WITH FULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW
AT THE time of writing, A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado is sidelined from the main line but it did much work in the summer of 2021, including more trips from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and return on the ‘Aberdonian’, all diesel-free. Sandy Smeaton has kindly sent me details of one such run, on July 31, 2021, and Table One shows the section of the 17.53 return journey from Aberdeen as far as Dundee.
This is a tortuous and steeply-graded route requiring enginemanship of the highest order due particularly to the heavy loads taken; in this case, 11 coaches for 410 tons gross.
Back in the mid-1960s, when I knew the route as from Aberdeen as far as Kinnaber Junction (and then on to Perth via Forfar), the loads taken by steam locomotives varied mainly from six to eight coaches, or 225 to 300 tons. Only the occasional steam-hauled relief ‘Aberdonian’ train to and from King’s Cross had comparable loads over the section in the table.
Peter Walker and Jack Johnson had a 31-minute late start to contend with, but the run was remarkably free of checks and so nearly four minutes were regained.
Sandy comments: “The return south was delayed by an obscure dispute with the signaller, who apparently was insisting on putting the ‘Aberdonian’ into
