The Far North Explorer, June 22nd and 23rd 2007
On booking this tour i had concerns over which section of the train we would be seated, i requested the class 40 end to the SRPS organisers. I had an image of one half of the train consisting of jacket and tie wearing Daily Telegraph reading, champagne sipping Deltic men and the other half your more down to earth 40 crowd!
In the end it didn’t matter as 55022 was declared unfit for the tour so it was 40145 throughout, with just a few miles behind the original “purple Ronnie 57601” to suffer.
Myself and the late Tony Ewer arrived at Linlithgow on a sunny June evening with fish and chips by the lochside and then the obviously busy “Platform 3” pub adjoining the station. By 2130 we retired to the station to join 40145 with 10 Mk I’s in tow and an idling 57601 for the booked 2159 departure.
The atmosphere was lively, much anticipation but both me and Tony were fighting falling asleep after a rough overnight in the seats of the Aberdeen sleeper the night before. A midnight photo stop at Perth saw us all milling around photting the 40, memories of long lost Highland line slogs behind 40s in the late 70’s came flooding back helping me and most others in our mid train position fall asleep.
40145 at Perth with the Tour looking and sounding good
I stirred at a dusky Inverness (at 0240) and was wide awake, as was most of the train by Lairg at 5am where, despite the grey cloud, it was fully light. I’ve always preferred the Far North to the Kyle line as it always carried less touristy daytripper types and it was my first loco haulage on the Far North since January 1989, just before the dreaded spinterisation.
Our 40 eased up at most shacks to get radio signal clearance allowing plenty thrash, the “Flow country” was as barren and deserted as ever, a lost world. At Georgemas 57601 powered us the 6.65 miles to Thurso for an 0730 arrival. Here we had just under 2 hours to stretch our legs in a virtually closed up town, the beach was found with views across to Orkney, a few shops and a cafe, which to be fair, did a good job in serving 200 plus breakfasts in a limited time. Common sense had seen the tour emcars return from Thurso to Georgemas for a double run round here. So we were pleased to see 40145 at the head of the returning emcars into Thurso around 0910.
The “Purple Ronnie” 57601 at Thurso as tour participants head off for breakfast
Shades of 1976 with 0000 in the headcode box 40145 returns to Thurso wit the tour ECS, 57601 at the other end will work to Wick for 40145 to slog all the way South
So after protracted Network Rail issues, our 57 was cleared for the first run of the class to Wick from where 40145 was again at the business end of the tour right back to Linlithgow. We were now in the third coach so could here 40145 whistling and thrashing on the climb up to County March summit in now what was steady rain, the atmosphere remained lively. Apparently a CFPS initiative was to charge an extra £20 for those who wanted to move into the deserted coach A for maximum thrash. Considering the whole tour was only £67, this wasn’t a popular offer!”
Unfortunately i had to bail off the return tour early as i had prearranged visits arranged to relations in Inverness and Nigg. So during the crew change at Dingwall, with the then long platforms still extant, i probably became the last ever basher to leap off a 40 at Dingwall, I wasn’t happy though!
Tony later advised how the thrashes over Schlodt and Drumochter in steady snow ( i think this was a wind up! ) was absolutely superb as i sat drinking coffee at my Aunties in Inverness!
This had been a well organised, typically old fashioned type of tour, 40145 performed superbly, well done the SRPS and CFPS on getting a 40 to Thurso , tis a long way North”!
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