9th June 2018

S.R.P.S. Railtours
Plockton & Kyle of Lochalsh

Locos Used 73966, 73967, 73968 & 73969
Stock Used 4831+1859+5028+35185+1730+3115+3096+3150+13229

Route :
1Z73 : Paisley Gilmour Street to Kyle of Lochalsh
1Z74 : Kyle of Lochalsh to Burnside

Locos Route
73967 + 73966 Paisley Gilmour Street - Cardonald - Shields Jn - Terminus Jn - Muirhouse Central Jn - Pollockshields West - Maxwell Park - Cathcart West Jn - Kings Park - Burnside - Newton - Hamilton Central - Motherwell - Mossend South Jn - Mossend North Jn - Whifflet South Jn - Coatbridge Central - Gartsherrie South Jn - Garnqueen North Jn - Cumbernauld - Greenhill Lower Jn - Carmuirs West Jn - Larbert - Stirling - Perth - Pitlochry - Kingussie - Aviemore - Millburn Jn - Welshs Bridge - Inverness
73969 + 73968 (1) Inverness - Welshs Bridge - Millburn Jn
73967 + 73966 (2) Millburn Jn - Welshs Bridge - Rose Street - Muir of Ord - Dingwall - Garve - Achnasheen - Strathcarron - Kyle of Lochalsh
73968 + 73969 (1) Kyle of Lochalsh - (reverse of outward route) - Rose Street
73968 + 73969 Rose Street - Welshs Bridge - Millburn Jn - Aviemore - (reverse of outward route) - Burnside (4)

Notes : 
(1) 73966 + 73967 on rear.
(2) 73968 + 73969 on rear.
(3) This tour had originally been advertised as leaving about an hour later and returning about an hour earlier with a class 47 as the traction. The class 47 was replaced by class 73/9s and a class 66 after 47749 failed on Old Hill bank on 21/04/18. The 66 was then dropped in order to obtain 90mph paths. The tour was also originally advertised as setting down and picking up at Plockton. This was refused by Network Rail shortly before the train ran.
(4) Jon Piesing comments: The departure of the return was delayed due to a problem with the R.E.T.B. on the leading loco, which meant that the two locos had to be swapped round. Network Rail set a deadline for this to be completed of 16.40 if the tour was to run in front of the 17.13 service train, however it was only finished by 16.42. The tour passengers were advised that the tour would not be leaving for an hour and they could go back into the town. At approximately 17.00, Network Rail and/or GBRf realised the delays to other service trains that would likely occur with the tour an hour late, and decided that the tour should leave immediately in front of the 17.13 service train. The tour organisers refused to leave the passengers behind who were still in the town. The 17.13 service train left on time. The service train lost time between Kyle and Strathcarron and the tour was eventually 111 minutes late leaving Kyle of Lochalsh. The tour lost further time for no obvious reason reaching a maximum delay of 134 minutes at Garve, before slowly making up time. With all trains going the other way being held for the tour, it ended up 77 minutes late at Perth. Passengers for Paisley Gilmour Street and Maxwell Park were put on a bus from Cumbernauld via the motorway, leaving Burnside as the last set down stop. After Burnside the E.C.S. is believed to have run into Glasgow Central for a class 66 on the back, ending up in Mossend Yard for what remained of the night. Even if the tour had been on time, it may not have been able to return to Paisley Gilmour Street, due to issues with running round at Elderslie which were addressed for the E.C.S. in the morning but were not / could not be addressed for the E.C.S. in the evening.

