Saphos Trains 2026

I'm sure it will. 34067 ran on Saturday, round the coast, and there has been a reasonable amount of rain over the S&C since, with more forecast before Wednesday.
I'm wondering what is pencilled in for Saturday's Lakelander. Maybe 70000?

 

If last week was "El Scorchio!" this week saw temperatures fall to more sensible values, throw in some periods of rain and it had become a very much more typical summer. "Flaming June" had gone, into July and the days are becoming shorter, Oswald's birthday has come and gone for another year. (As posted elsewhere WCR are permitted to run private charters using their non-CDL Mk1s hauled by say Galatea or 44932 or 48151 - with no diesel. I did mention it to Mrs W, and that WCR could do special trips for wedding celebrations, or BIRTHDAYS, I even gave her the phone number for Carnforth, but with no result, "some fell on stony ground" - still the socks are extremely comfortable. Mrs W has a significant birthday later in the year, I wonder . . . ? Oswald is not that brave!)

This year's Fellsman leaves Blackburn a couple of minutes before 10am, a sensible time that allows Oswald to avoid the early morning traffic that was an issue with earlier paths. Everyone was up and about when I left home around 9am, Maisie wandered out with me then mooched off on cat business. I still hadn't decided if I should go to Brownhill for the long, straight climb out of Blackburn or somewhere around R&W station for the final part of the climb to the summit; the journey is the same except for the last few hundred yards when it's left for Brownhill or right for Wilpshire. Even at this late juncture, the weather forecasts couldn't agree; one said a low chance of light showers with some intermittent sun and the other, no sun and a much higher chance of rain - what's the point?!

I finally settled on Brownhill and parked. A check on RTT showed that BP wad got stuck in traffic approaching Wigan and was running 23L; I remained in the car. The clouds gathered, it had not been remotely sunny, light rain began to fall. It was too soon to assess the likely impact of the current delay. BP was booked on the FL from Balshaw Lane so less lines to cross when leaving the WCML at Farington Jn. It was still 23L following its pick up at Leyland but managed to join the East Lancs line at Lostock Hall Jn (19L) just before the Colne train headed across the junction towards Preston. Running 20L, it looked like there was a clear path thro' Blackburn. The problem now was that it was raining heavily, very heavily. There was nothing to do but wait and hope that the rain stopped or at least eased.

The rain did ease, I got out of the car which was parked around 50yds from my intended spot alongside the line and then I heard the sound of a chainsaw, a loud chainsaw being used near the line. Oh dear, I thought, perhaps my choice of words may have been slightly different. There was still enough time, Oswald started the car and headed for R&W. I parked, grabbed my stuff and headed for the station; the best spots on the platforms were taken - the bridge it was. At least the rain had stopped. BP was in Blackburn. Although my phone showed 5G was available, it appeared to be woefully slow. Eventually I got confirmation that BP was at Daisyfield Jn.

A bit of a wait, I imagined 60532 powering up the long straight towards Brownhill - "let's see what you could have won". Then a distant chime, another wait. Blue Peter came into view, climbing the final stretch of 1/73 and up to the summit where the line falls almost as steeply (1/86). There was plenty of white exhaust in the cool. damp morning air, a bit of a strangled blast on the chime whistle as the loco approached the bridge then another as BP passed beneath - lovely stuff! 16C & 25L.

I arrived home as Mrs W was heading out to her Wednesday coffee morning meet, Maisie had been in and out several times and was currently out - time for a brew!

 

That really was a strangled blast from the chime whistle as Blue Peter passed under the bridge.
I hope Mrs W likes the socks she gets on her birthday.

 

I'm a traditionalist and I do not like the chime whistles on Blue Peter nor Tornado at all. The LNER shriek isn't to everyone's taste I know, but those chimes are just wrong. Chimes on an A4, on the other hand... Perfect.

 

60532 Seen from high above Helwith Bridge by kind permission of the landowner.

 

Making it look easy. Lovely clean exhaust, Tangers take note!

