Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny m
This was an early departure from Aylsham to pick up some VIP passengers at Wroxham. Kenny
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The most VIP train I was involved with was when the Commonwealth Heads Of Government meeting was in Edinburgh in '97. On the Sunday the royal train stock with a royal train 47 either end took them up to Leuchars to play golf at St Andrews. Everybody involved with the train had to go through a security vetting, I was a Traction Inspector (basically a driver manager) at the time and accompanied the driver on the rear loco going up, leading loco coming back. There was another Traction Inspector accompanying the driver on the other loco. There were a lot of guys in suits with a bulge in their armpit and the train was followed by a 156 Sprinter full of armed police as well. The drivers who took the train up to Leuchars then went back on a passenger train and another couple of drivers came up later in the day to work the train south again but the other Traction Inspector and myself were there for the duration, about 16 hours! We knew that was the score and were assured we would be fed while sitting in the siding at Leuchars . . . . we were, we joined the on train police in the security coach and were given one bacon roll each
We transferred to the 156 which was crewed by Scotrail drivers and Inspectors (we all knew each other), they had a food trolley onboard
I got a cracking souvenir of the day though, the heads of government were presented with a limited edition book about the Forth rail bridge with a certificate in it, I managed to get hold of a copy, the Traction Inspector on the other loco only managed a menu!