LE movements, ECS and test runs 2025

I am sure that it is by far the highest mileage Bulleid in preservation even I have amassed 5274 miles behind it. Back in the days I was stewarding a lot (2010 -2015) the RTC (and I think a fair amount of the SD) programme was in the hands of Tangmere along with Cromwell. Then No9 became the go to heavily used loco. For all the well known reasons it has been a go to loco for WCRC in recent times as well.
It may have had issues, and you could probably produce a nice map of banks it has stalled on over the years, but any mainline loco will suffer more than something running at 25mph between say Swanage and Norden. And whilst any loco appears to need a fair amount of "tinkering" there appears to be, at least to this uninitiated one, a lot more "tinkering" going on amongst the Bulleid members of the fleet down here compared to products not designed by OVSB

 

45212?
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W28276/2025-08-21/detailed

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U60314/2025-08-20/detailed

Crewe to Southall, 61306 (+-minder ) ? -- see conversation in Steam Dreams

 

Did 45212 alredy left Plymouth after the hotbox at the tender? Perhaps I have overlooked it.

 

From what I have seen on tinterweb 45212 went by road to Carnforth and the tender went to Ian Rileys works.
Happy to be corrected by Mr Riley.

 

Tender moved to Bury for repair and loco moved to 10A. Repaired tender now also at 10A and loco on a Carnforth - Hellifield - Carnforth test run on Thursday.

 

0M50 and 0M51 Carnforth-Hellifield-Carnforth test runs in the system tomorrow as VAR. Unlikely to be 45212 due to lack of support coach, so probably diesel(s) on test.

 

Surely there are a few support coaches at Carnforth that could be used for 45212’s test run?

 

I’m sure there are, I think the post refers to the designation being 0M50 and not 5M50, LE only, no other stock

 

This is Mayflower with a 47 on the front plus coaches.

 

37668 and 47245 reported on this.

 

Picture at Settle Junction today.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/54732520067/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/54733714055/in/photostream/

 

Duff gen - as the photos show, it was 37669 (not 668) returned from lengthy repairs! Freshly repainted and fitted with ploughs for I believe the first time in WCR ownership.

 

Realtime Trains | 5M50 0948 Carnforth Steamtown to Hellifield Goods Loops | 21/08/2025

Realtime Trains | 5M51 1347 Hellifield Goods Loops to Carnforth Steamtown | 21/08/2025


45212 / 37516 showing on Railcam

 

45212 with support and 37516 passing Starrick's Farm.

 

45212 test run at Bentham and Giggleswick

 

Today the weather was cloudy (again) but unlike Tuesday drizzle never seemed likely and there was even some occasional brightness. Maisie had her breakfast and went out a-hunting! She ran back in when the Sainsburys' man arrived and went out again as he left. Around 30 minutes later she returned carrying a (dead) bird - I bet she didn't get that from Sainsburys. Into the kitchen she marched, dropped the bird on the floor and then proceeded to throw it about whilst purring very loudly. I distracted her with a couple of biscuits and sneaked the bird away and into the bin. She was not pleased, she protested loudly and went out again (in a huff). After lunch she returned with a half-dead butterfly. What's in store for this evening? A bat? It won't be the first time that we've had a bat in the house. If you've ever seen the video of a bat causing mayhem in an Irish farmhouse . . . you get the idea. This is not the strangest creature that has entered Oswald's house, perhaps a story for another time.

Back to the test run, it's never reassuring when "the system" automatically activates the path 60 minutes before the first move, but this is certainly not unusual with ECS moves from 10A. Despite repeated checks on RTT nothing appeared to be happening. It was quickly approaching the time when I had to leave home or I simply wouldn't get "there"; a leap of faith was required. Perhaps not too much faith, best to stop half way and check again. This I did, in a layby just a couple of miles beyond Gisburn. RTT now showed RT for some of moves around Carnforth but the "train" had yet to leave; it could be early or late, Oswald needed to press on.

I had decided to go to the over bridge that overlooks the summit of Giggleswick Bank. Trains from the west are still climbing at this point. There were plenty of tall nettles and thistles to trample down and some nice blackberries ready for picking. There was nothing mundane or trivial chosen in the name of this bridge, this bridge had a name that suggested solidity and tradition, this bridge was, "Armistead". [Now Armistead was also the first name of a character in Coronation Street, a character that we never saw. He was the late husband husband of Minnie Caldwell and Minnie Caldwell liked cats. But what was the name of Minnie Caldwell's cat? Don't post the answer, Oswald doesn't want to encourage thread drift and risk the wrath of a Mod, Oswald will give the answer at the end of the post.]

A local couple (my age) with cameras arrived. We chatted until the rumble of a "tractor" approached and 45212 headed around the bend, a coach and a 37 on the back. Plenty of effort and noise from the 37 as the group sped past and over the summit. At least the black 5 was on the front. 16C & 6E.

We chatted again, they lived in Giggleswick and were calling it a day, I was undecided but drove down to Giggleswick station and ate my dinner/lunch (hot cross bun and cheese - a favourite). I was sorting some things out in the boot when Idris rode his motorcycle onto the car park. We wandered onto the station platform and settled on a bench for another enjoyable chat. The units came and went and it was time to prepare; Idris went off to the top of the bank and I remained on the station.

I chatted to a guy who I have met before who had just the train at Hellifield and reckoned that the 37 would be on the front; it seemed likely. RTT showed 5M51 had left Hellifield GL and had passed Settle Jn (1E). Sure enough the 37 was on the front. Up the long straight they came, white exhaust coming from 45212's chimney. Approaching the crossing the 37 gave a very disjointed "two-tone", it was "tractoring away" to its heart's content and didn't it look a treat. The paintwork on 37516 Loch Laidon gleamed, a credit to David Smith and all those involved in the recent re-paint. The 37 grumbled up the bank, the sound of wheels of jointed rail and it continued and continued . . . 16C & 2E

The object of the exercise was to prove the repairs on the tender and get the bearings bedded in. Let's hope that it has been a successful day.



[Answer: Bobby, a big ginger cat.]

 

It's a big bike ? Post now corrected - thanks, Ralph