The train is photographed in Platform 8 at Perth. This was one of the two North facing bays at the station. In order for it to be a Ladybank service, which is what was believed, it would almost certainly departed from a South facing bay, before branching off at Hilton Jct and Bridge of Earn to get to Ladybank. The Perth Compounds were used heavily on these services in early BR days but here we see an alternative use for them.

It is possibly one of the Perth -Aberdeen trains. In the Winter ‘54 carriage working book, they consisted of 3 carriages, one had an additional long wheelbase van immediately behind the loco, which apart from dates, matches the photo.

No 40921 as at the head of the train. LMS-built ‘Compound’ Nos 40921-4 were all allocated to Perth at this time with No 40921 being the final survivor when withdrawn in November 1955.


Plenty of human interest in this delightful scene. In the far distance a Dundee train can be passing at the end of the station.

© David P Williams Archive / Rail-Online