The Jacobite 2017

Certainly is John. If any one is coming up the roadworks just after the railway bridge at the of loch eilt are still there and the a830 bridge at morar is being refurbished so is traffic-light controlled.

 

Reported on BBC news that storm Caroline has forced Scotrail Alliance to suspend its FW/Mallaig services, amongst others. Hopefully the more robust steam service not similarly impacted.

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/ARG/2017/12/07/0600-2000?stp=S&show=all&order=wtt

WCR are the only trains running via Arisaig today.I'm not certain about the D210 timing load, nor the 90mph traction speed!

Cheers, Neil

 

I can confirm that the Jacobite did run through the storm yesterday.

Finally as well today gave some sunshine after a dusting of snow.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/146487151@N02/38203339144/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/146487151@N02/27142266879/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/146487151@N02/25047295248/in/photostream/

 

Unfortunately I was unable to join Karl on the sunny Friday from last week, when it snows up here some of the roads can be horrendous and the journey from Dalwhinnie to Spean Bridge was dangerous and thus unable to make it in on time!

So this week, it was a second go with only Friday available to attend and while the forecast suggested a lot of blue sky around, once again found myself being done out by a few minutes of cloud at various locations as the train passed. With the 57 on the rear for ETH this week, it's been inevitable that there has been a little help on Beasdale and as such, chasing has been a little bit tighter with a 10 minute earlier arrival than normal into Mallaig (Or at least it appears so!)

However, one shot I had hoped for with the clocks having moved back in October was a glint on the West side of Loch Nan Uamh Viaduct. While not as impressive as I had hoped, it still made a trip up worthwhile.

Black 5 No. 45407 - Loch Nan Uamh Viaduct by Jonathon Gourlay, on Flickr

It looks like next week will bring a milder spell to the region, but several forecasters indicating a cold front appear at the end of next week which should hopefully bring more snow again for the final three days.

 

Does having a diesel on the back mean additional coaches could be considered is demand is good?

 

Cant they steam heat them?

So the Jacobite ran when Scotrail didn't - did they have to pick up any Scotrail passengers

 

Guess it depends on the stock used in the consist. If its the same coaches used in October they must be steam heated?
To be fair ETH gives a far better quality of heating so that may be the deciding factor.

 

I've just noticed that no-one replied, speaking purely as a linesider with no operation knowledge I doubt with the diesel the train could be lengthened. The main season train cannot be longer than 7 coaches I don't think due to the loop at Glenfinnan and having to pass the morning service from Mallaig within station limits (not with standing whether more then 7 would be too much for one engine), 6 + the diesel would be a similar length so the same restriction would apply I presume.

Regarding the heating I wonder if it is as simple as ETH would mean less steaming up of the windows and so passengers get to see the views! The diesel wasn't taken along on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th but was on the 8th which was when the temperatures had plummeted.

 

Good point Karl, the unassisted limit for the K1 and Black 5s is 7 but l believe the loop at Glenfinnan can take more than that. How many coaches on the Royal Scotsman? For one year they had 76079 up there but it was normally only used off peak as it was limited to 6.

 

Thanks for replies. The load limits mentioned tally with what I have previosly been told. I have no insight as to loop lengths or platform restrictions though.
One other question, does the diesel, when attached, drag the train back to the Fort from Mallaig?

 

The loop at Glenfinnan fits an engine and 6 coaches, hence why for the 7 coach Jacobite which is overlength to pass the sprinter the driver will obtain the forward token to Arisaig and then draw forward past the stopboard till the train is in clear at the back, allowing the sprinter to depart to FW (once a token has been issued).
It’s the length of the loop here which will always restrict the afternoon Jacobite to 6 coaches.

Can’t remember the length of the Royal Scotsman but it’s long! And is only able to pass the steam at Arisaig thanks to the longer loop (although it’s even overlength here). The Scotsman always has to go top & tailed to Mallaig as the run round here will only allow seven coaches.

 

Thanks for the info. I've been to Glenfinnan dozens of times but never thought much about the length of the loop. Has it been shortened in recent years as the pictures you see from steam days have trains substantially longer than that often with half a dozen fish vans on the back.

 

John as far as I know the Glenfinnan loop is still as it was in steam days, dictated by the location of the station. What has changed is that loops have gone from Lochailort and Camus na Ha. I don't recall either so couldn't say how long they were but the location at Lochailort would lead me to think it wasn't substantially different to Glenfinnan.
You would need to see a wtt from the early sixties to find out how frequently trains were pathed to cross between FW and Mallaig but since the service was never intense I'd guess they were no more frequent than today and that the longer trains were the exception rather than the rule.

 

Thanks Scot. I agree that the passenger service was, if anything more threadbare than today but there were paths for up to five extra fish trains a day in the 50s which is why I asked the question. Just out of interest where is Camus na Ha?

 

Just west of Annat, I believe somewhere close to the entry to the caravan site. http://www.britishrailways1960.co.uk/ScRWCM01.html

It was a WW2 addition to increase capacity and closed in 1964 when the box at Annat opened in connnection with the paper mill.
Like you I've seen the pictures of long trains with the attached vans and wondered. No doubt the signalmen were quite adept at managing things, there is an interesting description in John Thomas's book of passing two overlength trains at Ardlui.

 

Google is your friend. https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/C/Camus-na-ha_Sidings/slideshow.html