Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway 15/10/2019
Back in late August / early September 2019, LNER offered 30% off some Advance tickets. I’d been thinking about the feasibility of a day trip to a Scottish steam railway so looked at timetables to see if the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway could be done. The planets seemed to align so I purchased Advance tickets Kings Cross to Linlithgow and Linlithgow to Kings Cross. I produced a very detailed itinerary including backup trains and buses should the trip go very pear shaped.
On the Sunday before the trip I purchased tickets for Horsham to St Pancras and back from TPEx. I’d loaded the Kings Cross to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to Kings Cross trains into Seatfrog the previous week. The Seatfrog auction for EDB to KGX ended early on the Monday unfortunately.
Tuesday 15th and another 0415 alarm call. I checked the trains, weather and Seatfrog, all looked good. Another walk in darkness to the station for the 0515 Horsham to Victoria which departed on time. There were a few other people travelling on this first train of the day. En route I checked my Three Bridges to Cambridge train; it had departed Brighton on time. The OBS walked through the train and said good morning. Arrived at Three Bridges 0532 and exited the train.
Second train was the 0543 to Cambridge which arrived and departed on time. An uneventful journey up to London. As we passed Borough Market the costermongers could be seen below readying their expensive vegetables. With 10 minutes left on the Seatfrog auction I prepared to place a bid. Seatfrog sent a 4 min alert as we arrived at City Thameslink and I submitted a bid at Farringdon. The auction closed just as we arrived at St Pancras. On time arrival St Pancras 0631. As I walked out of St Pancras I received a “won” confirmation from Seatfrog; upgrade price £20. Across the road and into Kings Cross.
The Kings Cross First Class Lounge doesn’t open until 0700 so there was no opportunity to use it. I did use an ATM as I didn’t want to use one in Scotland. Waited for my platform to be announced which it was at 0653. Boarded the 0700 Kings Cross to Edinburgh, an Azuma, Coach M on Platform 6. Some last minute train preparation was still in progress. Seatfrog had allocated seat M13 but I recall I sat somewhere else as there weren’t that many other passengers. As we waited for departure a Hull Trains unit arrived in Platform 8.
Departure was on time 0700. As we pulled out of the station it was still dark. Breakfast orders were soon taken. Coffee and juice were served followed by toast. The first coffee refill came around Peterborough where we called at 0747. Plates finally arrived at 0800, avocado muffins had been served earlier, and breakfast served from a platter. PBO joiners food orders taken at 0812. Onwards to York, pass Northallerton, Darlington, power through Durham then Newcastle where a crew change took place. Over the Royal Border Bridge, Berwick and into Scotland. Past the Viridor Dunbar landfill and incinerator. Craigentinny depot then into Waverley Platform 5 arriving 1120. There were a lot of Meeters and Greeters waiting for the train and a number of reunions took place on the platform. A large cluster of Railway staff formed at front of our Azuma whilst I headed along to Platform 16. Waverley was a hive of activity as usual.
There was a two car DMU, which I guess was the Kirkcaldy train, sitting at the buffer stops of Platform 16. I joined people further down the platform to wait for the Queen St train. This arrived and disgorged its passengers. On board the train there were a lot of discarded Metro papers; apart from that the train seemed very clean! We departed on time 1134. An uneventful short journey arriving Linlithgow 1153.
I exited the station and found my way to the bus stop. I’d used Google Street View when planning the trip to acquaint myself with the area so everything looked familiar. The 46 bus was scheduled for 1215 but failed to show. After about seven minutes it appeared at the same time as another bus and a courier delivery vehicle. With nowhere for the bus to park it sailed on by. Shouting and waving of arms had no effect! Well I’ve been on buses where we pass stops with people waiting so my turn to be on the receiving end. I made a half-hearted attempt to find a taxi rank but returned to the stop for the next bus at 1245.
The next bus was a 45 taking an anti-clockwise route; fare £4.90 return cash only. Along the route Linlithgow Palace could be seen and a nice clear view down the Firth of Forth. A couple of small boys looking like they’d jumped off the pages of Beano and Dandy were spotted. Like many bus routes, this was very much a round the houses route. At times you question the sanity of the route, which includes a double back at one point. I exited the bus at Bo’ness Lidl and walked briskly to Bo’ness station arriving just after 1300. Not bad going from Horsham!
I found the ticket office, not at the station entrance, and purchased Edmondson style tickets for the train and museum. I now had just hour for the museum due to the bus mishap.
The Museum of Scottish Railways is marvellous. It’s a great collection and one hour is no where near enough time so will need to visit again. Highlights were the superb collection of wagons and a Glasgow Subway car. A member of staff told me that a Caledonian Sleeper car had recently arrived. Outside there was a large collection of diesels and coaching stock in a large shed. Too soon I had to make my way back to the station for the steam train.
An 0-6-0T painted light blue, not Caledonian Railway blue, identifiable only by its manufacturers plate as
5710, was at the head of a short rake of ubiquitous MK I stock. I took some photos then boarded the buffet car. The buffet was full of people having a very good looking
afternoon tea. I purchased a liquid lunch and headed for the front coach. Departure was at 1410.
