WCR 2024 Railtours

Railadvent as reliable as ever I see!

The Cumbrian Coast Express is on Saturday 5th October (Not the CME Railadvent currently shows it as).

On the RTC web site, there is a Cumbrian Mountain Express dated for the 21st September showing as limited seats available, suggesting it is nearly sold out.

I suspect what has happened is the CME and CCE dates have swapped due to I think engineering works at Eskmeals Viaduct? But this must have happened some time ago as I've had it like that in my calendar a while.

 

Tornado was supposed to be heading that way until recently? Doubt that’s a factor though?

 

Any word of whats on the steam leg tomorrow?

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U18477/2024-09-19/detailed

Something is on the way to Hellifield. Is it Tangmere or the Black 5?

 

44871 simmering in the loop

 

19th September 2024 44871 The Dalesman (youtube.com)

44871 at Settle today

 

Tuesday was not a good day for Oswald. First, I lost a filling; the good news is that it's not a painful one and still (just) within its 6 month warranty. Second, whilst out and about I managed to drop my specs; they didn't appear to be badly damaged but one of the sides was slightly twisted. On Wednesday the optician quickly re-adjusted it and told me that I had a screw loose! "Stop it, no smirking or tittering, you shouldn't mock Oswald!" Finally, through a combination of incompetence (I failed to check RTT or NP before leaving home) and bad luck (there was a car smash on the A59 that cost me 25mins and prevented me calling in at Hellifield). Either of which would have revealed that there was to be no steam. As it was I ended up at Ribblehead only to hear the sound of an approaching Crompton!!!!

Today is Thursday (well Mrs W says it is, and that's good enough for me). After 25 checks on RTT I set off, Hellifield first stop and 44871 was simmering nicely in the loop - Thank you Mr Riley. Chris Cubitt was the driver and Rob Russell was firing. Off to Ribblehead or more precisely Batty Moss. It was forecast to be a sunny day with light winds. Well it was certainly sunny but there was a blustery wind blowing from the north east, I wandered around trying to find a sheltered spot - there weren't any. It was too late to move, so "best of a bad job" was the order of the day. I'm not a "steam in the landscape" person, I like to be within touching distance of the loco, but just this once . . .

I got myself ready with the mic tucked nice and low (it made no difference, except that the extension lead came free and tapped against the tripod leg - must do better!) After a few minutes 44871 appeared and slowly made her way across the viaduct, there was little or no visible exhaust on a warm day and little or no sound as the wind blew everything away to the south long before it could reach me. The sun that had shone on my side the train as it approached moved to the other side as the viaduct curved away leaving my side in shadow. 19C & 5E. Not Oswald's finest hour but it was a Black 5 (and not Tangmere, although I have nothing against Tangmere). I wonder what will happen on Saturday when 2 steam locos are required? Answers to Mr D Smith c/o 10A.

 

44871 heads for Carlisle with the Dalesman, 19.09.24. I have a book on the S&C titled 'North of Leeds' - this image is titled 'North of Appleby'...

 

Originating at York, Ian Riley's class 5 No. 44871 puts on the style as it works today's 'Dalesman' 1Z42 through Langcliffe and onwards to Carlisle



With the Pennines providing the background No 44871 works the return 'Dalesman' 1Z44 over Crosby Garrett viaduct towards Kirkby Stephen and onwards to Hellifield and eventually back to York

 

Stunning those Shep

 

44871 seen from Selside Cottages then on the return from a windy hillside rounding Mallerstang corner through to Shotlock Cutting, with running early it looks like the five was signal checked approaching the Summit so crawled on after that.

 

(Riley's) International Rescue Thunderbird 4(4871) blasted off from Southall on Wednesday and is seen on Thursday morning simmering nicely in the loop at Hellifield. Despite the tight timescale the "gang" still found to give her a polish - a credit to all concerned.






"Looking lovely in black"

 

And very nice too Oswald, wearing the correct number and livery.

My first run behind one was on 29 July 1965 during the week I travelled just over 5000 miles behind SR steam with my £5 SR all lines rail rover. That meant travelling 24/7 for all 7 days.

My schedule for getting that mileage included the 08.30 Waterloo-Weymouth which should have got me to Dorchester South to catch the 11.25 Weymouth back to Waterloo. But the down 2 hour expresses to Bournemouth and then on to Weymouth still suffered the signal delays in the general Southamption area that they had endured pre-electrification works with extended schedules from June 1965.

So, as happened in four days out of five that week, I had to get off the 08.30 Waterloo at Wareham to be sure of catching the 11.25 Weymouth - which meant I lost a fair bit of the quite good margin my plan had above the required 5000 miles.

Anyway, standing on the up patform at Wareham in my semi-awake state I wondered what on earth was happening as 44691 rolled in on the Weymouth portion of the up express. Apart from going to sleep between Brockenhurst and the Southampton stop, and again between Walton-on-Thames and Earlsfield, I did time an ok run for a class 5 4-6-0 on 11 coaches. One thing I clearly remember now, was at Waterloo someone was standing by the loco at the ticket barrier holding up at Rely-On-Us notice. In my stupor I thought it was the owner of the loco telling all the disembarking passengers they had only got to Waterloo because a normal SR loco wasn't available at Weymouth! In reality it had worked down on an Inter-Regional and had either failed and been repaired, or just been 'borrowed' by the SR to save a bit of maintenance on their own locos.

Bryan B

 

Excellent , Shep!

 

Is today's Dalesman running? Nothing showing on RTT.

 

I heard it was cancelled

 

Something a little different... https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/the-muncaster-express/details

 

Thought as much, but thank you.

 

5th October 2024 44871 86259 CCE (youtube.com)

44871 and 86259 on the CCE

 

I’ve no idea where to post this, but I’ve seen pictures on FB somewhere today of some MK2s being fitted with windows incorporating slim bus-style sliding top lights. Is this covered somewhere on NP?