The Jacobite
The The Jacobite (also known as Jacobite Steam Train referred to) is a steam-powered museum train in Scotland , that of Fort William to Mallaig on a section of the West Highland Line runs. The train is named after the Jacobites , whose last revolt against the British crown began in Glenfinnan, a place on the route traveled by the train. The train operator is the West Coast Railway Company , which operates steam-driven charter trains on various routes in Great Britain .
history
After the regular end of steam operation on the West Highland Line in the early 1960s, British Rail offered a steam-hauled train on the route from Fort William to Mallaig for the first time in the summer of 1984. The train was named "The West Highlander" and was very well received by passengers. A few years later the train was named "The Lochaber" after the Lochaber region around Fort William. With the privatization of British Rail as a result of the Railways Act 1993 , steam operations on the West Highland Line were also privatized. West Coast took over the train in 1995 and gave it its current name. Since 2011, a second pair of trains has also been offered on weekdays, starting in Fort William in the afternoon and returning from Mallaig in the evening.
Train run
The train starts in Fort William near Ben Nevis , Great Britain's highest mountain, passes the most westerly train station in Great Britain ( Arisaig ), passes the deepest freshwater lake ( Loch Morar ) and one of the shortest rivers ( Morar ) in Great Britain to Mallaig. The route length for the round trip is 135 kilometers. The journey takes around two hours one way.
On the way, the train stops in Glenfinnan , where Bonnie Prince Charlie set up his standard during the last Jacobite revolt in 1745. Shortly before the train station, the route leads over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is best known from the Harry Potter films . The viaduct has 21 arches from which one has a good view over Loch Shiel . The train stops at Glenfinnan station for around 20 minutes, so you can visit the museum located in the station. It shows exhibits and pictures from the construction of the route.
The train then stops in Arisaig and Mallaig terminus. On days with good views, you can see the small islands of Rum , Eigg , Muck and Canna and the southern part of the Isle of Skye .
vehicles
The train is pulled by various steam locomotives, including the LNER class B1 no. 61264, the LNER class K1 no. 62005 or the LMS class 5 "Black Five" no. 45231. The train set consists of type Mark cars 1 , the standard type procured by British Rail in the 1950s.
Web links
- Official site (English)
- Railway Museum in the station Glenfinnan (English)