Source : Jon Piesing (on the tour from Paisley to Kyle of Lochalsh and back to Cumbernauld)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Jon Piesing & Realtime Trains)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Paisley Gilmour Street 05.00d [P3] 05.00 [P3]   00.59a [P4] CANC
Arkleston Jn 05/03 05/02   00/56 CANC
Cardonald 05/06 05/05   00/53½ CANC
Shields Jn 05/09 05/09   00/51 CANC
Terminus Jn 05/16 05/12   00/50 CANC
Muirhouse Central Jn 05/18 05/16   00/47 CANC
Pollokshields West 05/18½ 05/18   00/46 CANC
Maxwell Park 05.20a ~ 05.22d [P2] 05.19 ~ 05.21   00.42a ~ 00.44d CANC
Shawlands 05/26 05/23   00/38½ CANC
Pollokshaws East 05/27½ 05/24   00/36½ CANC
Langside 05/30 05/25   00/34 CANC
Cathcart West Jn 05/33 05/27   00/31 CANC
Cathcart East Jn 05/34½ 05/28   00/29½ CANC
Kings Park 05/35 05/29   00/29 CANC
Croftfoot 05/37 05/30   00/27 CANC
Burnside 05.39a ~ 05.41d [P2] 05.32 ~ 05.40   00.23a ~ 00.25d [P1] 01.34a
Kirkhill 05/43 05/41   00/20 01/30
Newton 05/45 05/44   00/16 01/28
Blantyre 05/48½ 05/47   00/13 01/25
Hamilton West 05/50½ 05/49   00/10½ 01/23
Hamilton Central 05.52a ~ 05.54d [P2] 05.51 ~ 05.54   00.07a ~ 00.09d 01.19 ~ 01.21
Haughhead Jn 05/56 05/56   00/03 01/16
Airbles 05/58 06/00   00/01 01/15
Motherwell 06.00a ~ 06.06d [P4] 06.03 ~ 06.06   23.57a ~ 23.59d [P3] 01.10 ~ 01.13
Mossend South Jn 06/10 06/10   23/47 ?
Mossend North Jn 06/11 06/11   23/46 01/06
Whifflet South Jn 06/16½ 06/13   23/43 01/02
Coatbridge Central 06/19 06/15   23/41 01/00
Gartsherrie South Jn 06/20½ 06/16   23/39½ 00/58
Garnqueen North Jn 06/22 06/17   23/38½ ?
Cumbernauld 06.27a ~ 06.33d [P2] 06.24 ~ 06.32   23.31a ~ 23.33d 00.47 ~ 00.52
Greenhill Lower Jn 06/42 06/42   23/20½ 00/41
Carmuirs West Jn 06/44 06/45   23/18 00/38
Larbert Jn 06/45 06/46   23/17 00/37
Larbert 06.46a ~ 06.48d [P2] ?   23.12a ~ 23.14d [P1] 00.32 ~ 00.36
Stirling 06.58a ~ 07.00d [P2] 06.59 ~ 07.03 [P2]   23.00a ~ 23.02d [P3] 00.19 ~ 00.23
Dunblane 07/07 07/09   22/55 00/13
Blackford 07/19½ 07/17   22/47 00/05
Gleneagles 07/21½ ?   22/45 ?
Hilton Jn 07/34½ ?   22/32 ?
Perth 07.38a ~ 07.40d [P7] 07.38 ~ 07.40   22.06a ~ 22.27d [P4] 23.38 ~ 23.44
Stanley 07/50 07/50   21/57 23/29
Dunkeld & Birnam 08/00 08/00   21/47 23/21
Pitlochry 08.13 ~ 08.18 [P2] 08.14 ~ 08.18   21/35 23/08
Blair Atholl 08/29 08/28   21/23½ 23/01
Dalnacardoch 08/45½ ?   21/14½ ?
Dalnaspidal 08/56½ ?   21/09½ ?
Dalwhinnie 09/08 08/59   20/58½ 22/40
Newtonmore 09/16½ ?   20/46½ ?
Kingussie 09/19 09/13   20/43½ 22/26
Kincraig 09.27 ~ 09.31 ?   20/35 ?
Aviemore 09/38 09/39   20.19 ~ 20.27 22.10 ~ 22.12
Carrbridge 09/47 ?   20/12½ ?
Slochd 09*58 ~ 10*16 ?   20/07 ?
Tomatin 10/20½ ?   20/01 ?
Moy 10/24½ ?   19*48 ~ 19*55 ?
Culloden 10/31 ?   19/34 ?
Cradlehall 10/38 ?   19/23½ ?
Millburn Jn 10/39 ?   19/22 ?
Welshs Bridge 10/40 ?   - -
Inverness 10L41a ~ 11L04d [P2] 10.29 ~ 11.02 [P2]   - -
Welshs Bridge 11/07 ?   - -
Milburn Jn 11.10 ~ 11.15 ?   - -
Welshs Bridge 11/17½ ?   19/20½ ?
Rose Street 11.19 ~ 11.22 ?   19L14 ~ 19L19 21.23 ~ 21.28
Clachnaharry 11/26 ?   19/09 ?
Clunes I.B. 11.36 ~ 11.37 ?   19/00 ?
Muir of Ord 11.45 ~ 11.46 ?   18.49 ~ 18.52 ?
Dingwall 11.55 ~ 12.01 [P1] 11.52 ~ 11.58   18.26 ~ 18.39 [P2] 20.48 ~ 20.49 [P2]
Garve 12.31 ~ 12.33 12.31 ~ 12.33   17.59 ~ 18.00 20.12 ~ 20.14
Achnasheen 13.10 ~ 13.28 13.10 ~ 13.21   17.24 ~ 17.25 19.33 ~ 19.34
Strathcarron 13.59 ~ 14.29 13.59 ~ 14.31   16.53 ~ 16.54 18.54 ~ 18.55
Plockton 14/54½ ?   16/26 ?
Kyle of Lochalsh 15.08a [P1] 15.10 [P1]   16.17d [P1] 18.08 [P1]

 
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