Restrictions of Electric Locos working on Argyle & North Clyde lines

[Whistler40145]

I’m hoping someone in the knowledge can answer my question?

Are there any restrictions on Electric locos working on either the Argyle and North Clyde lines, including branch lines?

 

[route101]

I’m hoping someone in the knowledge can answer my question?

Are there any restrictions on Electric locos working on either the Argyle and North Clyde lines, including branch lines?

Never heard of electric locos working on these lines .

 

[InOban]

There's no problem with locos going through - the sleeper goes through QSLL, and I've seen a picture of a freight going through Central LL when the Maryhill line was closed, but I've never heard of an electric loco.

 

[jopsuk]

I guess there's basically a "where would electric freight be going?" question- isn't any freight through glasgow these days headed to/from the West Highland line?

 

[InOban]

Absolutely. There's no reason why any electric loco would want to go beyond Mossend, or, in the future, Grangemouth. There are or were some neglected sidings at Dumbarton, but I can't envision any traffic for them. An electric loco would be on some enthusiast's charter.

 

[Sean Emmett]

Not local to the area, but wasn't the Royal Train electrically hauled (class 87?) to Dumbarton or Helensburgh in the 1980s?

Found pic on RailScot website of 87028 on said train at Craigendoran Jn 09/07/1981.

 

[snowball]

Other side of the Clyde but have electric locos ever been to Hunterston?

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Other side of the Clyde but have electric locos ever been to Hunterston?

Don't know about Hunterston but my records for 1989 include a trip from Ayr to Glasgow behind a 87 on the 0845 Ayr-Euston. This was a short-lived booked working for a ICWC set.

 

[childwallblues]

Not local to the area, but wasn't the Royal Train electrically hauled (class 87?) to Dumbarton or Helensburgh in the 1980s?

Found pic on RailScot website of 87028 on said train at Craigendoran Jn 09/07/1981.

Not local to the area, but wasn't the Royal Train electrically hauled (class 87?) to Dumbarton or Helensburgh in the 1980s?

Found pic on RailScot website of 87028 on said train at Craigendoran Jn 09/07/1981.

I always believed that the loco was 87024. It was named Lord of the Isles and was considered appropriate for the journey. I understand the occasion was the visit of Princess Anne to Faslane.

 

[Mag_seven]

There have been electric locos on the both the Argyle line and the North Clyde lines on various special workings over the years. I remember seeing a Class 86/4 on a charter train in Glasgow Central low level in the mid 1980's.

 

[gsnedders]

There have been electric locos on the both the Argyle line and the North Clyde lines on various special workings over the years. I remember seeing a Class 86/4 on a charter train in Glasgow Central low level in the mid 1980's.

An alternative question: when was there last an electric loco on either?

 

[D1009]

In the days before the Fort William sleeper went via Edinburgh, I have a distant memory of an 86 working it from Dumbarton via Glasgow Central Low Level to Mossend when engineering work blocked the normal route via Cowlairs. Memory could be playing tricks though.

 

[themiller]

Have class 88s not done Hunterston, yet?

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

In the days before the Fort William sleeper went via Edinburgh, I have a distant memory of an 86 working it from Dumbarton via Glasgow Central Low Level to Mossend when engineering work blocked the normal route via Cowlairs. Memory could be playing tricks though.

I'm not saying you're wrong but IME it was more likely for the 37 to haul the train via Central Low Level (taking care with the throttle to avoid setting off the fire alarms!) and then via the curve at Rutherglen to reach Central High Level where an electric could take over.

 

[route101]

Have class 88s not done Hunterston, yet?

Im sure they have been to Ayrshire via Paisley . I thought the line to Hunterston was separate to the Largs line.

 

[snowball]

Im sure they have been to Ayrshire via Paisley . I thought the line to Hunterston was separate to the Largs line.

The route from Glasgow is the same as far as West Kilbride station and for the next mile or more towards Fairlie and Largs. Then the routes divide and run parallel for a further couple of miles before the line to the ore terminal curves away.

Checking with Google Maps I see to my surprise that the branch to the ore terminal is not wired.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

The route from Glasgow is the same as far as West Kilbride station and for the next mile or more towards Fairlie and Largs. Then the routes divide and run parallel for a further couple of miles before the line to the ore terminal curves away.

Checking with Google Maps I see to my surprise that the branch to the ore terminal is not wired.

The wires would get in the way of the loading process!

 

[Siemens Staines]

I always believed that the loco was 87024. It was named Lord of the Isles and was considered appropriate for the journey. I understand the occasion was the visit of Princess Anne to Faslane.

I think for a few years it was an annual event. Princess Anne was Chief Commandant of the WRNS. As I recall their officer training was at HMS Neptune at Faslane and Princess Anne hosted their passing out parade, so probably over the years several 87s visited Helensburgh Central in connection with this. My recollection was of a picture in a magazine of an 87 in InterCity livery which must have been the mid-late 80s and couldn't have been the case in 1981. Later under sectorisation there were dedicated 47s for Royal Train work, so I imagine the use of electric locos on the Royal Train ended. According to wikipedia, the WRNS ceased to be an independent division in 1993 and was absorbed in to the Royal Navy, so I guess the WRNS passing out parade ended at the same time.