WCR 2024 Railtours

It's good to see West Coast announcing dates and times for their 2024 Dalesmen and SSE trips!

westcoastrailways.co.uk

 

Indeed. Eleven Dalesmen and four Scarboroughs, same pattern as '23. Standard class still below three figures.

 

They often also circulate a 10% offer code to previous customers, and wherever possible they run unassisted on the steam legs too!!
Pendle Dalesman to be added in due course I hope.

 

I wonder if there will be any more still to come. It seems a reduced programme to what it used to be. They used to offer more extensive pickups on these tours. For example, I once did a Pendle Dalesman that started from Kidderminster.

 

The Pendle Dalesman's used to vary on start location and tended to be out of the Summer season, but from 2021 have all originated from Lancaster, effectively replicating what was the Fellsman before Saphos/LSL moved it to a Crewe start.

 

There are three Pendle Dalesman's for 2024 announced:

• Tuesday 16th July
• Tuesday 6th August
• Tuesday 3rd September

https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/railtours

 

It took me almost as long to find this thread as it did to drive to Hellifield. Mrs W came along, but on condition that we would be back in time for her to visit the woodpeckers. It was an uneventful journey and a little after 11am we parked on a busy WCRC car park. Despite the sunshine it felt cool in the brisk westerly wind. We walked up onto the station where it felt cooler; Hellifield station is in an exposed spot. I'd expected to see a Black 5, but there was Tangmere, simmering away in the up goods loop at the north end of her support coach. We had a wander about to admire the machine from various angles then went into the cafe for a warm drink (and to get out of the wind). The cafe was busy and there were no empty tables, so we went back outside with our drinks. A couple of service trains stopped and departed, the Gypsum train headed east and the stone empties headed for Arcow Quarry.

The diesel hauled train from York was running late and finally arrived in the down loop at 11.52 (19L). 37.518 was on the front and 47.746 on the back. Another brief visit to Tangmere to check the crew; Chris Cubitt driving and Rob Russell firing. We had planned to go to Long Preston, where the sun should be on the right side (albeit the narrow side) and there should be some shelter from the wind. We parked on the station car park, collected our kit and walked over the road bridge to the far platform. Mrs W was going to take an approach shot from the Hellifield end of the platform and I would do likewise from the Settle end. However, someone had already set up at the Hellifield end so Mrs W went just beyond the road bridge where it was sheltered but the view was not quite as good.

We were ready. Despite the Dalesman being late into Hellifield it was quite likely that much of the deficit would be eliminated by a quick changeover. This proved to be the case and RTT showed that Tangmere departed only 5L. With Mr C driving the run towards Settle Jn was likely to be somewhat less than full-blooded (and it was). With a strong crosswind rustling the leaves on the trees and a naturally quiet loco being worked well within its limits, Tangmere appeared before we heard or saw her coming. As she drew nearer the exhaust grew louder, but never deafening, the smoke billowed out of her wide chimney and was blown away to the left. The sun shone, the loco slid past, the sun continued to shine and the aircons slipped by with 47.746 Chris Fudge on the rear. Nothing exceptional, no whistle but still very enjoyable. 13C, 5L & 33mph.

We ate sandwiches in the car before driving home. We had a brew and Mrs W hurried off to see "her" woodpeckers. Diego has not been seen since early this morning after the supermarket delivery driver rang the doorbell. Diego does not like the doorbell, after hiding for a few minutes he decided it would be safer to leave; he may be big but he's not brave. He will be back! I think that Oswald has a day off tomorrow - about time I say.

 

34067 charging past Arcow Quarry.

 

34067 with today's Dalesman

 

I never heard 34092 City of Wells sounding like that during its period on the mainline.

 

Apologies if I'm going over familiar ground but I was at Blea Moor today and 34067 sounded so odd.
As you'll gather, I'm no expert and I know this locomotive has a reputation.
But what exactly is (are) the problem (s).....?

 

The timing on her is slightly out. Not by much but it is out giving her a very odd beat.

 

I would say today was more about celebrating the anniversary of D Day rather than what Tangmere sounded like.

 

Lovely at Selside this morning. Nice touch to have the Victory V headcode on for D Day.

 

Thanks for your response. Presumably not that hard to remedy ....

 

Depends….With the middle cylinder on Tangmere it will make it more difficult.

 

Selside and Birkett, with some bonus Keighley footage.