17th May 1980

L.N.E.R. Society Railtours
The Caledonian

Route :

From Bob Mitchell's ticket collection.

Source : David Hills (On the train throughout)
(Tour name and operator confirmed by Charles Harman)

Tour Review
(by David Hills)

This was simply an out and back run from London to Glasgow, with the opportunity to visit the city on the Clyde or take part in the reason for many making this trip, a guided tour of Glasgow Works and Eastfield depot. Having made the morning dash from Palmers Green by BR and LT it was good to see a fine morning breaking over central London. That was all lost once in the dark depths of Euston station, this day home to the usual Classes 86 & 87 with 25116 over on the parcels side. Having located our train and made the obligatory walk to the front end it was good to see 85004 in charge. Right away on-time with the weather looking might fine, it was perhaps a good omen to see 73141 at Willesden amongst the regular stuff on shed. Streaking up the WCML it was a diet of shunters, Class 25's and myriad electrics, though Nuneaton yielded 47209 and Stafford 47440. Into Crewe and a veritable feast on the diesel depot: 24081, 40024, 40133/141/191, 81009, 85014 amongst many others.

The continued run north brought more of the same, Warrington: 40034 & 85035, Wigan: 25061, 25119, 25217, 47333 whilst Preston had 40044, 40155 & 84002 on display. Our run through the Lakeland Fells brought magnificent views because of the fine weather, thoughts now hoped that it would hold for the remainder of the trip. Glasgow Works with sunshine, wow!! Carlisle came and went, noted here and at Kingmoor were 37100 (a cop!), 40003/079, 45058, 81022, 82005 & 84010 amongst a myriad of others. On across the border at Gretna Green, the weather still held good, nothing was seen at Beattock, not that we needed any bankers this day. Carstairs had 20002/007 & 20124 'out front', the Beattock bankers perhaps (?) having gone for a stroll. A stranger at Motherwell was 45056 with smaller sisters 25238 & 25300. It was not until Polmadie that the first Class 26/27 went 'in the book' with 27204 noted.

Having safely landed at Glasgow Central, with the weather still as gloriously fine as ever, it was with some excitement that the buses were boarded for our short hop to Glasgow Works. Almost forty locomotives were in the Works, along with many multiple units, with many 'parts' of long defunct machines noted around the scrapyard area. Of note in the Works amongst the many Classes 20 & 27 were 06004/007, 25075, 25109, 26002/003/008/028/034. A selection of barbecued Class 27's were scattered about the Works including 27211, under repair and 27202, withdrawn, whilst 27043 was being dismantled. Cabs in the scrapyard included 24002, 26016 & 08070. Elsewhere green liveried 20141 had just arrived from Toton for overhaul, by this time green liveried machines were few & far between. With the camera still smoking it was back to the buses for the short hop to Eastfield depot, our driver seemed to have a death wish, tackling the Saturday afternoon shopper filled streets with some truly aggressive driving, or had he just seen too many episodes of 'The Sweeney'. Eastfield presented another sixty plus locomotives for our cameras and notebooks, amongst the sea of blue & yellow were 24006, 25001, 26018/44, 40062.

After a bracing ride back to Glasgow Central the remainder of the time was spent at the south end of the platforms feeding 'the book' with a veritable feast of McMultiple units, a few electrics drifted by including 84002. The weather had remained sunny to the end, definitely one of the best days experienced here (a repeat trip four months later produced rain of biblical proportions, yet taken as normal by the Glaswegians we floated into that day). Our stock returned with 85004 still attached for the long journey south. Passing Beattock 20083, 20119/146 were awaiting their next shove northwards, by Carlisle the light had failed and after the hectic day we were soon sound asleep as 85004 did its job. Whistling at Preston revealed 40008/018 in the station. We stayed awake enough to peer into the darkness at Crewe. Here a Chester DMU 51654 was copped, whilst 40077 & 81021 were the only locomotives of note. Then it was back to the land of nod for the run down to Euston, the memory of a sunny day in Glasgow still fresh in the dreams.

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