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Glasgow Queen Street workings 1980s

snookertam

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I have vague memories of Glasgow Queen Street in the 1980s, when workings were based around the following patterns:

Xx00 and xx30 Edinburgh push-pull express services

XX25 Aberdeen, every two hours on odd hours, push-pull express. Arrived at 52 on odd hours so had a long turnaround time, last one I think departed 1925.

XX07 Falkirk Grahamston local
XX37 Dunblane local

Then there were Inverness departure at 0933, 1333, 1733 (I think)
Oban at 0820, 1220 and 1820
Fort William at 0950 and 1650.

It was very uniform I think, can’t recall anything more interesting that then, can anyone confirm where there were other departures?

Oh yes before I forget, the 0930 Edinburgh was HST through to London Kings Cross I think, wit a corresponding through HST at night.
 
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RT4038

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Were there no trains that terminated short at Cumbernauld/Stirling?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==


I would be :lol:
In the 1980s, didn't Cumbernauld trains operate as a shuttle from Springburn, not going to Queen Street at all?
 

Transilien

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In the 1980s, didn't Cumbernauld trains operate as a shuttle from Springburn, not going to Queen Street at all?
I think you might be right actually, wasn’t it not until 1993 when the eastfield cord was built that they started running through to Queen St? What route did the Falkirk locals take? Was it via Croy?
 

RT4038

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I think you might be right actually, wasn’t it not until 1993 when the eastfield cord was built that they started running through to Queen St? What route did the Falkirk locals take? Was it via Croy?
I think everything from Queens St HL went via Croy (except the West Highland trains)
 

hexagon789

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I have vague memories of Glasgow Queen Street in the 1980s, when workings were based around the following patterns:

Xx00 and xx30 Edinburgh push-pull express services

XX25 Aberdeen, every two hours on odd hours, push-pull express. Arrived at 52 on odd hours so had a long turnaround time, last one I think departed 1925.

XX07 Falkirk Grahamston local
XX37 Dunblane local

Then there were Inverness departure at 0933, 1333, 1733 (I think)
Oban at 0820, 1220 and 1820
Fort William at 0950 and 1650.

It was very uniform I think, can’t recall anything more interesting that then, can anyone confirm where there were other departures?

Oh yes before I forget, the 0930 Edinburgh was HST through to London Kings Cross I think, wit a corresponding through HST at night.
When in the 1980s as there was a fair amount of change across the decade?

I have the timetables for every year of the decade.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Were there no trains that terminated short at Cumbernauld/Stirling?
Cumbernauld was served by a shuttle from Springburn connecting with the Low Level, through services into QS High Level only began in 1989 IIRC, initially reversing at Eastfield until a direct facing chord opened in 1993.

A legacy of Cumbernauld being on the line which originally ran out of Buchanan Street not Queen Street.

Stirling's provision varied across the 1980s, sometimes it had regular off-peak terminators from Glasgow, sometimes from Edinburgh and sometimes only in the peaks.
 
Last edited:

snookertam

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When in the 1980s as there was a fair amount of change across the decade?

I have the timetables for every year of the decade.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

My recollection is from around 1987 onwards I believe.

If there were big differences to the previous years I’d be fascinated to learn about them.

One anomaly I can recall was the 1555 Queen Street to Arbroath which was loco hauled, but also seemed to feature a wide range of stock. That didn’t seem to be part of any particular pattern of departures from the station.
 

hexagon789

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My recollection is from around 1987 onwards I believe.

If there were big differences to the previous years I’d be fascinated to learn about them.

One anomaly I can recall was the 1555 Queen Street to Arbroath which was loco hauled, but also seemed to feature a wide range of stock. That didn’t seem to be part of any particular pattern of departures from the station.
The pattern and calling patterns certainly changed from 1980, to the Tartan Taktfahrplan of 1982, to 1986, then 1987 etc.

Many changes were subtle, but comparing 1980 to 1987 would show a fair difference.

The 1555 Arbroath and equivalent were long standing, indeed the 1610 GLQ-Arbroath would be today's version.

Give me a couple hours and I'll type up some working patterns.
 

Dr Hoo

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The most important role for the 1555 to Arbroath was providing an early evening all stations service between Gleneagles, Perth, Invergowrie, Dundee and and the wayside stops to Carnoustie and Arbroath.
 

hexagon789

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My recollection is from around 1987 onwards I believe.

If there were big differences to the previous years I’d be fascinated to learn about them.

One anomaly I can recall was the 1555 Queen Street to Arbroath which was loco hauled, but also seemed to feature a wide range of stock. That didn’t seem to be part of any particular pattern of departures from the station.
I'll start with 1987:

Edinburgh
XX:00 - Falkirk High, Linlithgow, Haymarket. 48 mins
XX:30 - Falkirk High, Polmont, Haymarket. 48 mins
0620 first, 2300 last train. 0620, 0730, 2300 HSTs - 0620 & 0730 to King's X.

