Not a “Club 55” trip…
Glasgow: a day out
© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2018
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
26 September 2018
The autumn offer from Arriva Trains Wales didn’t seem particularly good value. It was under £20 a few years ago, now it’s £27. “I reckon we could do better than that” suggested my friend. “How about Glasgow - out via the old G&SWR, via Dumfries and Kilmarnock, and back down the main line?”. The single from Glasgow to Crewe was £11.20; outward cost a little more, as we had to book to Dunlop, and add on a single from there to Glasgow - but still below the £27 mark… (OK, we have to get to Crewe - add another £2.30) Booking well in advance gives the weather too much notice - it was a fine sunny day in Shropshire, but somewhat less clement in Scotland. At least it had stopped raining when we arrived, which meant we could follow plan A… - a walk to St Enoch Square, to visit the former entrance to the subway there
- a riverside walk to the new Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel - a subway ride back to Buchanan Street, for a look at Glasgow Queen Street station - a walk back to Central, and - the most expensive pint of beer I’ve ever bought. Who’d have imagined that, even in the centre of Glasgow? We would have had a tight connection at Crewe for the last short stretch back to Nantwich - we missed it by a very healthy margin! Signalling problems much further south meant that we sat for nearly an hour in Preston (what fun!) until our train had a driver, who would be arriving on a very late northbound service. So we ended up with a few minutes to spare at Crewe - enough for one or two night shots - before finally taking our final train ride of the day (an Arriva Trains Wales service…). What a great day out!
Take five at Dumfries Crewe crew change Carlisle's cleaned up Thunderbirds are go! Lady Penelope Train for the G&SWR Maroon and cream at Central Front ends at Central Grand entrance Hielanman's umbrella St Enoch - the old subway entrance St Enoch La Pasionara - Spanish civil war memorial Tradeston Bridge Renfrew ferry Riverside icons Armadillo TS Queen Mary HR Jones goods CR no 123 DD tram 1392 SD tram 672 Museum - street scene Trolleybus TBS13 DD tram 1088 DD tram 1173 Glen Douglas South African Railways 3007 SD tram 1089 G&SWR no 9 Aerial view of a D34 Glenlee Glenlee figurehead Riverside Museum Glasgow Queen Street - 380 and 170 Queen Street - 380 departure Queen Street 170 Night-time at Crewe - Voyager for New Street Arriva DVT 67013 Rhyl train 175011 - today's last one