“The Kirkcaldy’s” remembered, August 86”
“Month of the farce” was the apt description given by “Circuit” to the manic increased loco hauled activity in Fife during August/early September 86 as a result of a backlog of DMU maintenance at Haymarket after a fitter’s dispute over handling additional DMU workload.
A basic hourly Waverly – Kirkcaldy hauled service replaced the usual DMUs, plus the substitute Mk 1’s made peak turns to North Berwick and elsewhere. The Kirkcaldy power was mainly class 26/27! The Kirkcaldy workings supplemented the Edinburgh – Dundees so it was a bit manic for the vast bashing crowds that descended on these trains as there was so much to cover! There were a few farces most days to add to the fun!.
To be honest, the all stations Kirkcaldy hauled trains despite the superb power were personally, a bit of a stagger, compared to the more lively “circuit” Dundee trains.
And yes it was 25 years ago!!!!
Sample moves and gen
20/8/86 We
85003 1815 Euston-Northampton
85036 1745 Euston-Northampton
81002 1935 Euston-Northampton LB-NO
076 2125 Northampton-Euston NO-RU
85032 2110 Euston-Stranraer RU-CA
plenty roarers about!
21/8/86 Th
86220 2345 Glas/Edin-Bristol
85034 1930 Inverness-Euston
47631 2200 Stranraer-Euston
86410 2200 Stranraer-Euston
86217 2030 Inverness-Euston
not so good for roarers on the up overnights!
85008 2125 Bristol-Glas/Edin CA-CA
47595 2125 Bristol-Glas/Edin CA-WA
47420 0555 Edinburgh-Dundee
27052 0605 Edinburgh-Cowdenbeath WA-DU
101333 0636 Cowdenbeath-Edinburgh DU-IK
27025 0620 Dundee-Edinburgh (failed at Inverkeithing, 477xx forward ECS)
27014 was hovering in the yard here but unfortunately didn’t assist the failure
27053 0653 Markinch-Edinburgh IK-WA
26031 0836 Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy (failed Dalmeny-caped) WA-DA
26011 0831 Kirkcaldy-Edinburgh DA-WA
27053 0935 Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy WA-KI
26025 1031 Kirkcaldy-Edinburgh KI-WA
26024 0830 Dundee-Edinburgh
47109 1123 Edinburgh-Perth
26011 1135 Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy WA-KI
27053 1231 Kirkcaldy-Edinburgh KI-WA
27052 1235 Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy
26025 1335 Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy WA-KI
27052 1431 Kirkcaldy-Edinburgh KI-WA
47403 1515 Edinburgh-Dundee
47714 1530 Edinburgh-Glasgow WA-QS
37025 1300 Oban-Glasgow
37425 1650 Glasgow-Fort William QS-DM
37412 1415 Fort William-Glasgow DM-QS
37410 1803 Glasgow-Perth
37247 1820 Glasgow-Oban (steaming) QS-AR
37035 1800 Oban-Glasgow AR-QS
37424 1740 Fort William-Euston
47631 2157 Glasgow-Stranraer
37412 1740 Fort William-Euston (via Stir) QS-ME
22/8/86 Fr
87011 1930 Inverness-Euston ME-CA
86255 2200 Stranraer-Euston
86239 2030 Inverness-Euston
37239 0305 Carlisle-Newcastle (drag failed DMU)
86212 2125 Bristol-Glas/Edin CA-CA
not a good night for roarers
47593 2125 Bristol-Glas/Edin CA-WA
47530 0555 Edinburgh-Dundee WA-MA
47060 0605 Edinburgh-Cowdenbeath
26032 0647 Markinch-Edinburgh MA-WA
26025 0836 Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy (fail) WA-DA
probably the most bashers little Dalmeny ever saw bail!
27025 0615 Dundee-Edinburgh
47117 0815 Edinburgh-Dundee
26011 0831 Kirkcaldy-Edinburgh DA-WA
26032 0935 Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy WA-HA
27053 0720 Dundee-Edinburgh
101305 0820 Dundee-Edinburgh HA-WA
27053 1015 Edinburgh-Dundee WA-DU
47705 1100 Aberdeen-Glasgow DU-PE
26028 1123 Edinburgh-Perth
37117} 1030 Inverness-Glasgow PE-ST
37008}
slow run, ridiculous numbers of bashing hordes!
47578 0745 Euston-Inverness ST-DB
26028 1350 Perth-Glasgow DB-QS
47570 1545 Glasgow-Carlisle
26028 1603 Glasgow-Arbroath QS-DU
superb run, , unforgettable, no bashing hordes aboard either!
27053 1830 Dundee-Edinburgh DU-WA
47363 2015 Edinburgh-Dundee WA-KI
big scratch for me!!, my only ever nb 47 on the “Circuit”
