FIFTY years to the day after the closure of the ‘Waverley Route’ on January 5, 1969, Pathfinder Tours is organising a Deltic-hauled train to Tweedbank to mark that sad anniversary.

Famously, the penultimate passenger train over the whole line 50 years ago was hauled by No. 9007 Pinza, and it was subject to a series delays caused by protesters demanding a reprieve for the line.

Pathfinder’s anniversary run will traverse the part of the Waverley route reopened to great acclaim and public support in 2015, and will also feature a ‘Deltic’ – in this case No. D9009 Alycidon.

Starting from Birmingham New Street, the train will pick up along the West Coast Main Line to Carlisle, running over Beattock to Edinburgh and then through the lovely scenery of the Borders to Tweedbank.

After a photo stop and leg stretch, a second diesel locomotive will haul the train back to Edinburgh (running via the Suburban line) for an afternoon break of around two hours in the Scottish capital.

At around 18.00 the homeward run via Carstairs will begin, taking the train back via the West Coast Main Line.

Read more in the October issue of The RM – on sale now!
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Comments

comments