Alloa Railway Re-opening

**cessna152towser** · 16th May 08, 03:44 AM

The railway line along the north bank of th Firth of Forth between Stirling and Alloa closed to passengers in the nineteen sixties and to freight in the nineteen eighties. Now that the Scottish Government have autonomy over transport policy, funds have been made available to re-open railways and yesterday was the turn of Alloa to rejoin the rail network. Pasengers are piped aboard the first public train.

For the first day's runs an appropriate train from the old railway era was run, seen here getting under way as excited children race the train.

Joining the main line. The train is leaving the station platform line at Alloa and joining the new main line, which once more provides a through route for freight between Stirling and Dunfermline. The locomotive is number 61994, The Great Marquess.

On the gradient out of Alloa station, smoke still oozes from under the bridge as the third coach passes below the camera.

The locomotive has now reached the summit and will begin to gather speed. This is the site of the original Alloa station, which was once a multiple platform junction for lines to Larbert, Alva and the Devon Valley route through to Kinross, as well as to Stirling and Dunfermline. A new leisure centre was built on the station site but there is enough space for a re-instated single rail track to squeeze past.

The Devon Valley route to Kinross has now been converted to a cycle track for the first six miles as far as Tillicoultry and Dollar.

The train has arrived at Stirling, which is one of the few places in Scotland to retain traditional semaphore signalling.

The classic station concourse at Stirling, with its old booking hall, buffet and blue enamel signs is remarkably unchanged from an earlier era.

A modern class 170 Turbostar deisel train which shuttles between Glasgow and Stirling. From Monday this service will be extended to Alloa.

A ninteen sixties deisel locomotive was on hand at Stirling to take the special train back to Alloa.

**Barry** · 16th May 08, 04:25 AM

Thanks Alex for these wonderful pictures. Its good to see that the Scots at least are undoing some of Richard Beeching`s work. Its a shame that there was no North British Rly engine available to pull the special, but the Gresley K4 is a nice second choice and quite appropriate, I think.

I note a wee bitty camera shake on the photo of Stirling concourse. Was it seeing the lassie in her 60s outfit?

All the best from Dorset

**auld argonian** · 16th May 08, 05:12 AM

I'm always grateful for your railroad photos, Alex. I guess that I'm part of the generation of Americans whose image of the UK railroads was formed watching old movies like the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes series and some of the old Hitchcock flicks. Even the train in "A Hard Day's Night" looks...well...just cool and interesting to me. It's very reassuring that you folks over there seem to have a certain reverence for the railroad tradition and keep those old trains in shape and run them once in a while so that people don't forget them.

My own experience with the rails in the UK was back in the late seventies when I took the train from Harwich to London after coming over from Holland. All my wife wanted to do was to get to London and a nice hotel but I must have looked like a total tourist as I looked around the train with a big, dumb smile on my face.

If/when I ever get over there, I hope that the timing coincides with some of these vintage train excursions so I'd have a chance to go on one or two of them.

Thanks again.

Best

AA

**ThreadBbdr** · 16th May 08, 05:24 AM

I love the old vintage trains. My town is the national headquarters for the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) and at our yearly "railroad days" celebration, there is usually a vintage train ride available. There are several old locomotoives (non working) in parks and museums around here as well.

One of my friend's husband works for the RR and I'm learning a ton of stuff about the different types and the logistics of the RR from him. Thanks for the wonderful pictures and the little lesson in the local RR history! Very cool.

**Avonlea22** · 16th May 08, 06:01 AM

Wonderful pictures, Alex. Thanks so much for sharing them. Since my childhood, I've always loved trains, especially steam. Will they use the steam locomotive regularly?

**JerseyLawyer** · 16th May 08, 06:07 AM

*gasp* Imagine the carbon footprint of that coal locomotive!!!

Seriously, though, great pictures. I loved traveling by rail when I lived in the UK, except for the potential to get killed by those old slam-door passenger cars. If only that were an option in the USA. Amtrak is all the discomfort of an airplane with none of the speed.

**ChromeScholar** · 16th May 08, 06:22 AM

Great pics. I love trains!

**Galician** · 16th May 08, 06:32 AM

Great pics, and I love the appreciation for local service the Scottish government(?) is showing in restoring service in that region.

Great shot of the piper too!

Might you have any idea as to the tartan he's wearing? It's a beautiful kilt.

**cessna152towser** · 16th May 08, 06:39 AM

Will they use the steam locomotive regularly?

Not on this route, but the steam locomotive will see regular use throughout the summer on the Jacobite steam train between Fort William and Mallaig. It is due to travel to Fort William today to begin its season there this weekend and will then run daily till late October.

**Phil** · 16th May 08, 07:24 AM

Nice to see a bit of nostalgia with the steam trains. If you want to go on a steam train this link has details of the Bo'ness one which is handy for Edinburgh - http://www.srps.org.uk/

I see the Alloa line had the usual budget overspend £85 million against the original estimate of £37 million. I wonder if it will colour any decisions on re-opening the Waverley line to Galashiels. It is already up from £110 million to £235 million and no doubt rising and they haven't even started it yet.