RTC - The Whitby Flyer - 18/3/17

Me? Id never do a thing like that!

I arrived and walked up to stand behind those already there. I think that footage comes from one of the guys who had an Ipad or something similar, but they seemed happy with where they were standing.

As for the trademark hat - "Its always fashionable to be stylish, but then style is always in fashion."

 

The NYMR schedule has 25-30 minutes because of the need to stop can pick up the shunter who controls the movement of the NYMR train off the NYMR network and onto the branch, obviously the train stops to do this and pick up the shunter so that adds on time to the NYMR run. The charter had a guy from network rail controlling the pointwork and access into Whitby platform 2, so it could arrive and get away quickly.

The pause at Ruswarp is because of the length of the track detection for the train approaching the crossing. Coming into Whitby the train is detected further away and the train then runs across the crossing with no pause. On the run out of Whitby, the regular service train would call at the station, which takes time. The train is normally detected in the station rather than the approach so as not to delay traffic for longer. When the charter/NYMR train runs it has to crawl through the station or pause and allow the train to be detected and the track circuit to activate the crossing allowing the train over. It doesn't take that long...

To be honest, I worked out the timing for the charter while waiting at Egton. It left about 35 mins after the service train which would give it time to follow the service train after the latter has left Glaisdale. Even when the NYMR is working, the service train must be at Glaisdale before the NYMR train can access the section. The 35 minute gap also gave the service train enough time to clear the longer section to Battersby, meaning that the charters late start gave you longer in Whitby, rather than have to wait at Glaisdale, like it did on the inward journey.

I'm not sure if theres still a TSR between Sleights and Grosmont which might have delayed the charter overall, but when I saw her passing Egton, the train was going well, with the 4MT powering and the B1 assisting.

 

This time next year on a similar tour perhaps?

76084 has been to Whitby a few times during late 2016.

RTC have run a few of these 'Top and Tail' tours in the North East and 76084 would seem an ideal loco for such tours.

There has been The Wansbeck, for which I suspect a few variations on the itinerary are possible, while a good few years back, there was a 'recreation' of The Three Dales tour, with Skinningrove (I know, not a Dale!) replacing Swaledale due to the lifting of the Richmond branch. I seem to think the last time RTC did Whitby, there was only about at hour there and Boulby was done on the return.

The Durham Coast as a through route has been lost due to the Metro wires from Sunderland itself, but there are (according to Google Earth) a couple of crossovers just south of Sunderland at Ryhope, and I don't know how much, if any, of the Sunderland Docks branch is still considered to be 'open', or whether a passenger train would be allowed on it. but that could make a more interesting 'turn-back' point than just going main to main at Ryhope.

Question is - how big is the market? For the right starting point (such as York or maybe Leeds), it could be considerable due to the connections potentially available.

Steven

 

I was on that Three Dales recreation - ye *insert deities of choice here* - it was 10 years ago . It was interesting to be standing on the platform at Durham with Battersby coming up as the destination! A 37 to Battersby (37248?), then the K1 hooked on for the run to Bishop Auckland. The 37 took us to Northallerton, then we had the shunt onto the Wensleydale Railway for the trip to Redmire. Then the K1 took us to Skinningrove before the 37 took us back towards Newcastle, with a brief stop to hook off the K1 at Darlington. The run up the ECML included a pathing move through Ferryhill on the loops, although we didn't actually have to stop. A great day out.

Have done one of the Wansbeck trips too - with the K1 and K4 from York and back. That time we got all the way to both Blyth and Boulby, plus a stop for about an hour at Saltburn.

It's a shame that the Durham Coast is now barred to steam between Sunderland and Newcastle (actually Heworth). I only did it once - Blue Peter's first run back after the "Disaster at Durham". It would be good if RTC did a trip along there as far as they can get as part of one of their top and tail trips - one day, perhaps?

 

The last visitation by T&T steam along the Durham Coast line as far as Ryhope Grange was, I believe, RTC's Wensleydale & Durham Coast outing on 21st March 2015 with 61994 and 62005 on that occasion. In the run up to that trip, the possibility of a short extension along at least the NR part of the Sunderland Docks branch (1m 53c to the NR boundary) was being actively discussed - see
http://railways.national-preservati...dale-durham-coast-saturday-21st-march.453225/

By the time we get to post #34 on that thread, Ray Mason had conceded that it wouldn't be happening on that occasion, and in the event the reversal at the Ryhope Grange crossover proceeded with just the briefest (2' 21") of pauses. As you say, not a particularly interesting turn-back point, but that would be a very minor qualification to what was actually a superb outing overall.

Re-reading the posts from that time, I get the impression that the stumbling block may not have been authorisation for a passenger train to enter the branch, but more to do with adding yet more time to the very lengthy timetable for the overall scheduling of both the steam leg and the whole itinerary for the day. We didn't get to Ryhope Grange until 17.09, and the excursion had originated from Carnforth, so this would have represented a very long day indeed for some by the time it regained its original start-point.

I have absolutely no doubt that the market is there for tours along the North-Eastern by-ways, as indeed it has proved to be with the heavy sell-out levels of demand for both the Whitby Flyer and, in times past, the Wansbeck too. And, for me, such outings really do put back some authentic "Touring" credentials into the Railway Touring Company's "Day Trips by Steam" proposition. `

 

Thanks, Where's Mazeppa - I had forgotten that 2015 trip - I must have been away at sea.
I think that it's a given that these 'highways and byways' trips up here in the North East are popular - long may they continue

 

Reversal at Ryhope Grange

 

Thanks guys on the Ryhope reversal - I spotted that this was an option a while back but was another one who missed that it had happened. The coast route is a lovely run and at least the reversal means you do it both ways!

Steven