18th August 2007

S.R.P.S. Railtours
(Aviemore, Boat of Garten & Broomhill)

Route:
1Z22 : Polmont to Boat of Garten (Broomhill)
1Z24 : (Broomhill) Boat of Garten to Polmont

Notes :
(1) Loco propelling.

Sources : various including Simon Cross & Mike Harries

Tour Review
(from Mike Harries)

Although the steam run started in sprightly fashion, it became clear on the long climb that all was not well, and at about 10:16 we stopped. The public address was used, but communications with the loco were not very good, and clearly those in the cab had other things to worry about. We did learn, however, that the fire was clinkered, and the crew were doing their best to clean it. At 10:33 (by my watch), we pulled away again, and passed the summit at 10/43.

At Dalwhinnie, we ran in “wrong line”, and the following train (which had been delayed – one of the passengers had missed the steam train at Perth and was sitting near enough the cab of the Inverness “unit” to hear the driver’s comments when he was checked) overtook us, running right line at 11/06. We got away only 4 minutes down after the water stop, and were in Kingussie in good time for the UP train to pass.

We had been told that we would run into the main line platform at Aviemore, and would all have to de-train for the shunting move onto the Strathspey Railway, because there were no facing point locks; but this was rescinded with the explanation that a man from Network Rail would be on hand to attend to the locking manually. We checked short of Aviemore at about 12:07, for a minute or so, then crossed over onto the line leading into the Strathspey area; however, the Strathspey train was in the platform (it was due to depart at 12:30, which was the time that the timing sheet had us arriving). We pulled as close up as possible, so that the rear of our train cleared the points, which were then restored, and we set back into the headshunt to clear the level crossing (this was achieved by 12:21) while we waited for the platform to be available.

There had been various accounts of the timings for the Strathspey section; the first one had us spending two and a half or three hours at Broomhill, which seemed unlikely, given that it is a very small station with a run-round loop (beyond the platform) and not much else. And while it was clear that 61994 would be turned at some point, it was not clear when. In the event, the loco was detached and went “on shed” as soon as we arrived; the fire was cleaned, and the tender was filled. It was intended that the stop at Aviemore should be an hour or so; but it took far longer to get rid of the clinker. We left, with 61994 now tender first, at 14:37.

Of course, since the Strathspey have only a single platform face at Aviemore, this had repercussions for their services. The 12:30 from Aviemore departed (close to) right time; but it had to wait at Boat on the return from about 13:45 until we actually arrived there at 14:53 – it departed at 14:54. If it then did as quick a turnround as possible at Aviemore, it should be back at Boat at 15:30 (instead of 15:00)

The SRPS train left Boat at 15:05 – we had to stand long enough for some people to walk through the train if they wanted to leave it there. We stopped at 15:18 in the Broomhill Loop, for the run-round manoeuvre, and left the loop at 15:28, stopping briefly in the platform at 15:30 to 15:35. By now the rain was really settling in! We reached Boat of Garten at 15:48, which allowed the Strathspey service train (which should have left Boat for Broomhill at 15:05) to leave at 15:50, and was back at 16:25, departing towards Aviemore at 16:30 (still just half an hour late). We left, presumably as soon as it reached Aviemore, at 16:47 – trapping it in the platform there! We then approached Aviemore through the run-round loop, so that only the first passenger coach had doors on the platform, through which to pick up those passengers who had not gone to Broomhill. All other coaches – including the First Class ones – were in the loop, and could only be reached by walking through the train. It was probably as well that not many people had decided to spend the (wet) afternoon in Aviemore. We stopped at 17:07, and left at 17:10 – after which, the service train had to run round before its last departure to Boat of Garten, which should have been at 16:25.

After this, a smooth run back in the rain was almost anticlimactic! It is perhaps worth noting that we stopped “wrong line” at Kingussie to allow a service train to overtake. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my day out.

Mike Harries

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Simon Cross & Mike Harries)

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