The Friends of the Far North Line - FNE 94

This is a companion page to Far North Express 94, January 2025.

Links mentioned in the magazine, and larger versions of some pictures:

Back Cover

All photos by Niall Laybourne.

Week 2 of the 2020 timber trials (as if we need a trial to prove railways can move timber). WCRC Class 37s nos. 37685 and '669 disappear over the rise away from the Helmsdale River, as they coast down towards Kinbrace station, heading north with the empties (old BDA wagons previously used for the pipe traffic). Let's hope West Fraser actually purchase proper wagons for raw timber transport in the future, and don't just stick to finished product in containers. 12th August, 2020.

Also back in 2020, we had the rather odd sight of a Class 73/9 gracing our Northern rails. Used for route learning/refresher duties, 73970 is seen coasting south through the s-curve at Achentoul, between Forsinard and Kinbrace. A snow squall obscures the Ben Griams behind. 19th November, 2020

Class 66 66104 climbing away from the Helmsdale River, South of Kinbrace. It's taking the Hartlepool pipes northbound, through the fog and the midges. Seen before 06:00 on 18th June, 2014.

DRS had a contract for ballast trains on the Wick branch in the Summer of 2019. Unfortunately, their '37s failed at Forsinard on the very first trip north, before the first job. Over a month later, Colas took on the task. Class 37s nos. 37116 and '219 are seen climbing away from the same Helmsdale River as the previous shot of the '66 (heading south this time), as they take empty ballast wagons south towards Kildonan, rising out of the morning mist. 25th August, 2019.

HST Replacement - P4

An EMR Class 222 'Meridian' unit in the company's full livery at Nottingham. Photo: Superalbs, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FoFNL AGM & Conference - P5

Because the Far North Line will be closed from 8 to 30 June north of Dingwall, for major track replacement work, our 2025 AGM & Conference will now be held on Friday 4 July in The Norseman Hotel, Wick.

The Case of the Far North Line - P10

The Strathclyde University report.

Malcolm George Wood - P12

This poem, by Bryan Beattie, was read at Malcolm's funeral in St Mary's Cathedral Edinburgh:

"MGW"

that piano knew it had been played
that song knew it had been sung
that gin
that packet of Gold Leaf
knew they were in confident hands

there was
a grocer's delight
in cataloguing life's minutiae
a teacher's glee
in gossip
a trainspotter's frisson
in irregularity
an organiser's hunger
in detail
and a pedant's relish
in the absurd beauty of names
Weem Foss Tummel
Murthly Spittalfield Caputh

every day a tightrope straddled between
open-mouthed joy
and open-eyed outrage

this life was full
unafraid to let the passion shine
he filled his lungs
stood on his balls
and let the music surge through
a Tilley Lamp dims
but the glow remains

14 November 2024
For Malcolm, who left us today

Malcolm Wood's Statistics - P13

Until lockdown in March 2020 Malcolm had logged all lateness and cancellations on the FNL for a number of years - invaluable resource and worth doing again if we can find someone willing, with enough time to spare!