Northern Belle 2026

The irony of me recently being a vocal critic of WC about the CDL saga and getting shafted by a booking on a CDL fitted train isn't lost .....
The steam element doesn't actually concern me but to the person celebrating the milestone it is the reason for booking this train rather than a Statesman or Midland Pullman for example.
Regretting that the Lakelander of 9th May wasn't more certain as to whether it was running when this was booked now, as it's going down the S&C too now with the tunnel closure on the coast.

 

Indeed.
It would no doubt amuse a number of people who know me well to be characterised as one who "likes to get excited", particularly about things that haven't or won't happen.

 

34067 Seen from above Tebay running through the Lune Gorge and under the Motorway.

 

Making up for lost time, SR BoB Class No.34067 'Tangmere' speeds the 'Northern Belle' through Beckfoot towards Tebay and onward to Carlisle with Craig Todd driving. Matt Anderson on the shovel and Matt Miller Guard.
The crew will also work the return over the S&C



With the big yella thing out in Cumbria today and with Wild Boar Fell as a backdrop SR Bob No 34067 'Tangmere' heads the return 'Northern Belle’ rail tour away from Aisgill summit on the run down to Garsdale and back to Liverpool

 

What a memorable week it's been, first, and you are not going to believe this, we have had, not one, not two, but THREE deliveries of post. Admittedly we hadn't had anything for the previous 10 days but on Monday we had 10 items, Tuesday 8 and Saturday 1 - unbelievable! Second, on Wednesday Mrs W's team won away at Sheffield to ensure that they remain in the Championship - whew! Next, on Friday evening, whilst out for a walk, Mrs W spied a woodpecker and thinks that there may be a nest - I do hope so, it will keep her occupied for weeks. Finally, to top it off, I saw Tangmere twice in 5 days (maybe "top it off" isn't the best expression to associate with "our favourite" loco).

I had secretly hoped that Tangmere wouldn't be available for the NB trip and we might get 44871 - but no, Tangmere it was! If it hadn't been such a lovely day I might not have bothered, but any mainline steam is good steam and worth the effort. Oswald Jnr had gone away for the weekend, Mrs W was out and Maisie was out - she loves warm days, so it was just me, I could leave whenever I chose.

Rather than my usual shadowy haunt at Ramsgreave & Wilpshire I decided to head to the lower part of Wilpshire bank where the sun would shining. Mytton Fold and the unusually named, "Asylum House" bridge, the bridge provides access for golfers, buggies etc from the hotel and car parks to the course. The car parks were all but empty when I arrived 30 mins before the train was due. On the way I had spent a small fortune "filling up" with diesel, I could start on a Trump rant but won't.

I headed to the bridge and set up, the approach shot was fine but the trailing shot up the long straight was problematic, it was towards the strong sun - hey ho! I consulted RTT and Tangmere had already left Clitheroe (9E). Despite having checked everything a few minutes earlier I noticed that the battery in the approach shot mic had gone flat, I had a spare but not enough time to change it. I would have to use the camera's built in mic, although there was very little wind what there was funnelled over the bridge, wind noise might be an issue - hey ho, again! I thought that I heard a whistle, Billington foot crossing? Not long afterwards the sound of Tangmere's exhaust, then Tangmere appeared with copious amounts of clag spewing from her chimney. The exhaust cleared to a grey haze as the loco approached. Monday's steam leak had gone, Tangmere sounded a bit more "hissy" than the uneven "woof, woof, miss a beat, woof . ." of late - who knows?!

She passed under the bridge with a definite hissy sound and headed up the long straight. Progress appeared steady but perhaps slowing, the diesel was growling. With most of the train clear of the bridge Tangmere whistled, the train eased up the climb and before too long the diesel opened up and whatever sound Tangmere might have been making was drowned out save for a distant whistle for Langho station. 19C, 10E & 21mph. And everyone lived happily ever after. [Apologies for the colour in the trailing shot, my camera does not like green grass, leaves and strong sunshine.]

 

Nice video, thanks.

Re the diesel getting louder and louder the further away and the faster the train went up the grade.

Under those lighting conditions I believe it was a rare example of an audio mirage.

Bryan

 

After I had posted the video I found out that NR had an amber fire risk in place, so yet another reason, if one was needed, for the diesel to provide a substantial push. As you say, perhaps no one on board cared . . . “More wine, sir?”

 

Well the booking terms quite prominently say steam isn't guaranteed and if a diesel has to be substituted a refund of £30 per person will be issued. This amounts to around 2% as a "steam premium".
Having travelled, the only way one would know a steam loco was on the front is by mk1 eyeball at Carlisle and Preston respectively. You correctly surmise this isn't really a matter which seems to trouble the clientele, myself included. In that respect Tangmere is ideally suited to the role required of it ......

 

And on the Countryfile weather Darren Betts was saying how wet it has been up that way compared to the South and East. Does not look good for steam down this way at the moment.

 

If nobody on board is bothered about having a steam loco actually providing the traction, why would WC bother to put one on the front at all?

 

Having travelled on board, I would say people like to be able to say they had a "steam train" journey, enjoy the photo ops etc but aren't overly concerned during the journey.
Plus it's more profitable for WC, the extra take is probably into five figures with additional expenditure less?

 

It's a superficial steam experience, having sampled it, Tangmere is suited to the role but I wouldn't have complained if it had been a DL instead and the equivalent of an extra bottle of wine refunded.
The carriages, service and food are excellent by the way, as a one off very special occasion it's recommended, steam or not.

 

Steam remains a significant marketing tool and is the hook for many normal folk (even if all it does is provide a photo back drop).

 

That is probably a correct account of the situation.

 

Not attempting to be funny here Ralph, you are a splendid chap of course. I observe however that PMR gave up, Compass ceased trading owing a hell of a lot of money and RTC are suffering badly in the UK. Whilst WCR makes profit it is much less from tours than previously.

Your assessment is sound of course but if tours aren't drawing enthusiasts to travel it depletes what used to be the core market and they are the most likely to repeat bookings.

The Great Briton just completed has a "National Belle" style these days. I hope those who travelled appreciated the dedication and expertise of those who made it all come together. However to purists it was probably the least satisfying of these annual trips yet, with the obvious exception of the one during the "WCR can't play" debacle. Bluntly it was a rather dull pastiche of the superb event it used to be.

The Northern Belle is good at what it has become, but the new reality is a steam generator at the front with a diesel generator to the rear pushing up every incline and frequently downhill too. Less photos are posted each successive trip and almost without exception they are staged to exclude the rear of the formation.

Corporate jolly and Sunday lunch type customers won't notice such things of course, but once they've ticked the "done that" box they will choose something different next time round. Enthusiasts aren't supporting the Northern Belle and similar offerings so WCR and RTC continue to lose their revenue. Maybe WCR won't worry about that - They even regard the Jacobite as an optional extra, but it may not be long before RTC follows PMR tours and Compass into oblivion.