A1SLT The Pennine Explorer 5/10/19

Thanks Alastair , much appreciated.

 

Putting on the style 'Tornado' heading the 'Pennine Explorer' towards Helwith Bridge with Peter Kirk driving and Paul Akester firing



Working off Crosby Garrett viaduct 'Tornado' heads the return leg of the 'Pennine Explorer' towards Kirkby Stephen with Chris Cubitt driving (cheers for the wave)
and Fraser Birrell on the shovel

 

60163 passes through Horton cutting and Waitby Rock cutting.

 

Superb as ever Shep , full knowledge about the crews an all !! Good to chat today .

 

Cracking sound from Tornado and a superb bit of panning from Joe on its climb to Horton

 

A brief report from coach G which seemed reasonably warm though I plead guilty to going equipped. @Where's Mazeppa? is going to provide a proper running report at some point, having done the job properly.

Overall, it was a good but not spectacular day with over 300 steam miles including the not so common mileage from Doncaster to Leeds via Hambleton and Leeds to Barrow Hill via the Midland, Hare Park Jn and the S and K and the old road.

On the way out the highlights were

• meeting the tight schedule from Doncaster to Leeds, 39m 10s with a miraculous clear run all the way and a high of 73 at Temple Hirst
• a good run up the Aire Valley with speeds in the 60s and just one signal check at Dockfield Jn
• a good climb up the Long Drag 19m 19s from Settle Jn to Blea Moor box and 21m 05 to the tunnel portal.

Four mins late into Carlisle. I took myself off to the city so didn't see what happened but from the time I got back at 1545 for the 1603 departure it was obvious that the system was under pressure with the added LNER trains. At 1545 Tornado was just reuniting with the train on road A. At 1600, the train was down the chord line waiting to back in to the platform with a Virgin train in P1, a container train in P3 and an LNER in P4. Not surprisingly, we didn't make it out in front of the stopper. So nothing of interest to report to Appleby, by which time we had hung back enough to have a decent run up the hill, 20m 22s from Ormside Viaduct to the summit board. Then further signals at Garsdale and we ran into Hellifield GL 38 down. But then a fast fill up saw us leave only 12L and crucially in front of the Morecambe train and with some recovery we made it through Skipton ahead of the stopper and back in our path. A really good run down the Aire Valley ensued, in the 60s all the way with 34' 43'' from Hellifield to Apperley Jn not far off even time.After that we ran steadily through the numerous Wakefield area junctions to finish the steam section 8L at Barrow Hill.

A good day and thanks to Messrs Kirk, Akester, Cubitt, Birrell, P James, J Shuttleworth, the other WCR crew, the A1LST people, the stewards, and actually a word for NR who found a way to path it on a difficult day and who as far as I could see regulated the congestion at Carlisle as well as they could.

 

The steam heat was working on both steam legs ( you can see the steam on several video posts); likewise, I can vouch personally that the eth was ‘on’, as I rode on the loco on both diesel sections.

JS

 

Heat was variable. The 47 was certainly providing heat to most carriages and some were almost like a sauna on the way to Doncaster. It was not a particularly cold day and I stayed in shirt sleeves even when the top windows were open both sides so that the sound of Tornado working could be heard.
I hope there are some timings published here. Particularly impressed with the climb to Ais Gill as by my reckoning she was slowly accelerating all the way and did not drop much below 44 all the way from just after Kirby Stephen.

 

I feel I should add that, in general, if someone has concerns about heat (or any other on-train issues, for that matter) and they'd like something done about it, they should speak to the on-board stewards. They are far more likely to get a result, instead of moaning about it on an internet forum or social media.

JS

 

Just for info for any troubleshooting (not a moan), there was neither ETH or SH in 'B' at our end (17/18) but we came prepared. (I did turn the SH on at EMP on boarding ready for Donny ) There was clearly ETH in other coaches as we had to walk down through 2 or 3 to get to 'B'.

 

Definite ETH in our end of 'B' (2/3) but never felt any SH.

Dave B

 

Yes there must have been heat somewhere in B as we weren't total frozen. Odd about the SH on the way back as we were only 3 coaches from the loco.

 

Steam looked to be reaching the rear of the train on the way back at Ribblehead as the tell tale wisps of steam were visible between coaches. It caught my eye specifically as people had mentioned the fact when I looked at the thread before we popped out to see her.

 

The Pennine Explorer 5th October 2019/ Part 1 - Doncaster-Leeds-Hellifield-Carlisle

30567 has given you the equivalent of the Match of the Day Highlights (Post 38), and now, necessarily as a two-parter, here is some of the grinding detail that sits behind the headline stories of the day.

