I was booked on 9S47, an 11-coach 'Pendolino' to Glasgow, in seat J39. The coach was almost full when I boarded, so I had to take the assigned seat (back to direction of travel) until Preston, when I swopped to a 'facing' seat.
Wolverhampton Station: Progress on steelwork for new station. The tall building in the background is student accommodation for the University (Glasgow by Rail).
The train left Wolverhampton at 09:39 and the catering staff offered tea/coffee and a sandwich soon afterwards. We passed through Stafford at 09:51, where I was surprised to see the 'Northern Belle' Pullman train waiting to depart southwards from platform 6, 'top and tailed' by Class 47s. North of Stafford, we passed another set of coaching stock heading south - this time in maroon livery.
Stafford: Northern Belle stock (Glasgow by Rail)
We arrived at Crewe, platform 11, at 10:10 by which time I'd discovered that I was seated above a rather 'rough riding' bogie with brakes that squeaked each time they were applied but it wasn't too bad. We departed after a brief one-minute stop. At 10:17 we passed a train of loaded container wagons on the Down Slow. I used 'Railcam.UK' on my Smartphone to find out that the freight was 4M45, on its way to Garston Freight Liner Terminal from Felixstowe (there's a brief outline of the remarkable features offered by 'Railcam.UK' in my post here).
We passed Winsford, where the quadruple track from Crewe converges into double track, at 10:20. On the Down Slow, a steam special headed by 'Tornado' was waiting for us to pass before following. 'Railcam.UK' informed me that the 'special' was 1Z68 which had started from Birmingham at 07:48 to make various pick-ups. It would follow us to Faringdon Junction where it would diverge right and, via Blackburn, Hellifield and the S & C Line, was due to arrive in Carlisle at 14:56.
I noted us passing Weaver Junction at 10:24 and arriving at Warrington at 10:29, against a 'booked' time of 10:26. Then we stood until, at 10:35, the Train Manager announced on the Public Address that we would be held for an indeterminate period because of an unspecified "Safety problem at Lancaster". Whilst we waited, 'Tornado' and her train caught-up and came to a stand in the adjacent platform on the Down Slow. We quietly departed at 10:43, now 15 minutes 'down'. As we approached Winwick Junction, we passed a train of bogie bulk cement wagons on the Down Slow. 'Railcam.UK' revealed that this was 6M90, 04:57 Hanson's sidings at Avonmouth to Castle Cement at Clitheroe and, when we passed, 'right-time'.
Our Wigan timings should have been 10:37 arrive, 10:39 depart, but were actually 10:52/10:54. The 1½ mile 'pull' out of Wigan at 1 in 104 to the site of Boar's head Junction was scarcely noticed by the 'Pendolino', then the gradient eased to the summit near Coppull, where we started our descent towards Preston.
Gradient Diagram: Betley Road - Coppull
Click for larger view
Because of the "Safety problem at Lancaster", trains were now 'bunching-up' and, as we approached Preston, our speed fell. On the Down Slow, we crept past trains 1B19 and 1N55, already stopped and came to a stand at 11:05, just south of the station, next to a waiting container train (4S53) on the Down Goods headed by a Class 88 'electro-diesel'. This class runs from 25 kV a.c. most of the time but can run from its own diesel engine when necessary.
Preston: Freight 4S53 waiting on Down Goods, just south of station (Glasgow by Rail)
We waited whilst the train ahead of us cleared the platform then our signal 'cleared' and we slowly rolled into platform 4, coming to a stop at 11:10. Although platform 4 at Preston was crowded with passengers, I was near the rear of the train where the broad platform remained empty. I fumed once again over the insensitive 'modern' infilling of a cross-passage in the station buildings.
Preston Platform 4: The pleasing proportions of the original station are marred by a crude later infill of reinforced concrete and brick (Glasgow by Rail)
The apologetic Train Manager described the situation as "Chaotic" but eventually passengers managed to sort themselves out. Another announcement then said we could not leave since the dislocations to the service meant that we had no Train Manager to take the train forward! According to 'Railcam.UK', we should have left Preston at 10:53½ after a two-minute stop, but it was 11:16 when we left with the lady Train Manager making a nice apology for the delay caused by the "Line Inspection between Preston and Lancaster" and admitting that we now hadn't got catering staff in First Class.
As we passed Oubeck Loops (18 miles beyond Preston), the live signalling diagrams of 'Railcam.UK' showed the disposition of trains in the area. Ahead of us, 1S40 was in Lancaster station (21 miles beyond Preston) with 1S45 catching up. Behind us, 1S46 was hard on our heels at Galgate with 1S42 near Brock (around 7 miles beyond Preston). Under these conditions, drivers usually regulate their speed to try to keep seeing 'single yellow' signals so as to avoid coming to a complete stand but, at 11:32, we had to stop at a 'red' signal (PN217).
