Following a topic elsewhere discussing some Scottish stuff here's one I thought of.. Aviemore to Invergordon. Would include line to Nairn and Branch to Kyle as far as Garve. It may sound a bit of a strange one but hear me out. Most of the lines concerned have a limited service with Aviemore to Inverness being the busiest although not massively. Everything centres on Inverness. This seeing freight, passenger and parcels trains Motive power is 37, 47 and 08. Lots of challenging drives and scenery but variety in destinations without having to cover full length lines. I appreciate that full services wouldn't be the aim but it would bring lots of shunting and train watching in Inverness. I am sure there will be a shout for a modern unit only version instead but here we are.
Maybe set in the late 70’s as at this point there was still significant freight traffic on to the North line from Milburn Yard. But yes this is a good shout and a way to get a fairly busy level of service in the area without coming down to the handful of trains on the individual routes. You get the climb over Schlod Summit in both directions, backing in and out of the platforms at Inverness, the Clachnaharry swing bridge. Just lovely and with a Class 26 plus the RMB buffet car and sleeper stock, I’d pay £40 premium price for this without hesitation.
70s would be good also indeed. The 40 could get a run too then if pre 1984. We would need some Sleeping cars to go with your buffet.....
Also don’t forget the Harbour Branch which at this point in time had the daily trip worked by a Class 08 shunter.
Wall of text but here is the service pattern for weekday Inverness in 1970 (courtesy of the SIAM game). Apologies for crude formatting! Working Timetable for Inverness, summer weekday 1970 Difficulty level 5 Saved as file IS70PRT.SAV Departures Time To Formed from Type Loco Returns? 01.45 Thornton Yd CB 01.32 Millburn Up Slow freight 2 No 04.35 Goods Yard IY 04.20 Millburn Dn Slow freight s Yes 05.00 Elgin NA 04.43 Millburn Up Slow freight 2 No 05.32 Kyle KY 05.11 Millburn Dn Slow freight * Yes 05.33 Millburn Dn MD 05.11 Goods Yard Slow freight s Yes 05.55 Aberdeen NA u Yes 06.15 Wick/Thurso WI 2 Yes 06.42 Wick WI 06.28 Millburn Dn Slow freight 2 No 07.11 Invergordon WI 06.41 Bowling Fast freight t Yes 07.46 Muir of Ord WI 07.19 Doncaster Fast freight 4 Yes 08.12 Harbour Br HB 07.50 Millburn Dn Slow freight s Yes 08.15 Kyle KY 06.40 Kings Cross Charter 2 Yes 08.20 Edinburgh CB * Yes 08.23 Lairg WI 08.04 Millburn Dn Slow freight 2 Yes 08.40 Aberdeen NA 08.06 Elgin u Yes 08.45 Dingwall WI Light engine 2 Yes 09.17 Invergordon WI 08.56 Millburn Dn Slow freight 2 Yes 09.26 Perth CB 09.02 Millburn Up Slow freight * No 10.05 Invergordon WI Light engine 2 Yes 10.30 Kyle KY 07.45 Kyle 2 Yes 10.35 Aberdeen NA 10.17 Aberdeen u Yes 10.50 Wick/Thurso WI 10.02 Wick/Thurso 2 No 11.15 Invergordon WI 10.57 Millburn Dn Slow freight 2 No 11.25 Glasgow CB 10.05 Perth * Yes 13.45 Harbour Br HB 13.26 Millburn Dn Slow freight s Yes 14.19 Invergordon WI 14.01 Millburn Dn Slow freight 2 Yes 14.35 Aberdeen NA 14.13 Aberdeen u Yes 14.45 Mossend CB 14.26 Invergordon Slow freight * No 16.25 Goods Yard IY 16.02 Millburn Dn Slow freight s Yes 16.35 Glasgow CB 04.41 Glasgow * No 16.50 Millerhill CB 16.21 Millburn Up Slow freight 2 No 17.00 Wick/Thurso WI 16.08 Wick/Thurso 2 No 17.20 Invergordon WI Light engine 2 Yes 17.25 Millburn Dn MD 17.10 Goods Yard Slow freight s Yes 17.40 Kyle KY 14.04 Kyle 2 No 17.47 Aberdeen NA 16.13 Aberdeen u Yes 18.25 Kings Cross NA 16.50 Kyle Charter 4 No 18.30 Invergordon WI Light engine 2 No 19.00 Euston CB 08.19 Euston Sleeper * No 19.08 Doncaster NA 18.32 Muir of Ord Fast freight 4 No 19.27 Millerhill CB 19.10 Millburn Up Slow freight 2 No 19.40 Aberdeen NA 18.23 Aberdeen u No 20.02 Sighthill CB 19.31 Millburn Up Slow freight 2 No 20.48 Cadder CB 20.12 Millburn Up Slow freight 2 No 21.35 Bowling CB 21.10 Invergordon Fast freight t No 23.30 Glasgow CB 21.25 Glasgow * No Arrivals from Wick Time From Type Becomes 10.02 Wick/Thurso 10.50 Wick/Thurso 13.19 Wick Slow freight To Millburn Up Yard 14.26 Invergordon Slow freight 14.45 Mossend calling at Millburn Up Yard 