Transforming the West Highland Line

Mid-day 'Jacobite' to Mallaig heads west from Banavie

Saturday 2nd March 2024

The final Branch meeting of the season featured the Branch Treasurer, Callum MacLeod, presenting “Transforming the West Highland Line”, recalling his stint as Business Manager Highland in the 1980s.

156492 is at the rear of a Sunday Mallaig-Glasgow service departing from Rannoch

Callum provided a comprehensive outline of the operational changes and challenges on the WHL. The early 1980s had 20 double-shifted signal boxes operational, but there are only two today at Banavie SC and Fort William Jct. (previously Mallaig Jct.). The snowshed at Cruach, between Rannoch and Corrour is the only example extant on the railway system and is a listed building. The transition from Cl.37/0 traction and Mk.1 coaches to Cl. 37/4s, Mk.3 sleepers and ETH was noted, necessitating additional electronic energy supplied by the ETHELs. Mk.5 sleepers utilise Cl.66+Cl.73 haulage to counter the gradients. Cl.156s and their diagramming to Haymarket depot for maintenance was described, as was the introduction of RETB signalling and its essential infrastructure.

The construction of Falls of Cruachan station employing redundant concrete sleepers was remarked upon with the reopened stations at Loch Awe and Loch Eil Outward Bound being mentioned. The short-lived Cl.104 ‘Mexican Bean’ running between Oban and Crianlarich and vice versa was also described.

Falls of Cruachan station - reopened in 1988 for just £10,000!

This excellent informative and educational presentation by Callum was thoroughly appreciated by the attendees.