Dumfries line 1980s - what stock

[nw1]

I remember being fascinated at one point in the 80s (probably around 1985) about what stock the Dumfries line currently had at that time.

I was interested because we regularly went to Dumfries and Galloway on holiday around then, but sadly I never saw the trains.

I'm guessing class 26/27 with short rakes of Mk-I, or possibly DMUs for short Carlisle-Dumfries workings, does that sound about right?

And were the workings purely self-contained or did they interwork with anything else out of Glasgow? They were pretty infrequent, which might have made self-contained difficult without long turnaround times.

 

[D6130]

They were mainly 5 car rakes of LMR vacuum braked/dual heated side corridor 100mph mark 1 stock, based at Carlisle. IIRC, the LMR was responsible for providing the stock and the ScR the locos....which could be class 25/26/27/37/47, depending what was available. @CW2 and @Falcon1200 should be able to confirm, or otherwise

 

[nw1]

They were mainly 5 car rakes of LMR vacuum braked/dual heated side corridor 100mph mark 1 stock, based at Carlisle. IIRC, the LMR was responsible for providing the stock and the ScR the locos....which could be class 25/26/27/37/47, depending what was available. @CW2 and @Falcon1200 should be able to confirm, or otherwise

Ah right, ok thanks. I think I was assuming the whole operation was Glasgow-based; didn't realise the stock was LM.

I guess it would make sense in some ways as it would allow the stock to be used also on the other routes out of Carlisle, including the Settle/Carlisle or any fast loco-hauled Newcastle services if such things existed? Also I have the feeling there were some short Carlisle-WCML-Glasgow Central services which provided Lockerbie with its service, or am I misremembering this?

 

[CW2]

As D6130 says, the Glasgow - Carlisle services were notionally rakes of 5 Mk 1s, but varied in size from 4 to 6 vehicles.
From the late 1970s there was a ban on any locomotives with 4-axle bogies entering Glasgow Central after a derailment there (following track renewals), so that ended the appearance of classes 40/45/46 on the route (other than on freight services to Ayr / Stranraer). Booked traction was originally 27s, then 47/4s, but in practice this route was at the bottom of the pecking order for traction, so if there was a shortfall of ETH 47s in Scotland then the G&SW would make do with classes 25/26/27/37 (and would usually keep time with those lesser locos, given the light loads).
There were other through workings which came that way as well, notably on summer Friday night / Saturday morning a Blackpool - Stranraer and return (later inverted to run as a Stranraer - Blackpool and return using Sealink liveried stock). There was also the overnight Euston - Glasgow via Dumfries, with an ETH 47, and a summer-dated Fridays Only (?) Euston - Glasgow.
During certain periods of the year the main WCML would be closed for engineering work north of Gretna, so all day Sunday everything to / from Glasgow would be running via the G&SW. That often stretched things to the limit, both in terms of track capacity and loco provision.

I don't recall any short services from Carlisle to Lockerbie, only DMUs from Carlisle to Dumfries.

 

[Beebman]

In 1987 I did the Newcastle-Stranraer service from Carlisle as far as Ayr, I can remember that it was a 47 on early non-a/c Mk2 stock.

 

[Falcon1200]

Just as @CW2 says regarding stock and locos; Although I do recall one occasion, post 40/45/46 ban, when Carlisle sent a Peak down on one of the morning GSW services, requiring us to send a Type 2 to Barrhead for a loco change there. Slightly earlier than the OP's interest, but I do have one surviving train formation record, this being on Saturday 2nd April 1983 for the 1730 Glasgow Central-Carlisle via Dumfries: 25060, vehicles M35309/M26001/M25737/M16153/M26017/M25781/M35279.

Regarding Lockerbie, this was served mainly, if not entirely, by occasional stops on longer distance WCML services, one being the much-missed 1S81 2050 Carlisle-Perth, two passenger vehicles and two Postal vehicles behind a roarer ! On Saturday 2nd April 1983, again, this train comprised 81005 and M16172/M32596, the Postal vehicles not being conveyed on Saturdays. Today, pre-Covid at least, Lockerbie has hourly Manchester Airport trains running alternately to/from Edinburgh and Glasgow provided by Trans-Pennine, probably the best service it has ever had.

 

[Taunton]

I actually returned from Kilmarnock to London, via Carlisle, one afternoon at this time, could well have been 1985. Anticipating something local, so a Class 27, in practice a Class 47 turned up. Mk 1 coaches as described above. There were few services on the line at the time. I think I sat on Kilmarnock station for more than an hour waiting for it, and this was the only movement.