A quick return to Scotland for social events in September 1990, including a short visit to Perth on 10th September. While I was elsewhere, the introduction of Class 158 into Scotrail services was a difficult period. Units (709/711/708) worked the first public service on 17th Sept 1990 on the Edinburgh-Glasgow route.
In May 1990 Scotrail drafted Class 156's onto express services, when the push-pull sets were reassigned to InterCity. The ongoing problems led to the short term usage of Class 37 locomotives with Mk 1 stock, some borrowed back from the SRPS or Caledonian Railway.
37087 in the platform at Perth with a 2 coach train. It would reverse out from here, and is recorded as later working 2A74 1712 Dundee - Montrose and 2Y46 1808 Montrose - Perth, similarly the next day.
The locomotive was new as D6787 from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn on 31st December 1962, allocated to Gateshead. Overhauled at Doncaster in April 1990, when it was repainted into Departmental Grey, and transferred to Eastfield. Later stored in March 1997, and to Harry Needle in October 2002, sold to DRS in February 2005, overhauled through until March 2006, and returned to traffic. Withdrawn in June 2012, delivered to Booth's in February 2013, and broken up within the following three weeks.
37088 Clydesdale on the far side of the wall, with a newly constructed Cash & Carry beyond located where there were once sidings. The track where 37088 is stopped is similarly now gone, as Perth has continued to be rationalised,, the same spot seen in more recent years. It was sharing the Montrose working with 37087 through until Friday 14th September 1990, seen here with the two coach train on 12th.
D6788 was new from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn on 14th January 1963, allocated to Gateshead. Renumbered 37323 and named Clydesdale in July 1986 when allocated to Motherwell, with strengthened couplings and modified brake blocks for working the heavy trains to Ravenscraig, Renumbered back to 37088 in September 1989. Transferred to Eastliegh when at Glasgow Works for overhaul, completed in June 1990, repainted into Departmental Grey. Stored serviceable in June 1996, assigned for component recovery in 1998, arriving at Wigan CRDC in July 1999. Removed from the CRDC in July 2002, and cut up at Booth's by October 2002.
158703 was still on driver training and mileage accumulation, given the tribulations of getting the 158s into service. There was no unit number on the other end.
08712 shunted at Perth for many years. Delivered from BR Crewe as D3879 to 64A St Margaret's on 28th April 1960, later to Bathgate, Haymarket (both in 1966) and Grangemouth in 1974. Overhauled at Glasgow Works in April 1976. It was reallocated from Grangemouth to Dundee in 1977, then to Dunfermline in the early 80s, when Dundee shed was closed. This was followed by a shuffle to Ayr and back to Dunfermline, then Thornton when the new shed building was opened. Overhauled and air-brake fitted at Swindon in March 1984, formally allocated to Perth about 1987, and back to Thornton by 1991. Some of the allocations may have been a game of finding a depot closest to Perth, but latterly to Eastfield. Withdrawn on 11th December 1992 at Motherwell, and cut up at MC Metals at Motherwell MPD by 15th September 1993.
Pictures at Perth from other photographers: one (27May77) two (07Apr79) three (06Jun84) four (24Jul84) five (06Aug84) six (06Sep87) seven (02Jul90) eight (06Dec90) nine ten eleven
1730 is a RBR completed in November 1960, which in August 1988 ran as 99818, returning to 1730 in April 1990, as part of its transition into the SRPS Railtours fleet, today based at Bo'ness. The adjacent coaches were I believe in the similar usage, but there have been changes in the train consist in the intervening period, 1730 has spent longer with the SRPS than it did with BR.
2821 was originally 2612 a SLSTP built in 1960 at BR Wolverton, converted in 1971 to SLEP 2821 and withdrawn in October 1983, and sold to Fulmar Marine at Invergordon for worker accommodation, acquired by the SRPS and moved to Falkirk in 1984. After Perth, moved to Bo'ness and scrapped in 2005.
LMS 12059 Third built 1930 later SC11406M and DM395918 in Departmental service, acquired by the SRPS in 1996, and in the core collection. "This "Period 2" coach is now a gutted shell, and at risk in open storage. It is the only survivor of this type of high-capacity non-corridor carriage built for branch lines and suburban services in cities".
