Caption:

An overnight trip from Carlisle on an almost deserted short

train of assorted coaches and vans to Ayr meant we were in time to catch one of the original BR Swindon Works-built Inter City units of the late 1950s to that outpost of south-western Scottish rail terminals at Stranraer. Consisting of just one 126 Class unit, our first-class compartment was difficult to tell the difference from a loco-hauled coach interior of the period, with much woodwork in evidence. It was propitious that the unit was turning round almost immediately at its terminus and heading back to Glasgow as it turned out that there was precious little to see when we got there and with the withdrawal of the ferry service to Larne from this point there must now be even less. So, after a leg-stretch on the platform and the shot you see here safely recorded, we were on our way back in less than 30 minutes.