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Kyle of Lochalsh railway line welcomes surprise visitor after vintage saloon car, which once carried Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Pope John Paul II, stopped by; 'Caroline', which was also the first passenger train to enter the Channel Tunnel, was being used by Network Rail Scotland engineers to inspect the Highland track


By Philip Murray

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Caroline at Strathcarron station after earlier travelling along the line towards Kyle of Lochalsh. Picture: Alex Ingram.
Caroline at Strathcarron station after earlier travelling along the line towards Kyle of Lochalsh. Picture: Alex Ingram.

A ROYAL visitor was spotted travelling on a Ross-shire railway this week – but they were perhaps not quite what you'd expect.

Eagle-eyed railway fans spotted a one-of-a-kind 1950s railway saloon car on the Kyle Line this week.

Today historic coach 60755, dubbed Caroline, works the UK's tracks as an inspection saloon – and can be often be seen hooked up to an engine which pushes it along as it drives the country's railways.

But it has had a far more illustrious past – including acting as a honeymoon carriage for Prince Charles and Diana following their 1981 nuptials, and even ferried Pope John Paul II from Gatwick to Victoria the next year.

Caroline at Strathcarron station after earlier travelling along the line towards Kyle of Lochalsh. Picture: Alex Ingram.
Caroline at Strathcarron station after earlier travelling along the line towards Kyle of Lochalsh. Picture: Alex Ingram.

Its brushes with history don't stop there. For it also played an important role in the opening of the Channel Tunnel, where it had the honour of being the first ever train to carry passengers into the engineering marvel when it ferried a group of dignitaries through the brand new site.

Today the coach, which was built in 1958 and was originally used as a buffet car, is the only DEMU (diesel-electric multiple unit) of its type left operating on the rail network – a fact which has seen it officially "designated for preservation" when the day comes that it is finally deemed surplus to requirements.

In the meantime Caroline, which has special controls that enable it to directly operate the locomotive attached to it, continues to ply its trade as an inspection vehicle, keeping passengers safe.

Caroline leaves the station heading east, pushed along by a 1960s-era Class 37 engine, at Strathcarron station after earlier travelling along the line towards Kyle of Lochalsh. Picture: Alex Ingram.
Caroline leaves the station heading east, pushed along by a 1960s-era Class 37 engine, at Strathcarron station after earlier travelling along the line towards Kyle of Lochalsh. Picture: Alex Ingram.

And, it is believed that it was in this capacity that Caroline visited the Kyle Line earlier this week. Her visit followed torrential rains last weekend, which sparked the cancellation of some services on Monday while the track was inspected.

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