The 'Railcam.UK' signalling diagram showed 1S40 setting off from Lancaster which, once the signalling 'overlaps' were satisfied, would allow 1S45 its turn at the platform. At 11:36, the signalling diagram showed 1S45 moving forward, allowing our 'red' at PN217 to clear and my train to quietly trundle further north. At 11:40 we came to a stop again, this time at signal PN226, the last signal before entering Lancaster station. This signal controls two routes - to the Down Main, the through line for trains not stopping at Lancaster and, via a left-hand turnout, to the Down Passenger Loop serving platform 3. To give the driver 'advance notice' of this signal, a Banner Repeater was installed in the rear of signal PN226.
In the days of semaphore signals, Banner Repeaters for 'stop' signals comprised a round frame, illuminated to show a white background, in front of which a black centre-pivoted arm was placed. The distinctive appearance was intended to remind drivers that this was not a signal to be obeyed but advance warning of a signal. If the signal was 'on', the black arm remained horizontal but when the signal was 'off', the arm was pivoted electrically to a diagonal position. In some locations, the semaphore 'stop' signal being repeated also carried a 'worked' distant signal lower down the post or doll. In such cases, an additional banner repeater, distinguished by a notched arm was provided under the stop signal Banner Repeater to mimic the appearance of the following signal.We finally stopped in platform 3 at Lancaster at 11:42 which was crowded with lots of bewildered-looking passengers but we were away again within two minutes. Beyond Carnforth, we started to climb. We should have passed through Oxenholme at speed but, presumably because we had caught up with 1S45 ahead of us, we came to a stand at 11:55 at signal CE46 just south of the platforms at Oxenholme.
Nowadays, Banner Repeaters are formed from Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) presenting displays on a flat screen at the front of a square metal box. An array of white LEDs shows a white disc, with an unlit dark bar either horizontally or diagonally to indicate the state of the following signal. But if, as at Lancaster, two routes ahead of the repeated signal have differing speed limits, two Banner Repeaters may be fitted side-by-side, as a 'splitting repeater' with the repeater for the faster route mounted higher, in imitation of the way when semaphore signals applied to multiple routes ahead, the higher the signal arm on each doll, the higher the permitted speed on that route. Banner repeater PN226 BR at Lancaster is a 'splitting repeater'.
Modern signalling uses 3- and 4-aspect colour light signals which don't just authorise movement to the next signal but give information about the aspect displayed by that next signal. In a similar way, some LED Banner Repeaters can offer a 'third aspect'. As soon as the repeated signal changes from 'red' to 'yellow', the repeater changes from white disc with a horizontal dark bar to white disc with a diagonal dark bar. But when the repeated signal displays 'green', the white disc changes to a green disc, still with a diagonal dark bar.
Oxenholme: View on Down side showing south end of platform 2 (Glasgow by Rail)
Gradient Diagram: Coppull - Oxenholme
Click for larger view
After a minute or two, we were away again and the climbing continued. After passing Grayrigg Loops at 12:04 there was a respite until passing Tebay at 12:07. Here the serious climbing started, with over four miles at 1 in 75 but we passed Shap Summit at 12.11.
Shap Summit: View on Down side showing Banner Repeater for signal CE137 (I'm afraid the actual display, diagonal bar on white disc is only visible in larger sizes of this shot).
We passed Harrisons Siding at 12:13 and arrived at Penrith, which markets itself with the phrase 'The Northern Lakes', at 12:21 leaving at 12:23, compared with the 'booked' times of 11:44/11:45½.
Penrith Station Down platform (Glasgow by Rail)
We reeled off the final 18 miles to Carlisle in around 14 minutes but came to another signal stop just south of the station, adding another two minutes to our lateness. At least I had an opportunity to admire the handsome, stone-built St. Nicholas Bridges crossing the myriad railway lines and graced by ornamental lighting fittings. Of course, additional modern LED road lighting on tall standards has been added which rather detracts from the effect. We pulled into Carlisle Citadel's platform 3 at 12:38.
Carlisle: St. Nicholas Bridges, just south of the station, is a stone structure with attractive lighting fittings (Glasgow by Rail)
Gradient Diagram: Oxenholme - Carlisle
Click for larger view
I was impressed that, before we left at 12:41, the Train Manager came through First Class herself distributing sandwiches but hot drinks required passengers to walk through the train to what used to be the Buffet Car but is now 'The Shop', so I didn't bother. Travelling on metals of the former Caledonian Railway, after 1½ miles, we passed Kingmoor Traction Maintenance Depot on the Down side, now used by Direct Rail Services.
