Class 24 plus 26 double heading on HML 1970's

[delt1c]

Always thought it strange why in the 1970's the inverness to Edinburgh or Glasgow were usually formed of a class 24 + 26 but rarely a 24+24 or 26+26, actually i have no recolection of a double headed 24.
Anyone shed any light on this.

 

[GusB]

Always thought it strange why in the 1970's the inverness to Edinburgh or Glasgow were usually formed of a class 24 + 26 but rarely a 24+24 or 26+26, actually i have no recolection of a double headed 24.
Anyone shed any light on this.

Maybe it's just how things turned out on the day. It's a bit far back for me to actually recall, but I've seen photos of pairs of 24s, 25s and 26s on the Highland line.

 

[big all]

could it be boiler availability or reliability ??
also token exchange apperatus

 

[Cowley]

could it be boiler availability or reliability ??
also token exchange apperatus

I think the 26s had token exchange equipment, and they were both boiler fitted if they were allocated to this route.
26s were transferred from Haymarket (I think) in the mid seventies, to replace the 24s on the Far North services.
Perhaps there’s more photos of this crossover few years than there are from the ones either side (especially before)?
Would the 26s have been the main diagrammed traction at the time, and had then these services needed extra power there were still a few 24s around on Inverness depot?

 

[hexagon789]

Would the 26s have been the main diagrammed traction at the time, and had then these services needed extra power there were still a few 24s around on Inverness depot?

I believe the ScR treated the two classes as fully interchangeable, so any service booked for a 26 could be operated by a 24 and vice-versa. The 26s replaced the 24s by 1975 at Inverness depot anyway.

 

[Whistler40145]

Not sure if it was in the late 1960s or early 1970s, but The Royal Highlander was booked for three locos, think it was a 24 and a pair of 26s out of Inverness.

 

[Cowley]

I believe the ScR treated the two classes as fully interchangeable, so any service booked for a 26 could be operated by a 24 and vice-versa. The 26s replaced the 24s by 1975 at Inverness depot anyway.

Yes definitely.
I meant (but forgot to say) that after the 26s had arrived in such a number that they could be allocated to all the workings, and had had their various modifications done (headlights etc). Perhaps they would’ve been allocated as the main train engine, and the 24s as extra power for when needed for piloting etc?
I’m only surmising here though. As I must admit that I haven’t seen many (if any) pictures of 24s paired up on the Far North either.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes definitely.
I meant (but forgot to say) that after the 26s had arrived in such a number that they could be allocated to all the workings, and had had their various modifications done (headlights etc). Perhaps they would’ve been allocated as the main train engine, and the 24s as extra power for when needed for piloting etc?
I’m only surmising here though. As I must admit that I haven’t seen many (if any) pictures of 24s paired up on the Far North either.

Seems reasonable enough to me.

Very much so, double 24s seem quite rare in photos (I have only found one). Either it was so in practice, photographers for whatever reason deliberately eschewed taking photographs of double-headed 24s or perhaps 24s get a bit camera-shy in pairs?

 

[Cowley]

Seems reasonable enough to me.

Very much so, double 24s seem quite rare in photos (I have only found one). Either it was so in practice, photographers for whatever reason deliberately eschewed taking photographs of double-headed 24s or perhaps 24s get a bit camera-shy in pairs?

Scuttling around in the dark like Rats..?

 

[hexagon789]

Scuttling around in the dark like Rats..?

Or McRats even!

 

[big all]

it could be very basic like the major works on 26 done at eastfield and 24s at inverness
so they would be in a pair to glasgow on a diagram with the trip for fuel and maintainance with the 26 swaped with another but the same 24 back
then a few days later the same pair on a visit to inverness the 24 has its turn for a depot swap
it makes sense to concentrait the heavier maintainance and spares for a class to one depot