Aberdeen
XX:25 odd hours 0725 to 1925, plus 2025 to Dundee. Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven, Portlethen. 1525 to Dyce; 1725 also calls Dunblane.

Inverness
0933, 1333, 1803. Plus 2330 sleeper. Generally, all stops Larbert to Inverness. About 3h46-3h55.

Fort William
0540 (sleeper ex-Euston), 0950, 1650. 3h50-4 hours.

Oban
0820, 1220, 1820. 3h05-3h13

Falkirk Grahamston/Dunblane

XX:07 Grahamston, XX:37 Dunblane. All stops local services giving 30 min interval at Bishopbriggs, Lenzie, Croy.

Some peak extras such as:

1555 Arbroath (semi-fast) - this used to run as 1603 giving a tidy 1603, 1703 & 1803 pattern of Dunblane peak extras.
1703 Dunblane (semi-fast)
1714 SX Edinburgh

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

The most important role for the 1555 to Arbroath was providing an early evening all stations service between Gleneagles, Perth, Invergowrie, Dundee and and the wayside stops to Carnoustie and Arbroath.
Though Dundee to Arbroath had an hourly local service back then, though the 1555 ex-Glasgow provided the final northbound calls at the small Tayside stations, 40 mins after the final Tayside stopper.

It also slotted tidily into the hourly departure slot of XX:25 from Perth to Dundee which alternated between a local to Dundee calling at Invergowrie and the through 'Express' to Aberdeen. The 1555 formed the 1725 off Perth - a shrewd arrangement.
 

D1511

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in the early 80s, there was one loco hauled intermediate service from Edinburgh to Glasgow QS in the morning and return in the evening.
2O08 07.40 from Edinburgh, returning as 2O49 17.15 from Queen Street.
Got some MASSIVE haulage on that service.....the loco must have come from Millerhill. If you search on those head codes in the "back in the day" haulage thread, you'll see what I mean. (It was a 47/7 sometimes though!)
 

hexagon789

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in the early 80s, there was one loco hauled intermediate service from Edinburgh to Glasgow QS in the morning and return in the evening.
2O08 07.40 from Edinburgh, returning as 2O49 17.15 from Queen Street.
Got some MASSIVE haulage on that service.....the loco must have come from Millerhill.
Still existed in the latter-1980s, usually used the spare push-pull set but wasn't always worked push-pull.
 

D1511

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Still existed in the latter-1980s, usually used the spare push-pull set but wasn't always worked push-pull.
It was Mk1s when I used it daily on my commute to BR ACE SW at Blythswood House from 1981-83! I used to get on at Haymarket, as I lived in sunny Gorgie then, and in those pre-gen days, there was always a sense of anticipation of what might burst out of the tunnel!
 

hexagon789

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It was Mk1s when I used it daily on my commute to BR ACE SW at Blythswood House from 1981-83! I used to get on at Haymarket, as I lived in sunny Gorgie then, and in those pre-gen days, there was always a sense of anticipation of what might burst out of the tunnel!
Seems to have gone from Mk1s in 1980, to Mk2Z in 1982, to Mk2 PV in 1983.
 

D1511

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Seems to have gone from Mk1s in 1980, to Mk2Z in 1982, to Mk2 PV in 1983.
That's not as I recall. I remember some early mark 2s (big windows), but I'm pretty sure I used to sit in a Mk.1 BCK at the front every morning, through to 1984. However I could be mistaken. It's a while ago, and I didn't record that sort of thing, and it may indeed have changed in 1981/2..
 

hexagon789

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That's not as I recall. I remember some early mark 2s (big windows), but I'm pretty sure I used to sit in a Mk.1 BCK at the front every morning, through to 1984. However I could be mistaken. It's a while ago, and I didn't record that sort of thing.
I'm going off the Carriage Working, not to say it didn't vary in practice.
 

D1511

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I'm going off the Carriage Working, not to say it didn't vary in practice.
I have to say I paid more attention to the big blue thing on the front!
Just quickly searching, I can see 47221, 47079, 47378, 47371, 37172, 37149, 47364, 47231, 47226, 47234, 37287, 37009 on 2O08 just in summer 1984!
 

hexagon789

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I have to say I paid more attention to the big blue thing on the front!
Just quickly searching, I can see 47221, 47079, 47378, 47371, 37172, 37149, 47364, 47231, 47226, 47234, 37287, 37009 on 2O08 just in summer 1984!
Certainly a great variety.

The QS-Dundee stoppers of the earlier 1980s (before they were axed) seemed to turn up a variety at times too. Usually a baby Sulzer but I've seen pictures of 37s and 40s on some turns.
 

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