4N06 Aberdeen to Elgin Mails

[Birdbrain]

Hello, does anyone have any pictures/info/experiences of the above service? I was playing Hellfire and it sounds like an interesting train. Thanks

 

[Donny Dave]

I was playing Hellfire and it sounds like an interesting train. Thanks

My first thought when I saw the title was Hellfire!

 

[Birdbrain]

Saw it on the game and wondered if anyone had done this move in real life. What was the consist. Can't seem to find any pictures online either.

 

[eastwestdivide]

What period are we looking at?
The 1982-83 loco-hauled travel book shows a class 27 diagram taking in the
0105 Perth-Aberdeen
0712 Elgin-Inverness
...
so it must have got from Aberdeen to Elgin somehow. Perhaps the mail wan't advertised as a passenger service until Elgin.

Later, the 1985-86 loco-hauled travel book shows a class 27 diagram for:
0442 Aberdeen-Elgin
0716 Elgin-Inverness
...
As for stock, the passenger side would have been mk1s or maybe early mk2s, plus vans for the mails. Probably not TPO vans, but I'm just guessing.

Just found the 1983-84 book, which is slightly more confusing, but appears to show two 27s in multiple on MWFO on the Elgin-Inverness, but the Aberdeen-Elgin working isn't shown as an advertised passenger train

 

[QJ]

The Aberdeen to Elgin mail was a continuation of the 0105 Perth to Aberdeen passenger and mail which was itself a continuation of the 2050 Carlisle to Perth. As reflected in Hellfire the 2050 was electric hauled to Mossend and then a 26, 27 or occasionally a 37 would take the train forward.

A leap for this train was quite often made by boarding an Airdrie service at Queen Street low level and leaping at Coatbridge Sunnyside for a walk down to Coatbridge Central via the chip shop (No fish supper and IRN BRU in Hellfire but you may get lucky and a class 20 might drop on one of the electric service drags prompting a quick revision of moves). The 2050 from Carlisle used to terminate in one of the south facing bays at Perth. The loco then propelled the train out of the station as the 0105 to Aberdeen or occasionally a Perth 08 was used to draw the train out to the south to allow the service to gain the Dundee line.

Those in the know did make use of the run from Aberdeen to Elgin as an alternative to being kicked out on to the mean streets of the granite city at silly hours of the morning. IIRC on reaching Elgin the train was backed into the old station to recess until it was time to carry on to Inverness.

The stock for the 2050 from Carlisle to Perth arrived at Carlisle as a continuation of 1110 or therabouts Perth to Motherwell mail and passenger train in non passenger carrying mode.

Though I do have a few records of having travelled on the train beyond Perth I do not remember much about the formation of the train other than it was a short mark 1 formation with mail and van traffic. It was not unheard of for people to be removed from the train at Aberdeen. I didn't want to run the risk if I could avoid it. My moves tended to revolve around the internal overnights when a class 40 dropped or across the border to Carlisle and back if something interesting was turned out from HA on a working to Carstairs followed by some roarer miles (but that is another story).

 

[40012Railrover]

When on a Freedom of Scotland rover ticket, this was probably the best change of decent overnight sleep. Starting at Carlisle on 1S81 (departing at 2050) you would end up in Inverness after a great deal of Mk1. steam heat and type 2 haulage.

Fantastic days.

See http://www.railrover.co.uk/memories.php#partfour for an article I wrote about this overnight move.

Cheers

Mike