Andy's holiday snaps.

[Manky Monkey]

Highland reservoir, supplying water to Glasgow. It comes right up to the road's edge -no fences or warnings. I wonder how many unwary motorists have ended up in there in the dark or fog.

[Manky Monkey]

The Jacobite steam train heading South through the Highlands as I was driving home.
I'd passed it earlier, then spotted a British Rail sign at the side of the road  & decided to pull in at the station to watch it go by. The road quickly became an incredibly steep, twisting climb, barely wider than my car, through the trees & just as I was thinking I'd better try & turn back, it opened out into a tiny carpark that wouldn't hold more than half a dozen cars. A tunnel under the track led up to the rail station. "Upper Tyndrum" is a tiny little station perched among the pine trees, with mist shrouded mountains all around. The buildings were all locked & there wasn't a soul in sight. The platform tapered down to the single track & I could've walked right onto it. I knew the train was at least 10 minutes behind me, so stood there, listening to the birds & the breeze in the tree tops. So peaceful.
20 minutes went by & no sign of the train. Maybe it'd stopped somewhere else? Maybe it'd taken another route? Ah well, at least I'd finished my holiday with a sighting of it in full steam thundering through the glens. Half an hour of standing by myself on a deserted platform & I decided it was time to get going. But wait -did I just catch the sound of something clanking in the distance? Suddenly there it was -a big black loco chugging around the side of the hillside, enveloped in steam & mist. I'm no train spotter, but I do love the sight & sound of traction engines & steam trains & I had this one all to myself.

[Manky Monkey]

It rolled into the station, towing 10 West Coast carriages & came to a gentle stop beside me. No passengers on board, just the driver, firemen & guard. Strangely, no-one spoke to me -they just smiled & stood waiting for the track signal to change. All a bit surreal. 

[Manky Monkey]

.

[Manky Monkey]

A few moments later, with a blast of the whistle, they were underway again, chugging off into the distance.

[Manky Monkey]

A "helper" diesel at the back of the train. A 1960s Type 37 if I'm not mistaken. Only about 40 of them left in service now -O.K, maybe I'm a little bit of a train spotter.

[Manky Monkey]

.

[Manky Monkey]

And they were gone.
I stood alone again on the platform, just me & the breeze & the mountains & the mist. It felt kinda odd -did that just happen? I had a nasty feeling I was going to pull into a petrol station further down the road & mention to the guy at the pump that I'd just seen the steam train at Tyndrum station & he'd give me a puzzled look & say "Tyndrum? There haven't been any trains there for 50 years. Not since the midnight express derailed & plunged down the hillside, killing the driver, the fireman & the guard". -Aaaarrrggghhh!!!
A wonderful couple of days in the hills. Next year I'm going back in my truck. 

[Manky Monkey]

.

[Manky Monkey]

Can I do my Farr joke now?

Farr.

[Manky Monkey]

Farr, far away.

Harr, ha, ha!!
Can't believe I drove 20 miles out of my way for that.
Totally worth it. 

[Mendalot]

You definately, definately, needed to get back to the workshop ............ TRAIN spotting!!    REALLY??? 

[Manky Monkey]

 

[BikerGran]

It felt kinda odd -did that just happen? I had a nasty feeling I was going to pull into a petrol station further down the road & mention to the guy at the pump that I'd just seen the steam train at Tyndrum station & he'd give me a puzzled look & say "Tyndrum? There haven't been any trains there for 50 years. Not since the midnight express derailed & plunged down the hillside, killing the driver, the fireman & the guard".

Eeeek I had that feeling just reading your description, before you said that!  Anything could happen in the scotch mist............

[goose]

beautiful place scotland , going there myself in december , nice photos andy ..