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Wick and Thurso

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Masboroughlad

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Fortunate enough to have had a return journey from Newtonmore to Thurso, via Inverness today. Comfy 158, regular trolley service. We got off at Thurso for a leg stretch and lunch rather than a quick turnround at Wick. I have a few questions now!

 
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the sniper

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Fortunate enough to have had a return journey from Newtonmore to Thurso, via Inverness today. Comfy 158, regular trolley service. We got off at Thurso for a leg stretch and lunch rather than a quick turnround at Wick. I have a few questions now!

Best. OP. Ever.

The suspense is killing me. :lol:
 

Masboroughlad

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Fortunate enough to have had a return journey from Newtonmore to Thurso, via Inverness today. Comfy 158, regular trolley service. We got off at Thurso for a leg stretch and lunch rather than a quick turnround at Wick. I have a few questions now!


When did services stop splitting at Georgemas Junction? ie a train to each rather than to Thurso and back before on to Wick?

After loco-hauled trains, what has been used? Any first gen DMUs? 156s? Surely never 150s?!

Have Wick and Thurso ever had intercity services beyond Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh-to London or the West Country for example?

Has the line ever had a buffet car (or restaurant car?! It is a long journey) service?

When did the Ullapool branch close? Where did it run from?

Any good websites with pictures or videos of the line?

Cheers in advance everyone who can help. Any other nuggets of info, gratefully received. Thank you.

 

sprinterguy

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After loco-hauled trains, what has been used? Any first gen DMUs? 156s? Surely never 150s?!
The class 37 loco hauled trains were replaced directly by brand new clas 156s at the end of the eighties. Although some loco hauled trains did continue into the 1992/93 season to provide additional capacity.

When did the Ullapool branch close? Where did it run from?
There never was an Ullapool branch. It was proposed and funding was approved in 1892, but it was never built. It would have connected to the Kyle line at Garve (MattE2010 beat me to it).
 

Johnuk123

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Parliamentary permission was granted in the 1890s to run from Garve on the Kyle line, however it was never built.

That's right,what a pity as it would have been a very popular steam line now.

Just imagine the possibilities of a round trip involving rail,Cal Mac and coach.

Steam - Inverness to Ullapool.

Ferry - Ullapool to Stornaway.

Coach - Stornaway to Tarbert.

Ferry - Tarbert to Uig.

Coach - Uig to Armadale.

Ferry - Armadale to Mallaig.

Steam - Mallaig to Fort William.

Coach - Fort William to Inverness.

You would need an overnight stop somewhere en-route though.
 

D841 Roebuck

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Thurso had through services to London (and possibly Plymouth) during WWI, when a large chunk of the Royal Navy was based at Scapa Flow.
 

Johnuk123

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Thurso had through services to London (and possibly Plymouth) during WWI, when a large chunk of the Royal Navy was based at Scapa Flow.

I have no idea but it's possible Portsmouth would have had a through service for the benefit of the jolly jack tars.
 

flymo

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Geordie back from exile.
Thurso had through services to London (and possibly Plymouth) during WWI, when a large chunk of the Royal Navy was based at Scapa Flow.

What on earth was the journey time for this route.

Looking at the 1922 timetable it was possible to leave Thurso at 08:00 (change at Georgemas onto the Wick portion) and arrive St. Pancras the following morning at 08:03. The train times are shown in many different pages so it is not possible to say that it was a through service from Wick beyond Edinburgh. Could be though..:D
 

Harlesden

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If Beeching had had his way all passenger rail services north of Aberdeen would have ceased. I dream of one day reaching Thurso/Wick but the furthest north I've ever traveled is Doncaster.
 

Johnuk123

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If Beeching had had his way all passenger rail services north of Aberdeen would have ceased. I dream of one day reaching Thurso/Wick but the furthest north I've ever traveled is Doncaster.

For somebody who lives in Worksop you certainly get around a bit ;)
 

Eagle

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When did services stop splitting at Georgemas Junction? ie a train to each rather than to Thurso and back before on to Wick?

When the DMUs first started working it. (Because to do that you'd basically need a four-car service, 2×156, which is probably overkill.)

What I want to know is is there a specific reason that the trains go to Thurso first and then Wick, rather than the other way round which is probably quicker due to less changes of end?
 

QJ

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Buffet cars existed on the Far North lines until at least the mid 70s.

I recall travelling from Inverness to Thurso on a class 24 hauled service (my one and only Scottish class 24 haulage) in August 1975 that connected with the internal overnight from Glasgow/ Edinburgh. IIRC the buffet car (an RMB) was on the front of the train as far as Brora where it was detached and shunted by the train engine onto the rear of the Inverness bound service waiting in the up platform.

As for why the current services run to Thurso first before continuing to Wick I suspect it is because the line from Thurso to Georgemas Jn is shorter than the line from Georgemas Jn to Wick.
 

6Gman

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There was a Euston - Lairg news train until relatively recently (1980s?). Around 20.03 from London?
 

Scotrail84

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When the DMUs first started working it. (Because to do that you'd basically need a four-car service, 2×156, which is probably overkill.)

In the summer 4 cars work ok. If trains continued to split then there's the need for 2x guards and 2x drivers too. All about cost cutting unfortunately.
 

Masboroughlad

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There was a Euston - Lairg news train until relatively recently (1980s?). Around 20.03 from London?

Was it a sleeper? What would the loco and stock have been?


--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
That's true, Mallaig,Kyle and Oban are all superior scenery wise.

I agree. It was a good trip out to Thurso though. I was suprised how fast the line speed was in places-races along!

 

glenbogle

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Doing Wick/Thurso on Thursday, staying overnight in Inverness to catch the first train there just after 7am.
 

DaveF

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A train for Wick and Thurso with a buffet car at Kinbrace in August 1973 is on my flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/5561661426/in/set-72157626232198549

There are 83 photos of the line in my flickr set at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/sets/72157626232198549/with/5561651464/

Ernies Scottish Railway Archive (look at the bottom of the sets on the page) has 3 sets on this line:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/collections/72157626439675261/

Hope this is of interest.

David
 

6Gman

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I have a recollection that when we visited the Far North c.1972/3 the buffet was advertised to Thurso, but actually ran to Wick. Or possibly the other way round ....

Our theory was that the buffet car attendant had a girlfriend in the relevant town.

:)
 
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