It is early in the morning and very little stirs in the centre of Edinburgh. 66177 slowly negociates the Powderhall branch enroute to the R.T.S. as 0B41. The bridge in the background carried the line to Leith Central which closed on 7/4/1952. The area to the right was once a triangle of lines all now closed but the rails remain in the dense undergrowth.
Turning round on the pedestrian bridge over the line and 66177 passes the platforms of Easter Road station. The curving platform to the left ran round to Abbeyhill and a junction with the main line just south of Carlton Hill Tunnels.
After a short wait 66177 reappears with its train of compacted refuse containers. This is 6B41 0810 off Powderhall R.T.S. to Oxwellmains landfill site.
A move to Millerhill and 66126 arrives with 6B23 0713 Mossend to Millerhill, via Leith if required, Enterprise. The load is 19 empty flyash PCA tanks, 2 Cerestar wagons and a BP TTA tank.
A Millerhill coal departure has 66197 at the head of a rake of empty HAA coal hoppers that has worked up from Tyne Yard running as 6O80, 0644 off heading for Mossend and then onto a coal loading point somewhere.
Friend Mike lurks in the dense undergrowth of Duddingston station platforms as 66182 passes with more than just one TTA tank in tow. 6G45 is the 1038 Millerhill to Longannet and Thornton Enterprise working. The fuel tank is for the stabling point at Thornton and in fact this is the train which 66126 brought into Millerhill a short time earlier.
37405 comes off the Craiglockhart loop at Craiglockhart Junction and will pass through the 60 yard tunnel beneath the Union Canal. It is hauling a short engineers train back to Millerhill and is viewed from the platform of the closed Craiglockhart station.
A short while later the ETH fitted tractor 37405, reappears at the closed Craiglockhart station on the Edinburgh Suburban line enroute to somewhere.
Moving to the select area of Edinburgh at Morningside and 66153 rumbles through the closed station with the daily 6D38 1242 Oxwellmains to Viewpark loaded cement tanks.
The sun has come out as we see 66126 for the second time of the day. It powers a rake of empty coal hoppers as 6D70 1340 FX Millerhill to Mossend. Only the anticlockwise platform remains at this former station.
Mike and I were originally in the carpark visible above the rear cab of 60010. When we heard it coming we ran round to the gate that used to lead down to the station. The tug is working 6E30 1329 Dalzell to Lackenby steel empties. This is a heavy daily train when running loaded.
Quite why an empty coal train should be running in this direction is not known, but the Spring 2000 Freightmaster has 6E10 1524 TThFO Ravenstruther to Tyne Yard EMPTIES shown as running. So could this be it? 66029 provides the motive power.
Now this is more like it, a loaded coal train with 66060 shaking the area with 7B75 1221 from Hunterston to Cockenzie power station.
Returning to the carpark and looking back to the road over bridge, 66025 passes below the bridge with an unknown westbound rake of empty hoppers.
The sun has come out to shine on 66061 working 6S54 0810 North Blyth to Fort William loaded alumina tanks, the train is routed via Mossend Yard. Newington station had an island platform, the steps to which are still in use by P Way men complete with an extra view steps to reach ground rather than the now removed platform.
GNER run some Kings Cross services through Edinburgh to Glasgow Central. 91025 propells its train through Slateford on its way from Glasgow to Edinburgh and onto London. The train is 1E18 1600 off Glasgow for Kings Cross.
66008 hauls its train, which is made up of 24 VGA vans loaded with pet food, through Slateford station on the short wrong road section to gain access to the Sub. The train is 6L80 1445 Deanside to Wisbech petfood train.
305502 is at Slateford having run in as 5Y39 ECS from Haymarket to turnback before returning to North Berwick.
Virgin liveried 86244 clatters over the turnout onto Craiglockhart loop and the Sub at Slateford station. It is bound for Birmingham New Street from Edinburgh, 1710 off, headcode 1M35.
Strathclyde PTE have chosen Carmine and Cream for their new livery and it suits the class 156 really well. 156436 slows for its station stop in full sun whilst working 2Y77 1721 local from Edinburgh to Motherwell.
A ScotRail liveried class 156 Super Sprinter pauses with 2Y50 1615 from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh. 156493 is the set.
An empty MGR train comes off the loop and approaches the main line behind 66222 with an unknown working. This loco landed at Newport Docks around four weeks previously and the drivers seat in the rear cab still had the plastic covering on it.
91013 speeds towards Slateford with 1S29 1330 off Kings Cross for Glasgow Central.
66025 is seen for the second time of the day. It brings an unknown loaded coal train through the station to route via the Sub to Millerhill and the south.
