The West Highlander

A1A Charters/Railtours North-West
Saturday 24th June 2000

Richard Hughes describes....

Saturday morning: 2.00 am, and Classic FM burst into my eardrum. An excruciatingly early alarm call, a sure sign of an imminent railtour. The tour in question was an A1A / Railtours North-West joint venture, a day trip to the West Highland Line to Oban. I haven't visited Oban for a good few years, not since the cessation of Class 37 haulage in fact, and a Class 31 hauled run to this scenic line seemed like a good excuse to do so.

The tour was actually advertised to run with Class 92 traction hauling the 31s along the WCML, with the diesels only working from Mossend. On Wednesday I read a message on RTN-UK that there would be no 92, instead the 31s would be working throughout and being refuelled at Oban. Now I'm quite happy to have a 92 heading my train, as I still require most of the fleet for haulage, but diesels are what any self-respecting crank ought to go weak at the knees for. So this news, if true, was for me at least, welcomed unreservedly. The next day, I was called by Nick, who had booked the tickets. He confirmed the gen, and explained that the 92s would not be running due to a mistake in costing the tour. In short, some bean-counter had cocked up.

So, after a very early breakfast on Saturday, I drove over to Nick's house in Leyland to meet the rest of the gang, and shortly afterwards Nick, Chris, Steve and myself were en route to Wigan, where the tour was originating. We arrived in good time, and the stock was already in the platform, with locos 31601 + 31602 just running round. We had seats booked in coach A, which proved to be the rear vehicle in the 12 coach rake, so it looked as though the thrash would be somewhat limited in volume until the return run in the afternoon, something to look forward to.

We left on time at 04.52, and made steady progress northwards, picking up at several north west stations. The first flurry of excitement for my companions was at Carlisle, where they were able to note down a few numbers, including 20313 + 20314 on a flask train, 60087 in the station, 20302, 20304, 20306, 20904, 20905, 20906, 37608 and 37610 at the DRS depot, 08922, 60003, 66060, 66067, 66214 and 66216 at Kingmoor.

Continuing over the border into Scotland, the engines proved equal to their task, sticking to the timings with apparent ease, and breasting Beattock Summit without demur. Descending towards Glasgow, we branched off the main line at Law Jn, running through Wishaw and Holytown to Mossend. Despite some signal checks before Mossend, we stopped here for a crew change on time. My pals were able to scribble down some more numbers, 08534, 08720, 08933, 09104, 66235, 86607, 86613, 90143, 90144, 90150, 92011, 92021 and 92023 being some of the identifiable locos present. Ever onwards, via Coatbridge and Stepps to Springburn and some minor signal checks, past Cowlairs and the wasteland that was once Eastfield, to Dalmuir and along the north bank of the Clyde. At Craigendoran Jn the train branched onto the West Highland Line proper, and after stopping briefly at Helensburgh Upper, started to climb.

At the next shack, Garelochhead (how many other words can you think of containing double-H?) the train was booked to cross a service train, which duly arrived formed of 156447 + 156485, the former sporting the explosion-in-a-paint-factory Scotrail livery which I've previously only seen disfiguring 158s. After waiting for this, we departed 8 down, and struggled against the grade and tight curves to the summit just before Glen Douglas passing loop, and then drifted down to Arrochar, where a surprise was waiting in the form of 37503 on empty log wagons. On to Ardlui, where an 8-mile climb to Crianlarich ensued, and turning left at the junction, on to the Oban line. Still climbing, on to Tyndrum Lower, and once more downhill to Dalmally, and then a relatively straighforward run to journey's end at Oban, arriving 4 minutes adrift.

The trip had been advertised as having a 4 hour break at Oban, but this was down to 100 minutes on the day, partly blamed on the need to return south before a WCML engineering possession trapped us in Scotland. Not a problem for most of the cranks aboard, but surely a trifle disappointing for the large contingent of normals on the train. So while they scurried off to make the most of their brief time in Oban, we hung around the station to see what photo opportunities there might be. This proved fruitful, as there was a fair bit of shunting to do, and I took a few pictures of the 31s as they were split up and then sent into a siding to be refuelled by a road tanker, and afterwards from a road bridge outside the station once the engines had been re-attached to the Glasgow end of the stock. The sun even came out as if by magic for the purpose.

Now the fun started. Heavy load, noisy engines, stiff gradients, coach A. Need I say more? I'm talking thrash, and plenty of it. 1 in 50 for 3 miles out of Oban, and a sea of heads protruding from every window. Excellent stuff. Then back downhill to Taynuilt for a stop to cross an Oban-bound 156, leaving here 6 minutes down, and on to Dalmally where the climb to Tyndrum started, 20-odd minutes of sustained hard work. From here it was an easier run through Crianlarich and Ardlui to Arrochar, and then another assault on a ferocious bank to Glen Douglas until more favourable grades brought us back the the Clyde shores. All this and sunshine too. Makes you think getting up early was a good idea after all. We ran unchecked along Clydeside until Dalmuir, where we came up against yellow lights for a while, and where we diverged from the outward route, running this time through Yoker to Glasgow Central Low Level. The run through the tunnels under the city was terrific, despite the low speeds. Occasional bursts of power from the 31s resounded through the tunnels, and must have had the passengers waiting at subterranean stations wondering what the hell was approaching. They soon found out as a pair of monstrous black engines bore down on the platforms, complete with bellowing cranks hanging out of the trailing carriages. Inevitably some of the more retarded of the latter took the opportunity to shout some abuse at the locals, but every tour has its complement of morons, and there weren't too many this time.

Emerging from the Stygean Glasgow gloom into daylight, the sun had gone, and rain had started, putting an end to the window-leaning for a spell. We joined the main line at Rutherglen, and ran to Motherwell, with signal checks here giving those with good eyesight a chance to see a few of the locos on the depot. From Motherwell the route was WCML all the way, rejoining our outward route at Law Jn, and climbing steadily to Beattock Summit before some fast running on to Carlisle, noting a few different engines before the station, 08709, 37609, 37612, 37694, and 56103. A fine run south resulted in Carlisle being reached 10 minutes early, but the powerbox decreed that we had to be held until after departure of a Virgin service to Manchester 20 minutes later. After watching 86234 depart with that service, and 87014 arrive with a Glasgow working, we departed on time, and slightly early from Penrith. The climb to Shap proved to be a struggle, speed remaining obstinately low despite the decibel level from the locos, and we lost a few minutes on this section, but left Preston early by cutting short the booked 7 minute stand. Wigan was reached shortly after, 2 minutes up on the schedule.

After a very successful run from Crewe to Paignton with the same pair of engines 6 weeks earlier, and a faultless trip this time, can anyone truly doubt that Class 31 haulage is the future of the charter train market? I think not! It is of course possible that there may be dissenters from this view. They can be safely ignored.

Richard Hughes

Route, Distances and Timing's (Booked & Actual)

Railtour Operator : A1A Charters/Railtours North-West

Locos used:
31601 + 31602

Reporting Codes:
1Z63 Wigan North Western to Oban
1Z64 Oban to Wigan North Western

Stock used:
99318+99671+99121+99125+99371+99127+99311+5035+5032+99317+99680+4951

Route, Distances, and Timings.
(Distances are those shown in the tour timing sheet, and have been verified end-to-end only. The mileages are decimal rather than the usual miles and chains. Half-minutes shown in the timing sheet have been omitted).

a = arrival time
d = departure time
t = token exchange (RETB, not necessarily a stop)
/ = passing time

31601 + 31602 Wigan North Western to Oban and return

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