5th - 8th October 2007

Railway Touring Company
The Autumn Highlander

[incorporating Beaver Sports (Yorkshire) Ltd's 'Deltic Autumn Weekender']

Locos Used 40145 'East Lancashire Railway', 50049 'Defiance' & 55022 'Royal Scots Grey'
Stock Used 17015+3120+1671+3066+3069+3149+3119+1696+3121+2834

Route:
1Z50 : London Kings Cross to Inverness
1Z21 : Inverness to Strathcarron
1Z31 : Strathcarron to Inverness
1Z23 : Inverness to Thurso
1Z24 : Thurso to Inverness
1Z55 : Inverness to London Kings Cross

Date Loco(s) Route
05/10 55022 (1) (3) London Kings Cross - Stevenage - Peterborough - Doncaster - Temple Hirst Jn - Hambleton South Jn - Hambleton North Jn - Colton Jn - York - Newcastle - Edinburgh Waverley - Kirkcaldy - Perth
05/10 40145+50049 Perth - Pitlochry - Aviemore - Inverness
06/10 (4)
06/10 50049 (2) Inverness - Millburn Jn
06/10 40145 (1) Millburn Jn - Strathcarron (5)
06/10 50049 (2) Strathcarron - Millburn Jn
06/10 40145 (1) Millburn Jn - Inverness
07/10 50049 (2) Inverness - Millburn Jn
07/10 40145 (1) Millburn Jn - Dunrobin (6) - Wick
07/10 50049 (2) Wick - Thurso
07/10 40145 (1) Thurso - Georgemas Junction
07/10 50049 (2) Georgemas Junction - Millburn Jn
07/10 40145 (1) Millburn Jn - Inverness
08/10 50049 (7) Inverness - (reverse of outward route) - Perth
08/10 55022+50049 (2) Perth - (reverse of outward route) - Colton Jn - Church Fenton - Gascoigne Wood Jn - Hambleton West Jn - Hambleton South Jn - (reverse of outward route) - London Kings Cross

Notes :
(1) 50049 on rear.
(2) 40145 on rear.
(3) 50049 was powered up north of Newcastle to provide occasional assistance to 55022 which had developed a minor fault later rectified at Bo'ness before working to Oban on the 6th.
(4) 6th October started with an off train excursion to Aviemore for a steam hauled return trip to Broomhill run round loop on the Strathspey Railway.
(5) Short notice engineering work preventing the train reaching Kyle of Lochalsh. Permission was given by the organiser for people to remain on the train and travel to Achnasheen and return on the otherwise empty stock move if they so wished (required to get out of the way of the services starting from and terminating at Strathcarron whilst the coach tour was in progress). 50049 appeared to provide some assistance from the back of the train on the outward climb to Ravens Rock. Off-train options offered at Strathcarron were;
a) Portree - because of the engineering work there was only a twenty minute stop at the destination
b) Eillen Donan Castle, Loch Duig, Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh
c) Armadale
(6) 50049 was used to assist positioning the train at the Dunrobin stop for passengers to visit the castle.
(7) Plus 40145 dead-in-tow ('for operational reasons').
(8) Over the same weekend Beaver Sports (Yorkshire) Ltd advertised their 'Deltic Autumn Weekender' which used the RTC tour between London and Perth on the 5th and 8th October. Road coaches were then to transfer participants to Dundee for three nights stay in a local hotel. On Saturday 6th participants were to travel on a S.R.P.S. Railtours outing from Dundee to Oban using 55022 throughout (did it run? Confirmation and details are required). Sunday 7th was designated as a 'free day' (allowing participants to make their own entertainment as they saw fit). Road coaches on the Monday were to return participants to Perth to rejoin this tour homwewards.

Sources : David Ross & Andy Pullar

Photo Review
(all photos: David Ross)


40145 & 50049 at Achnasheen.


50049 at the stops, Thurso.


55022 & 50049 at Perth.


WCRC lads : The crew left to right:
Fletch, John Hunt, Danny Forbes & Bob Duncan


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from David Ross)

