Scottish Steam's Final Fling

Extracts from a Teenager's Notebooks

Keith Widdowson

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2017
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• eBook ISBN:
  9780750983129
• Subtopic: British History
• Index: Technology & Engineering

In May 1967, Scotland became the third of the six BR regions to dispense with the steam locomotive. Residing over 300 miles away Keith Widdowson's pilgrimages north of the border were by necessity of marathon undertakings. Abysmal overnight time keeping, missed connections, trains allegedly booked steam but turning up diesel… but these setbacks were eclipsed by successes such as catching runs with LNER classes of A2, A4, V2 and B1's and BR Clans. Accompanied with brief historical data of routes and stations visited, many of which have long disappeared, this book is a collection of reminiscences from those final two years - which anyone with a penchant for railways will enjoy.

Table of contents

• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 For the Love of Steam
• 2 First Impressions, May 1965
• 3 The Main Players, May 1965
• 4 The Fife Coast Visit, July 1965
• 5 Steam Hauled Over the Firths, August 1965
• 6 Mixed Fortunes, August 1965
• 7 Scottish Visitors Down South, March 1966
• 8 Carlisle Calling, March 1966
• 9 The Quintinshill Visit, June 1966
• 10 Brief Encounters, July–August 1966
• 11 Granite City Bound, July 1966
• 12 Caught at Last, August 1966
• 13 The Ayrshire Attack, September 1966
• 14 The Evening Carlisle–Perth, 1966–67
• 15 The Final Weekend, May 1967
• 16 And Still They Come, 1967
• 17 Many Happy Returns
• An Afterthought
• Appendix 1 Steam Locomotive Wheel Arrangements
• Appendix 2 Index of All Steam Journeys Made on Scottish Region Metals
• Appendix 3 Steam Sheds Within the Scottish Region of BR
• Appendix 4 Steam Allocations Within the Scottish Region of BR
• Appendix 5 Lines or Stations Closed (to Passengers) Travelled Over
• Appendix 6 Preserved Railways in Scotland
• Glossary of Terms
• Sources