Tornado on the S&C was an event that I had been looking forward to experiencing ever since the disappointment of its no-show on Pathfinder’s May 2015 Cumbrian Fells Express, due to a late return to traffic following its 2014/15 overhaul. So it was with a great sense of anticipation of a really good day out that we arrived a few minutes early into Doncaster’s Goods Line 2, and our 47 (47802) detached from the formation to give way to Tornado, waiting on the adjacent Goods Line 1. A 76 minute timetabled wait before the main event kick-off, and no opportunity take a good look at this magnificent locomotive, did little to diminish that anticipation. We were to go forward with Load 11 including Tornado’s POB, worth in total approximately 410 tons tare/ 440 ton gross (9 Mark 1’s, all on Commonwealth bogies, and two Mark 1 Pullman cars together with a full passenger complement). This was to be my first encounter with a WCR-crewed Tornado outing; in reality, I wasn’t expecting that this would present any detectable differences to previous forays with DBC crews, (why would there be, after all?), and I was not to be disappointed.

With Tornado now at the helm, Peter Kirk on the regulator and Phil Akaster on the shovel the appointed departure time of 10.34 came and went. Three minutes later, a glance across to Platform 4 witnessed the arrival of Azuma 1D07 09.03 KGX – Leeds. A fleeting doubt was entertained that we might be held for its departure some four minutes later, but almost immediately we were off on Tornado’s warm-up leg with one of the real challenges of the day - a tight timing of just 38 minutes for the 35.51 miles to Leeds via the Hambledon Junctions. This challenge included the run-in to Leeds from the east, over the 10 miles of densely trafficked (Trans-Pennine, XC and Northern) two-track section from Micklefield.

Warm-up it may have been, but after negotiating the exit from the Goods Lines we were away to some purpose, accelerating swiftly to 49.1 at Arksey LC (2.04 miles/ 5m 34s) and attaining a 60mph rate at Shaftholme Junction (former box) – 4.21 miles / 8m 01s. From that point, further acceleration across the levels of the Aire/ Calder River Basin at a steady and even rate of increase saw 70 mph achieved in 11.5 miles (just north of Heck) and Temple Hirst Junction passed at 71.4 in 15m 53s for the opening 13.1 miles. The ensuing 5 miles to Hambleton Junction saw the highest speeds of the day – 73.8 for a short stretch before and past MP172, and we reached the turn-out at Hambleton South Junction (18.14 miles) in just 20m 11s, passed at 69.7mph.

Continuing our progress along the South to West Junction curve at 70.0/ 71.5, it was good to see Northern Trains Pacer on the 2K67 10.52 Selby-Leeds all stations stopper held at signals on the approach to the West Junction to allow priority to our passage of the junction. Something of a relief, because we were still 5L at this point, whereas the stopper was RT, and its immediate penalty for being deferred to our priority was a 3L delay at the junction, subsequently magnified to 8L on arrival at Leeds. So, nothing in front of us to trouble our progress closer than XC service 1V54 09.42 NCL-PLY which, a few miles further on, was to precede our passage of Micklefield on roughly an 8 minute headway.

Our speed was then maintained at around 68 mph over the next two miles before we tackled the more serious six mile westbound climb of Micklefield Bank, rising at 1 in 136/ 156/ 150 to give a vertical rise in altitude of roughly 200 feet from Hambledon to a summit level of 250 feet passing Garforth. The steady attrition of speed up the bank saw a drop to 63.5 at South Milford, 57.5 at Micklefield, and 55.3 at East Garforth, the summit of the climb. Speed recovered to a maximum of 63.2 over the three mile level stretch that followed , rising to 64.2/ 64.4 on the 1 in 158/ 162/ 153 fall to Neville Hill East Junction, by which point speed had dipped to just below 60. Cross Gates, passed at 63.7 in a time of 32’37” for the 31.05 miles from Doncaster was about as close to an even time performance as we were going to get on this leg – and indeed the closest we came to an even time run all day.

At that point it was touch-and-go that we might achieve the 38 minute timing, but progress was being sustained without the expected/ feared checks, and the remarkably smooth run-in to Leeds across the eastern fringes of the city’s Central Business District saw a time of just 2’32” for the final 0.9 miles in from Marsh Lane. And it produced one of the day’s real highlights and memorable moments – the continuous burst of Tornado’s chime whistle echoing out across the city streets and buildings heralding what felt like a triumphal arrival into the city. All in all, 30567’s reported time for this leg of 39’10” (Post 38), with a brisk approach to a final standstill on the Through Line, was about the best that could have been expected or hoped for – but it still meant a 5L arrival and thus no recovery of the arrears from our late start at Doncaster.

After a pause lasting a mere 37 seconds but still 4 down, we were away smartly across the layout of junctions that form the western exit to the Down Shipley line (Leeds West 20.0, Whitehall East 24.0, Armley Junction/ Armley Road overbridge 34.8) quickly gathering speed to pass Kirkstall Forge (station) at 63.3 (4.16 miles/ 6m52s). A steady 60/61 was then maintained past Apperley Junction and Apperley Bridge Station before entering Thackley Tunnel at 58.1 (8.40 miles/ 11m02s). Leaving the tunnel, we were heavily check down to 10.9 approaching Dockfield Junction as (I assume) 2S21 11.04 Skipton-Bradford Forster Square crossed our path at Shipley West.

