2nd - 4th August 1996

A1A Charters
Road to the Isles

Locos Used 31146, 31166, 31255, 31434, 37025, 56058, 90128 & 90140
Stock Used load 11

Route : 1Z57 throughout

Date(s) Loco(s) Route
02/08 37025 Stafford - Stoke-on-Trent - Manchester Piccadilly - Bolton - Preston
02/08-03/08 37025 + 31255 Preston - (via WCML) - Carstairs
03/08 31146 + 31166 Carstairs - Rutherglen Central Jn - Glasgow Central Low Level - Scotstounhill - Dumbarton Central - Crianlarich - Tulloch - Fort William
03/08 31146 + 31166 Fort William - Tulloch - Crianlarich - Dumbarton Central - Singer - Cowlairs North Jn - Cowlairs West Jn - Springburn - Gartcosh Jn - Gartsherrie South Jn - Coatbridge Central - Langloan Jn - Rutherglen East Jn - Glasgow Central
03/08 56058 Glasgow Central - Uddingston - Shotts - Slateford (1) - Haymarket - (1) Edinburgh Waverley
03/08 31146 + 31166 Edinburgh Waverley - Haymarket - Carstairs avoiding line - (via WCML) - Carlisle
03/08 90128 + 90140 Carlisle - (via WCML) - Preston
03/08-04/08 31434 Preston - Bolton - Manchester Piccadilly - Stoke-on-Trent - Stafford
04/08 31434 Stafford - (via WCML) (2) - Preston

Notes :
(1) Tour was booked via Niddrie West Jn - Portobelo Jn - Edinburgh Waverley but went direct via Haymarket.
(2) Mark Sutton reports that on the return from Stafford in the early hours of the Sunday, due to to track repairs in the Coppull area' (on WCML between Wigan NW and Balshaw Lane), the train ran wrong line between Blainscough Emergency GF and Euxton Jn (i.e. used the Up Main to Balshaw Lane Jn, thence Up Fast).
(3) Peter Finan comments: 31146 & 31166 seemed to be experiencing problems working together stopping Several times between Carstairs & Craigendoran Junction. On the return from Fort William after passing the London Euston to Fort William beds at Spean Bridge the 31's swapped position with each other & this seemed to cure the issue. However this nearly did have a sting in the tail as the climb to Cobbinshaw summit between Edinburgh & Carstairs nearly proved to be their undoing. Thankfully they made it to Carlisle to be relieved by the 90's.

Sources : Richard Hughes (Boarded at Preston, left at Preston [second time through!]),
David Bellamy & Mark Sutton (both on the train throughout)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(From David Bellamy & Peter Finan)

Location

Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Stafford 20.38d 20.42   00.40a ~ 00.55d 01.38
Norton Bridge 20/45 ?   00/32 ?
Stone 20/56 ?   00/26 ?
Stoke-on-Trent 21.06a ~ 21.08d 21.07 ~ 21.09   00.14a ~ 00.16d 01.10 ~ 01.12
Kidsgrove 21/16 ?   00/06 ?
Congleton 21/22 ?   23/59 ?
Macclesfield 21/29 21/29   23/52 ?
Cheadle Hulme 21/38 ?   23/41 ?
Stockport 21.43a ~ 21.45d 21.47 ~ 21.49   23.34a ~ 23.36d 00.18 ~ 00.21
Heaton Norris Jn 21/48 ?   23/33 ?
Slade Lane Jn 21/53 ?   23/30 ?
Ardwick Jn 21/57 ?   23/28 ?
Manchester Piccadilly 22/00 21/59   23/26 00/08
Oxford Road 22/04 ?   23/22 ?
Deansgate 22/06 ?   23/20 ?
Ordsall Lane Jn 22/08 ?   23/17 ?
Salford Crescent 22/13 ?   23/16 ?
Bolton 22/24 22/17   23/04 23/45
Lostock Jn 22/32 ?   23/00 ?
Chorley 22/44 ?   22/52 ?
Euxton Jn 22/50 ?   22/47 ?
Preston 22L57a ~ 23L17d 22.46 ~ 23.17   22L23a ~ 22L38d 23.05 ~ 23.20
Lancaster 23/39 23/38   22/06 22/47
Carnforth North Jn 23/45 ?   22/00 ?
Oxenholme : Lake District 23/59 23/57   21/52 22/27
Tebay 00/14 ?   21/40 ?
Penrith Down Slow Loop 00*36 ~ 01*05 00.35 ~ 00.41  
Penrith ? ?   21/22 22/09
Carlisle 01.34a ~ 01.42d 01.04 ~ 01.42   20L28a ~ 21L03d 21.34 ~ 21.51
Gretna Jn 01/53 ?   20/18 ?
Quintinshill 01/55 ?   20/16 ?
Lockerbie DPL 02*12 ~ 02*17 ?  
Lockerbie - ?   20/00 21/08
Beattock 02/33 ?   19/43 ?
Beattock Summit 02/47 ?   19/35 ?
Abington 02/55 ?   19/27 ?
Carstairs South Jn 03/14 ?   19/12 ?

