A beautiful warm spring afternoon at Dunfermline Town station and 158731 rolls in and comes to a stand with 2G73 1350 Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton Fife Circle Outer. 10/4/2019
At the same time 170433 slows for its station stop with a Fife Circle Inner working, 2G02 1338 off Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh.
The two units pass each other as 158731 departs. When Dunfermline had two stations this was called Dunfermline Lower with the other being Dunfermline Upper.
The reason for being on the station comes into view. GBRf refurbished 73969 leads a rake of new mkV coaches of the Caledonian Sleeper on press junket.
The special working is 1Z75 1344 Edinburgh to Townhill Down Goods Loop. On arrival the crew will either change ends to the loco on the rear or just sit where they are if the other loco has a crew. Then it will return to Glasgow.
The train is facing a red signal due to the sprinter seen just before this. 73969 used to be 73105 and I have no photographs of it. The train is made up of 8 vehicles in a mix of seating and sleeper coaches in standard and first class.
On the back is 73971 which used to be 73207 and it participated in the 2014 Swanage Diesel Gala, so lots of photos of it.
The afternoon sun is perfect to light the train as it leaves the station on the rising 1 in 74 1/2 gradient to Townhill Sidings. These locos have been substantially rebuilt and no longer have any third rail equipment and the English Electric 4SRKT 600hp powerplant has been replaced with a MTU 8V4000 R43L 1,600hp powerplant.
I have moved to North Queensferry to catch the return working of the sleeper jolly. 158718 passes through the station with 1L05 1437 Edinburgh to Perth.
Before 73971 emerged from North Queensferry Tunnel it could be heard and it did not sound right. The loco comes into the sunshine at a walking pace, all is not well.
The crew must be willing their charge to keep going and not sit down. This part of the junket is 1Z76 1435 Townhill Down Goods Loop to Glasgow Central.
Black smoke is being emitted from the exhaust of 73971 as it struggles up the 1 in 70 gradient here. Serco have the sleeper franchise and they sublet the traction to GBRf. The class 73 converts have not had a very good start for many reasons
The black exhaust can be clearly seen as 73971 reaches the level track of the Forth Bridge.
Quite why the crew in 73969 did not bank the train to help 73971 is not known but it would have made sense to. It limped on towards Glasgow but went off route at Larbert to turn so 73969 could lead to Central station. I bet the press on board had a field day!
I knew this and another train was behind the special so I waited for it and debranded 170419 runs in to stop with 2K30 1422 Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh.
The set has been fully debranded with all the ScotRail decals removed so it must be heading for another TOC. I kicked myself for not waiting for the second train as it was a ScotRail HST 7Cities set, darn! 10/4/2019
An unknown class 158 sprinter leads 170450 over Jamestown Viaduct with an ECS movement, 5G12 1852 Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh Fife Circle Inner. This should have been a service train but due to a brake fault on one of the units that didn't happen. I don't know if it was cancelled throughout or partially as I couldn't read my notes! 16/4/2019
The moon is at 89% and is waxing as a very work stained 70814 passes below it with 6B32 1652 Aberdeen Craiginches to Oxwellmains empty cement tanks and a van.
The solitary van would carry bagged cement on pallets whilst the tanks convey loose cement.
On the back of the van and 26 PCA tanks is 56087 getting a lift back to Oxwellmains. DBC hired the loco for one of their trains to Aberdeen and now its heading home. By putting the loco on the back means this working can still go via the Tay Bridge and through Fife. When loaded the PC A tanks are too heavy for the Tay Bridge and it goes via Stirling and Perth. 16/4/2019
This is a new part of the foreshore at Burntisland for me and 158733 approaches with 2K04 0923 Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh Fife Circle Outer class 2 working. 1/5/2019
The set passes along the part of the line which separates the beach from Burntisland Links. The large crane is part of the Hifab yard at the harbour.
158725 approaches on a Fife Circle Inner service, 2K65 0907 Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton. These trains stop at Burntisland whereas other workings do not.
The line is still clinging to the shore but is climbing hard at 1 in 128 to gain height for Kinghorn.
The first up LNER train of the day from Aberdeen comes into view below Pettycur Bay caravan park dropping down to almost sea level.
43313 is the lead powercar working 1E11 0752 Aberdeen to Kings Cross. The railway is about 20-30 feet above the beach just here.
On the back of the 9 coach set is 43300.
The line follows the curve of the bay by the Links. The set slows for the speed restriction through the tight curve that Burntisland station is built on.
Shortly after the LNER HST set another one appeared. This four coach set is a ScotRail Inter7City HST set that formerly ran on the Western Region.
This working is 1A55 0929 Edinburgh to Aberdeen and is a vast improvement on the previous three car turbostar. 43140 is the lead powercar and I first photographed it on 9/8/2000 at Reading.
On the back is 43168 which I first photographed way back on 31/12/1984 at York, 35 years ago my word!!
The usual fare of sprinter traffic passes the Links with 158711 forming 1L37 0936 Edinburgh to Perth.
Turbostar 170401 passes a deserted walkway above the beach and is forming a Fife Circle train so it will stop at Burntisland. The train is 2K48 0953 Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh Fife Circle Outer.
This is a Fife Circle Inner working with 1704729 on 2K07 0943 Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton.
This is the final train I wanted to get whilst standing at the fence. 221134 forms 1V60 0820 Aberdeen to Penzance Cross Country marathon, a journey I have always wanted to do.....but in a loco hauled coach rather than a noisy Voyager.
The class 221 Super Voyager units were built with the ability to tilt on corners but that has been deactivated for a long time.
There are a few people walking along beach front as 221134 passes just above their heads. The driver is bringing the set down to the maximum speed permitted through the tightly curved station.
Moving now to besides the sports centre and looking across the bay to 158725 approaching with 2K21 1026 Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh Fife Circle Outer.
The sprinter runs along the Links with the Erskine Church standing tall behind the set as it slows for its station stop.
Two sets are about to pass each other about half way between Burntisland and Kinghorn. To the left is 158707 with 2K67 1010 Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton Fife Circle Inner. On the right is 158728 on 1L10 1005 Perth to Edinburgh.
1585707 continues the climb to Kinghorn and passes Pettycur Bay caravan park with its caravans clinging to the hillside.
The time on the clock on the Erskine Church says ten minutes to eleven as 158728 passes by.
The first down LNER train to reach Aberdeen passes the Links with 43274 leading the nine coach set and 43318 on the back. This is 1S03 0708 Leeds to Aberdeen.
The rear powercar is about where I was standing earlier against the fence. The LNER livery is the same as the previous ill fated VTEC colour scheme, saves on repainting the stock.
A wide view of the bay looking towards Pettycur Bay caravan park and Kinghorn. The houses and flats visible on the waters edge to the right were built on the site of a large glass factory that was served by a steep branch from the main line.
Another ScotRail short HST heads for Edinburgh with 1B18 0904 from Aberdeen.
Powercars 43148 and 43141 have received their new colours and vinyls but the coaches have not yet been refurbished and still retain their fGW livery but not the branding.
One last photo and 170402 passes by with 1H11 1037 Edinburgh to Inverness. In time when all the HST sets are refurbished this will be an HST turn which will speed the service up greatly. This has been a good morning, time to go and pick up my car. 1/5/2019
