WCRC Santa Specials 2018

Followed us home last night from Barbados!

 

Plumpton 09.12.18.

 

Footage of 35018 storming up Shap earlier.

 

Shap Wells northbound and Plumpton on the return.


Merchant No.18 at Shap Wells


Pot, Kettle.

 

Slogging up past Salterwath..........

 

Going well through Scout Green, 'British India Line' heads the penultimate 'Santa Special' to Carlisle with Mick Rawling driving, Rib Russell firing and Roly Parker guard



Decent winter sunshine as SRMN Class 4-6-2 No. 35018 'British India Line' approaches Shap with the return leg of the 'Santa Special' Mick Rawling driving,
Rob Russell firing and Roly Parker guard

 

Belting winter time shots Shep !!

 

Lovely shots Ian, good to see shots in the landscape

 

35018 near Shap Summit on the outward leg

 

35018 on the return leg near Penrith Station
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35018 at Shap Wells and Great Strickland

 

35018 seen here approaching Shap Wells.

 

A couple from today including 35018 at Shap Wells and on the approach to Great Strickland this afternoon.

Images Available Here

 

Great video Austin. I thought I'd managed to keep out of the way of anyone filming at the top of the field, but clearly not!

 

Cheers Ian, trust you won't be expecting an appearance fee!

 

So its our turn next week, can anyone ITK shed any light on a) why we are stopping in a goods loop at Blackburn for 35 minutes and why in light of this the train is split into two different paths (Lancaster - Blackburn and then Blackburn to Carnforth), if it were just a pathing stop would it not just show up as a single path?

 

Suggest that (a) Blackburn is a water stop and (b) the train is operated as 2 services hence the 2 legs. Note a similar occurrence with the Pennine Moors charter on Saturday which was timed as 2 services; Crewe - Burnley Manchester Rd and Burnley Manchester Road - Crewe for a similar "circular" railtour.

 

Yet there is still the normal 30 mins stop in Hellifield loops where we watered last year?

 

A bit late to the party - 35018 glinting nicely at Salterwath
Flickr David Price/Cop Lane

 

Possibly splitting a circular charter tour for planning purposes ? Remember that this is a Santa train where time is required for "Santa" to spread cheer throughout the train hence - I suspect - NR prefer to treat this as 2 services ending and re-starting from Blackburn hence the 2 timings.