Glasgow and Caledonian Railway (Day 1). Friday and Saturday 4th and 5th August 2017.
I had a long weekend planned for Scotland, my itinerary was to visit the Caledonian Railway, although I`d visited Brechin in the 1980`s and photographed the magnificent station building back then, I`d never rode the line up to Bridge of Dun, so this was my intention for Saturday. On Sunday I wanted to catch up with the 314`s and 318`s who`s days must now be numbered, especially those still carrying the old Strathclyde maroon and cream livery. I also have a fondness towards the 320`s and newer 322`s, so my intention was to spent some time around the Glasgow Suburbs and also visit the Glasgow Transport Museum.
I took a train to Wigan North-western after work on Friday night and then a Virgin Pendolino to Glasgow and caught up with the Caledonian Sleeper at Glasgow Central, 86401 Mons Meg (named after the large canon located at Edinburgh Castle), had brought the ECS into the station, while 92018 was attached to take the service to London Euston.
After leaving Glasgow Central station I walked up the hill and onto the infamous Sauchiehall Street, with all its revellers and clubs in full swing. I walked the full length of the street and onto Charing Cross for the Clyde Hostel for the night. I`d stayed there before about 3 years ago albeit it was called the Bluesky hostel back then, the price hadnt really changed that much, £13 and with clean sheets and bedding, good value and I slept well, (not sure everyone else did with my snoring though).
I was up early, 04.30 to be precise, showered and back down Sauchiehall Street, avoiding all the drunks in the shop doorways, and on to catch the 05.57 Scotrail 170 to Dyce, alighting at Montrose; this gave me a few more hours to catch up on my sleep. I took breakfast in a Montrose café, as I had an hours wait before the first number 30 bus out to Bridge of Dun was due. I wasnt really sure how to access the railway, but was fortunate that volunteer guard Stephen Gandy was also on the same bus and making his way to the railway, we alighted at the House of Dun and walked the short distance down to Bridge of Dun railway station on the Caledonian Railway.
I had emailed the railway prior to my visit to see if I could obtain permission to visit the depot, but sadly the railway have had vandalism issues and have had to put the locos in a new building, because of insurance reasons they are not, at the moment allowed to give visitors access, but they are looking into this.
They do however have an amazing layout with original station buildings and both class 26 D5314 and Class 27 D5370 were
out on passenger duties on my visit and both in BR green livery, it was an amazing sight to see and took me back to the 1970`s and our first Freedom of Scotland rovers, albeit BR corporate blue had largely taken over by then.
I took a few rides up and down the 4 mile branch line, which largely passes through pastoral meadows and grazing land, a very pleasant line. To the East beyond Bridge of Dun was once the famous Kinnaber Junction and Montrose Caledonian railway station, to the south the former track bed to Forfar is still visible and just before Brechin the old alignment to Edzell and the Tannadice loop can still be seen.
I`m an avid collector of totem railway sign fridge magnets and sadly the shop was closed at Brechin because of a lack of volunteers, but Stephen very kindly opened up specially for me and now Brechin and Bridge of Dun fridge magnets sit proudly on my fridge door.
After 5 excellent rides up and down the line, I timed a number 30 to take me back to Montrose and from there took a Scotrail 170 as far south as Dundee, where I made a connection into Edinburgh Waverley to see if any locos were parked up. I was lucky to find 92014 parked up, unusually in the North bay platforms because of track replacements for the new IEP trains.
I later boarded a 158 from Edinburgh Waverley into Glasgow Central via Bellshill and spent an hour photting the 314`s and 318`, later catching a 380 out to Paisley Gilmour Street as I`d booked a guest house in the town for the night. I was however a little disappointed with it, although advertised as a guest house it was more like a private room in an hostel, it was clean enough, but no television and a share bathroom and kitchen facilities, I was charged £22.50, not bad I guess, but not a guest house.
Despite the lack of a television in the room and not having my Amazon Fire with me, my room did look out on the high street and it was Saturday night, so I got a good view of the partiers and the police and as they came along and arrested a few drunks every so often, it was a bit like watching Police Camera Action or Caught on Camera, so not bad entertainments without a telly and I passed my evenings viewing with a couple of bottles of Dark Isle Ale, lovely, the bed was comfy and I slept well, even having a lay in as the first train back into Glasgow wasnt until 09.00 Sunday morning.
A special thanks to guard Stephen Gandy of the Caledonian Railway for looking after me for the day, a great railway and a very enjoyable day, well done to all involved, and in the words of Arnie, I`ll be back.
http://caledonianrailway.com/
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