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February 09

The February meeting, by Ian Chancellor, was entitled  “Scottish Sojourn”,   concentrating on Scotland during the years between 1978 until 1984, but also  with glimpses as far back as 1962 and as recently as 2008.  This presentation took the twenty members and friends who had braved the cold and enjoyed the temporary respite from the snows of early February 2009 on a journey around Scotland, starting in the south west at Stranraer and moving northwards from the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow then to the scenic splendour of the West Highland lines to Oban, Mull, Fort William and Mallaig. The second half took us from Carstairs and Edinburgh via Dundee, Perth, and Aberdeen to Inverness, the Kyle of Lochalsh and the Far North line.

The evening recalled the days of travelling on Scottish railrovers by loco-hauled trains, Sleeper trains to Fort William, three-day railtours such as the “Skirl of the Pipes”, and Easter shed tours by road-coach.
This was an era just before great change on the railways- pre “Sprinterisation”, when loco-hauled trains still ruled the roost- even on trains as short as two or three coaches-, just before the upheaval of the mid- end 1980’s when sectors, new liveries and new operating companies emerged. These were very much the final years of the corporate British Railways “blue-grey” livery, when most locos were in the standard corporate livery. No-one could then have predicted the tidal wave of change which was about to engulf the railway industry. 

Not that the evening was restricted to just these years- there were some reminders of what had gone before- the early days of dieselisation which produced unsuccessful diesels such as the Claytons and NBL Type 2s, which rubbed shoulders with the early Railbuses. More recently, there was a quick look at “large logo” and Sector-based liveries, modern days of operation in the early years of the 21st Century, with Turbostars, and frequent changes of livery reflecting the advance of Scotrail and First. Changes in the Glasgow suburbs were seen with the iconic electric “Blue Trains” which for forty years provided suburban services before giving way to more modern trains reflecting Strathclyde liveries of orange and black, then variations on carmine and cream. Rare shots of the ill-fated Advanced passenger Train (APT) were seen when running in passenger service before being unceremoniously taken out of services and scrapped.

Steam was not forgotten with views of historic Caledonian and Highland Railway locomotives at the Strathspey Railway, Boness and in Glasgow Transport Museum, plus the `Jacobite` steam operation on the main line at Fort William. There was even a view of the Glasgow Underground- the so-called `Clockwork Orange`. Also included were views of packed depots at Inverness, Eastfield, and Haymarket, DMU’s and railtours to branch lines such as Kilmacolm and Forfar.  More recent pictures showed changes at Edinburgh Waverley as preparations for the Bathgate- Airdrie electrification have altered the famous views from Princes Street Gardens.

There’s a tendency amongst some to think that anything diesel is modern but the majority of diesel slides shown on this evening were more than 25 years old- and a few even forty five! (a thought- provoking fact- if you remember everyday working steam locos in service then age-wise you must be over 50, to have worked with everyday working steam on the railways in your late 50’s- and to remember WR diesel hydraulics probably over 40 and (all give or take a few years!)). And just In case it was thought that dieselisation meant a lack of variety some 25 different classes of diesel and electric locos were seen during the show.
 
The blue-grey era may be regarded in some quarters as the dull, boring years of diesel uniformity just after steam, but for many today they’re regarded with some affection as the last classic years of the BR network. This show helped to show why- and to remind us that change is constant! 

Our thanks to Ian for a thought provoking, well-researched and informative evening, featuring some classic shots of beautiful scenery and a classic era.

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