05/10/07 & 08/10/07

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
London Kings Cross 07.20d 07.21 [P8]   21.23a 21.22 [P6]
Belle Isle 07/22 07/22   21/18 21/19
Finsbury Park 07/28 07/26   21/13 21/17
Alexandra Palace 07/34 07/29   21/11 21/15
Potters Bar 07/45 07/44   21/05 21/08
Welwyn Garden City 07/54 07/55   20/56 21/00
Woolmer Green Jn 07/58 07/57   20/51 20/55
Stevenage 08.02a ~ 08.04d 08.01 ~ 08.07   20.45a ~ 20.47d 20.47 ~ 20.51
Hitchin 08/10 08/11   20/39 20/43
Sandy 08/19 08/21   20/29 20/33
Huntingdon 08.32a ~ 08.34d 08.34 ~ 08.38   20.12a ~ 20.14d 20.15 ~ 20.19
Holme LC 08/45 08/50   ? ?
Peterborough 08.52a ~ 08.54d 09.01 ~ 09.05   19.51a ~ 19.53d 19.54 ~ 19.58
Tallington Jn 09/03 09/14   19/22 19/20
Stoke Tunnel 09/19 09/25   19/03 19/03
Grantham 09.26a ~ 09.28d 09.30 ~ 09.33   18.54a ~ 18.56d 18.55 ~ 18.57
Claypole Loops 09*39 ~ 09*49 ?   18*27 ~ 18*43 ?
Newark North Gate 09/53 09/54   18/21 18/18
Newark Crossing 09/54 ?   18/20 ?
Retford 10/07 10/07   18/07 18/06
Loversall Carr Jn 10/17 10/16   17/57 17/56
Doncaster 10/22 10/26   17/49 17/53
Arksey Loop 10*28 ~ 10*43 ?  
Shaftholme Jn 10/47 10/43   17/46 17/50
Temple Hirst Jn 10/54 10/50   17/39 17/43
Hambleton North Jn 10/58 10/54  
Gascoigne Wood Jn   17/31 17/34
Church Fenton   17/25 17/24
Colton Jn 11/04 11/00   17/19 17/20
York 11.12a ~ 11.14d 11.06 ~ 11.14 [P5]   17.09a ~ 17.12d 17.07 ~ 17.14
Skelton Jn 11/17 11/17   17/06 17/03
Tollerton 11/24 11/24   16/59 16/56
Thirsk 11/34 11/32   16/49 16/49
Northallerton 11/41 11/37   16/44 16/44
Darlington 11*54 ~ 12*07 ??.?? ~ 12.03   16/34 16/33
Ferryhill South Jn 12/20 12/15   16/22 16/21
Durham 12/28 12/26 [DF]   16/14 16/13
Birtley Jn 12/38 12/36   16/06 16/06
Low Fell Jn 13/04 ?   ? ?
King Edward Bridge Jns 13/07 13/03   16/02 16/01
Newcastle 13/10 13/07   16/00 15/59
Heaton South Jn 13/16 13/10   15/55 15/42
Morpeth 13/32 13/28   15/36 15/29
Morpeth North Jn 13*34 ~ 14*11 ??.?? ~ ??.??   ? ?
Alnmouth 14/28 14/27   15/20 15/15
Belford 14/47 14/40   15/06 15/02
Berwick 15/02 15/09 [DGL]   14/54 14/50
Marshall Meadows 15/05 15/13   14/52 14/46
Grantshouse 15/18 15/24   14*14 ~ 14*35 13.59 ~ 14.35
Dunbar 15/30 15/33   14/00 13/50
Drem DPL 15*44 ~ 15*56 ??.?? ~ ??.??  
Drem 15/58 16/01   13/52 13/41
Monktonhall Jn 16/11 16/12   13/39 13/33
Portobello Jn 16/16 16/14   13/36 13/30
Edinburgh Waverley 16/23 16/26   13/33 13/26
Haymarket 16/27 16/30   13/30 13/18
Haymarket West Jn 16/29 16/32   13/28 13/16
Dalmeny Jn 16/43 16/41   13/09 13/07
Inverkeithing 16/48 16/52   12/59 13/00
Burntisland 16/57 17/02   12/47 12/51
Kirkcaldy 17/05 17/09   12/38 12/43
Thornton South Jn 17/09 17/14   12/33 12/36
Ladybank 17/19 17/23   12/23 12/27
Newburgh 17/40 17/32   12/12 12/16
Perth 18L07 ~ 19L16 18.03 ~ 1916   11L24 ~ 11L56 [P7] 11.26 ~ 12.02
Stanley Jn 19/26 ?   11/12 ?
Dunkeld & Birnam 19/36 ?   11/02 ?
Pitlochry 19/49 19/50   10*45 ~ 10*49 10.48 ~ 10.48
Blair Atholl 19/59 ?   10/35 ?
Dalwhinnie 20/36 20/35   09/54 09/51
Kingussie 20*49 ~ 21*08 20.55 ~ 21.08   09*26 ~ 09*36 09.26 ~ 09.33
Aviemore 21*21 ~ 21*24 21.25 ~ 21.28   09/11 09/11
Carrbridge 21/34 ?   09/06 ?
Culloden 21/59 ?   08/34 ?
Inverness 22.09a 22.10   08.20d [P1] 08.20

06/10/07

Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn)
Inverness 12.30d [P2] 21.37a [P1]
Millburn Jn 12.33 ~ 12.37 21.29 ~ 21.34
Muir of Ord 12.57 ~ 12.59 20*39 ~ 21*02
Dingwall 13.07 ~ 13.09 20.30 ~ 20.32
Garve 13*33 ~ 13*38 20.08 ~ 20.10
Achnasheen 14.08 ~ 14.10 19*25 ~ 19*38
Strathcarron 14.41a 18.55d

07/10/07

Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn)
Inverness 08.10d [P1] 22.52a [P1]
Millburn Jn 08.13 ~ 08.18 22.44 ~ 22.49
Muir of Ord 08.38 ~ 08.40 21.58 ~ 22.00
Dingwall 08.48 ~ 08.50 21.45 ~ 21.47
Invergordon 09.10 ~ 09.12 21.25 ~ 21.27
Tain 09.31 ~ 09.33 21.05 ~ 21.07
Ardgay 09.53 ~ 09.55 20.44 ~ 20.46
Lairg 10.19 ~ 10.21 20.25 ~ 20.27
Rogart 10*40 ~ 10*50 19*52 ~ 20*00
Dunrobin Castle 11.07a ~ 13.07d ?
Brora 13.15 ~ 13.17 19.28 ~ 19.30
Helmsdale 13*33 ~ 13*41 19.11 ~ 19.13
Forsinard 14.23 ~ 14.25 18.33 ~ 18.35
Georgemas Junction 15.00 ~ 15.02 17.45 ~ 17.55
Wick 15.21a ~ 15.31d -
Georgemas Junction 15.51 ~ 15.53 -
Thurso 16.08a 17.30d


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