‘ Jacobite’ up and running

FOLLOWINGthe ScottishGovernment’s easingof restrictions fornon- essential travel, WestCoastRailways’( WCR) Fort William toMallaig‘ Jacobite’openedits virus- hitseason with the first journeys operatingonWednesday, July15.

However, the startcouldhavebeen delayedevenfurther afterheavy rainfall causedaserious landslip at Lochailort, whichclosed the lineaweek or so before.

According toNetworkRail, morethan 1800 tons ofaggregatewasused to repair thedamagewith in excess of100 yardsof trackbeing relaid.

NetworkRail Scotland routedirector LiamSumpter said:“With the easing of the lockdownandthe reopeningof the tourism sector, itwasvital thatwe completedthe repairsquickly to help support thelocaleconomy intheWest Highlands. Thelinehadbeenextensively damagedandourengineers havebeen working aroundthe clock to reopenthe railway forour customers.”

Havingbeengivenline clearance, WCRthenhadtodealwith logistics of assembling locomotivesandstock at Carnforthinreadiness for thejourney north to FortWilliam.

Themovewas split intotwoparts,

NELPG’sK12- 6- 0No. 65002and‘ Black Five 4- 6- 0No. 45407 TheLancashire Fusilier headingnine vacuumbraked coaches fromCarnforthonJuly 11, but only as far as Carlisle. Theengines andcarriagesspent thenight there beforemovingonto FortWilliamthe followingmorning.

OntheMonday,‘ Black Five’No. 44871 andaClass 47diesel leftCarnforth haulingasupportcoach, eightair braked coachesandaGUV. This ensemble workeddirectly over the300 miles to theWest Highlands. Thepositioning journeysnormally take nine to10 hours to complete.

LNER K1 2- 6- 0No. 62005and ‘ Black Five’No. 45407 TheLancashireFusilierpass Greenholme on July 11, while heading fromCarnforth to Carlisle on the first stage of the journey toFortWilliam, inreadiness for thedelayed startof2020Jacobite season. DALE SMALLIN