Fort Bill Beds

As I write this I have in front of me a shot of the Ft W. sleeper taken during the period you mentioned. Unfortunately I don't have the exact details to hand but it might help someone to pinpoint the date more accurately if I say that the shot shows the northbound ECS of the sleeper crossing Rannoch viaduct in mid-afternoon, this being during the time when the stock was hauled back to Glasgow for servicing during the daytime. It then worked back ECS to Ft. W to form the next overnight southbound sleeper.

This particular day was notable for me and my pal because after some 10 years of trying, it was the only occasion when we managed to phot the sleeper in sun at this location. On previous attempts we even dossed in the car at Rannoch station and tried camping on more than one occasion, all unsuccessful.

Although in this shot the train was ECS, it still represents the formation of the northbound sleeper: Class 37/4, BG, Mk.3 SO, 3 x Mk.3 sleepers, 2 x GUV All vehicles in IC livery. Load 7 was normal except in the peak holiday months when 8 or occasionally 9 vehicles were needed. The additional vehicles would have been another SO and/or another Mk3 sleeper.

Motorail GUVs would always have been at the rear on a northbound sleeper so that on arrival at Ft. W they could be easily detached and worked across to the car unloading ramp. For a southbound service the 2 GUVs were collected from the siding by the train engine and attached to the front of the stock already standing in the platform.

I seem to recall that while the service was under threat the national press were referring to it as the Deerstalker Express. The extra mileage required by the ECS to Glasgow and back could lead to serious delays. I remember one occasion when the sleeper's booked loco had worked out on a southbound freight, and Glasgow had to send another 37/4 north before the London service could depart. Another time when I travelled north on it myself, the

37/4 blew up at Ardlui. By the time we got to the Fort the Mallaig connectio n had long gone and passengers for Skye etc.were put on the Jacobite steam special!

Hope this helps.

In message , martin.b writes

Thanks very much Martin, helps a lot.

I found the date of the Rannoch picture that I mentioned. 10 August 1995.