Glasgow Queen Street workings 1980s

[snookertam]

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.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I assume that you aren’t interested in the Low Level/North Electric trains.

 

[Transilien]

XX07 Falkirk Grahamston local
XX37 Dunblane local

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

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Monday at 22:48 ==

I assume that you aren’t interested in the Low Level/North Electric trains.

I would be

 

[RT4038]

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

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Monday at 22:48 ==


I would be

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

 

[Transilien]

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]

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]

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: Monday at 23:25 ==

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.

 

[snookertam]

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: Monday at 23:25 ==

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]

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.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Fort William at 0950 and 1650

Also 05.50 Fort William with portion from Euston to FW.
My recollection is both 05.50 and 16.50 continued to Mallaig whilst the 09.50 ran daily in summer but MFSO for the rest of the year.

 

[Dr Hoo]

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]

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: Wednesday at 22:51 ==

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[MadMac]

Service pattern I recall:

xx00 and xx30: Edinburgh push-pulls via Falkirk High
xx14: Edinburgh via Grahamston all stations DMU
xx25 (odd hours): Aberdeen (Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven), typically Mark 2 with a 47
xx44 (odd hours): Dunblane all stations DMU
xx44 (even hours): Dundee all stations, typically Mark 1 with a Sulzer of some type on the front - I did see three DMU power cars show up one day

When did Bishopbriggs get an all-day service?

 

[hexagon789]

Service pattern I recall:

xx00 and xx30: Edinburgh push-pulls via Falkirk High
xx14: Edinburgh via Grahamston all stations DMU
xx25 (odd hours): Aberdeen (Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven), typically Mark 2 with a 47
xx44 (odd hours): Dunblane all stations DMU
xx44 (even hours): Dundee all stations, typically Mark 1 with a Sulzer of some type on the front - I did see three DMU power cars show up one day

When did Bishopbriggs get an all-day service?

Sounds like the 1980/81 pattern.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 11:06 ==

When did Bishopbriggs get an all-day service?

I don't have 1972, but in 1970 and 1971 very much concentrated in peak hours but the odd middle of day call - the 1230 Glasgow QS to Edinburgh via Grahamston stopped in 1970 for example; 1242 Grahamston local in 1971.

In 1973, Bishopbriggs has more regular calls the XX:40 to Grahamston serves the likes of Bishopbriggs, Lenzie and Croy though there's still a gap the 0740 calls but the 0844 (Lenzie & Croy) and 0949 (Lenzie only) don't then it's hourly calls from the 1040 departure.

 

[Magdalia]

Sounds like the 1980/81 pattern.

Falkirk tunnel was closed for most of 1980. During the closure period Edinburgh trains ran via Grahamston and departed Queen Street xx05/xx35.

 

[hexagon789]

Falkirk tunnel was closed for most of 1980. During the closure period Edinburgh trains ran via Grahamston and departed Queen Street xx05/xx35.

Pattern fits the GBTT, but I did forgot about the Falkirk Tunnel closure so yes the amended timetable wouldn't fit those slots.

Would fit 1981, though as the next set of more noticeable changes occurred for the 1982 'Taktfahrplan'.

 

[Falcon1200]

xx44 (even hours): Dundee all stations, typically Mark 1 with a Sulzer of some type on the front

IIRC when a loco released from Glasgow Works required a test run it was often attached (additionally) to the 1044 Queen St-Dundee (and return working too).

 

[snookertam]

Quite surprised that Bishopbriggs didn’t have an all day service back in the 1970s. Startling when you consider just how busy all the stations on that route are now.

Croy having four trains an hour to Queen Street, with two trains an hour to Edinburgh, must’ve been unimaginable at that time, but so must the amount of housing development around the station that’s occurred, much of which only since the 1990s.

Quite instructive when you consider that there’s regularly voices on this forum suggesting certain routes should be closed. There’s many a railway line that would’ve been beneficial for later development and population growth, if only the powers involved had the foresight not to keep it running.

Back on topic, the Sunday services are quite interesting if I recall correctly, I believe everything ran via Cumbernauld until late afternoon, the route via Lenzie being closed, which would’ve meant everything bar west Highland workings having to reverse.

Another memory is the summer saturday Scarborough working that I think arrived in Queen Street around 1330 then went away ECS I believe. Can’t remember the morning working.