WITH FULL REGULATOR
In his latest column, Don Benn reports on the performance of B1 No. 61306 Mayflower on the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh route in 2019, A4 No. 60016 Silver King and BR Standard 5 No. 73152 from Scotland in 1964, Galatea running as No. 45562 Alberta on the ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ on October 20, 2020 and of 03 Pacific 003. 276 in Germany in 1971.
THIS time I am covering diverse performances to widen the scope of my column in these dark times, starting with a previously unreported locomotive and route – namely David Buck’s B1 Class 4-6-0 No. 61306, named Mayflowerby him and running in LNER apple green, even though it was built in 1948 by The North British Locomotive Company.
In May 2019, it worked from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and return, part of the Highlands and Islands Explorer, and Table One shows the Inverness to Achnasheen section, which included the severe climbs from Dingwall to Raven’s Rock and from Garve to Corriemoillie. The load was six coaches for 235 tons and the engine crew were Bobby Duncan and Lewis McDonald, the latter having probably his first firing turn on a B1.
While I spent a lot of time in Scotland in 1964-1966, I never ventured this far north, preferring the delights of the A4 Pacifics out