15.32 Invergordon Slow freight To Millburn Up Yard 16.06 Lairg Slow freight To Millburn Up Yard 16.08 Wick/Thurso 17.00 Wick/Thurso 18.16 Invergordon Slow freight To Millburn Up Yard 18.32 Muir of Ord Fast freight 19.08 Doncaster calling at Millburn Up Yard 19.40 Invergordon Light engine 21.10 Invergordon Fast freight 21.35 Bowling calling at Millburn Up Yard 22.04 Wick/Thurso Empty stock to sidings Arrivals from Kyle Time From Type Becomes 07.45 Kyle 10.30 Kyle 10.42 Dingwall Light engine 14.04 Kyle 17.40 Kyle 16.50 Kyle Charter 18.25 Kings Cross 17.32 Kyle Slow freight To Millburn Up Yard 20.46 Kyle Empty stock to sidings Arrivals from Harbour Branch Time From Type Becomes 10.00 Harbour Br Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 14.10 Harbour Br Light engine Arrivals from Carr Bridge Time From Type Becomes 00.41 Oxwellmains Fast freight To Millburn Down Yard 01.48 Thornton Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 03.25 Sighthills Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 03.58 Millerhill Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 04.25 Cadder Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 04.41 Glasgow 16.35 Glasgow 06.41 Bowling Fast freight 07.11 Invergordon calling at Millburn Down Yard 07.20 Cadder Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 08.19 Euston Sleeper 19.00 Euston 10.05 Perth 11.25 Glasgow 13.45 Glasgow Empty stock to sidings 17.06 Perth Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 19.05 Edinburgh Empty stock to sidings 21.25 Glasgow 23.30 Glasgow 23.21 Millerhill Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard Arrivals from Nairn Time From Type Becomes 04.30 Craiginches Slow freight To Millburn Down Yard 06.40 Kings Cross Charter 08.15 Kyle 07.19 Doncaster Fast freight 07.46 Muir of Ord calling at Inverness Yard 08.06 Elgin 08.40 Aberdeen 10.17 Aberdeen 10.35 Aberdeen 14.13 Aberdeen 14.35 Aberdeen 16.13 Aberdeen 17.47 Aberdeen 18.23 Aberdeen 19.40 Aberdeen 20.22 Aberdeen Empty stock to sidings 23.10 Aberdeen Empty stock to sidings Freights originating from Inverness Yard Time To Type Loco Returns? 05.33 Millburn Dn MD Slow freight s Yes 17.25 Millburn Dn MD Slow freight s Yes Freights originating from Millburn Up Yard Time To Type Loco Returns? 01.45 Thornton Yd CB Slow freight 2 No 05.00 Elgin NA Slow freight 2 No 09.26 Perth CB Slow freight * No 16.50 Millerhill CB Slow freight 2 No 19.27 Millerhill CB Slow freight 2 No 20.02 Sighthill CB Slow freight 2 No 20.48 Cadder CB Slow freight 2 No Freights originating from Millburn Down Yard Time To Type Loco Returns? 04.35 Goods Yard IY Slow freight s Yes 05.32 Kyle KY Slow freight * Yes 06.42 Wick WI Slow freight 2 No 08.12 Harbour Br HB Slow freight s Yes 08.23 Lairg WI Slow freight 2 Yes 09.17 Invergordon WI Slow freight 2 Yes 11.15 Invergordon WI Slow freight 2 No 13.45 Harbour Br HB Slow freight s Yes 14.19 Invergordon WI Slow freight 2 Yes 16.25 Goods Yard IY Slow freight s Yes
There are quiet times at Inverness itself, but that definitely gives plenty of scope for an interesting timetable. Services in the list with a * against them were booked for double headed Class 24/26 haulage. Thrash...!
The 26s are in my eyes an unsung workhorse. Never got the Recognition some of the other Type 2 Classes got. Farewell tour got cancelled in 1993 and that was it but many got preserved. We probably have more chance of every type of 800 unit coming out in TSW than a 26.
I did at one point have the SIAM 1981 Inverness version as well but looks like it is lost. Probably chucked out when I had a clear out of floppy discs. By then it was a bit quieter, still a fair bit of freight though. The 24's had gone and most of the principal services on the Inverness route had gone over to 47's. The Aberdeen Line was also loco hauled at that point.
70s would be good. Anytime up to 1994 would be fairly interesting. After that Locomotive hauled trains finished and freight was hit and miss. Chances are though if it was done it would be a 158 and 66 fest unfortunately as per today.
Yes as long as it was still in the good old days with a loco (or two) leading a rake of coaches it would absolutely do the job.
