9th - 10th January 1982

S.L.O.A.
(Land Cruise)

Route :

Notes :
(1) Train departed some 2½ hours late due to awaiting connections from the south.
(2) 83005 failed at Motherwell, 37260 which was due to take over from Mossend went to assist. Confirmation is required where the 83 was detached.
(3) Very low temperatures (-24°C) caused operating problems, 26029 failing en-route back to Fort William. Confirmation if 26029 stayed in the consist from Fort William south is required (David Baker believes it was).
(5) Dragging brakes affected the train as far as ?Spean Bridge? (David Baker suggests not) and another Class 37 (37112) was sent to assist from Eastfield. The two Class 37s worked forward, but No 37260 was not working properly.
(6) 83005 failed 'approx 1 mile into the journey'.
(7) Very late running and missed connections resulted in the train working forward to London, arrival there being at 02.13 on the Monday morning.

Full marks to Campbell Barrie for sticking out the cold to get these two shots
of the train coming off the Horseshoe Curve north of Tyndrum!

Sources : PRAR, David Baker, Campbell Barrie & Neil Boardwell

Tour Review/Comments
(from David Baker)

I am fairly certain that the mystery 83 was the same loco on both occasions (83007 has a ring to it). The train was very delayed, I'm sure more than 2 and a half hours. I was late getting to Carlisle from Derby via Crewe, where following station announcers advice to get any northbound train I found myself in a snowdrift...inside the corridor of the train which had battled through the snow from Wales! After a good 2 hours in the excellent buffet on Carlisle, the train of empty Pullman stock arrived and we boarded. Then the loco failed....but was fixed.....we may have been in the train but I'm fairly certain delayed quite significantly again.

The anticipated scenic highland splendour was thought lost as dusk was now distant history but as we got out of the light pollution and started up from Helensburgh there was a bright full moon. Of all occasions, it was also a night for a full lunar eclipse....hopes for a moonlit Rannoch Moor were crushed.

At Fort William an early vehicle sighting was an Ice Cream van heading downtown (truth stranger than fiction)....maybe hot dogs as well. Pulling into the frozen station there was a tap full on (to stop it freezing) surrounded by a huge area of ice extending to the track. As we alighted into the minus lots of numbers temperature, the piper in kilt played his greetings to the train. The hotel was unfazed....2 hours after final dinner call we trouped in, "welcome but please would we leave our cases and order our meals before freshening up"...

Next morning, use of propane burners de-iced frozen up doors and got us into the train (word was it had been -27°C overnight). Despite all night heating to the train (electric?) at least 2 coaches had frozen up heat exchangers.......no steam heat for them, luckily there was space elsewhere in the train for the refugees from freezing.

Wandering around Mallaig in the crunchy frost, several degrees warmer than in the "fort", we saw lots of refrigerated lorries, thermo kings silent, doors open to conserve fuel....it was colder outside than they could achieve inside.

The 37 gave engine problems (probably waxing diesel) on way back to the "fort" and was changed as the train was "reversed" - it was still running but obviously very sick. I think the 26 stayed on.....also think the 37 was supplying heat, there being some delay before the one of three (?) available on shed (we saw them running, cardboard stuck over vents, as we limped back into FW) arrived.

There wasn't a loco change at Spean Bridge, there was one there on an engineers train but without steam heating, which was the then problem. Bernard Staite toured the train to explain that although in view on a siding was a running 37 it had no heat, to wait for one from Glasgow was not good idea (the heat exchangers would have frozen up before it got to us), better to press on...we still had two working locos but no heat. The sandwich lunch was served, defrosted slowly over the 25 watt table lamps, the fruit drinks were only part liquid, toilets had double glazed WC bowls...it was very very cold.

After Crianlarich, we slowed and slowed, the smaller loco (hence me thinking it was the 26 still on) had failed. At Glen Douglas someone jokingly calculated the days to Euston at our then speed, flames were erupting from the working 37 exhausts (it was being seriously thrashed), someone walked back to the second loco from the front loco as we crawled uphill but no joy in re-starting it.

We made good speed downhill and on the level to Glasgow, the 37 was worked very very hard, then crew change and a pedestrian crawl - no doubt respecting the proper running of a 37 with 10 coaches and deadweight of the failed loco. It was getting ominously quiet as people were really feeling the intense cold. Having been entirely without heat (in the train) there was a big cheer as the electric was coupled up, the fans whirred and a trickle of warmth was felt, then a moan as it failed - we hadn't moved, maybe a few yards - and the call that it was 83*** again!

Another electric loco was slowly found....which does fit your summary...and off we set southbound, miserably cold Bernard was busy touring the train with a BR person.......connection problems noted, refreshment stop at Preston, free - courtesy of BR, soup, sandwiches, etc..........we had nearly defrosted by then!

Final leg of my journey was from Crewe to Derby......several off the train and a specially laid on DMU.....nice and warm. At Derby, staff on hand to arrange taxis..........that was service!

David Baker

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Neil Boardwell)

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