Fellsman tours 2023

This is absolutely true. Many times I've returned with my body as wet as the outside of my clothing. Even with the forecast yesterday, I left it until last night before I realised that the results from today wouldn't have been worth a 12 hour shift with 5 hours of it driving. Maybe next week's Dalesman will get me out. Maybe I'll just get rid of the car and start building an Ark.

 

At work in the peeing down rain, not brave, just feeling bloody stupid for taking my waterproof out my bag this morning!

 

Well done Steve...the Five sounded fantastic!

 

Armathwaite on the return...


45231 on the Fellsman at Armathwaite

 

45231 on the return leg at a soggy Kirkby Stephen .

 

45231 seen at Selside Shaw then crossing Ribblehead Viaduct after the opening introduction then on the return leg through Kirkby Stephen Station and old goods yard.

 

02/08/2023 - LMS Stanier Black 5 - 45231 "Sherwood Forester" on the returning Fellsman passing a foot crossing at Barrow heading towards Whalley and on towards Blackburn.

 

Low light at Helsby - at last the rain had stopped.

 

It rained on and off for most of the day but the chance of seeing a 'black five' slog up Wilpshire bank was not something that I intended to miss. Especially after Saturday's disappointment when 45212 failed at Hellifield - I hope IR and the team are able to sort it quickly. Back to the Fellsman, I roped Mrs W in as a potential brolly holder.

My regular route to Wilpshire had an emergency road closure part way along with no easy detour. The alternative along the A666 to the M65 has been blighted for the last week by a set of temporary lights (long queues in the morning). I persuaded Mrs W that we needed to leave "mega-early", so we did. Along the A666 where the temporary lights had now been removed (typical) and onto the M65 where it was raining steadily. The next section involves multiple sets of lights and was memorable in that all but one were on green, consequently we arrived 50 minutes before the train was due. We waited in the car and the rain stopped. With 25 mins to go we headed down onto the platform at Ramsgreave & Wilpshire.

The Rochdale bound train came and went (RT). The Clitheroe train was running late, 5L at Blackburn. Thankfully it stopped at R&W (5L) and despite running late waited a full 2 minutes (and a bit more) before clearing off with less than 10 mins before the Fellsman was due. As we waited the odd spot of rain fell, but nothing much. There was a very light breeze from the NE, a useful direction for carrying the sound of the approaching train towards us. Several more people had arrived on both platforms and up on the road bridge - mainly regulars. I thought that I heard a distant blast from a Stanier hooter and maybe some exhaust but it was quickly drowned out by passing traffic and a plane.

Then the unmistakable sound of a black 5 but coming from behind us; this end of the station with its high banks and road bridge gathers, contains and focuses the sound of approaching trains. What was remarkable was that we couldn't hear the sound directly from the train for another 2 minutes. When we could it was well worth the wait. The wonderful sound of a black five hard at work, white exhaust shooting high into the sky. Louder, louder and louder still as the loco made steady progress towards us and then thro' the station. Although at this point the rails looked dry, understandably the sanders were on. This was no "Show Pony Express" this was a loco with driver and fireman intent on getting the best from their charge and putting on an excellent display into the bargain. A wave from the footplate was the icing on the cake. Under the road bridge and the sound levels dropped. The carriages moved slowly by and then the 47, pushing - yes, but not as hard as some might want you to believe. 45231 moved away into the distance, working all the way to the summit and beyond. 15C, 4/5L & 16mph. My thanks to all involved in providing some most enjoyable (free) entertainment. Despite the omni-present diesel I would travel on the Fellsman if only I could ensure a standard class seat in a carriage with opening windows. Mrs W's brolly remained unfurled.

 

On board todays Fellsman. Coach B, 3 from the rear. SNG got us away from Chester right time.

 

It seems Realtime Trains is playing up a little so for info 12 down from Blackburn

 

Left Clitheroe five late according to another contact on board. First time SNG has been North over the S&C in blue since 2008 .

 

I made it 8 down away from Clitheroe. Left Chatburn 2 down

 

When SNG returns south later. That'll will be the 1st time running south over the S&C, since double heading with Blue Peter on the 30th of May 1998.

 

Wasn’t that a bit of a last minute working? Wonder how much a tour like that would cost today

 

Not many fells visible today by the looks of things! About 5 down over Ribblehead viaduct.

 

A tad moist at Appleby.

For the LSL ‘always use diesels’ brigade, the fireman is luckily an SVR man, and he reliably informs they’ve had very little assiatnce from the rear end.

 

Yesterday it rained for most of the day, it became heavier overnight and was forecast to continue that way until lunchtime. The sensible thing would be to stay at home except for two things; Nige had "rain-shamed" us all with his splendid video taken from a very wet Arcow Quarry and, it was Sir Nigel Gresley - a rare beast in recent times. There was no doubt, Oswald must be about it. To make matters worse there was a strong and blustery southerly wind. My initial plan had been to go to Brownhill for the climb out of Blackburn but with a southerly wind it would be rain directly into the face (and lens). So it was back to the old standby of Chapel Lane at Hoghton.

I allowed plenty of time as the A666 can be a pain in at this time of the morning. The first mile was fine then I hit stationary traffic with around 1.5 miles still to go to the motorway junction. There were no scheduled roadworks, I'd checked, perhaps a breakdown or maybe a delivery wagon parked in a stupid spot? I didn't hang about to find out and took a detour along the backstreets of Darwen. If this route was congested then I had the option to travel to the other side of Blackburn and gain some time. It appears that no-one else had taken the "back route" and I reached the motorway junction in quick time - Chapel Lane it is! The rain had stopped but the sky remained threatening.

I arrived at Chapel Lane around 30 mins before the train was due, it was still not raining. A check on RTT showed that the train was 10L. I stayed in the car but after several minutes a few spots of rain began to fall. I decided to set up in the dry and wait on the bridge. As I waited I checked progress on RTT; the 9L had become 12L at Bamber Bridge; the weather varied between dry, light rain and moderate rain - but thankfully never heavy. There was too much of a swirling wind to resort to my usual trick of putting a carrier bag over the camera and had to do the best that I could with my brolly.

Despite the wind rusting in the trees there was the unmistakable sound of distant chime whistles as 60007 warned each crossing point of its imminent approach. The moderate rain eased and now only light rain swirled in the wind. Then a chattering exhaust, some white exhaust in the trees and SNG appeared from under the occupation bridge. The exhaust was swept to the right by the wind but moving at no great pace she entered the shelter of the deep cutting. A wonderful blast from the chime whistle, a feather at the safety valves, the swish-swish of the Kylchap exhaust. With a swish and a whoosh she passed under the bridge, the coaches followed and finally the diesel - probably "taking its own weight", or less. 15C (feels like 11C), 13L and 29mph. What a great way to spend an autumnal Wednesday morning. On the journey home heavy rain started to fall and has continued - What a lucky old Oswald I was!

 

SNG and support coach added at Carlisle for the return. I assume as some sort of positioning move. With both locos being in the LSL stable it's might happen 1 day.

 

Yes it was because 60007 was supposed to go to Inverness on a 2 day railtour which it would have worked Carlisle-Stirling-Perth-Inverness on day 1 (24th May) and then Inverness-Perth-Fife-Edinburgh on day 2 (25th May) The problem was that it was out of gauge in I believe Killiecrankie tunnel resulting in the whole tour being cancelled as well as a working from Edinburgh to York on 30th May due to 60007 being out of position.