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| Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 01:13 #29534 | |
Underwood
746 posts |
Hello all, I believe Peter B on here might remember the Scots region in 1981, but I've put this post here in case anyone else knows otherwise. I've been playing Hellfire again recently (Bashing simulator set in summer 1981) and whilst chasing 26's up on the Far North Line to Wick (and also Kyle line), I wondered about the Georgmas Junction shuttle to Thurso. The first working to Wick is at around 6am from Inverness and splits at Georgmas as usual for another 26 to work on to Thurso, which works the shuttle all day. I've always wondered how the Class 26 gets up there? It does swap out now and again, obviously as it needs to get back to Inverness at some point in it's life to get fuel/servicing from Inverness shed, but the first working north and last one from Wick south is always single headed in the game. Bear in mind, the simulator will only count locos that are actually working (as you would count them) and any dead locos on, you can't see them. Does the Thurso loco tail on from the first working from Inverness to Georgmas then take a piggy back ride on the last one back switched off? I can't imagine it staying up there for a few days and parking overnight each time, and I can't imagine it working Light Engine all the way to Inverness either... Anyone remember what it actually does and if it was swapped out daily? Cheers, James. Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 05:31 #29541 | |
Meld
1098 posts |
James From memory the loco used to stay up there a few days at a time and would normally be swapped out by double heading as opposed to DIT loco. The lunchtime-ish departure was the normally used to swap the loco over. There were 3 trains a day each way over the line so the 'Branch' loco had to stay overnight at Thurso to work the early morning trip down to Georgemas HTH Passed the age to be doing 'Spoon Feeding' !!! Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 06:09 #29543 | |
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maxand
1637 posts |
Sounds interesting. Hellfire Haulage Bashing Simulator Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 06:55 #29547 | |
Peter Bennet
5363 posts |
The Far North line was not one I did very often- generally did the WHL on Freedom of Scotlands and there was enough variety on the Edinburgh-Dundee's to keep anyone happy! But I'd not disagree with what Meld says which seem the most likely scenario. I had this game at one time too, quite fun- what would things have been like if we'd had all the current Modern technology and data feeds available to track down engines back then? Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 09:10 #29549 | |
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Meld
1098 posts |
" said:Peter Its still as playable as ever and I understand that Mike is still developing a new version, If you can still provide proof or remember the email you used to register the game, then Mike will still renew your licence key - I should know - I've had enough new PC's and had to get a new one ;) BTW Mikes just emigrated to Oz and I understand it will be a few weeks before he gets round to restarting things Passed the age to be doing 'Spoon Feeding' !!! Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 09:10 #29550 | |
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clive
2738 posts |
I only did the Far North once [1], and it was early 1982, but the logical move would be for the locos to be swapped at Georgemas on one turn. So the loco from Inverness would take the train to Wick and back to GJ, then split off and park out of the way while the loco hauling the bit from Thurso would take the train back to Inverness. Or you could do the equivalent at Georgemas on the way north: the loco from Inverness goes to Thurso and the one parked there goes to Wick and back to Inverness. [1] 12:00 (I think) HST from King's Cross to Aberdeen, wait an hour or two, DMU to Inverness, sleep standing up in a doorway in the town [2], 06:mumble to Wick, an hour or so to find some food (and see a Latvian vice-consulate), then back to Inverness in time for the sleeper. Perhaps someone with a timetable can confirm the times for me. [2] Only when I returned to the station did I discover that lots of people slept overnight on the Far North train. Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 10:09 #29554 | |
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Peter Bennet
5363 posts |
" said:" said:I only had the demo version- think I may have combined two points within the same sentence above. The further comment was related to how much easier it would be these days to do what we did back then.Peter For me it was the internal ScR sleeper to Inverness and on to either Kyle or Wick to either Achnasheen or Brora (or wherever the crossover was) and then back. Rarely went the full length, though I did once do the summer ferry Kyle to Mallaig on which FoSc were valid. Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Last edited: 16/02/2012 at 11:23 by Peter Bennet Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 17:39 #29590 | |
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Underwood
746 posts |
Thanks very much for the responses  Will explain why sometimes I have seen a pair of 26s arrive from Wick now and again when I was at Inverness in the sim. Just spent a few weeks in multiplayer tracking 26024 and 046 to clear the IS 26s, they just never seem to come out! Seems quite hard trying to clear them! My usual move is see what's on the 2020 Carlisle - Perth, take to the end then see if the 0105 Aberdeen is required. If not, 47 (or 40) to Inverness then see what's on the highland turns. If all dud (as usual at the moment) then back to Perth to see what's on the 1714 Arbroath, if dud then poodle around waiting for required stuff and head back to Stirling to do it al over again! It is a very active sim with people still using it like myself. As basic as it is, I find it addictive. At least Mike is coming up with a new version but I don't know what it's about, maybe it has some bugs cleared (like the Weymouth boat train that currently passes Basingstoke) and maybe new features? Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 16/02/2012 at 19:32 #29598 | |
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delticfan
476 posts |
Hi James, I've had the full version of Hellfire for some time now. I'm usually on it when not on Simsig. I went for Deltics first, but still struggling to get the last 3. I suppose that, being 1981, they're near the end of their lives. Now trying to make inroads to the 26s/27s and Scottish-based 37s as I spent a few of my RAF years near Inverness so can picture the journeys round Scotland. Mal. Last edited: 16/02/2012 at 19:33 by delticfan Log in to reply |
| Re: Any Scottish bashers remember the Far North 1981? 17/02/2012 at 13:43 #29630 | |
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bill_gensheet
1318 posts |
I'd agree with the branch loco staying up for a few days, or even a week or so, at a time. I went up 3 times and never had the changeover. I suspect that whether a pair went up or not would depend on the state of health of the branch loco to bring the train back alone. I'm not sure about the branch loco being at Thurso overnight though, it would also have worked any ballasts and I think may have been based at Georgemas, which was the crew depot. Perhaps Wick & Thurso still had crew in 1981. One very odd swap I had was a couple of years later (1984) by which time it was generally a 37/0 on the trains. Due to a loco shortage a pair of 26 had been sent north on the 0600 Wick, and stuck to diagram so headed north again in the evening. A double loco swap at Brora ensued to get the 26's back to Inverness Bill Log in to reply |