26th September 1964

R.C.T.S. (Lancashire & North West Branch)
The Scottish Lowlander

Locos Used 46256 'Sir William A Stanier FRS', 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' & 60009 'Union of South Africa'

Route : 1X75 throughout

Loco Route
46256 Crewe - (via WCML) - Carlisle
60007 Carlisle - Carlisle No.3 - onto main WCML route in direction of Beattock (1)
60007 (1) set-back (up direction on the Down Fast) to signal controlling Waverley Route at Carlisle No.2 (1)
60007 Carlisle No.2 - Canal Jn - Stainton Jn - Longtown - Newcastleton - Riccarton Junction - Hawick - Kelso Jn - Ravenswood Jn - Galashiels - Fountainhall Jn - Hardengreen Jn - Niddrie South Jn - Niddrie West Jn
60009 Niddrie West Jn - (via Edinburgh Suburban Line) - Lenzie - Glasgow St John's - Kilmarnock - Dumfries - Carlisle
46256 Carlisle - (via WCML) - Crewe

Notes :
(1) Train was wrongly routed.
(2) An out-of-course stop was made at Lenzie to drop off a "normal" who had got on the train at Carlisle (trying to get to Glasgow).
(3) Train delayed after Wigan North Western on the return by having to stop to sort out the tail lamp, which was defective.

Sources : David Hills (compiled from contemporary reports) & Kevin Driscoll

Tour recollections & comments

The train was made up of twelve coaches, 450 tons gross. The tour was run to commemorate the imminent passing of two classes of thoroughbred locomotives and visiting two secondary, possibly threatened Scottish Routes. The performance of the three machines was sparkling to say the least and a remarkable tribute to the crews working them. The run of 60007 over the Waverly Route and of 46256 on its last southbound run over Shap were notable.

Terry Jackson comments : If the Ian Allan High Speed Great Western tour in May ranked as one of the epic locomotive performances in railway history, then the run by a Carlisle crew with 60007 from Carlisle to Hawick with 450 tons was also deserving of that accolade. The details of the run were fully documented in the magazines at the time and it was described then as an all time record for the Waverley route with that load. With the rapid decline of the Carlisle-Edinburgh route that followed, I doubt whether it was ever surpassed.

Dave Groves comments : The original proposal was for an A3 for the Waverley, Rebuilt Scot Glasgow back to Carlisle, but ScR refused to supply, initially offering an A4 for the Waverley with an A3 for the GSW. In the event, no suitable A3 was available so a second A4 was "in reserve" if required at Glasgow, later changed to Niddrie West. On the day, I understand the reserve A4 (60009) was called upon during the Hawick stop as coal situation on 60007 was causing some concern; the subsequent 16 min late departure from Glasgow St John's was due to Control trying to establish the whereabouts of the replacement engine (Plan A - remember?)...

David Whittaker comments: I was fortunate enough to be on this tour from Carlisle . The delay at Glasgow St John's was due to the need to detach 60009 to take water on an adjoining track and  there was also a problem with the steam heating connection between locomotive and train, which caused further delay, both here and later at Carlisle. The performance of 60007 over the Waverley route was simply magnificent. I was in the 12th coach and could hear ' 7 ' quite plainly rasping away on the climb to Whitrope Summit. Perhaps you could mention Driver Maclaren & Fireman Whiteman (actually both passed firemen at the time) of Carlisle Kingmoor for their efforts. People have also had much fun over the years at the expense of the 'stray' passenger and the initial misrouting of the train at Carlisle No 3, but in fact the train was wrongly announced at Carlisle as the 09.30 Manchester -Glasgow ,the rear three coaches being for Edinburgh, which may have contributed to this. At the Niddrie stop it was found that the catering staff had underestimated the amount of food needed for lunches, resulting in a foraging party taking off over the fields and cleaning local shops out of bread, butter bacon etc! A great day.

