In terms of service distance travelled, I believe that this

working holds the accolade as being the longest. My calculations show that the 1V60 08.20 Aberdeen to Penzance covers a total distance seven hundred and forty two miles travelling via Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, Birmingham, Bristol and Plymouth. However, to undertake that journey in a Voyager, such as 221104, as seen here entering New Street South tunnel from the platform end, would not be as pleasurable as in days of old. Previously, this service was timed as the 07.30 Aberdeen to Penzance with a balancing working leaving the Cornish town at the same time. The train travelled via the WCML route north of Birmingham with a portion for Glasgow detaching at Carstairs and another portion being left behind at Edinburgh. Then, it was a superb set of Mk. II air conditioned stock with a variety of locomotives employed throughout its journey. To and from Birmingham it usually was worked by a class 50 and was a firm favourite of mine when I was a college in Cheltenham during the early 1980s. Indeed, I wrote a short article about this working in edition 213 of Traction magazine.