An epic tour of Scotland during Winter 1988. The first scene taken at Glasgow Queen Street with an supeb run up Cowlairs bank with a push pull 47/7. The next sequence at Queen Street was taken during an overnight move from Crewe. The journey continues in the snow along the West Highland main line, terminating at Fort William. I then hopped the Mallaig service which was hauled by an ETH fitted class 37. Unfortunately, when I arrived in Mallaig, my plan to take the ferry to the Isle of Skye, a bus across Skye to Kyleakin, for another ferry to the Kyle of Lochalsh was scuppered. This was due to the ferry being cancelled between Mallaig and Armaghdale. I therefore had no choice but to grab brunch at the Seamans Mission in Mallaig (80p for a two course meal!!!) and then return to Fort William, to catch a bus via Fort Augustus to Inverness. I made the Kyle bound train at Inverness with seconds to spare!!! I bailed off at Garve to get the train I was due to catch from Kyle of Lochalsh! This put me back on schedule, and I'd bagged an additional run behind a 37 as well!! It was at Garve I got chatting to the driver who was due to relieve the Kyle driver, who I discovered had worked with a friend of mine from Saltley depot, Birmingham, but was now based in Inverness. His name was John Bloore and he invited me into the cab for a cab ride back to Inverness! John can be seen reversing the 37 out of Inverness station . As we both expressed a liking for beer, I invited John to join me for a few jars after he had booked off, and we ended up at the Phoenix bar, close to the station. Chatting about trains and drinking 80 shilling ale resulted in a splendid evening indeed! We then parted company and I set off on the overnight class 47 hauled mail train back to Edinburgh, where this video also terminates.
1 окт 2024
