A West Highland Adventure

Growing up, a liking for the West Highland lines was fuelled by stunning photographs in Railway World magazine and the line’s appearance on the BBC’s ‘The Train Now Departing’ series. Large logo 37’s were rare beasts on my trips out so appeared quite exotic to a youthful me, maybe it was the Scottie dog logo on the side too. Christmas brought me a Lima model of ‘Oor Wullie’ which I ran on my 8’ by 4’ train set on passenger and sleeper trains or with my collection of Hornby Speedlink wagons. Alongside my Black Five or Apple Green liveried Hornby D49 (standing in for the K1) as my version of the West Highlander.

Whilst we never made it up to the west coast of Scotland, my trips with my school friend William got as far as Perth and Stirling where the last of the McRats were spotted on engineering trains. Since then, the closest I’ve got to the West Highland was during my driver training at Polmadie when we used to take a loco into Glasgow Central and haul the Lowlander Sleeper stock back out to Polmadie in the morning. Now, many years later, have finally  fulfilled my wish to travel on the West Highland line as part of our family’s Easter holiday adventures.

We set off and headed not north, but south as part of the adventure was to include a trip on the Caledonian Sleeper. Due to Easter engineering work, the sleeper was running via the East Coast and so we found ourselves on Platform 0 at Kings Cross, with 92038 formerly ‘Voltaire’ at the head of twelve carriages with its nose off the end of the platform and pointing towards Copenhagen Tunnel.

92038, formerly ‘Voltaire’ points north towards Copenhagen Tunnel awaiting departure time from London Kings X.

This was my first experience of the Caledonian Sleeper and its Mk 5 stock and it was a mostly favourable one. Possibly aided by my recent experience of the aged stock on the Euro Sleeper across Europe!

We’d opted for Club Class to treat ourselves and found it worthwhile. After checking into our cabins and dropping off our bags, we adjourned to the Club car for a nightcap and some card games as we wound our way out of London before retiring for the night.

After a fitful night’s sleep, presumably you have to travel regularly to sleep well on these things! I awoke as Glasgow receded behind us. 

Having slept through all the shunting at Edinburgh and a lack of opening windows, it was down to Realtime Trains to reveal that we now had a pair of 73/9 locos at the head. The re-engineering of these machines I find fascinating and the first time I’d been hauled by one. Had expected to find a 66/73 combination and whilst I believe double headed 73s is supposed to be the norm on the Fort William portion, on the other days we saw the sleeper locos it was a class 66/73 combination.

Following the novelty of a shower in my en suite toilet / shower cupboard, the blind was lifted to reveal that we were alongside Loch Long, we were entering the Highlands proper now.

 

Approaching Ardlui, we made our way to the Club car for breakfast. The full Scottish washed down with plentiful supplies of coffee was very tasty, as was the backdrop of a misty Rannoch Moor out of the window.

 

The service was fairly quiet and we were able to stay in the Club coach watching the stunning Highland scenery roll past the window until it was time to head back to our cabins to collect our luggage as we approached Fort William where we arrived on time, 12 1/2 hours after departing London. A grand start to our Highland adventure.

Passing the River Spean

 

73967 and 73970 rest on the blocks at Fort William after arriving with the Sleeper from London, preparing to shunt out to the sidings.

We had three days in Fort William and naturally, a trip to Mallaig was a must. Despite the lack of ‘Jacobite’ steam thanks to West Coast’s refusal to fit Central Door Locking, we took the Scotrail service. The class 156 sprinters have reigned supreme on the Highland lines since 1988, long lasting than most of their predecessors. Over the years I’ve travelled many miles on Sprinters, a lot in my University days between Stoke and Tywyn. The 156 were my preferred choice, more comfortable seats than a 150, more spacious than a 153 and the hopper windows of the 156 preferred to the temperamental air conditioning of the 158s. East Midlands Railway have got rid of all their 156s, so riding the 156s in Scotland would be a novelty.

The service has some large gaps in the day, so we were up and out early to catch the 08:15 for Mallaig formed of a single 156. Joining a few locals and several fellow tourists, we were soon leaving Fort William behind and heading out towards Corpach with the familiar growl of the engine bringing us up to speed alongside the rhythmic clickety clack of wheels on jointed track.

There are insufficient superlatives to describe the scenery passing the window, even in the low cloud and showers my eyes were glued to the window. Lochs, mountains and occasional deer passing endlessly by.

The view from the train approaching Glenfinnan with Loch Spiel in the background.

Lochailort

156445 rests at Mallaig

Ninety minutes later we arrived in Mallaig. Given the choice of thirty minutes or six hours there, we had a quick look round and headed back for the train. Being a mid morning departure, there were a reasonable numbers of locals travelling as well as a few tourists. We alighted at Glenfinnan for a look at the museum, lunch at the cafe in the old carriage before heading for a walk.

