A minor triumph personally last week when I scratched Strathcarron for a proper move on a plus 3. My previous moves at Strathcarron in July 2007 didnt count as i had bailed off a rancid rail replacement bus due a landslip at Luib summit (nr Achnasheen).
A rushed image of 158707 and 158712 meeting at Strathcarron as i leapt from 707 to 712 to complete my Kyle line station scratches on January 19th 2026
As listed below i have had proper loco hauled moves at Dingwall, Garve, Achnasheen and Kyle the rest being units. Back in the day though you wouldnt dream of bailing off a 26 at the likes of Achnashellach as you would loose mileage.
Key – AM – Ancient move (1969-79)
OM – Old move (1980-99)
MM – Modern move (2000 onwards)
LM – Latest move
Kyle of Lochalsh
AM – 24119 2K08 1036 Inverness-Kyle Inverness – Kyle 280574 onto
24119 2N35 1730 Kyle-Inverness Kyle – Inverness 280574
My parents drove from Inverness to Kyle, i had to supervise 5 young cousins on the train. My father on meeting us at Kyle commentated how he could hear the engine 10 minutes before we arrived, 24 on load 7 through a rocky cutting…!
Thanks to Dave Spencer for this classic image of 26010 shunting stock at Kyle on August 9th 1976.
Classic Kyle line power with 26001 and 26007 waiting to return East with the 1705 Kyle – Inverness on August 18th 1993
Thanks to “MIB” for his “plus 2 at Kyle tales, 2H85 1227 Inverness – Kyle arrived in the back platform 2 at Kyle usually around 1508 making it a tad tight to return from Kyle on 2H84 1510 Kyle – Inverness! The Kyle back platform is where we arrived and very strange to see lots of people legging it across to the other platform like at a major shack. It was like a commuter train arriving at Victoria with cranks jumping off before we had stopped. On one of the days we wound up in the back carriage of the 1510 as the train got well filled for 6 carriages.”
MM- 37259} 1Z50 0140 Crewe – Kyle “Lochalsh Highlander” Crewe to Kyle 250514
37423}
37259 and 37423 at Kyle with the “Lochalsh Highlander” Railtour from Crewe on May 25th 2014
37423} 1Z51 1608 Kyle – Crewe Rtn Railtour Kyle – Crewe 250514
37259}
LM – 158720 0855 Inverness – Kyle Inverness – Kyle 200126 onto
158707 1346 Kyle – Inverness Kyle – Inverness 200126
Duirinish
MM/LM – 158733 1107 Strathcarron – Kyle Strathcarron – Duirinish 180707
I had planned to walk the 4 miles or so from Duirinish to Plockton. Second car to pass me offered me a lift!…Taken!
Plockton
MM – 158733 1159 Kyle – Strathcarron Plockton – Strome Ferry 180707
LM – 158719 1056 Inverness – Kyle Plockton – Kyle 210324
Duncraig
MM/LM – 158705 0855 Inverness – Kyle Inverness – Duncraig 210324
walked via the big house from Duncraig to Plockton.
Stromeferry
MM – 158733 1159 Kyle – Strathcarron Plockton – Strome Ferry 180707 onto
158733 1243 Strathcarron – Kyle Strome Ferry – Kyle
Attadale
MM/LM 158715 1220 Plockton – Inverness Plockton – Attadale 060223 onto
MM/LM 158706 1056 Inverness – Kyle Attadale – Kyle 060223
Train started Plockton due fault in leading cab when Kyle bound. Attadale station is a wonderfully scenic shack
158715 leaves Attadale with the 1220 Plockton – Inverness on February 6th 2023 , Attadale remains my favourite Kyle line station, well worth bailing at.
Strathcarron
MM/LM – 158707 1206 Kyle – Inverness Kyle – Strathcarron 190126 onto MM/LM – 158712 1056 Inverness – Kyle Strathcarron – Kyle 190126
The last one falls albeit on a nervy plus 3!
A much more rateable way to get Strathcarron in would have been on a chilly January 17th 1991, 37407 awaits bashers off the 37416’s Inverness – Kyle to join the 1135 Kyle – Inverness here, i stayed on for mileage!
Thanks to “TC” …Wednesday only 26’s, 22nd June 1993. This is on the returning 17.05 from Kyle and the 26’s were in trouble. We were stopped here at Strathcarron for sometime while the crew had a look round and managed to fix whatever was wrong so that we could continue. “Nae problem laddie getting your photos from the trackside.” .
Achnashellach
MM/LM – 158713 0900 Inverness – Kyle Inverness – Achnashellach 111013 onto
MMLM – 158709 1100 Inverness – Kyle Achnahellach – Kyle 111013
Spectacular views from hillside path running alongside station
158713 leaves a sunny Achnashellach with the 0900 Inverness – Kyle on October 13th 2013.
Achnasheen
OM – 26034 0655 Inverness-Kyle Dingwall – Achnasheen 010682 onto
OM – 26030 0710 Kyle-Inverness Achnasheen – Dingwall 010682
Fair few leapt at Achnasheen back in the day as the trains crossed here and you “always made”….
MM/LM – 156457 1045 Inverness-Kyle Dingwall – Achnasheen 311098 onto
MM/LM 156446 1148 Kyle-Inverness Achnasheen – Dingwall 311098
Thanks to Geoffrey Robinson for this classic Achnasheen view of class 24 5116 with a Kyle line service in November 69, what a phot!
Achanalt
MM/LM 158722 1335 Inverness – Kyle Inverness – Achanalt 310325 onto
MM/LM 158712 1346 Kyle – Inverness Achanalt – Dingwall 310325
Long disused and trackless down platform is still in situ and accessible
158722 leaves a damp Achanalt with the 1335 Inverness – Kyle on March 31st 2025, 30 minutes later the Eastbound train returned me to Inverness
Thanks to Dave Spencer for this excellent view of 26029 arriving at Achanalt with a Kyle – Inverness service on August 6th 1976
Lochluichart
MM/LM 158713 1335 Inverness – Kyle Dingwall – Lochluichart 040425 onto
MM/LM 158717 1346 Kyle – Inverness Lochluichart – Inverness 040425
Lochluichart station platform was rebuilt 30 feet higher when the loch was raised for the Hydro scheme. What appears to be the old platform still survives on the lochside 50 odd feet from the new platform.
I did hear a classic tale from some bashers who bailed at Lochluichart in the early 80’s. The midgies were so bad all 4 of them piled in the station telephone box to escape them” Sadly the telephone box has now gone..
Garve
OM – 37417 0655 Inverness-Kyle Dingwall – Garve 260686 onto
OM – 37416 0710 Kyle-Inverness Garve – Dingwall 260686
LM – 158713 0900 Inverness – Kyle Inverness – Garve 150211 onto
LM – 158713 1203 Kyle – Inverness Garve – Inverness 150211
37417 at lonely Garve with the 0655 Inverness – Kyle on June 26th 1986
Dingwall
AM – 26029 0615 Inverness – Wick/Thurso Inverness – Dingwall 110875 onto
AM – 26038 0705 Dingwall – Kyle Dingwall – Kyle 110875
LM – 158712 1713 Kyle – Inverness Dingwall – Inverness 210126
37153 at Dingwall with the 1836 Inverness – Kyle on August 17th 1992.
end.
Leighton Lists 