Auchentogle

[SC55015]

1980
The 47/7s took over from the 27s on the E&G service the previous year. Here we see one of these sets in Auchentogle station. It's a Bachmann DBSO and Oxford Rail Mark 3s:

Note I've also finally made some developments with the station - first time I've been able to make progress since before xmas - with a start to blending in the platform end, and adding some 3D printed station lamps on the left platform. More on their way for the other platform, as are transfers from Railtec to add the station name to them. Looking at images of these lamps there were many variations in styles - continuing my mash up of different Scottish stations these were based on those at Dunfermline Lower (see https://www.flickr.com/photos/bystuart/32027184025/  and https://www.flickr.com/photos/108977492@N02/45474022012/).

 

At the other end of the shove set is 47704, a Heljan model renumbered by its previous owner, it really needs a headlamp adding to finish it of:

 

Working the branch is Gloucester Class122 SC55011, seen in Glentogle station. This is a Lima Class 121 with an easy mod changing the headcode to a destination box. I added some roof repairs at gutter level which were common on these vehicles before respraying the roof. Next round of work will be the cab front, still in its factory condition. In 1980 the vehicle was allocated to Dundee and did not have a destination blind fitted.

 

Edited August 4 by SC55015

[SC55015]

1981
This week's running year was the last full year of the Deltics. This is represented by 55015 seen rolling into Auchentogle station:

 

When the Scottish Region dispensed with its two-car DMUs, sending the DTCL cars south, it received a number of DMCL vehicles many of which were ex-NER vehicles from the early builds with four lamps on the cab front. Here one of these is seen with a Dunblane service in Glentogle station. The vehicle number is higher than normal, based on the prototype (https://www.flickr.com/photos/134227013@N08/51715019878/). SC50197 had been a Darlington, Neville Hill, Newton Heath and Chester vehicle before moving to Dundee in Spring 1979 and would stay on the ScR  (also allocated to Haymarket and Eastfield) until withdrawal in 1990, its last year being as a sandite / route learner. https://railcar.co.uk/data/vehicle/50197.

Edited August 4 by SC55015
Spelling

[SC55015]

1982

Seen entering Glentogle with an MGR train are 20223 and 20226. This is a reproducing an image I took many years ago at Dunfermline - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bystuart/27421130251/

 

 

In Auchentogle station we have a Class 107 in the branch platform. The origin is a Bachmann 108, it still needs some work doing to it for the transformation. On this version of the Class 108, with the top headcode box, Bachmann never added the handrails between and under the two outer cab windows, also required for a 107. For this model I chose the number SC52019, which did not seem to carry a set number at the time (but was normally part of 107435) and unusually had those warning flashes on the lower cab. https://www.flickr.com/photos/134227013@N08/51713966962/

The 'sky replacement' didn't work to well with this image, but looks better than my kitchen...!

 

[SC55015]

1983

This was the last year of the Mark I sleepers on the West Highland Line. With no Sunday service at the time (in the summer there was an Edinburgh - Oban ADEX), the first train on a Monday morning could have a Class 20 added for extra adhesion. Eastfield depot had two Class 20s with through steam pipes, 20045 and 20085, which could be used. In a reproduction of another scene from one of my images (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bystuart/53886968536/), we have the 06:00 Glasgow Queen Street - Mallaig waiting to leave Auchentogle:

 

Bubble cars would often substitute for other types of power cars in DMU sets to allow for maintenance / overhaul. Working the branch in this Glentogle view is SC55011 standing in for a Class 101 DMBS:

 

 

 

[SC55015]

1984
A splash of colour came to the Scottish scene with the coaching stock for the Glasgow - Stranraer service being painted into the Sealink livery. Here a rake is seen in Auchentogle behind a Class 47. A Class 107 sits in the branch platform while a couple of Type 2s are on the fuelling point. I've finally gotten around to painting the pink Daz modelling clay that was in this area. The Kelvin Scottish bus is a little premature - that company was not formed until the following year.

 

The West Highland Line now had Mark 3 sleepers on the Fort William - London service, and to provide ETH the three ETHELs were created from Class 25s. Here 37033 (a Lima model, which I still need to get round buffers for) and 97250 ETHEL 1 (Heljan) arrive into Glentogle station. With the sleepers at the front, this would be a northbound service.

[SC55015]

1985
A summer Crianlarich - Oban service would be introduced in 1985, the Class 104 used for this would soon gain the nickname of the 'Mexican Bean' due to its livery. The DMU would be used for three seasons, and each season it had minor differences. The key difference in 1985 was the small scotty dog on the bodysides, in 1986 and 1987 it carried a much larger version. In 1987 the marker light above the destination blind was replaced by a Wipac headlamp. The model here in its 1985 guise, is a Hornby Class 110 converted using the 3D printed cabs by IronMink available as free downloads on Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6153503) which really look the part:

 

In August 1985 47517 was painted into large logo livery and named 'Andrew Carnegie' by the Dunfermline born industrialist and philanthropist's great granddaughter. Here we see the loco (just a repainted Lima model) during the Auchentogle stop of an Inverness-bound service:

 

[Max Legroom]

With all these lovely new (and expensive) models being released, it’s great to see some older models still looking really good on your layout.

[SC55015]

1986
The move away from plain Rail Blue (and blue/grey) liveries continues. Here an HST set in Executive livery is seen after arriving into Auchentogle station. These are just straight out the box Lima models:

 

The previous year the 37/4s began appearing at Eastfield depot for West Highland Line services. The first, 37 401 Mary Queen of Scots, had a yellow headcode box when first converted but by 1986 this was painted matt black. Here it is seen arriving into Glentogle with a freight, it's a 2nd hand ViTrains loco weathered by the previous owner (and needs some snowploughs!):

[SC55015]

1987

The E&G Push-Pull sets were now in ScotRail livery. These also happened to be where I worked at the time, a buffet steward on these trains - which was a trolley service utilising the former toilet in the DBSO as a storeroom. Here one of these trains is seen in Auchentogle station. The DBSO is an Airfix conversion, done many years ago. It's running with a rake of Oxford Mk3s.

 

At the other end is 47715, a Heljan model bought second hand and weathered by the previous owner.

 

37114 'Dunrobin Castle' sits in the loop at Glentogle awaiting the arrival of the DMU service so it can continue its journey down the branch. This is just an out the box Lima model.