West Yorkshireman Sat 31/5/25

There is no reversing move using the Shipley triangle planned on RTT. Given that the stock is bound to be MkIIs, a 47/57 on the back seems inevitable.

 

Most likely the stock, and loco running tender first, will be towed from Carnforth to Bradford, as happened with Tangmere. 19th November 2023

 

Itll have the diesel left on to power the ETH

 

Reported that Tornado now coming on at Hellifield due to *gauging issues"

 

Planning on putting the train on Platform '0' were they... ?
So with no run around loop thats top and tail diesels just to get the stock in place...

 

Very few start points these days where they run a loco round, plus even if they could do it you would have to run it around again at Hellifield as it would be needed on the back (unless you annoy everyone and leave it behind Tornado).

 

Confirmed with phone call to S&C Developement Assoc, Tornado going on at Hellifield, NOT BRADFORD

 

Typical another great promise broken by another T.O.C. no steam out of forster square like everybody was expecting on the west yorkshireman promises and lies its funny how when I booked this tour months back my dad said speculating I bet they attach the steam loco at Hellifield for this tour.
Whats caused the gauging issue I could only think of 1 of 2 reasons either the very tight shipley north to west jct curve through platform 5,
or one of the 3 Road over bridges out of gauge (too low) between Bradford Forster square and shipley that's not high enough for 60163 Tornado?

 

This is not a TOC promoted tour, so why is it their issue?
If NR have declared it out of gauge, and as @Big Al has said Tornado is one of the most gauge friendly locos then it is either a paperwork issue or something has "moved" during engineering work. This is not be the first time such things have happened just before a tour. For example which worked tours in 2021 has never been able to leave Swanage since as it is now out of gauge.

 

No big al I'm not going to be a spoil sport and claim a refund ok we all dident realise N.R. was going to drop this clanger on us going on the west Yorkshireman tour just have to accept it nowadays this is the modus operandi of mainline steam market in the 21 century alot against T.O.C. such as gauging etc Bradford Forster square to carlisle ret.
In the 1st place I booked it for 2 reasons 1 for my father as a late 77th birthday present that he had on 9 May as he used to go train spotting to Leeds and Bradford as a lad and 2 I wanted the steam route mileage out of Bradford to Shipley however I'm still greatful that we get steam at least from Hellifield and back to 10A and mine and my dad's 1st ride on 60163 tornado since it came out of traffic.

 

For a long time, Tornado was unable to use the ex L&Y from Hellifield to Blackburn, as it was out of gauge for the redundant platforms at Daisyfield, which all of WCR's locos were fine through. The problem was eventually cured by Network Rail increasing the clearances at Daisyfield, so maybe 60163 is not that "gauge friendly" after all.

 

Any steam loco from the Shipley Junctions to Bradford Forster Square requires a bid to Network Rail made at least 14 weeks out. At this point 60163 was not on WCR books and therefore a bid would not have been able to be placed.

 

I mean that’s just pure NR bureaucracy.

The trip would have have been submitted ages ago, just not the loco. And without being funny it doesn’t take 14 weeks to gauge a loco for a route.

 

From what I could see on the Keighley webcam, the stock appears to be mostly blue and grey, with two or three maroons in the middle.

 

Another technicolour dream coat from WCR then!

 

I wonder what we will all be saying in another 25 years when MK2s are out, non CDL MK1s long forgotten, and steam is hauling round a mix of Intercity and GWR liveried MK3s! With Maroon MK1 support coach of course!

 

Don't forget the Avanti Pride liveried ETHEL (converted from a 47).