A murky afternoon in early February and my first railway photo of 2014 is on the card. 170412 heads for Edinburgh as 1L54 1434 off Dundee and the set wears the new ScotRail livery with small First Group branding. 5/2/2014
This is the first Linkswood working I was able to photograph this year. 56078 powers the usual 20 TTA tanks on 6N72 1448 WO Linkswood to Grangemouth empty aviation fuel tanks.
Colas bought several members of the withdrawn class 56 locos from DBS, overhauled them and put them to good work. 56078 is an excellent example of this policy. I have only one previous BR service photo of this loco taken on 7/3/1986 at York taking a dead 25037 to the station. 5/2/2014
A warm and sunny afternoon and the Linkswood tanks are running but for how much longer as RAF Leuchars is due to close as an RAF base during this year. But first is the train that runs ahead of it, 1L54 1434 off Dundee to Edinburgh. Here 170453 passes the down advanced starter as it drops down the 1 in 100 towards the station. 12/3/2014
The unit slows for its station stop passing the North British Railway built signalbox and behind the unit is the up home signal.
The departing shot of 170453 passing the up starter located away from the end of the island platform.
One of the last few remaining freight workings through Fife comes towards the station in wonderful sunlight with 56094 passing the down advanced starter with its rake of 20 empty TTA tanks.
56094 leads 6N72 1448 WO Linkswood to Grangemouth Refinery empty tanks with a clear road through the station.
The train comes into the station and will pass below the footbridge. This was the first time of photographing this loco.
On walking back to the car the signalman pulled the down starter off so I waited for the train. 170411 gets away with 1L55 1400 off Edinburgh to Dundee. 12/3/2014
The prelude to the empty Linkswood tanks is service train 1L54, 1434 off Dundee to Edinburgh. 170412 comes over Lochmuir Summit and starts the descent of Lochmuir Bank. 19/3/2014
56078 is back on the Linkswood diagram and as it storms over the level track of Lochmuir Summit it passes a group of S&T men working on the signals at the top. 6N72 1448 Wednesdays Only Linkswood to Grangemouth Refinery is running out of time.
The train is on the drop now. At will turn right at Thornton and run to Dunfermline then take the Longannet branch to Alloa then Stirling and back to Grangemouth. There are not many of these trains left to run. 19/3/2014
Out again for the Linkswood tanks and this time I'm at Ladybank station. Work has been done clearing trees on the right of the shot and it has opened it up greatly. 56087 leans into the speed restricted curve which brings the line through a 90 degree east to south curve. 9/4/2014
Colas type 5 56087 has charge of 6N72 1448 WO Linkswood to Grangemouth empty fuel tanks. 9/4/2014
Major heritage traction now and National Railway Museum owned Deltic 55002 "The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry" passes over Sweetholme occupational crossing near Bow of Fife. 12/4/2014
A Deltic on the mainline is always worth a trip out for.
55002 has recently returned to the main line and is rostered to 1Z59 0624 York to Aberdeen The Deltic Aberdonian railtour.
Unlike the last Deltic through here 55022, or KOYLI as she is affectionately known as, is running on both powerplants. The tour will have a couple of hours in Aberdeen before returning home by the same route.
Later in the day and the tour is heading back to York as 1Z60 1544 off Aberdeen to York. Here it starts the descent of Lochmuir Bank.
The eleven mkI coaches are in maroon livery and it's a shame that 55002 is not in BR two tone green which is how I saw it on 31/10/1981 in Edinburgh in its last few months of BR service before being claimed for the Nation by the NRM.
A move to Dysart to wait for the tour which was put inside at Thornton to allow this train to overtake. 170420 passes by the site of the "Dubbie Shunt", the exchange sidings for the now long closed Francis Colliery, with 1B40 1524 Inverurie to Edinburgh service.
This is a scruffy location with wind blown rubbish caught in the trees to the left. The tour spent just a few minutes in the down loop at Thornton, enough for me to get ahead for another shot, and this isn't really a good one. 55022 approaches on the falling 1 in 114 gradient with a train in front of it which would be stopping at Kirkcaldy.
To the far right of the shot is the remains of the exchange sidings which are now well overgrown. 55022 comes slowly round the curve with the returning railtour to York. Hopefully it will get the chance to run and run fast once it gets onto the ECML after Edinburgh. I will be seeing this loco again in a few weeks time at the 2014 Swanage Diesel Gala! 12/4/2014
The first sign of spring on the railways in Scotland is the start of the Royal Scotsman season and the 2014 series of tours kicks off with a four night Classic tour. West Coast Railways provide the motive power and train crew and 37685 and 37516 lead 1H79 1342 Edinburgh to Keith seen here at Lumphinnans Junction. 21/4/2014
Usually the Royal Scotsman would be hauled by either a class 47 or 57601 but Network Rail had changed the rules on the route availability for the classes and were banned from the Kyle of Lochalsh branch so two class 37 locos were used instead.
The wonderful late April sun shines down on the single line Newburgh branch from Ladybank to Hilton Junction. 170456 in the new ScotRail livery passes by Lindores Loch with 1B31 1253 Inverness to Edinburgh, what a lovely location.
Also wearing the new generic colour scheme is 158789 passing over bridge 11 with 1L05 1435 Edinburgh to Perth. The set looks smart in the new livery for ScotRail as a whole and not the franchise holder.
