Page last Updated :  20-01-08       Richard Weir recalls a few Hellfire days... "Being a young basher, in the mid-80s, obviously restricted my ability to travel the country in search of new and exciting traction! I was 14 in 1985, the year I started bashing and, living in Carlisle, had to restrict my efforts to the WCML and the Glasgow South Western route. I also must have been one of the few cranks who didn’t have the guts to “f” it, or use area rovers off region! So, in terms of the bashing hierarchy, I must have ranked somewhere around lower league division three, which is where my football team spends most of it’s time! I did have a few hellfire days, locally and I’ve taken the liberty of grouping these, so they don’t look as poxy as they would do, if listed individually, by day. Summer ’85 wasn’t bad for rat haulage on the GSW and I had always loved these machines. Having had 26027 on 1M03, the 1345 Glasgow-Carlisle, from Annan, on the 18th, the 19th was a mighty day. It began at lunchtime, with 25190 up to Annan on 1S37, the 1240 Carlisle-Glasgow and back with some EH strummer on 1M30. Ungripped, we, that is various members of the Border Bashing Crew, decided to return to Annan in the evening to claim a wee bit more off 25190. However, Carlisle control decided to give us a treat. As we arrived for 1S88, the 1740 to Glasgow at around 1720, 25089 was picking up a GUV from the “back wall” at Carlisle and reversing into bay 7 to couple up to the stock. Now this rat was in a bit of a state and we staggered up the WCML towards Gretna, with load 6. By now, we knew that 1M89, the 1545 Glasgow-Carlisle was 37103, a March vi machine. This was a dead connection, off the single line, at Annan, and involved leaping off 1S88, over the bridge and, hopefully, making 1M89, before it got the tip. All four of us making this bold move, managed, just, to leap on before it gathered speed. The dozen or so Preston and Carlisle cranks who had festered at Annan for the tractor, for around two and a half hours, off the afternoon down Stranraer, were well withered at missing the Sulzer beast! The Sou’west didn’t let me down the following day either. I discovered that 1M89 was allocated 25109, in enough time to catch the strummer to Dumfries on 1S63. It meant around 90 minutes festering, but at least Dumfries is a pretty pleasant town, compared to Annan! This train was load 6 and the thrash was tremendous, plenty of clag and a storming run, especially compared to 25089. Three fine days. OK not exactly excessive mileages, but for a young basher, this was irrelevant at the time and is still a pretty strong memory,  (all these) years on."

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