47541 2000 Dundee-Edinburgh KI-WA
26024 1921 Cowdenbeath-Edinburgh
26024 2305 Edinburgh-Cowdenbeath
47486 2245 Edinburgh-Paignton WA-CA
85019 2250 Glas/Edin-Paignton CA-NS
Sample Timing Logs…
26025 1031 Kirkcaldy – Waverly 21/8/86 load 5 vb
Miles Station Sched Arr/Dep Actual Arr Dep Variance Av speed
0 Kirkcaldy 1031 1032.19 +1 …..
3.19 Kinghorn 1035/1036 1036.52 1037.19 +1 41.45
5.8 Burntisland 1040/1041 1041.33 1042.13 +1 36.99
8.5 Aberdour 1046/1047 1046.48 1047.19 +1 35.34
12.78 Inverkiething 1053/1054 1053.51 1054.30 +1 39.3
14.65 North Queensferry 1058/1059 1058.30 1059.52 +1 28.05
16.49 Dalmeny 1103/1104 1102.39 1104.05 -1/0 39.66
21.43 South Gyle 1110/1111 1110.24 1110.40 +.5 46.92
24.69 Haymarket 1118/1119 1115.47 1116.49 -2 38.22
25.93 Waverly 1122 1119.44 -2 25.5
26028 1L37 1603 Queen St – Arbroath 22/8/86 load 4 vb
Miles Station Sched Arr/Dep ctual Arr Dep Variance Av speed
0 Queen St 1603 1604.15 +1 …..
1.84 Cowlairs 1609.45 20.07
4.58 Cadder 1614.20 35.86
6.25 Lenzie 1615.08 52.1
11.5 Croy 1620.02 64.28
17.96 Greenhill Jn 1626.48 67.21
20.8 Larbert 1625/1626 1632 1633.16 +7 40.84
29.59 Stirling 1635/1636 1643.31 1644.47 +9 20.72
32.46 Bridge of Allan 1649.02 40.51
34.53 Dunblane 1645/1646 1653.22 1654.27 +8 26.61
40.55 Greenloaming 1704.23 36.36
44.64 Braco 1708.32 59.13
46.79 Gleneagles 1658/1659 1711.32 1712.24 +12 43
48.88 Auchterardar 1715.16 43.74
52.85 Dunning 1718.46 68.05
60.36 Hilton 1725.21 68.44
62.46 Perth 1717/1726 1729.04 1732.54 +12/+3 34.64
63.4 Barnhill 1736.15 16.83
72.77 Errol 1746.02 57.46
79.64 Invergowrie 1746/1746 1752.361753.58 +6 74.04
83.12 Dundee 1753 1800.52 30.4
27056 2J08 0930 Dundee – Waverly 25/8/86 load 4 vb
Miles Station Sched Arr/Dep Actual Arr Dep Variance Av speed
0 Dundee 0930 0931.06 +1 ——
8.34 Leuchars 0942/0943 0943.30 0944.16 +1 40.35
14.56 Cupar 0950/0951 0952.15 0952.46 +2 46.74
16.86 Springfield 0956.28 28.37
20.09 Ladybank 1000/1001 1000.12 1000.44 0 50.3
25.94 Markinch 1009/1010 1009.07 1010.11 0 41.86
33.26 Kirkcaldy 1019/1020 1018.41 1020.30 -1/0 51.56
46.04 Inverkeithing 1037/1038 1037.39 1038.33 +.5 44.71
57.95 Haymarket 1056/1057 1057.07 1058.15 +1 36.52
59.19 Waverly 1100 1103.29 +3 14.21
25/8/86 Mo
47651 2139 Bristol-Glas/Edin
85026 2139 Bristol-Glas/Edin NS-CA
47603 2139 Bristol-Glas/Edin CA-WA
27005 0605 Edinburgh-Cowdenbeath WA-CO
once again, hordes of bashers at Cowdenbeath, hoping for an xos 26!
26024 0647 Markinch-Edinburgh CO-IK
27056 0715 Edinburgh-Dundee IK-DU
27056 0930 Dundee-Edinburgh DU-WA
27052 0815 Edinburgh-Dundee
27049 1123 Edinburgh-Perth WA-DB
47412 1115 Edinburgh-Dundee
47201 1015 Edinburgh-Dundee
101305 1240 Dunblane-Glasgow DB-ST
47636 1100 Aberdeen-Glasgow ST-QS
85029 1420 Glas/Edin-Cardiff CE-CR
The Buzzard (aka Smudger Smith of Camborne fame) woke me at Crewe with a loud tap on the window, advising me to leap, as 85011 had done the 1510 Euston – Holyhead. On getting off here, I was platform hossed by a BTP constable who seemed most disappointed on checking, with a fine toothcomb, my perfectly valid and expensive All line rover!
The Buzzard got a withering a bit later too, as 86221 appeared from nowhere to do the return Holyhead-Euston!, 52 roarer miles lost.
85035 0715 Notts-Glasgow
85034 0720 Harwich-Glasgow
45111 1030 Penzance-Liverpool (into Crewe)
85011 1510 Euston-Holyhead (off diag-thanks Smudger!)
86221 1620 Holyhead-Euston CR-MK
85026 1935 Euston-Northampton MK-WO
desperate mileage move!
85003 1815 Euston-Northampton
074 1921 Birmingham-Euston WO-LB
Thanks to “TC” for this classic tale from August 26th 1986
37153 26 Aug 86 07.44 Berwick – Haymarket.
This was during the Edinburgh DMU fitters strike, although that may be unrelated to this “xo IM” beast being turned out. The gen was known during the night but because of either a farce or bad weather 1S19 was very late in Edinburgh. The only way of getting to 37153 was a taxi to Prestonpans. A few “top men” bagged the first taxi with some more “top men”, Me, Andy Weymes and Paul M. bagging the second taxi. Paul instructing the driver to “follow that cab”!!!
“Kircaldy Phot Spot”
27052 leaves Dumfermline with the 0605 Waverly – Cowdenbeath, 210886
Farce!, 26031 has just been failed at Dalmeny in the shadow of the Forth Bridge on the 0836 Edinburgh – Kirkcaldy, 210886
26011 at the blocks at Waverly with the 0831 from Kirkcaldy, 210886
26025 at the blocks with the 1031 ex Kirkcaldy, 26011 is on the far end of the stock to now form the 1135 Kirkcaldy departure, 210886
26028 arrives at Perth with the 1123 ex Waverly, 220886
For the “tractor” fan’s heres 37008 and 37117 with the 1030 Inverness-Glasgow at Stirling, 220886
Much more Kirkcaldy and Circuit gen and memories here
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