The Jacobite 2020

45212 leaving Morar with the afternoon train on Sept 17th

David Price
Cop Lane on Flickr

 

Thats a beauty David

 

Thanks Henry. A surprisingly warm afternoon,thankfully a bit cooler nearer the coast so there was some exhaust

 

Just wondering from those "in the know" is the current plan still to run the full season to October 25th? I've planned to be there for the last week but I realise in the current Covid-19 climate things change very quickly.

 

Haven't heard anything to suggest otherwise when discussing it with crews last week. As you've mentioned, I imagine any changes will be very instantaneous in the current climate.

The passenger loads are quite positive I imagine. The afternoon train extension was only announced a month or so ago, yet all trains last week seemed to be at 'Covid' capacity. The demand still appears to be there then.

 

I had an email from West Coast last week asking to let them know if I intended onchanging my booking. They have had a lot of booking changes and wanted to ensure all trains are within Covid capacity.
Unless there is a local lockdown in the West Highlands then I am sure they will continue to run.

 

Well, the final week of the afternoon Jacobite finishes tomorrow. With the last of the sunshine forecast for today, here's some of my luck for this week :

Black 5 No. 45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - Glenfinnan by Jonathon Gourlay, on Flickr

Black 5 No. 45212 - Loch Nan Uamh by Jonathon Gourlay, on Flickr

Black 5 No. 45212 - Beasdale Tunnel No. 3 by Jonathon Gourlay, on Flickr

Black 5 No. 45212 - Mallaig by Jonathon Gourlay, on Flickr

Black 5 No. 45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' - Essan by Jonathon Gourlay, on Flickr

Black 5 No. 45212 - Loch Eilt Causeway by Jonathon Gourlay, on Flickr

 

Lovely pics, really fueling my wanderlust - let's hope I can still visit in a month's time.

 

There will be a few of us up there for the last week. We should be OK, the C19 spike is mainly in the central belt

 

Have you been there before? If not take plenty of waterproof clothing, although we might be lucky. You may see me on the A830 in an 18 plate grey Insignia

 

Ill be there John in a socially distant manner

 

I thought you might be, I'm not sure how we get on in the Grog now as they wont be able to have many in that small bar. I might try that shot Ben Collier did above the rockface, you can't get more socially distanced than that!

 

Ben's shot looked great John.

 

Nice set. How long a walk is it to the Essan shot?

 

Took me about two hours but I’m over 40 years older than Jonny G

 

Have only done the shot on the Scottish Bash. Did you walk in from the causeway end of Loch Eilt? Ed Hurst waded across the river and walked from the eastern end of the Loch.

 

I went from the causeway end but if you don’t mind getting very wet then then across the river is a lot closer

 

Well Ed is about 9ft 6ins tall so wading was easy for him.

 

On the West side of the railway beyond the causeway, the river can be shallow enough to cross in high wellies or waders if wanting to be quick. This time we also discovered that it is possible to cross by a lot of rocks further West towards the cottage. Adds another 5 minutes on to what is already a 1hr 30 mins clamber on the hillside above the railway, but is a far shorter walk than from the East.

 

I've went and bought a dinghy last year, to try slim the crossing time down to a good half hour. Yet to be trialed however....