Black Five to Oban

Private charter 6th July 2011, info from elsewhere not confirmed.

45231 1Z41 dpt Dumbarton 12.14 Ardlui 14.03/08 Crianlarich 14.44/15.19
Dalmally 15.49/51 Taynuilt 16.21/23 Oban 17.10
L/e 37 0Z41 Ex Boness 12.23 Crianlarich 16.00 Oban 17.53
5Z42 dpt Oban 18.36 Crianlarich 21.21/43 detatch steam+ pob Ardlui 22.00
Dumbarton 23.13/55
45231+pob 5Z43 dpt Crianlarich 22.05 Fort William 01.00

Class 5+pob runs south 5Z40 5th july dpt F.Wm 09.05 Crianlarich 12.04/36
Cowlairs 16.20/24- 42 Dumbart.D.S. 17.28

cheerio

 

Thanks for those times. I was planning to go Fort William Weds - Friday next week. Looks like that plan may have changed! Forecast is poor but steam into Oban is rare.

 

After the last Black Five to Oban fiasco let us hope that the K4 is on hand, preferably down at Oban.

 

Any Idea on the stock?

61994 sould be working the Jacobite, the same applies with 44871.

 

Looks like its being dragged up Glen Cruitten anyway.

 

Locomotive reported running through Garelochead at 13:03

 

Reports say that the train is made up of the queen of scots cars.

 

Cloud base 600 feet - Wall to wall rain on the Oban webcam - Glad I put the AGM tonight ahead of this one now - but a Black Five to Oban is still a Black Five to Oban - Can we have another please???

 

Kettle departed Dumbarton central at 13:05 51 minutEs late... Footage later

 

Cheers for the update steam_mad. I got stuck in Glanfinnan behind an accident so I've only just got to Tyndrum. I had thought about going to Whistlefield until I got delayed, looks like I could've made it now. Was booked waterstop at Craigendoran Junc so may have made up time there.

 

There was a delay because of the couplings, hastle getting then together and then misse there slot, quite a bit of water went over the back if the tender when attempting to couple up, so I imagine they will need that water stop..

 

Seems to have missed out water stop at Craigendoran completely as it was on time into Crianlarich, whereas I wasn't! Managed to get a shot of it a couple of miles out of Crianlarich, then again leaving Tyndrum Lower.

Further plans were scuppered by a big accident west of Dalmally, on A85 between Cruachan and Taynuilt. Looks like the road may be shut for another couple of hours according to the police. Hope whoever is involved is ok. Diversionary route is via Inveraray and Lochgilphead, a mere 75 miles as opposed to 20.

 

My footage is now online : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlm4tR7cA6c
Enjoy.

 

Very "posh" train that......one quandry...I thought wooden bodied coaches were a no no on main line? Nice video incidentally......

 

No special conditions or anything to do with Scotland - QoS vehicles have remained in continuous registration since their days with the Royal Scotsman, 25 years ago, when they were owned by Rick Edmondson and looked after by Resco.

 

It might be worth noting that yesterday we managed to have steam at all three West Highland terminii, at the same time - 45231 at Oban, 61994 at FW (ok, strictly speaking, at the depot, not station) and 44871 at Mallaig. The last time that was likely to have happened was probably in 1962.

 

Nice call James! Thought you would be in Trafalgar Square tonight.

Shame they weren't providing a service to all points though - albeit that such a prospect is almost pure fiction now - the last time anything resembling such an occurrence happened was Bob Branch's WCRC charter in 2004 that did achieve steam from Fort Bill to Oban and return with the K1 - although if memory serves me right the 60 miles or so, as the crow flies, round trip took about twelve hours going via Tulloch and Crianlarich - and very splendid it was too.

Now if our lot (WEL) can avoid financial suicide this year, and if they were equipped with an iota of commonsense and financial capacity, surely they should be talking to WCRC given the now twice a day service on the WHL. I sailed into Corpach sealoch in April and know that it will take the Balmoral at 60m x 10m x 2m

 

It would be nice to see some seaborne-steam activity, again, in conjunction with 'The Jacobite', as you say; I was there on 44767, when we did the 'steam-past', with 'Waverley' c. 1998 - two 'Stephenson link' machines together!