if shaky. They would presumably let the Voyager go first anyway. Finally rolled into Carlisle to find the 14:22 idling at an adjacent platform. Through the buffet and on board. No seats so languished in the vestibule as far as Gretna, making checking Kingmoor depot fairly tricky. It was turning into a bright autumn afternoon, and the slow meander to Kilmarnock was very pleasant. Here the train filled up again, mainly with students I think, before turning west again and heading for Troon and Ayr. Finally, this track is off the list!
The final leg for today was to change at Ayr and head into Glasgow. Curious platforming made this an easy cross-platform switch, and soon I was heading into the City, along with thousands of others who piled into the train at Prestwick Airport. Really good to be able to walk directly off the concourse and into my hotel too. The hotel lived up to expectations - cavernous and slightly spooky in some ways, with my room at the end of a long echoing corridor. The view from my window was fairly amazing too - a panorama over the glass roof of Central Station and the lights of the city South of the Clyde.
It's always good to be back in Glasgow, and my first instinct is always to visit all of the old haunts - impossible in an evening. Straight out to the 13th Note - still possibly my favourite drinking den in the world. Sure it has no beer range to speak of, but the jukebox is always inspiring and intriguing, and it's the only place I've found where you can encounter a young girl knitting and drinking coffee in the same establishment as a vegan cafeteria and a live thrash metal night! Spent longer than I meant to before going in search of food. I'm glad I spaced out my Glasgow visits this time around, because I hope to be back on Friday.
This weekend the West Somerset Railway holds it's Autumn Steam Gala. Much as I love the scenery and the ambience of the WSR, I'm always disappointed by some staff member's attitude to Diesel traction. This seems to have been compounded by a lack of Diesel gala this year and by management recently announcing that "the WSR is a steam railway". In this climate, and alongside First Great Western MD Alison Forster recently saying she "'didn't think steam engines should be on the mainline" today saw an unlikely alliance!
Set out on the 08:07 from Highbridge. There appeared to be a few steam cranks on board. The guard had a little difficulty issuing the return to Bishop's Lydeard but eventually coaxed the Avantix machine into action. Wonderful weather on the short journey down to Taunton - can only hope it holds for my week away. Platform 2 at Taunton packed with WSR staff, FGW staff and a few press interested in the event - the first service train to work through to Bishop's Lydeard since 1971. On time, a single 158 crept into the platform with a makeshift route indicator for Lydeard. We piled on and crawled slowly past Fairwater Yard and onto the branch at Norton Fitzwarren. After passing the army base and the location of the WSR's proposed turning triange, we were soon passing a line of steam locomotives ready for the gala, and drawing into the station.
Stayed aboard for the return trip, and I was surprised at the number of people who got on for the first ride back. As we passed Norton Fitzwarren we halted - an elderly female was walking her five dogs on the track. A British Transport Police officer travelling with us stepped off to have a word - "but I've been doing this for thirty years officer!". Held again at the junction for 6201 Princess Elizabeth to cross into Fairwater Yard awaiting an incoming charter. Soon arrived at Taunton and the adventure was over - a tiny bit of track in some ways, but one I've waited a long time to travel.
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.
