19th Mar 2001

At the time, EWS had lost the aluminium ingot traffic from the Rio Tinto/Alcan aluminium works at Fort William to Freightliner, who hired in Eurotunnel Class 37/6s to operate their trains, as they did not have suitable traction for the West Highland line. So this explains why Eurotunnel's 37602 is pulling hard at the head of the 7D54 11.54 Fort William (Alcan) to Coatbridge, comprising loaded flats of aluminium ingots. The 37 is crawling past me at my viewing point alongside the A82 at County March Summit, Auch, north of Tyndrum. I had already taken a number of photos of this train as it struggled along the flanks of Ben Odhar on its way to the Horshoe Curve, and now it's seen here at around 14.45, with Ben Dorain looming in the background.