A grey day at Carmuirs Triangle and the Longannet Branch

A misty morning at Camelon and I'm at the overbridge leading into the land within the triangle here. SPT liveried class 170 Turbostar 170477 comes by with 2J63 0744 Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow Queen Street.

158736 and 158702 clatter over the pointwork of Carmuirs East junction with 1P06 0733 Dunblane to Edinburgh commuter service.

A short time later sister unit 170472 runs in the opposite direction with a reciprocating service, 2J40 0726 off Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston.

I didn't have to wait long for my first freight working of the day. DRS 66409 comes round the east to west spur with an intermodal working from Grangemouth to Elderslie on the west side of Glasgow. The service is 4R77 0730 off Grangemouth.

Ex Hull Trains 170393 forms 1N80 0715 Kirkcaldy to Glasgow Queen Street. This service avoids Edinburgh and routes via the Winchburgh line. There is just one direct train in each direction a day.

An unknown pairing of class 170 and 158 units heads south on the north to west section between Larbert and Carmuirs West Junctions with 2N24 0808 Stirling to Glasgow Queen Street.

More freight and a lightweight 6D67 MX 0741 Grangemouth to Mossend Enterprise service is made up of just two Cargo Wagons behind EWS 66112.

An eastbound heavy freight with 66227 incharge of 7G13 0553 Hunterston to Longannet Power Station loaded merry gp round. The coal fired power station uses mainly imported coal mixed with Scottish open cast coal.

All boards are off but the down home for Larbert Junction is not attached to the same post as the up outer home and distant for Carmuirs East Junction. 158716 heads north on the east to north side of the triangle with 2P27 0751 Newcraighall to Dunblane class 2 local working.

The pegged up train comes by the post with home signal LJ12 and distant CE8 both off so the driver knows he has the road past this signal and the next protecting Carmuirs East Junction. 170476 forms 2P30 0827 Dunblane to Edinburgh.

Class 158 Sprinter 158727 has recently been reliveried into the new First Group livery. It is diagram includes service 2J42 0823 Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston.

The driver of 66202 brings his train to a stand at signal CE3, just out of view to the right, his signal protects Carmuirs East Junction. His working is 7G14 0622 Hunterston to Longannet Power Station MGR.

158731 passes over Carmuirs East Junction and passes the former Caledonian Railway signalbox with 2P78 0857 from Dunblane to Edinburgh.

66202 still waits for the road with its coal train whilst an unknown SPT turbostar forms 2N45 0848 Glasgow Queen Street to Dunblane local service in the background.

After a wait of some 5 - 6 minutes to allow the Edinburgh bound class 158 to clear the next section, the driver of 66202 gets the road and he starts his heavy coal train on the sharp right hand bend.

Larbert Junction's former Caledonian Railway signalbox is in full view as 158713 passes signal LJ14 with 2P29 0849 Newcraighall to Dunblane.

Rounding the curve between Larbert Junction and Carmuirs East Junction is 158716 with 2P32 0927 Dunblane to Edinburgh. It is passing the outer home and distant signal for Carmuirs East Junction. Also visible is Larbert's LJ14 and on the line from Carmuirs West is Larbert Junction's LJ25 and Larbert North's distant repeater LN1R.

This unknown set is still in the former National Express livery. It forms 1T30 0848 from Dundee to Glasgow Queen Street.

170427 passes between up and down signal posts with a class 1 working, 1A57 0942 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen. The down signals are Larbert Junctions distant LJ26 and Carmuirs West advanced starter CW26.

Turbostar 170475 works 2N54 0953 Stirling to Glasgow Queen Street and passes its signals Larbert Junction advanced starter LJ20 and Carmuirs West distant CW21.

The massive Falkirk Wheel linking the Forth and Clyde canal with the Union canal dominates the background as an unknown class 170 turbostar comes by with 2J44 0928 Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston. Carmuirs West signalbox is visible too.

A move now to Larbert Junction at the northern point of the triangle. The up Highland Chieftain, 1E12 0755 Inverness to London Kings Cross has the road to the left with signals Larbert starter LJ5 and Carmuirs East distant CE5 both off.

Larbert Junction's Caledonian Railway built signalbox sees 170457 pass by working 2N65 1018 Glasgow Queen Street to Stirling. Just behind the unit driver would have noticed the distant arm, which is a repeater for the next distant, is at caution.

The daily enterprise working from Glasgow to Aberdeen often runs north with no traffic. On this day, which has now turned wet, 66193 forms 6A30 MX 1022 Mossend to Aberdeen enterprise has 11 carbonate tanks on the drawbar.

The weather has turned for for the worst and the rain has become heavy and the light poor. 170422 heads north with 1A59 1042 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen.

More freight and the daily 4A11 1038 Grangemouth to Aberdeen intermodal approaches Larbert Junction with DRS 66410 hauling the train conveying boxes for the ASDA chain.

A going away shot of 170416 with 2P35 1049 Newcraighall to Dunblane class 2 local. It passes Larbert Junction's starter LJ24 and Larbert North's distant LN1 signals.

The two up posts protecting Larbert Junction are clearly seen with taller post on the right indicating the more important route to Glasgow. 158733 has the road left to Edinburgh with 2P36 1127 Dunblane to Edinburgh. Both Larbert Junction starter LJ5 and Carmuirs East distant CE5 are off.

Larbert Junction signalbox is a very busy one with trains passing every few minutes. SPT liveried 170477 comes north with 2N67 1118 off Glasgow Queen Street to Stirling.

Two sets of down signals are off for 170413 with 1A61 1142 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen class 1 service. Three sets of semaphores and Carmuirs West' box are visible and the Falkirk Wheel is in mid spin.

Turning round for the going away shot and again three sets of semaphores in clear view.

Only the home peg is off for 170457 with 2N50 1153 Stirling to Glasgow Queen Street. I was wet and fed up, time for a move.

Due to the poor weather at Larbert and brighter skies nearer home, I moved onto the Longannet branch.

66227 is seen again as it approaches running along the foreshore at Culross with 6R14 1330 Longannet Power Station to Ayr empty MGR.

Another move to a new location for me on the branch and an over bridge near Pitliver. 66014 works a loaded train to Longannet Power Station with 7G16 1100 off Hunterston.

Turning round on the overbridge for the going away shot towards Cairneyhill.

After a wait of less than an hour, 66202 heads for Dunfermline with a class 6 empty MGR working, 6J15 1500 off Longannet to Hunterston.

This loco and rake of HAA hoppers was seen earlier in the morning at Carmuirs. Now it heads back for another load of coal.

Turning for this going away shot and it is a little more interesting than the previous one. 66202 climbs and curves to the left with its rake of empty HAA coal hoppers.

Another move on the branch and 66014 reappears with its rake of hoppers now empty. Train 6J13 1630 off Longannet Power Station to Hunterson passes the remains of Elbow End Junction and the now closed line curving away to Charleston and Crombie.

Whilst driving to the over bridge at Pitliver earlier I saw the class 150 sprinter test train head towards Longannet but I wasn't able to photograph it. Bonus end of the day shot sees 950001 running as 2Z08 from Longannet to.....somewhere!! A crew member waves from the door window.

With the last of the light just hanging in there, 950001 passes by the curving line of the former Charleston branch which had a spur into the Royal Navy Ordnance Depot at Crombie. The branch is now long closed.