Troon - Kilmarnock

[jonb]

I seem to remember a few years ago being in the Glasgow area and there was a Stranraer - Newcastle service which travelled along the route from Troon - Kilmarnock. Can anyone confirm please whether this section is still used by passenger trains?

Many thanks.

 

[sprinterguy]

Yes, the Glasgow to Girvan and Stranrear trains are routed that way.

 

[jonb]

Thanks for the info!

 

[4SRKT]

The service is actually quite good these days by historic standards. In the days of the Newcastle > Stranraer working (the heir to the previous long-standing 10:00 Euston > Stranraer meeting the 19:00 Larne boat) the only other train was a Newcastle > Ayr service leaving the Toon at about 17:15.

I was a regular user of the Newcastle > Stranraer (12:55 off Newcastle IIRR, arriving Stranraer at 18:00) when I was at University in Northern Ireland in the early '90s. 5+ hours on that 156 was enough to drive a boy to drink! Prior to that we used the Euston > Stranraer from Lancaster northwards every year on family holidays to NI. That must have been one hell of an ordeal for my parents, travelling from York to Larne with 3 kids! Still, at least we had 1st class privs, and for a few years in the early 80s the connecting Leeds > Lancaster working was a 31 + mk Is rather than the DMU it had been before.

 

[Moog_1984]

The service is actually quite good these days by historic standards. In the days of the Newcastle > Stranraer working (the heir to the previous long-standing 10:00 Euston > Stranraer meeting the 19:00 Larne boat) the only other train was a Newcastle > Ayr service leaving the Toon at about 17:15.

I was a regular user of the Newcastle > Stranraer (12:55 off Newcastle IIRR, arriving Stranraer at 18:00) when I was at University in Northern Ireland in the early '90s. 5+ hours on that 156 was enough to drive a boy to drink! Prior to that we used the Euston > Stranraer from Lancaster northwards every year on family holidays to NI. That must have been one hell of an ordeal for my parents, travelling from York to Larne with 3 kids! Still, at least we had 1st class privs, and for a few years in the early 80s the connecting Leeds > Lancaster working was a 31 + mk Is rather than the DMU it had been before.

I heard that 25s, 31s and the odd peak worked through with these services because it was a carlisle crew the whole way. I have only seen photos of 25s on summer services on this route, and had one forty on some of the route. ( 40s and peaks being banned from Glasgow central due to issues on the points with their bogies)

To make old timers even more jealous, there was a half train load of bashers on 37292 blackpool- stranraær addex ( kilm-ayr) ...@2000hp but it was a bit sick with a hunting engine.

 

[4SRKT]

I never had anything other than a 47/4 on the Euston > Stranraer, which given that the train usually contained some aircons is probably not surprising. The workings you're describing with 25s, 40s etc probably date from the late 70s and very early 80s, which is a bit before my time.

 

[Moog_1984]

I never had anything other than a 47/4 on the Euston > Stranraer, which given that the train usually contained some aircons is probably not surprising. The workings you're describing with 25s, 40s etc probably date from the late 70s and very early 80s, which is a bit before my time.

IIRC it moved from being mrk I AB to a very odd mix of mrk II non air con, air conned F's and a mark I buffet-diner! ...and solid duffs... yawn.

The forty I had was most likely a summer timetable additional service or a one off addex.

Strange thing is the final section south of Girvan is very like the far north line!

 

[4SRKT]

IIRC it moved from being mrk I AB to a very odd mix of mrk II non air con, air conned F's and a mark I buffet-diner! ...and solid duffs... yawn.

The forty I had was most likely a summer timetable additional service or a one off addex.

Strange thing is the final section south of Girvan is very like the far north line!

First class was a mk IIb or c FK (I remember leaning out of the windows). Second class was a mixture of mk IIb/c/d/e/f and as you say the buffet (and BG) were mk I. A pretty standard non-top link WCML set in fact.

I used to love standing in the very last vestibule of the train leaning out of the window and looking back down the lonely, twisting single line. They were the only times I can ever remember seriously enjoying duffs. The only sound audible for miles was the Sulzer engine growling over the moors. Wonderful!