After a very wet ride across the
Scottish Borders last month I’ve decided to give it another try with
a modified route. I bought my rail tickets last week and tried to
get a cycler reservation for the 3 trains I need to use. The woman
at the ticket office in Chorley said there were no reservations
available for the Carlisle to Sanquhar or the Edinburgh to Preston
services. This afternoon I cycled to Preston for the first leg of my
journey.
Plaque
in Preston Railway Station waiting room to the Free
Buffett Association who supplied 3,250,000 soliers and
sailors between 19 Aug 1915 to 11 Nov 1919
I told them at the ticket office that
I’d already bought my tickets and where cycle reservations available
for the two journeys I didn’t have them. They said yes and issued me
with the reservations. The first leg from Preston to Carlisle was
fine then I found the Sanquhar train waiting at platform 7, but it
wasn’t yet open even though two men were sat inside. A few more
people arrived and eventually the doors opened and we were let in.
One annoying thing was the in-train announcement saying the train
terminated at Dumfries & I thought I was on the wrong train.
Carlisle
Railway Station
It turned out I was on the right train
as it went to Glasgow. The auto announcement hadn’t been switched to
the correct one. We set off on time and I reached Sanquhar on time.
I was surprised how many people got off and on. Last month I was the
only one to get off. It was dark with light drizzle as I set off to
ride north for a short way to pick up the B740. The map shows a road
bridge crossing of the river but there was only a foot cycle bridge.
I turned right on to the B740 and started to climb steadily. After a
couple of miles I came to a stone wall on the right and a gate.
Through the gate was a reasonable place to camp and the wall
prevented anyone on the road seeing me.