Train Interest in Rannoch

West Highland Railway

History

In 1889 the West Highland Railway Co submitted a scheme to build a railway from Glasgow to Fort William. The North British was the main sponsor. The Bill was opposed but passed with Fort William reached on 7 August 1894.

A Southbound First ScotRail sleeper service departs Rannoch station	Rannoch station	EWS livered DBS 67004 pauses at Rannoch station in the evening light with the Southbound First ScotRail sleeper service

Rannoch Station

Rannoch station 87 miles from Glasgow and has an island platform station with a track down either side and it still has its original buildings, including a small signal booth. There is a tearoom on the station, an old turntable pit and siding for works trains. At the North end of the station is the Renton stone, a carving of the face of Renton by the navies who built the line to recognise one of the railway’s directors who invested a significant amount of his personal fortune for the completion of the line. To the North of the station is the line’s longest viaduct. Good vantage points for photography can be reached on either side of the line to the North.

An EWS livered DBS Class 67 takes the Northbound First ScotRail sleeper service forward to Fort William, having just left Rannoch station and crossed Rannoch viaduct	A Northbound First ScotRail sleeper service for Fort William approaches Rannoch station	Northbound First ScotRail sleeper service for Fort William crosses Rannoch viaduct, consisting two Mark 3 sleeper coaches behind DBS (EWS livered) 67004

Trains - Sleeper

The First ScotRail Sleeper service operates everyday except Saturday nights.

The Fort William sleeper train leaves London Euston joined to the Aberdeen and Inverness portions. At Edinburgh the train is broken into three. A DB Schenker Class 67 (head code 1Y11) leaves Edinburgh Waverley station with the Fort William portion at 04:50AM. The West Highland line is signalled by Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB), this is an alternative form of signalling which doesn’t use conventional signals. It was installed by BR in 1989 to cut costs. Instead virtual electronic tokens are used to ensure only one train is in a section at one time. Thus, where the train leaves conventional signalling at Helensburgh Upper station, the driver requests an electronic token to enter on to the West Highland line by contacting the only remaining signal box at Banavie station - using a special radio device installed in the cab. There is only a small number of locomotives fitted with the special RETB device to operate the sleeper including DB Schenker 67004, 67007, 67009, 67011 and 67030 (the WABK pool).

The southbound sleeper leaves Fort William for Edinburgh Waverley and then London Euston at 1955 (head code 1B01)

See the timetable: http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/files/Sleeper%20Timetable%2009.pdf

A Northbound First ScotRail Class 156 unit passes over Rannoch viaduct towards Fort William	An EWS livered DSB Class 67 loco pauses at Rannoch station on its way Southbound with the First ScotRail sleeper service	An EWS livered DSB Class 67 loco pauses at Rannoch station on its way Southbound with the First ScotRail sleeper service

Day Trains

First Scotrail operate Class 156s on the day trains on the West Highland line which were internally refreshed in 2007. Fifteen are fitted with RETB: 156446, 156447, 156450, 156453, 156457, 156458, 156465, 156474, 156476, 156478, 156485, 156492, 156493, 156496, 156499.

See the timetable: http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/files/Glasgow&theWes%20HighlandsMay09.pdf

EWS livered DBS 67004 pauses at Rannoch station in the evening light with the Southbound First ScotRail sleeper service	Northbound First ScotRail sleeper service for Fort William approaches Rannoch station, consisting two Mark 3 sleeper coaches behind the DBS (EWS livered) Class 67 loco	Southbound First ScotRail Class 156 unit for Glasgow Queen Street at Rannoch station

Train Specials and Rail Tours

West Coast Railways operate ‘The Jacobite’ train each summer and the steam locomotive travels through Rannoch to the depot at Fort William for the summer season and then returns after the summer season; 62005 Lord of the Isles (designed by the LNER and built by the North British Locomotive Company at Queen’s Park in Glasgow and delivered to BR in June 1949) was used as one of the Jacobite this year.

West Coast Railways also operates and provides the steam engine and coaches for the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films. Filming has happened between Corrour and Rannoch stations however for obvious reasons running times and locations are usually kept private. For past filming, the steam locomotive 5972 Olton Hall has been used with the alternative name of “Hogwarts Castle”.

A number of rail tour operators have special excursions over the West Highland line through Rannoch station. Spitfire Railtours (http://www.spitfirerailtours.co.uk/Tour%20Calendar.htm) have plans to visit the line again after its West Highlander rail tour in July 2009 utilising a DRS Class 20 and Class 37. Also, the Scottish Railway Preservation Society runs tours on the line (http://www.srps.org.uk/railtours/programme.htm). Other operators to consider also include Pathfinder Tours (http://www.pathfindertours.co.uk).

Hogwarts Express during Harry Potter filming in Rannoch	Diesel being rescued by a Steam Train at Rannoch Station in Autumn 2006	The 'Royal Scotsman' takes the Sleeper train south on a Summers evening

Freight

There is a aluminium processing plant just after Fort William and also a small oil terminal. DB Schenker operates a freight path for Alumina for bulk movements operated by a Class 66 locomotive.