The Railtour Files

Loco	Route
47214	Newcastle – Scotswood – Blaydon – Carlisle – (via GSW) – Kilmarnock – Muirhouse Sth Jn – Larkfield Jn – Polmadie – Rutherglen East Jn – Langloan Jn – Coatbridge Jn – Cumbernauld – Larbert - Perth – Dundee – Aberdeen
47214	Aberdeen – Dundee – Edinburgh Waverley – (via ECML) – Newcastle

This was a chance to get loads of required track and sightings in for what was essentially ‘empty book’ territory. A 5am wake up was required, as the tour set off from Newcastle around 7-30am. First haulage of the day was my Fathers electric-blue coke-bottle Cortina (PHN589L for those interested) for the two mile trip to Darlington Station. A connecting service to Newcastle (can’t remember this bit!) gave good time to photograph the departing 7-00am to Poole with Class 47 1940 at the helm. Our stock arrived shortly afterwards, also hauled by a 47, two-tone green/brown brake-dust liveried 47214. Once sat in the compo we were handed timing sheets that claimed the tour would be hauled by a Gateshead Class 40. Hmmm….

For many track bashers these days, the first few miles were probably the most significant, as the section of the Carlisle line between Newcastle and Blaydon was closed in 1982, with only a little used siding remaining to Elswick. Chance for a doss to Carlisle, apart from the sight of an Alston bound DMU waiting at Haltwhistle. I can’t remember too much of Carlisle and Kingmoor, and we then swing west onto the GSW, where Dumfries rewarded us with a stabled 08 and 27. A further 08 was out-stationed at New Cumnock in those days, allocated to Ayr if I recall correctly. I should mention at this point that the train was by no means busy, and despite it being the 1st June, the sun was still to appear from behind a very leaden sky. Maybe the ‘normals’ had watched the weather forecast.

After an unexplained delay at Kilmarnock there was an air of excitement amongst some enthusiasts on the train that some rare track was shortly to be had, and this produced in the very red bit of Muirhouse South Jn to Larkfield Jn. A stagger down the WCML to Polmadie, where I seem to recall a crew change. Polmadie still held a number of Claytons outside, which were unchanged from a visit in 1973, with two rows containing 8504/39/42/46/48, 8550/1/7, 8563/73, and 8607/8, 8612/16. All were cut up the following year. The next ‘red bit’ was from Rutherglen East Jn to Coatbridge Jn, used at that time by trains to BSC Imperial. Heading north again, the sight of 06001 in the middle of some industrial clutter gave something to talk about as we had seen little in the way of locos apart from Polmadie. A few more lines in the book at Stirling and Dundee, and after some six hours we arrived at Aberdeen, where Class 08 3932 (later 08764) gronked our stock out of the way. What did we find to do in Aberdeen whilst the sleet was falling? Yes, you read that right! After sticking our noses out of the station forecourt a unanimous decision was made to remain on the station where the buffet probably recorded record takings as many of the normals did the same, although none of them ventured to the north end to view a couple of sets of the Inverness based Class 120s (SC51781-93) that seemingly did little else than Aberdeen line services. The monotony was broken by a Class 26 on the fish train to London which would usually change to a Class 40 at Edinburgh.

The return journey was by the ECML, and we departed the Granite City in the early evening, where I took a photo of the extensive semaphore gantries as we sped south. The boredom of Fife was broken by our first attempts at bellowing from the train, maybe a rarity in 1974. It was getting quite dark as we crossed the Forth Bridge (remember it was June!) and well needed doss meant we saw little else before reaching Newcastle. The free connection back to Darlington saw 55018 ‘scratched’ on 1E35, and we arrived back in town 18 hours after we set off. A great day out, spoilt only by the un-seasonal weather.