The Cumbrian Mountain Express 11th July 2015.

Some great records of the steam legs there. It must have been an endurance test for all those travelling and observing.
What did the tiny headboard denote anyone please?

 

I bet the firemen had wet shirts!

 

Bring on the women firemen. Then we can have a wet T shirt competition!

 

I bet Nigel Harris wet himself with excitement when he heard that a CME had been involved in a SPAD. Hard luck Nigel, you could always call for DB's safety certificate to be revoked.....

 

Mrs W and I joined yesterday's CME at Preston (13.10). Thanks to the now functioning p.a. system we were given the following explanation for the delay.

The late start from Euston was caused by the signaller directing the ECS to Kings Cross and not Euston. At Rugby it had been necessary to replace the driver who had reported suspect brakes (no mention of a SPAD). A driver arrived by taxi and a fitter, from Bescot, in a van to examine the braking system. To carry out a thorough examination it was necessary to obtain an NR occupancy of the adjacent track; this took a further 30/40 minutes. All was found to be in order and the original loco and stock set off albeit with a new driver. Now running "out of path" a late platform change at Crewe added a further 10 minute delay as passengers had to be collected from across the station. Hence 165 late at Preston.

We were at the same table as a couple who boarded in the London area, after the announcement the man asked me if I thought the original driver would get into trouble for passing a red signal. The chap was a non-railway type and so it seemed obvious that earlier announcements had been more detailed.

We arrived in Carnforth loop at 13.43. A very quick loco change and we were ready to go in around 10 minutes (load 10 + POB and full); NR had other ideas (understandably) and we sat and waited for 4 northbound trains to pass; SG was growing increasingly impatient, repeatedly "blowing off". At 14.33 we were off and it became immediately obvious that Steve Chipperfield was going to do what he could to regain some of that deficit. We were at the front of coach G (POB + 2, then us), the noise of the exhaust was tremendous; SG is usually noisy or very noisy, yesterday the volume was up to 11. Speeds: Milnthorpe 66, Oxenholme 49 and Grayrigg 41. The "hammer was kept down" and we reached 75/6 on the level before Tebay and 73 through Tebay. Speed inevitably began to decline with a minimum of 31 rising to 32 at Shap summit. I made it 39m 30s from the Carnforth start to the summit. We quickly gained speed downhill and soon reached our limit, but the brakes were then applied and we began a gentle approach to the "back platform" at Penrith. We waited there for around 15m for a further 3 northbound trains to pass. We were off again, quickly reaching our limit before turning off and stopping for water. The train then drew forward several yards and stopped; a lady passenger sitting by a window on the inside of the curve announced that "the engine had broken and some men were putting wooden blocks under the wheels and climbing underneath." The Appleby layover had been curtailed in favour of a 15m water stop and leg stretch for the passengers, hence a quick check and "oil-round".

We were soon underway and the fireworks continued, other than some braking before Baron's Wood we ran at or about line speed all the way to Appleby. A quick break and the fun started again: Smardale 54, Kirkby Stephen 46, Birkett Tunnel 35, up to 42/3 along Mallerstang, min 33 approaching Ais Gill with 36 at summit. Appleby to Ais Gill, 25m. A more sedate run along the top and down the other side. A 9m water stop in the loop at Hellifield and a quick away to see if we could "thread ourselves through Clitheroe and Blackburn". It was not to be, we were held for 5m at Horrocksford Jn as a cement train had slipped out in front of us, we were held again around Clitheroe where it was now raining. We stopped again well short of an amber around Whalley waiting for a green so that we could have a clear run at Wilpshire bank. We got the green and tore away doing 46 as we reached the viaduct, Langho 32, Wilpshire Tunnel 31 and 29 at the summit, 8m 15s from Whalley station to the summit and what noise. We managed to sneak through Daisyfield Jn just before the Colne-St Annes; this arrived 2m after SG departed and took us back to Preston. We were home before 21.30.

Everyone involved in the trip, which was within minutes of being cancelled, was superb - my thanks. All the passengers seemed in good spirits despite what was going to be for many a very long day. Your photos and videos show what a good show SG put on - thanks for posting, I'd have gone home.

 

Many thanks indeed for providing such a comprehensive and interesting report. Along with all the photos and videos this thread is Nat Pres at it's very best.

 

Excellent footage at Ais Gill love that introduction with the sound of the Scot working hard..I was on the other side and what a great sight and sound 46115 made....thanks for posting superb.

Many thanks Oswald for the detailed report from someone on the trip very interesting to read

Simon

 

It was a 24B shedplate.

 

Many thanks Simon - it was a pleasure to hear the Scot approaching and the clag was a bonus. Great shot from before the bridge with the foxgloves in the foreground.
David.

 

Oswald T Wistle mentions Steve Chipperfield as the driver from Carnforth, not sure if WCRC use more than one driver on a run such as this?

 

Mick Kelly on the return (from Appleby I presume).

 

A quick dash from work in the morning to beckfoot to capture the late running Scot on the CME,see the result below
https://www.flickr.com/photos/garstangpost/19451009100/in/dateposted-public/

Thanks for all the pictures,Video footage and infomation for this charter,best wishes Tony

 

Glad that some of you found my report of interest; I enjoy reading similar reports from other trips.

Although not immediately obvious, Mrs W did spot herself (on the train) on Linesider's video.

I've just received a letter from RTC that explicitly mentions the SPAD.

One disappointment on the day, we were so late into Appleby that the ice cream seller had gone home. As there has been has been no report from Mr Toni, has he gone home to Switzerland? - he usually mentions the "Fragile Scot" - that's "fragile as in Tina Turner!"

 

Congratulations to Nigel for his honesty; at least he has explained what happened and apologised for as much as he could. Other operators take note !

 

It is being reported on another forum that the DBS driver of the class 90 has been exonerated with regard to the alleged SPAD and the focus is on the coaching stock, with dire implications for the continued use of heritage stock on the mainline.

I'm hoping this is no more than uninformed speculation, because it's hard for me to see what could suddenly have changed to render old stock a hazard with regard to braking.

The only thing which occurred to me is whether the dual air/vac element could be a potential issue; wasn't the return from the WSR held at one point for an adjustment to be made to the braking on one of the carriages? But would this not fail safe if incorrectly set? I've no idea on this and wonder if an expert here might shed some light on this with an Idiots Guide to how dual braked stock behaves if wrongly set up?

 

It might not be heritage stock poses a hazard per se but that there was a fault on that particular set on that specific duty which investigation could have shown as the major causal factor in the incident. The fault may be inherent, unlikely, or simply a failure of some sort.
Speculation until any official report is released.