We took the Viaduct Trail from the station, through the woodland and under the railway, we were soon out on open moorland with superb views of Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument.

 

Glenfinnan village with Loch Shiel behind.

The railway line in the foreground with Glenfinnan Monument, the Visitor Centre and Loch Shiel behind.

Within half an hour, we’d seen only a handful of people and then came out to the viaduct viewpoint, where I was able to tick the Glenfinnan viaduct viewpoint off my gricing bucket list with a handily timed pair of 156 units heading for Mallaig.

 

It was here that we encountered the crowds, from all corners of the globe who come to Glenfinnan thanks to the Harry Potter movies. We went with the crowds down to the visitor centre where after a brew and respite from the showers we headed out to the Monument. 

The magnificence of McAlpine's Glenfinnan Viaduct. Whilst some might not appreciate the starkness of the concrete, according to one of the displays in the Museum, it makes the best use of the geology of the local rock whilst also saving money on using lesser skilled craftsmen in the construction.

Having had our fill of the crowds and Jacobite culture, we struck out for the station, via the village and the side of Loch Shiel and quickly had left the throng of mass tourism behind. The solitude was rewarded by stunning views of the Loch on one side and a pair of Stags chewing the cud in a field on the other.

Glenfinnan Monument.

Shoreside at Loch Shiel.

Local wildlife.

Back at the station, more tea was consumed alongside some tasty cakes whilst waiting for our train back to Fort William.

The same four car set we’d seen crossing Glenfinnan viaduct earlier arrived, having seen spent a lengthy layover in Mallaig and it was full. We all squeezed in somewhere alongside the approximately one hundred tour party pensioners who presumably would have been on the Jacobite had it been running. After departing Glenfinnan, the vast majority rose and moved towards the right hand side of the train for the view over the viaduct, such is the appeal. Thankfully, there was no ‘Mary Rose’ style incident of us toppling over and we were soon back in Fort William.

156474 leads 156 476 into Glenfinnan from Mallaig ready to whisk us back to Fort William.

Back in Fort William, our units attached to 153370 for the onward journey to Glasgow Queen Street, which would in turn add another set from Oban at Crianlarich making a seven car set by journey's end. Having been modified for additional cycle storage, 153370 wears a striking livery.

Whilst in Fort William we also took the Nevis Gondala 650m up the side of Aonach Mór. Taking us above the snow line after a fresh fall of snow overnight. Stunning views aside, the lower reaches of the gondola passes over the route of one of my favourite narrow gauge lines, the Lochaber Upper Works Railway. If you know where to look, the track bed and the remains of one of the bridges over the stream can be made out amongst the mountain bike trails.

View from the Nevis Gondola with Fort William in the left hand distance. The route of the Lochaber Narrow Gauge Upper Works Railway lies amongst the trees in the distance.

Sadly, it was soon time to head back home, to the reality of work and school. No sleeper train this time, instead, an early start for the 07:44 off Fort William. Annoyingly, just a two car on what was an extremely busy end of Easter holidays service. Much credit to the Guard, who worked tirelessly sorting out the luggage, bikes and passengers ensuring seats for as many as possible and luggage stowed safely away.

More overnight snow and bright sunshine made for more stunning mountain views out of the window during our four hour journey to Glasgow Queen Street.

Views from the train on our journey.

Spean Bridge.

Pilochry - Bridge Of Gaur.

Bridge Of Orchy.

Crianlarich.

156462 rests in Glasgow Queen Street station after working in from Mallaig.

A quick change and we were whisked by electric unit to Edinburgh and an overnight stay. Five and a bit hours travelling was more than enough for one day! Before continuing home the following day courtesy of one of my employer’s refurbished tin rockets and back home for a rest. 

Through the tin rocket window, north of Berwick.

We will be back to the West Highlands one day, possibly combining rail travel with car hire as I don’t fancy driving all the way there. That would mean we could explore some of the islands, whilst I have a desire to experience the Kyle line too. Some West Highland railway books were picked up at Glenfinnan (purely to support the museum naturally…) and have reawakened my interest in the lines of north and west Scotland. Growing up, Ian Futers was a regular exhibitor at Nottingham with his compact Scottish themed layouts and then there is James Hilton’s ‘Loch Dubh’ that takes up a minimal amount of space whilst looking fun to operate. The Railway Modeller archive has thrown up more inspiration in layouts on Lochinver and Ullapool. Fort William has a hint of ‘Minories’ about it too. My head is full of ideas that I didn’t need to have, not helped by having a mate who is keen to promote modelling the rail blue era to me. Will see whether the doodling leads to anything…