4th October 1980

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

Route :

From Bob Mitchell's ticket collection.

Sources : David Hills (joined/left the train at Watford) & Pete Wolfe

Tour Review
(by David Hills)

The chance of another opportunity to visit Glasgow Works and Eastfield proved too enticing to ignore, so tickets were quickly obtained for this basic out & back trip. An attempt to gain a little more sleep time found us joining the tour train at Watford, though a couple of wrong turns on the road from Palmers Green didn't help. However, eventually reaching the safety & the panoramic splendours that were the platforms of Watford station, it was only a brief wait before 86229 arrived with our train of MK 1's. Despite the early hour the local scene was filled with activity, Bletchley: 25250, 37158 & 37241, Rugby: 81002/003, Nuneaton: 25129, 85037. All eyes turned to the west as we approached Crewe, again the number collectors were not disappointed by the quality & quantity on Crewe Diesel Depot. Amongst the many class 08's & 47's were 25043, 25160/169, 40015/044, 40162, 81021, 83011, 85026.

After escaping from Crewe it was on to Warrington: 81011, 84010, Preston: 40001/022, before we caught a glimpse of the Irish Sea at Hest Bank. The 86 made light work of Shap, the fells seemly dotted with endless sheep, their quiet meditations long since altered by the arrival of the M6. A brief stay at Carlisle and then on passed Kingmoor: 40049, 40119, 81022 amongst the regular stuff. The Scottish border came and went, nothing at Beattock, Carstairs revealed our first true McDiesel, 27011, and quickly on into Glasgow where 20152 & 25078 where present in Central station. After a transfer to some local buses it was off to Glasgow Works where over thirty locomotives and an equal number of multiple units were present. Naturally the Class 27's predominated, other locomotives present were 20051/060/090, 20173/188, 20201, 25068/076, 25234, 26012/031/036/043, with the scrapyard graced only by the presence of 24006. Back on the buses it was a quick ride to Eastfield where over fifty locomotives were to greet us. Amongst all the expected McDiesels were 20002, 25005, 40056, no Class 26's were here this afternoon. A rather singed 27009 was clearly only fit for a visit to the Works. And so back to Glasgow Central for a short sojourn before our tour train arrived. With the October night rapidly drawing in little was noted once having left the city on the Clyde.

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