© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011 Not a railway trip out - this was a family holiday, with the opportunity for railway snaps taken whenever it was appropriate/politic..... We had booked a week near Fort William - base for the Mallaig steam-hauled trips. The following week was spent on the Isle of Skye - no railways there! - then home, calling at Pitlochry for an overnight stop, then spending a couple of nights in Glasgow before making the final run home. A trip of two halves, perhaps... 12th August - Glasgow First, a look at the Museum of Transport, at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall. Some years previously I had visited the museum at its former site in Coplawhill, so it was interesting to look at the new site, where the curators have made some effort to reproduce, using static exhibits, the street scene in the days of the trams. I should say "nights" - very atmospheric but insufficient light for photography. There was a bit more light where cars 1173 and 1392 stood, more still where the railway exhibits stood. Illustrated are NBR no 256 "Glen Douglas", the Highland "Jones Goods" no 103 and GNoSR no 49 "Gordon Highlander". We had travelled to the city centre by rail, and returned to Central station in time for a few photographs. Illustrated below are former "Blue train" class 303 043, 90 004, and class 101 DMU no 730. Links: • Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway • Glasgow Museum of Transport 10 August - Pitlochry. Rather a dull, wet evening, with little opportunity for photography, but time for a quick peep at the station, in time  to see 47 635 crossing an HST. The station buildings here are attractive, and ancient but well-preserved drinking fountain was worth a snap too 11 August - Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway - via the Forth Bridge, celebrating its 100th birthday! Working locomotive on the railway today was the Caley 0-4-4T no 419, the former BR no 55189. Resplendent in its blue livery, even the brake pump and lamp made worthwhile subjects for a snap. We took the ride to Birkhill, where the old clay mine is open for conducted tours - a fascinating trip! The surface remains of the mine's railway system were pretty interesting too, despite being partially dismantled. Returning to Bo'ness, there was time for a look at some of the other preserved bits and pieces, such as the two Barclay saddle- tanks illustrated, and a fine rake of preserved wagons. 30 July - the Mallaig train. We stopped first at Glenfinnan, before heading just a little further west to see the train, in the capable hands of LMS class 5 no 5305. The bank away from Glenfinnan station is steep - the noise made by 5305 was incredible! Later we drove on to Mallaig via the sands at Arisaig, before following the train (more-or-less) back to Fort William 1st August - Oban. The old Creagan viaduct across Loch Creran, on the former Ballachulish branch, has been in the news recently - here it is as we saw it in 1989. What a shame the line was closed - it would probably have been viable today. 2nd August - Loch Ness. No railways here, although we "managed" a tiny detour to see a Royal Highlander steam trip near Corpach.... 3rd August - Ardnamurchan. No railways here, though our outward route took us past Glenfinnan again - and the chance of a further crack at 5305.... Later that day we drove into Ballachulish, where a rather nice old Fowler diesel stood on the site of the station. It used to work at Fort William - I've no idea why it was at Ballachulish! 4th August - local wandering. 37 423 "Sir Murray Morrison" stood in Fort William station, with a rake of sleepers - so I took his picture. The next day we left for Skye.