Peter F Chadderton comments: The 'Lowlander' tour has always stuck in my memory as a special highlight. When booking, I had no idea that the actual day would be the very last operational day of the Stanier Pacifics, but on arrival at Crewe there was 'Sir William', the slightly fading BR maroon paint work well bulled up and actually looking quite splendid. I have to say that my railway company allegiances have always been divided, with my schooling in York and our family home in North Cheshire, so of course, the icing on the cake was then to find 'Sir Nigel' at Carlisle. I still wonder on how many previous occasions (if any) it had might have been possible to see both these iconic designer-named locos together? I certainly remember the necessary set-back following the wrong routing at Port Carlisle Branch Junction. A very sharp brake application had still left the train well over the actual junction, but the same road reversal and restart was quickly accomplished to gain the North British line. Heaven knows what today's bureaucracy of risk assessment jobsworths would have made of that manoeuvre! In the event, I suspect it was all arranged without involving anyone but the signalman and the train crew. Then, with the incentive to regain the lost time, the crew on No7 produced the most amazing climb of the Waverley line, particularly up the last few miles to the summit. My abiding memory is of the loco actually being momentarily (and quite audibly) eased before some of the sharper bends, before resuming the most astonishing demonstration of power. All so beautifully handled by the fine men on the footplate, as your contributor observes. I had no idea that these lads were only passed-fireman grade, but they really did us proud that day, no doubt rejoicing to find a Gresley engine in such willing form and top condition. Something of a change from a run-down V2, perhaps? I still have my souvenir ticket, but only a very few colour slides. My real photographic objective that day was to secure some 8mm cine shots with my brand new camera, but nearly all my footage was ruined by a manufacturing fault with the lens assembly.


Photo Review
(all photos: Paul Barrett)


Two shots of 60009 at Glasgow St Johns.


From The John Debens Ticket Collection.


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Terry Jackson & Kevin Driscoll)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Crewe 09.15d 09.15   22.19a 22.59 544.65
3.14 Coppenhall Jn 09/20½ 09/21½   22/13½ ? 541.51
8.65 Winsford Jn 09/26½ 09/27   22/04 ? 536.00
16.21 Weaver Jn 09/34 09/35   21/58 ? 528.44
22.09 Acton Grange Jn 09/40 09/41   21/52 ? 522.56
24.10 Warrington Bank Quay 09.43a ~ 09.45d 09.46 ~ 09.47½   21.46a ~ 21.48d 22.23 ~ ??.?? 520.55
27.49 Winwick Jn 09/49 09/53   21/41 ? 517.16
34.41 Springs Branch Jn 09/57 10/00   21/32 ? 510.24
35.70 Wigan North Western 09/59 10/02   21/30 21/49½ 508.75
39.16 Standish Jn 10/03 10/06   21/26 ? 505.49
45.42 Euxton Jn 10/15 10/13   21/18 ? 499.27
51.00 Preston 10.23a ~ 10.26d 10.20½ ~ 10.26½   21.06a ~ 21.09d 21.21 ~ 21.27 493.65
60.38 Garstang & C. 10/39 10/38½   20/51 ? 484.27
71.79 Lancaster Castle 10/49 10/49½   20/40 ? 474.66
78.18 Carnforth 10/54 10/58½   20/35 ? 466.47
91.06 Oxenholme 11/09 11/11   20/24 ? 453.59
104.07 Tebay 11/25 11/28   20/12 ? 440.58
109.43 Shap Summit 11/35 11/35   20/06 ? 435.22
123.18 Penrith 11/48 11/53   19/45 ? 421.47
128.09 Plumpton 11/52 ?   19/40 ? 416.56
141.07 Carlisle Citadel 12.10a ~ 12.30d 12.15½ ~ 12.27   19.12a ~ 19.20d 19.18½ ~ 19.33½ 403.58

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
155.10 Riddings Jn 12/41 12/51
165.25 Newcastleton 12/54 13/03
173.34 Riccarton Junction 13/10 13/15
175.47 Whitrope Sidings 13/15 13/18
186.35 Hawick 13.31a ~ 13.40d 13.31½ ~ 13.41
198.57 St Boswells 13/56 13/55½
205.59 Galashiels 14/08 14/03
220.13 Heriot 14/30 14/22
231.01 Hardengreen Jn 14/44 14/36
233.57 Millerhill 14/48 ?
236.50 Niddrie West Jn 14.52a ~ 15.10d 14.46½ ~ 15.16½
242.77 Haymarket West Jn 15/32 15/33
248.17 Bathgate Jn 15/40 15/41
262.00 Polmont 15/55 15/56
280.52 Lenzie Jn 16/13 16.??a ~ 16.??d
284.69 Cowlairs Box 16/19 16/29½
287.57 Bellgrove 16/27 16/36
288.29 Glasgow St Johns 16.31a ~ 16.40d 16.39½ ~ 16.56½
292.15 Busby Jn 16/48 17/04
295.76 Barrhead 16/53 17/09
302.59 Lugton 17/04 17/18½
312.57 Kilmarnock 17.16a ~ 17.24d 17.29½ ~ 17.38
322.09 Mauchline 17/40 17/51½
333.70 New Cumnock 17/55 18/04½
344.53 Sanquhar 18/07 18/16½
356.48 Thornhill 18/19 18/29
370.63 Dumfries 18/33 18/42
386.20 Annan 18/51 18/57
395.10 Gretna Jn 19/02 19/07

Timings continue in first table.

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