Hi, Welcome to my blog. It will contain my latest sightings, links to my latest photos and info pages and any relevant news updates. It will be updated when possible.
LMS Jubilee 45699 'Galatea' is seen in Carstairs Up Loop taking on water whilst working 1Z70 Inverness - Oxenholme Lake District 'The Great Britain XI' railtour 23.4.18
The SRPS Forth Circle tour operated with 45690 'Leander' on 21st April. I spotted it at both Camelon and Dalmeny.
45690 approaches Camelon with 1Z29 Linlithgow - Linlithgow via Burntisland and Stirling Forth Circle SRPS railtour 21.4.18
45690 approaches Dalmeny with 1Z30 Linlithgow - Linlithgow via Burntisland and Stirling Forth Circle SRPS railtour 21.4.18
On 9th April, testing and training with Caledonian Sleeper class 73's and the new Mark 5 sleeper coaches that are due to enter service later this year began. The first run on 9th April was from Polmadie - Mossend and return. On 10th April, 73971 and four Mark 5's headed from Polmadie - Arrochar and Tarbet and back for the Mark 5's first run on the West Highland Line.
Onto today and 73971 worked 5Z73 from Polmadie - Garelochhead and back with Mark 5's 15001, 15302, 15301 and 15002. They had been supposed to have turned at Arrochar and Tarbet, however with the line closed north of Garelochhead due to a sink hole having opened up on or near the track at Glen Douglas, they turned back at Garelochhead with the 73 running round.
This training run is expected to continue to run for the remainder of the week.
The photographs show 73971 approaching Gartcosh with the 4 new Caledonian Sleeper Mark 5's in tow on 5Z73 Polmadie - Polmadie via Garelochhead test and training run.
73971 | 15001 | 15302 |
15301 | 15002 | rear of 15002 |
2018 could potentially be the final year in service for the class 314's in and around Glasgow (depending on whether the issues with the class 385's that are supposed to be replacing them are resolved). The 16 strong fleet have gave excellent service over the past almost 40 years. They initially worked on the Argyle line from 1979 until 1999, when they transferred over to the Cathcart Circle as well as some journeys on the Gourock and Wymess Bay services. Today all 16 units are still in service with 7 in the Saltire livery and the remainder (9) in the SPT Carmine and Cream livery.
SPT Carmine and Cream livery: 314201, 202, 205, 206, 207, 210, 213, 215 and 216
Scotrail Saltire livery: 314203, 204, 208, 209, 211, 212 and 214
I've had some journeys on them this week both on the Cathcart Circle and out to Gourock, they are listed below.
Over this week, the Shotts line is closed for engineering works, meaning that the freight and the Fife Circle ECS workings that usually runs on that line is diverted via Wishaw, Carstairs and the Cobbinshaw line towards Edinburgh. Also on this day, I visited Dalmeny to catch some of the Scotrail HST sets out on Driver Training moves.