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Bold = Haulage, Red = Winner, All others are sightings.
Following a hearty breakfast the wife and I went our separate ways. She went off to do the open top bus tour, I had worked out the trains I wanted so off to Glasgow Central I went again.
Today's targets were a couple of new lines but I had to be careful as I was meeting the wife for lunch, then we'd have to collect the suitcase from the Premier Inn and then head to Queen Street. We were returning to London via Edinburgh due to the continued Carstairs remodelling.
First on the list was to catch the 09:11 train heading south. 1F57 Glasgow Central to Adrossan Harbour (Glasgow Central to Adrossan Harbour) 380011, 380017 (both winners and cleared for 5 miles) [32m 09ch]. Adrossan Harbour is another of those stations I've thought of visiting for years. I'd not seen any photos of it and I wasn't too sure on what to expect. What I found is not what I expected. Adrossan Harbour Is a single platform with very little in the way of amenities. I'll be writing up a Station page on Ardrossan sometime soon.
Same train out as the one I came in on. 1F60 Ardossan Harbour to Glasgow Central (Adrossan Harbour to Kilwinning) 380011, 380017 (Non winners) [5m 38ch].
Kilwinning is a strange sort of station as it nestles in the V of a junction. One line goes to Lars and Adrossan Harbour and one line goes to Ayr. Another station worth writing a page on some day I feel.
A number of Ayr services passed while there so I was able to take a few photos before my next train. 1T09 Glasgow Central to Largs (Kilwinning to Largs) 380020 (winner and cleared for 5 miles) [16m 07ch]. The Largs line is effectively a single line despite there being a second line. The rails are somewhat rusted over.
Sadly I did not have a lot of time at Largs but they have made one of the bay platforms in to a community garden which looked lovely and I expect in the summer will look even better.
1T12 Largs to Glasgow Central (Largs to Glasgow Central) 380020 (non winner) [42m 58ch] whisked me back to Central and to meet the wife.
Once there we met up and had lunch in a local Wetherspoons before heading to the hotel to collect our case. Our train from Queen street wasn't advertised yet so it gave me a short time to look at how the station has been transformed. There is improvement on the concourse but like most modernisation it's pushed the heritage of the station in to the background but you can still see the old roof. Externally looking at the station it's another glass and metal looking frontage.
Our train appeared on the new and improved departures board and we got through the barriers and on to it. 1R76 Glasgow Queet Street to Edinburgh Waverley (Glasgow Queet Street to Edinburgh Waverley) 385121, 385120 (both winners and cleared for 5 miles) [47m 13ch]. Oh how I remember the days of the class 47/7 locos with MkII or MkIII coaching stock and a DBSO powering trains between the two cities. Nice and certainly more comfortable.
At Waverley we alighted and, of course, it was lashing down with rain so we rushed under cover. THe wife went off to look for snacks for the train back and if possible a small suitcase. She was out of luck on the case but she managed a decent selection for our trip back.
1E23 16:30 Edinburgh Waverley to Kings Cross 801215 (Winner and cleared for 75 miles) [392m 52ch].
Just before we left a couple got on. She was falling asleep but he thought it was acceptable to produce a vape and start puffing it. The first guard put out a message which he ignored but the second one actually told him to put it away. He had a right grump on until he got off at York where he retrieved it from his pocket and started on it again.
What am amazing trip.
Off of the back of this, the trip has given me a better insight to ideas on how to clear some of the lines I am missing out of Glasgow Central. I now know that on a day trip I would be able to knock off one line for example Balloch.
It's also given me the realisation on the other lines I can't quite knock off like that, I'd be able to do a long weekend or even a few days break. Of course the wife wants to do the Jacobite train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. That one WILL have to be a few days break away.