 

60532 climbing from Daisyfield, at Brownhill, and later approaching the site of the Hoffman Lime Kiln at Langcliffe.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/55368627484/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/55367498517/in/photostream/

 

Blue Peter at Bamber Bridge

 

60532 Blue Peter 'The Fellsman' at Hellifield






i then went down to Keighley to see 55009 Alycidon being collected by 37423 to be taken to the NVR, Photos here if interested, plus lots more stuff from KWVR today
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/Days-out/2026/July-2026/60532-Blue-Peter-/i-7Pw7pMC

Neil

 

A couple of shots of the return working, approaching Salt Lake Cottages and leaving Hellifield towards Blackburn.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/55367862117/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/55368945293/in/photostream/

 

Under threatening skies LNER Peppercorn A2 class No. 60532 'Blue Peter' makes a fine sight and sound as it works todays 'Fellsman' through Dent Station towards Garsdale and on to Carlisle



With the long awaited forecast of rain beginning to fall LNER Peppercorn A2 class No. 60532 'Blue Peter' works the return leg of the 'Fellsman' through Kirkby Stephen Station and into the climb to Aisgill summit and back to Crewe

 

I was looking at some of my old Hi8 videos of 30 years ago and it had that strange addled whistle back then.

 

I was discussing the whistle today with a friend and it is believed to be from New Zealand, acquired by Geoff Drury.

Today's job at Lazonby:

Blue Peter at Lazonby

...and Angerholme:

Blue Peter at Angerholme

 

That I recall was documented in a slim book about Blue Peter from the early 70s I recollect having, think maybe bought at Dinting Railway Centre. It was a history of the loco and information about the plans for it in preservation, including the huge chime whistle from New Zealand. The photos of it at Doncaster works open day were accompanied by information about the mainline return being imminent after the ban was lifted, but as we know it was nearly another 20 years before that happened, thanks to NELPG. Great to see it running regularly again having only been properly active for around 10 years of it's 60 years in preservation.
As a child brought up on 4472, 4498 and 4771 as the performers of the day, 'the 532 Blue Peter' held a fascination, being "caged" not very far from home and regularly featured on the children's TV show. It also had "top trumps" appeal, being Britain's most powerful steam loco.

 

I blame Thomas Tuchel, I got drawn in to watching a turgid England performance. "A game they should win without really trying" trumpeted some of the pundits, well they certainly didn't appear to be trying and as a result they were in grave danger of losing. I had intended to go to Whalley but, by hanging on and hanging on, I left it too late and ended up going to Wilpshire. Not Ramsgreave and Wilpshire but the "old" Wilpshire station, for an over the fence shot from the housing development built on the site of the former goods yard. The trackside is badly overgrown and, especially in summer, there is only one spot and it was mine! I was joined by a stills photographer who managed to squeeze in above and behind me - taller step than mine.

The path was the same as last month's Fellsman, following the Rochdale Flyer up the bank and booked to pass Whalley at 19.40. The Fellsman couldn't pass Whalley until the Flyer left the section at Daisyfield Jn (booked 19.44). The recorded time for the Flyer at DJn was 19.43 but it always seems to take a minute or two after this for the signal at Whalley to clear. So despite leaving Clitheroe RT, BP was going to be 4/5L at Whalley (and at least that at R&W?).

After a wet start, the day had remained dry but rain was forecast to start about when the train was due - was it ever thus? As we waited, the sky to the west became increasingly dark and threatening. Then, a few minutes earlier than expected, a distant chime. Another minute and the sound of BP approaching. She swept around the curve, moving quickly. BP really is a magnificent looking machine, she swept by followed by 11 "blood and custards" and the 47 on the rear. That was it, day over, Harry Kane had rescued England, Oswald had seen BP and the rain had held off.

18C, 1L & (a brisk) 33mph.

BP had an allowance of 13.5 mins for the 4.5 miles from (stationary?) at Whalley to R&W. It appears that the climb was accomplished in around 10 mins, a video taken further down the bank shows the 47 giving a hefty shove. Was the pushing to ensure that the Fellsman kept its path or fire risk measures? I'm not privy to NR's current fire risk level, so I can't possibly say.

I've seen a couple of videos of the morning run taken from the platform at R&W and it appears that the chime whistle was nowhere near as strangled as it sounds in my video, probably distortion caused by the mic being very close to the whistle - apologies.

At around 9.30pm heavy rain began to fall, the rain persisted for much of the night; it all helps with Saturday's steam trip - 70000?

Paw note: Maisie was half-watching the football, after one atrocious piece of defending she curled up, put a paw across her eyes and went to sleep.

 

Excellent report as ever David.
Maybe I'm misremembering but hadn't the Saphos trains gone largely DL free once they were formed of entirely 'fresh air' stock?
I guess fire mitigation is the order of the day although we've had a good few downpours in the north west of England in recent days and it has been mush fresher - routine "Fellsman weather", in fact......
Having said that, Blue Peter is so shiny that a lack of very bright light helps to manage the glint! It's a glorious colour, especially when the surroundings are lush green, very photogenic.
Gossip picked up yesterday about 6024 is that it's booked in the paintshop till 25th July.