World’s longest Class 27 push-pull train

A short clip from That Sinking Feeling (why isn’t this on DVD any more?)… with the world’s longest 27-worked push-pull train at full chat… Fits the plot but if they were this length you could walk through to QS

Pics of Scotland’s diesels in the 1970s and 1980s

Lots of interesting shots here on Phil Bidwell’s site… among the many, a gleaming 26024, a failed 26028 and a Class 24 in Rutherglen… plus a snowed-up 26038. Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s Well worth a look…

From the archives: Class 26 at Dubton

Photo copyright Mike Cooper

A 26 on freight on the Brechin line at Dubton. This used to be the west coast mainline to Aberdeen! The semaphore is a fixed distant for Kinnaber. Just behind the photograher was where a TPO mechanism used to stand on the up line.

26004 update

Thanks to renewed fundraising, work is underway on longterm stored 26004. It’s been lifted and has had one of the accommodation bogies removed, it is now sitting on a coach bogie at one end. The bogie that was removed is to have the wheelsets taken out and sent down to Pullmans in Cardiff to provide parts to repair the ones that are down there. The new batteries haven’t been fitted yet as more work is required to repair the battery boxes.

Unacceptable face of type two bashing…

The Kirkcaldies! (and other ScR 80s action…)

They call me the seeker

Interested in seeing 26004 run again?

Raise 0.5p for 6LDA Group (Preserving 26004 and 26024) with every internet search. Give it a quick try by visiting 6LDA Group (Preserving 26004 and 26024) easysearch homepage.

http://6ldagroup.easysearch.org.uk/

19 years ago today….

Its hard to believe it really was 19 years ago today that 26004 & 26026 were used on a Perth-Edinburgh-Inverness-Edinburgh-Perth passenger diagram.
Having written a few begging letters to Scotrail suggesting the use of class 26′s on passenger trains they finally succumbed to the pressure!

It was arranged to use a pair of class 26′s on the following diagram:-
2P10 06:45 Perth – Edinburgh
1H11 11:30 Edinburgh – Inverness
1B36 16:27 Inverness – Edinburgh
2P47 21:22 Edinburgh – Perth

There were a couple of reasons for selecting the above turn, first of all from an operational point of view it was the simplest but the main one (although never mentioned in the letters!) it was the diagram with the highest amount of mileage on offer.

Suggestions were also put forward as to which 26′s appeared to be more reliable over the previous months. 26004 & 26026 were duly selected from this list, given an exam on the Friday at Eastfield before running up to Perth light engine.
On the day they performed exceptionally well, the only issue was a faulty speedo on 26004. So as well as being fuelled at Inverness they were also turned to allow 26026 to lead on the return. They were turned again at Edinburgh in the Evening.

It was a great day out and also started a good relationship between 6LDA group and Scotrail. We had several more trips over the final year or so of 26 action, but this was by far the best.

Great memories.

Here are a few photos taken from the the day:-