 

Location

Booked Actual  

Location

Booked Actual
Carstairs 03L16a ~ 03L55d 03.15 ~ 04.31   Carstairs East Jn 19/09 ?
Lanark Jn 04/00 ?   Midcalder Jn 18/53 ?
Law Jn 04/12 ?   Slateford Jn 18/32 ?
Shieldmuir 04/16 ?   Haymarket 18/30 ?
Motherwell 04/22 04.55 ~ 04.56   Edinburgh Waverley 17L15a ~ 18L27d 17.47 ~ 19.10
  Slateford Jn 16/52 ?
Midcalder Jn 16/47 ?
Benhar Jn 16/31 17/05
Holytown Jn 16/21 ?
Mossend East Jn 16/20 ?
Mossend West Jn 16/19 ?
Uddingston Jn 04/28 ?   Uddingston Jn 16/15 ?
Newton 04/30 ?   Newton 16/13 ?
Rutherglen East Jn 04/33 ?   Rutherglen East Jn 16/11 ?
Rutherglen North Jn 04/34 ?   Glasgow Central High Level 15L45a ~ 16L03d 16.18 ~ 16.40
Glasgow Central Low Level 04/40 05/15   Shawfield 15/40 ?
Finnieston East Jn 04/43 ?   Rutherglen East Jn 15/37 ?
Hyndland 04/46 ?   Carmyle 15/35 ?
Scotstounhill 04/48 ?   Langloan Jn 15/29 ?
Garscadden 04/49 ?   Coatbridge Central 15/27 ?
Yoker 04/51 ?   Gartsherrie South Jn 15/25 ?
  Gartcosh Jn 15/23 ?
Springburn 15/14 ?
Cowlairs West Jn 15/10 ?
Cowlairs North Jn 15/04 ?
Westerton 14/57 ?
Singer 14/54 ?

 

Location

Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Dalmuir 04/56 ?   14/53 ?
Dumbarton Central 05/03 05/39   14/43 15/11
Dalreoch 05/04 ?   14/42 ?
Craigendoran Jn 05/12 05.54 ~ 06.02   14/33 15/01
Helensburgh Upper 05/14 ?   14t15 ~ 14t17 ?
Garelochhead 05t26 ~ 05t28 ?   14t00 ~ 14t02 ?
Glen Douglas 05/41 ?   13t33 ~ 13t38 ?
Arrochar & Tarbet 05t49 ~ 05t51 ?   13t21 ~ 13t23 13.42 ~ 14.01
Ardlui 06t05 ~ 06t07 ?   13/06 ?
Crianlarich 06t29 ~ 06t39 ?   12t44 ~ 12t46 ?
Tyndrum Upper 06t42 ~ 06t44 ?   12t33 ~ 12t34 ?
Bridge of Orchy 06t58 ~ 07t00 ?   12t17 ~ 12t18 ?
Rannoch 07t21 ~ 07t23 08.21 ~ 08.30   11t53 ~ 11t54 ?
Corrour 07/34 ?   11/40 ?
Tulloch 07t53 ~ 08t01 ?   11t15 ~ 11t20 11.22 ~ 11.30
Roy Bridge 08/11 ?   ?? ?
Spean Bridge 08t17 ~ 08t19 ?   10t06 ~ 10t55 10.25 ~ 11.06
Fort William Jn 08/32 ?   09/53 ?
Fort William 08.35a 09.38   09.50d 10.00

 

Location

Booked (final run)
Stafford Sunday 00.55d
Norton Bridge 01/02
Madeley 01/12
Crewe 01/25
Winsford Signal Box ??
Warrington Bank Quay ??
Wigan North Western ??
Preston 02.45a approx (03.44a)

Notes :
No timings available between Crewe and Preston, with only an approximate arrival time for Preston.
(Actual arrival at Preston shown in brackets).

Back to "The Railtour Files"