Freight trains in Fife - rare things these days

The only regular freight train on the main line through Fife is 6B32 15:52 Aberdeen Craiginches to LaFarge Oxwellmains (near Dunbar) cement empties. The northbound working operates via Stirling and Perth, thus avoiding the Forth and Tay Bridges, but the empties are permitted to cross them.

66622 runs though Aberdour, 20th August.

Running less frequently, and usually now a Colas 66 turn, is the Linkswood tanks, to supply aviation fuel to RAF Leuchars, scheduled for closure in 2014 as a fighter base. The outbound working is from Grangemouth, via Stirling, Perth & Dundee (run around) to Linkswood. Return is via Ladybank, Thornton, Dunfermline, Alloa & Stirling to Grangemouth. The surprise on 23rd August was that 56105 was on the turn - and this has repeated several times in the past two weeks.

At this point the train was slowing and stopped at Charlestown Jct, where events took a strange twist. The now little used points for the line to Longannet had a problem, and a decision was made to send the train once around the Fife Circle before a successful second attempt about an hour later. 

Running through Dunfermline Town.

66617 is in charge of 6B32 on 27th August, with additional ferryvans.