31st July 1999

Pathfinder Tours
The Spinning Haggis

Route :
1Z39 : Swindon to Glasgow
1Z40 : Glasgow to Glasgow (via Dundee)
1Z41 : Glasgow to Swindon

Notes :
(1) 47726 stalled on the Lickey owing to being underpowered. Assisted to Barnt Green by 66115 on rear (on freight working).
(2) 47738 was added "as insurance".
(3) plus 47575 dead-in-tow.
(4) Also operated with tour option which carried the name "The Glasgow Excursion".

Source : Gary Thornton (joined/left train at Preston)

Tour Review
(by Gary Thornton)

Another chance, courtesy of Pathfinder tours, to scratch in some track and locomotives during a day spent touring Scotland. In my case only one required (freight) curve all day, but coupled with a fair selection of non-passenger locomotives I decided to book on it. Or, more precisely, book myself and 13 others on it! There was only one ever so tiny disadvantage to being on this railtour - the departure times....

Knock, knock - "Are you awake?"
Huh.... "Yes" said I - "What time is it?"

"one twenty-five" (in the morning)

groan.....

That was how my Saturday started - at the time I was sleeping on the living room floor of a friend in Yorkshire and had just managed about three hours kip since crashing out! A few minutes later and we were round at David's brothers place to pick him up then on the road to Preston where we had decided to pick up the tour. A Rail-Gen message just before we had crashed-out on the Friday evening had told us the train was 5 minutes late leaving Swindon and had 47726 at the head - good, a required spoon :-)

Arrival at Preston was about 3am and the station was surprisingly busy with night-clubbers waiting trains home (yes, there are some trains at such early hour on a Saturday!) and various other dubious looking sorts that were probably on our tour. Gen on the platform soon told us all was not well - spoon 726 had failed to get up "the Lickey" and had been assisted (i.e. given a push) by 66115 on the following freight working - as far Barnt Green where the 47 continued unaided. At Birmingham 47738 had been added then at Crewe they were replaced by 47575 and the booked 92 was then added for the run to Motherwell. Bit of a bugger really as 47726, 738 and 66115 were all required by me! With all this activity the train was about 1/2 hour late. Yawn, but at least there were enough people to chat with during the wait.

Just before 4am and 92008 rolled in with 47575 "dead-in-tow" and we all piled on board (in our groups case, into coach A at the front). Doing a very creditable impression of a hair-dryer, the 92 soon whisked us towards Carlisle whilst many of the tour participants slept and we actually turned the late departure in to an early arrival! Mind you, the schedule was pretty slack. Time to photograph the 92 (yes, at 5am it was light enough!) and then we were off about on-time. The hair-dryer continued to compete with the sounds of snoring as we tackled the climb to Beattock summit and onwards to Motherwell.

A potential well-early arrival was soon scuppered by Motherwell panel as we were looped to wait the passage of an EMU. As we approached the platforms (now a little late) we were passed by Freightliner 90142 on the 06.35 Glasgow to Euston working (cries of anguish from those on board who required it for haulage). At Motherwell the 92 was removed and the 47 was kicked into life (and by the sounds it did need kicking) for the short sprint to Glasgow Central where arrival was on-time. A quick walk to the Burger King secured breakfast before wandering to the end of our train to watch our next engines being backed onto the stock - required 37674 and 37801. Just before we left Central station a sleeper service arrived behind a pair of 90's - one I assume having failed, as the train was quite late arriving.

We now took a winding route through Glasgow and its suburbs (scoring the curve I needed between Langloan and Coatbridge Junctions) before arriving at Stirling for another loco change - 60028, another required one for me :-) By the way, we arrived at Stirling at 09.33 but it certainly seemed a lot later! The 60 was in charge of us to Dundee which was reached by the normal passenger route via Perth. We pulled into Dundee (which I regard as my "home" City as I was born there) a few minutes early just after 11am. 56059 was waiting for us (grrr, not one I needed) and we enjoyed a half hour leg-stretch in the late morning sunshine - now warming-up after a dull and even misty start.

From Dundee our grid took us over the Tay Bridge (absolutely superb view of Dundee as we did so) and onwards towards the Forth Rail Bridge. With the 56 on our end of the train we were enjoying very much the thrash - especially around the curves and many speed restrictions near Burntisland where the power was frequently on and off. Some of our party however managed to sleep through the whole thing! Crossing the Forth Bridge was a big disappointment as it was in thick fog, so we saw very little! The freight line from Dalmeny to Winchburgh Junction put us on course for Glasgow though we eventually reached Central station via Motherwell, the Hamilton loop and Cathcart outer circle. 14.15 and we pulled back into Glasgow Central station, the same platform as earlier.

Our next locomotive was a shiny 66135 - one of the latest arrivals from Canada and both a sight and haulage score for me (and I suspect most everybody on board). Departure was on-time (this had been a good tour for timekeeping after the initial farce with 47726). and we headed back to Motherwell via Mossend Yard. Adjacent to the depot we dropped off the shed in favour of 47575 (dead) and 92013 - the latter also required for haulage by me and most (everyone?) on board. An impressive run south soon had us running around quarter of an hour early though a slow approach to Carlisle soon put paid to that. By Carnforth we were early again but then we suffered a prime example of stupid signalling when we were looped just south of Carnforth station to allow 156425 in front of us (it was just arriving as we passed the platforms). This turned another bout of early running into a slight deficit by Lancaster (where we were slowed almost to a stand because the sprinter was stopping there). Yep - pretty dumb regulating!

We pulled into Preston (alongside 156425!) and baled out, tired - but happy. Just the drive back to Starbeck left...

For those going back to Swindon it was still another six hours of travel ahead. We later heard that at Crewe the 92 and dead 47 were removed in favour of 47741 - phew, at least I didn't need that last 47 for haulage (having missed the three locos earlier in the day)!

Gary Thornton.

Timings (Booked and Actual)

1Z40 (Glasgow to Glasgow via Dundee)

For onward timings refer to tabulation for 1Z39/1Z41.

All distances, in miles and chains (M & C), are taken from the tour booklet. No attempt has been made to verify the mileages given. Route above in Glasgow suburbs is for Cathcart inner circle but on the day the outer circle was traversed therefore a mileage adjustment is required. Owing to the early problems with 47726 the mileages "by loco" of 1Z39 require adjusting up to Crewe.

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