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All winter we waited to hear if the Jacobite "Harry Potter Express" would operate from Fort William to Mallaig. "Greatest train journey in the world" they call it. But it isn't. Certainly, not at the moment.
The company that operates the Jacobite and benefits hugely from J.K. Rowlings novels, West Coast Railways is in dispute with the safety authority, the ORR (Office of Rail and Roads). The ORR have found fault with WCR on numerous occasions, most seriously when they were fined £200,000 with £ 64,000 costs when the driver turned off a safety system and nearly caused a head on collision with a high speed passenger train. The driver was even sentenced to four months in prison, with sentence suspended for 18 months, it was that serious an offence.
All train carriage doors used on main lines must have a central door locking (CDL) system. West Coast Railways have been given an exemption from this each year for the last 30 years. But in light of other safety breaches the ORR refused to offer one more. All other heritage railways using old rolling stock have been compliant with the ORR, except West Coast Railways, who say they cannot afford the £ 7 million bill to update their carriages with central door locking. This seems hard to believe given that this service is amongst the most profitable anywhere, and what is to stop WCR getting newer carriages with CDL and painting them up in vintage colours? It seems to have become a battle of wills, and the victims are tourists, train enthusiasts and the local communities. I went to see the situation for myself yesterday.
Hundreds of people had arrived before me, a full hour before the train was due on the Glenfinnan viaduct. The National Trust car park was already conned off, full. The Glenfinnan Community car park was almost full, with one car being allowed in at a time. There was a trail of people walking up the riverside path towards the viaduct. Where they went left up the hillside to the most popular viewing point I went right, across the bridge and up the opposite side of the valley to give me a longer view up Loch Shiel towards my home. Perched on a dry rock, there, I scanned the opposite hillside and spotted an estimated 500 train spotters, stood expectantly for the Harry Potter experience.
Normally, you can hear the clatter on the rails from miles away, and the train slows to issue a shrill whistle to announce its arrival to the waiting crowds. I almost didn't notice its arrival in the drizzle as a dark, pig-like snout pushed past the trackside vegetation into my field of view. Bugger! No steam train. No Harry Potter train. Just a dirty great Class 37 diesel, which belched black smoke every time it opened the throttle. As it trundled past I counted 7 carriages, it's normal number, I was pleased to see. But peering through the windows, rather than seeing hundreds of happy faces and hands smiling and waving out at us, almost all were completely empty.
What's going on? I had heard rumours, almost unbelievable rumours. The Black 5 steam engine had broken down on the first day, blocking the track for the usual Scotrail train to and from Mallaig. But WCR normally position three identical Black 5 steam engines in Fort William to cater for the second service of the day, and one to cover breakdowns. The diesel was always there to take over if there was a risk of embers from the steam train setting fire to the hillsides in dry weather. Why no steam engine yesterday? And why only one or two carriages of passengers, or were they not passengers at all, but crew being trained as another rumour made out?
As the diesel disappeared under a black cloud on the far side of the valley, the hillside viewers broke up and walked down hill to their cars again, disappointment written all over their faces in the silent procession back to their cars. They paid a minimum £ 5 to park too, up from £ 3 last year. Not that I begrudge a highland community trying to make money from their own endeavours.
WCR say the area will lose £ 55 million because of the ORR decision to issue them an exemption to safety requirements. The ORR say they have had 30 years to get their carriages updated, or get ones that comply. But still WCR would rather operate the trains empty so that no other operator can use their slots on the single main line
The people I feel sorry for are the tourists and train enthusiasts. I've heard of visitors from places like Australia and Canada planning trips to Scotland based around going on the Jacobite. And thousands of Harry Potter fans and Instagrammers from all over the world who are left disappointed and upset that there is no Harry Potter steam train. But most of all I feel sorry for the small fishing village of Mallaig at the end of the line who were used to a thousand or so train passengers coming off the Jacobite for an hour or two as it turned round to go back to Fort William. They streamed into the town to buy Fish and Chips, and enjoy fresh seafood in the restaurants, take short boat trips and cruises to see seals and other wildlife, even visit the Haggard Alley Harry Potter shop, and take in harbour views of the Small Isles out towards Skye. I feel sorry for them losing all that business while WCR use the community's loss as a weapon to bully the ORR into giving them one more exemption. In Mallaig, WCR really have reached the end of the line.
I went on the Jacobite steam train, once, First Class. In my opinion, it wasn't worth it. Trackside vegetation blocks your views most of the way, even if the steamed up, soot streaked windows don't. The road journey, which mostly takes the same route is more enjoyable, but if you must go over the Glenfinnan viaduct, go on the Scotrail train at a fraction of the Jacobite price. It's exactly the same route
Many would say, for what West Coast Railways have done, they don't deserve to operate this service. A lot of anger is forming towards them. Let a new, more caring and responsible operator come in and create a better experience for tourists, train enthusiasts and local communities alike.
Thrilled to get this grab n go shot tonight! Our first outing with the telescope this month!
30% illuminated, 5 days old, waxing crescent
Conditions: steady strong breeze, a chilly 1 degree
Set up: Canon 600D attached to Mak 127mm scope, prime focus single shot
Jupiter (seen between moon and summit of Parkhouse Hill) setting in west, some 15 minutes before the moon. Taken about 40 minutes before sunrise, the moon was so bright it was casting a shadow of me as i climbed Parkhouse
Frosty weather forecast, and perhaps mist (didnt happen but a bit of snow) was a spur to make the long journey north again only 48 hours over my last visit.
The moon setting in the early morning.
September 3, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 50D
Exposure: 0.5
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
NO ES UN MACRO!!
Cámara: Canon EOS 7D
Lente: EF500mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x = 700 mm
Setting: ƒ/7.1 700.0 mm 1/2500 ISO: 800 Flash (apagado, no disparó)
MODO AV HASTA LA MUERTE!! NO FLASH!!!!
Lugar de captura: Presa de Hatillo, Cotuí. Rep. Dom
Por: Cimarron mayor Panta
The setting sun along Pensacola Beach, Florida.
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The Mesa District, Santa Barbara, CA.
Processed in Lighroom CC 2015, Photoshop 2015, and Nik Color Efex Pro 4 (Tonal Contrast)
Fishing boats leave North Rustico Harbour heading for the Gulf of St Lawrence to set their traps on the first day of the Spring lobster fishing season.
Original RAF file processed with newly-released DXO PureRAW 2, before creation of JPEG in Lightroom 5.3.
“Some lives are like an ebbing tide in a harbor; the farther they go out, the more mud they expose”
Austin O'Malley
The sun sets over some hills surrounding Bandipur in Nepal.
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