West Highland memories, January 85
Thanks to Trevor Rolfe
It was a cold evening of the 18th
January 1985, with 86227 speeding the 2100 to Fort Bill north from Watford
Junction. After an uneventful run up the West Coast, we pulled into Mossend yard,
where 37081 with ETHEL3 in tow were ticking over. After a slick locomotive
change the ex-25 was buffered up against the front coach and we enjoyed the
steady ticking over of the ‘rat’ until the noise of the 37 drowned it out as we
weaved out of the yard and commenced the run round to Cowlairs, where here 37
014 coupled up to the rear of the train and hauled us back down the incline to
Queen Street. After a brief adding of day coaches, we headed off to Crianlarich
with 37081 working hard at the front and 37014 giving us some rear end thrash
up the incline to Cowlairs where she dropped away.
At Crianlarich, we bailed and 37090 was
taken back to Ardlui on the 0800 from Oban, setting us nicely up for a run
behind 37051 back to Crianlarich on the 0820 Glasgow to Oban. A very nice 37112
produced on the 0834 From Fort Bill which brought us back down to Garlochhead,
where after a couple of drams in the local hostelry, the day got better with
the sight of 27054 on the 1220 from Glasgow.
This beast being very rare now on the
West Highland was taken all the way to Oban and back to Crianlarich, where we
alighted to take 37184 with ETHEL2 in tow back to Glasgow . A few desperate 47
moves got us back to Carstairs, where 87011 rushed us down to Nuneaton where my
mates all lived. I bailed as well and waited for the following service as it
was usually an 85, but not tonight....I got to enjoy a run behind 81010 back to
Watford , which completed a fantastic bash. I can still clearly remember
stopping at Rugby and the sound of the 81 ‘roaring’ away under the vast
decrepit roof!! Happy days.....
“Tippie” phot spot