First stop at first glance was in the middle of nowhere just outside the town. It was announced over the PA as Kinneil Halt. Apparently there is a nature reserve there. Nobody got on and nobody got off. We set off again, still heading west, and the orange flames of Grangemouth oil refinery came into view. It’s quite a site. The industrial landscape then gave way to arable farmland as we turned south. We arrived at Birkhill, a very nice station indeed with an impressive Station Master waiting on the platform. However nobody got on and nobody got off.
Setting off again we passed under the M9 motorway linking Edinburgh and Dunblane. The line then curves round to the west again to arrive at Manuel, situated between Linlithgow and Polmont, at 1434. There is a connection onto the mainline here.
Manuel platform is some metres below the mainline, steps up from the platform lead to a line side viewing area. The train staff encouraged the passengers to view the activity on the mainline and many did watch a few services pass. The viewing area also provided a good spot to film 5710 running around. I went back down onto the platform to watch 5710 coupling up and took some more photos. I was last to board and we departed back at 1450.
I visited the buffet car again for the second course of my liquid lunch then returned back to the front of the train. Birkhill again looking forlorn with no passengers. At Kinneil Halt there were some people milling around. A short wait outside Bo’ness followed by a slightly early arrival a little before 1514. I didn’t feel the need to hang around any longer so left the station immediately. A very short visit indeed but worthwhile for the museum alone!
A 45 bus was due at the main town stop at 1525 so i walked briskly to catch it. It soon arrived and I boarded. We departed just after a trainee bus driver brought their vehicle into another stand. The return half of the anti-clockwise tour of Bo’ness was nowhere near as convoluted as the journey in. Arrival in Linlithgow a couple of minutes early at1545.
As I arrived at the station I saw that the 1547 LIN to EDB was 1L. So I dashed up the steps to the platform in time to jump on board. The return journey flew by and we were soon arriving in Waverley at 1611, leaving me 30 minutes ahead of my schedule.
I grabbed some food then headed up to Princes Street in the lift; I’d not used the lift before. There is an impressive view from the lift. Out on the streets of Edinburgh I did some photography and dodged the throngs of tourists. After an hour I headed back to Waverley and walked down the Princes Street steps into the station.
Waverley Rush Hour was in progress. I waited for my platform number then headed over there. There was a large queue waiting and I wondered how much a bun-fight it would be for seats. I asked the LNER staff where to wait for Coach B but I was already in the correct location. Whilst waiting a DRS hauled local train departed. Soon my HST arrived from Aberdeen - despite an email I received earlier saying it would be a 2x 5 car Azuma. Somehow we all squeezed on and in fact everyone got a seat.
The 1731 Edinburgh to Kings Cross departed 1739 8L due to late running local services. The lack of Seatfrog was annoying but a Trolley appeared quite quickly and I made good use of it. Dunbar 1804 10L, Berwick 1829 11L, Newcastle 1919 14L, Darlington 1949 14L, York 2017 13L, Doncaster 2041, 14L, Peterborough 2130 14L, Stevenage 2201 16L and Kings Cross 2222 12L. Most of the journey was in darkness which becomes very boring and the reason this was my final trip of 2019.
I walked across the road and caught the 2235 St Pancras to Three Bridges changing at East Croydon 2306. Then the 2312 from East Croydon to Brighton arriving Gatwick Airport 2330. Finally the 2339 Gatwick Airport to Horsham arriving 2357, 18 hours and 42 minutes after setting off.
Well I had completed a day trip to a steam railway in Scotland and was very pleased. Was I lucky that trains and buses more or less ran to a published timetable. Or was this just another normal day in the countries where railways were invented. As my last train from Gatwick to Horsham travelled through the Sussex countryside, I didn’t feel that same sense of achievement I experienced at the end of my Ffestiniog Round Robin and Welsh highland/Ffestiniog day-trips. But the trip was a success; would I do the trip again, unlikely. Next time I’ll stop off in Edinburgh for a night or two!
Tickets used:
Horsham to Gatwick Airport Anytime Day Return £9.10 [TPEx]
Gatwick Airport to St Pancras Anytime Day Return £21.10 [TPEx]
Kings Cross to Linlithgow Advance Single £59.50 [LNER] + Seatfrog £20
Bus Linlithgow to Bo’Ness Return £4.90 [Prentice Westwood]
Bo’ness Railway £10 + Museum of Scottish Railways £2 (with Bo’ness Railway ticket)
Linlithgow to Kings Cross Advance Single £42.50 [LNER]
2019 Stats:
24 steam railway visits: Bluebell, Wensleydale, Keighley & Worth Valley, East Lancs, Severn Valley, Swanage, Mid Norfolk, Weardale, Peak Rail, Brecon Mountain, Embsay & Bolton Abbey, Swanage, Bure Valley, Churnet Valley, Ffestiniog, Welsh Highland, Ffestiniog, West Somerset, Isle of Wight, Embsay & Bolton Abbey, Severn Valley, Strathspey, Bo’ness & Kinneil and Keighley & Worth Valley.
4 railtours: 38TS Upminster, Royal Windsor Steam, District 150 and Gerry’s 313.
3 railway museums: NRM York, Head of Steam and NRM Locomotion.
1 driving experience: Bluebell at Bluebell
