Hi Arnie. My name is Craig Sutherland. I am using my daughter Laura's sign in on Yahoo. I am writing regarding your book "Rail Rover Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s", which I have just read and thoroughly enjoyed. I have also looked at all of your excellent rail photographs online. The period in which you seemed to… Read more

Hi Arnie. My name is Craig Sutherland. I am using my daughter Laura's sign in on Yahoo. I am writing regarding your book "Rail Rover Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s", which I have just read and thoroughly enjoyed. I have also looked at all of your excellent rail photographs online. The period in which you seemed to spend alot of your time in Scotland, roundabout 1979 to 1982, was also my peak period for travel around Scotland. I was born in 1968 and was therefore 11 years old in 1979 and 14 years old in 1982. During this period, I spent all of my school holidays (Easter, Summer and Autumn) with my friend Garry travelling all around Scotland by train. We started off, in 1979, with an Area C "Runabout Season" ticket which allowed travel around the Lothians and to Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in Fife. By 1980, we had progressed onto the Area D Runabout which allowed travel from Edinburgh and Glasgow up to Perth and Dundee. By 1982, we had progressed onto the "Freedom of Scotland" ticket which you and your friends, utilised. My favourites were the Class 40s, 26s and 27s and heaven to me was travelling in a Mark 1 corridor/compartment coach between Glasgow and Dundee in 1982 (and often straight back again!) behind a '27'. I also loved the Highland Main Line behind two '26s' on dark winter nights when you were able to hang out of the window and experience clag and snow simultaneously! I also had a fondness for the then first generation DMUs, especially the Class 105 Cravens units. Your photos, therefore, being from that same period, and your entertaining narration, brought back waves of nostalgia and reminiscences. If only we could travel back in time to that period, eh Arnie? The "Casey Jones" burgers at Glasgow Central, the stench of sewerage and diesel fumes from the Cowlairs tunnel leading out of Queen Street Station and the "Maxpax" teas (18p) and coffees (22p) of the period. Yours has been one of the best railway books I have read in recent years and I wonder whether you have plans to publish any more? I sincerely hope so. I'm not really on Yahoo (although my daughter is) so if you intend on replying, perhaps you could reply to my email address which is craigieboy_3@hotmail.co.uk (I'd be obliged if you didn't display my email address on your testimonials page) Kind regards Craig Sutherland