Kingmoor Traction Maintenance Depot, Direct Rail Services, on Down side north of Carlisle (Glasgow by Rail)
My train accelerated past Carlisle (Kingmoor) Yard, also on the Down side, reduced to a shadow of its former self. The Kingmoor Parish Council site comments:-
"At a cost of 4.5 million Kingmoor New Yard was one of the largest and most ambitious projects undertaken during the modernisation of British Railways. The site chosen for the Kingmoor New Yard was a strip of land alongside the old Caledonian main line to Glasgow which was purchased in 1956 with work beginning 3 years later in 1959. The yard was fully operational in 1963. In the mid 1960’s Kingmoor Yard was very busy. The peak number of trains handled in a day was 134 whilst the largest number of wagons sorted was 4,050".In the 1960s, British Railways abandoned the idea of being a 'full service' freight operator accepting single wagon loads and concentrated on 'block loads' making largely redundant a number of modern marshalling yards around the country, including Kingmoor.
Carlisle: Kingmoor Yard, view on Down side of Main lines, showing Snow Plough on siding between No. 1 and 2 Departure Lines (Glasgow by Rail)
Just 10 miles after leaving Carlisle, we passed the site of the worst accident in U.K. railway history at Quintinshill. On 22nd May 1915, a double collision involving three passenger trains killed 224 passengers and 3 railway servants, injuring 242 passengers and 4 railway servants. The full accident report can be found on the invaluable Railway Archive site here.
My train had been 39 minutes late leaving Carlisle and, in an attempt to help passengers get to their destinations following what was now being called the "disruption between Lancaster and Preston", the Train Manager had been issued with a Special Stop Order to make an additional call at Lockerbie. We arrived at Lockerbie, with its pretty stone-built station buildings largely ruined by an ugly modern platform canopy, at 12:58. A flurry of passengers got off and we set off again at 12:59, now 40 minutes 'down'.
Lockerbie Station Down Platform.
We passed Beattock, 15 miles beyond Lockerbie, at speed and climbed for 9 miles to the summit on a varying gradient nowhere easier than 1 in 88 and 1 in 69 at worst.
Gradient Diagram: Carlisle - Beattock Summit
Click for larger view
The Beattock Summit is about halfway from Carlisle to Glasgow: All the hard climbing is done and, for Down trains, the prevailing gradient is now downhill.
Beattock: View on Down side (Glasgow by Rail)
The line passed through open country with small villages, all of which have now lost their station until the railway junction at Carstairs. Although it retains its station, my train did not deign to stop. Two miles beyond Carstairs, the single line branch from Lanark (population around 10,000) joined on our left. At Carluke, we slowed again, 'Railcam.UK' showing that we were now behind a local train from Lanark, 2B77. I feared that this train might precede us to Glasgow but, at Law Junction a couple of miles later, the local train branched right onto the Wishaw line and our speed picked up again. We rushed through Motherwell then Uddingston and hastened past Newton's two platforms serving the Hamilton Circle Lines.
Approaching Newton Station, viewed from Down Main.
The view is now more urban and, after the Carmyle line joins on our right, the last four miles to Glasgow Central are quadruple track. At Polmadie, the Alstom UK Traincare Depot extends on both sides of the running lines.
Polmadie Down Sidings.
After Larkfield Junction, we pass through one of two Eglinton Street Tunnels and slow on the approach to Eglinton Street Junction.
Glasgow: Approaching Eglinton Street Junction on Down Slow. The overbridge in the background carries the City Union Line over the West Coast Main Line.
Glasgow: Approaching Bridge St. Junction on line 2. Signal gantry shows signals GG5221 for Line 4 (Down) and GG5223 for Line 3 (Reversible). There are similar signals for line 2 (Down) and line 1 (Reversible). The former Glasgow Central Signalling Centre (used from 1972 to 2008) is visible in the background on the right.
Finally, we rumbled over the Clyde Bridge at the approach to the platform and came to a stand at curving platform 1, under Glasgow Central's impressive overall roof. We had arrived!
I'm afraid it took me until 2021 to write about the rest of the day and my rather quick tour of Glasgow using the Glasgow Subway in the post Glasgow by Rail (part 2).
Glasgow Central Station: Crossing the Clyde Bridge approaching the station.
Glasgow Central Station: View from 'Pendolino' arriving at platform 1.
Gradient Diagram: Beattock Summit - Glasgow.
Click for larger view
Related Posts on this Website
The following post describes a trip over the same route to Carlisle earlier in 2019:-
Whitehaven by Rail
My pictures
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums below:-
The journey that day is divided into two albums:-
Glasgow by train.
Glasgow by rail (return).
These pictures have also been added to various albums each covering a roughly-defined geographical area. Within each album, photographs are normally arranged by date taken. Thus, by searching through the appropriate album, you can find changes through time. Travelling to Glasgow added pictures to a number of albums as we moved through various areas.
West Midland Railways (Wolverhampton).
Stafford Area rail.
Crewe Area rail.
Liverpool area rail (Winsford-Weaver Jn).
Warrington Area rail.
Wigan's Railways.
Railways around Preston.
Lancaster area rail.
Carnforth railways.
WCML through Cumbria.
Carlisle's Railways.
Scottish Railways.
Glasgow Central Station.
There is also an album with historical Gradient Diagrams.
Gradient Diagrams.
[Link to Part 2 added 14-Feb-2021]