Accelerating again through Shipley’s Platform 2 at 28.9 (10.76 miles/ 16m 23s) and Saltaire at 42.5, we regained a steady just-below-mile-a-minute rate through Bingley (55.4) and Cross Flats (59.2) to Keighley passed at 55.9 in 23m 21s for the 16.94 miles from the Leeds restart. Advantage was then taken of the roughly 1.5 miles of 1 in 247 down, then level for 0.8 miles, to enjoy a short spell of running up to a maximum of 67.3 at Steeton and Silsden – the highest northbound speed at any point between Leeds and Carlisle. At this point we were 1L but closing fast on a preceding Bradford –Skipton all stations service, with around five minutes headway, and after a slight check, speeds were eased down to 59.9 at Kildwick (LC), 54.5 at Cononley, and 49.1 at the A629 Skipton Bypass Overbridge. Skipton, 26.16 miles was passed at in 33m 14s at 42.1mph and at this point we were running 2E, having improved on the 40 minute Leeds-Skipton start-to-pass schedule by no less than seven minutes.

This gave us a respectable start-to-pass average of 47.2 mph including the Dockfield Junction check, for which an adjustment of around 1m 30s would be appropriate to reflect the imminent 30 mph psr at this point; this would suggest a net time of 31m 45s and a net average speed of 49.4 mph; and this over a section presenting a generally rising tendency along the Aire Valley equivalent to an average gradient of around 1 in 555 over the whole distance (+249 feet) – but achieved in what are essentially short, shallow rising steps.

The gentle character of these gradients changes sharply after Skipton, starting 2.5 miles to the north, with rises of 1 in 132/ 165 (past Gargrave)/300/ 132 (at Bell Busk), with a summit of the 5.75 mile climb at 229m 40c. Tornado accelerated steadily and evenly up the early stages of the incline to then hold speeds at a consistent 51.0/ 51.5/ 51.2 (at Gargrave)/51.9/ 50.9, briefly dipping slightly below this rate to minimum of 48.8 before a recovery to 51.3 at MP226m 60c, and rising to a maximum of 54.1 at Bell Busk one mile further on. Limited attrition of speed on the final 1.6 miles of the climb (mainly at 1 in 132), saw speed tail off only slightly to 48 at the summit, before slowing on the downgrade to the Hellifield water stop 1.8 miles further on, reached in 47m 33c at an average of 45.6 for the 36.14 miles (net after adjustment for the Dockfield Junction check 47.1 mph), and an on-time arrival.

The climbs of both Micklefield and Bell Busk banks had proved to be an excellent prequel for expectations of a decent Tornado performance on the Long Drag, and we were not to be disappointed. After a three minute overstay to the booked water stop allowance Peter Kirk and Phil Akester set about preparing Tornado to fulfil the booked pass-to-pass time of 19 minutes from Settle Junction to Blea Moor box with some gusto; the initial charge down the 1 in 214/290/116/181 saw Long Preston (1.22 miles) passed at 49.0 and Settle Junction Box at 62.3, in 5m 02s for the 3.25 miles from the restart. An energetic start indeed!

The 1 in 100 climb proper starts with 1.96 miles to Settle Station, at which point speed had fallen back to 52.8. Continuing our excellent rate of progress over the ensuing 2.2 miles of 1 in 100 to the entrance to Stainforth Tunnel, speed had fallen only to 47.5. Thereafter we maintained an un-waivering rock-steady speed of almost exactly 45 mph over the 1.82 miles to Helwith Bridge, quickening slightly to 47.8 with the benefit of a short quarter mile level section at MP241, before slipping back to 46.1 at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, passed in 14m 43s for the 11.26 miles from the Hellifield restart. We continued at this speed, passing Selside cottages at 45.0 before a marked easing to 39.2 at MP 245m40c and 37.1 at MP 246, in good time for a further gentle but progressive reduction for the passage of Ribblehead Station (MP 247m 20c) at 32.3.

The early easing some 1.7 miles south of this point did not detract from a time of 21m37s from Hellifield, seconds inside the booked 22 minute schedule for the 15.93 miles to this point. Onto the single line section at 30.1, onto the viaduct at 28.4, and off at 27.7, we passed Blea Moor Box (at 27.1) in 24m 18s from the Hellifield restart; and more particularly, 19m 16s from Settle Junction Box. A very solid performance, but in truth, no better than the almost-identical-to-the-second run of Scots Guardsman over this section with Load 11+POB on the 10th September Dalesman, as chronicled so graphically by OTW. A slower passage of the viaduct section by Tornado (as well as a more relaxed approach to Ribblehead Station) seems to have been the cause of the virtual dead heat, but SG’s performance with one extra coach is a comparison worth highlighting. And also not as quick as 70000’s 29th May Load 11 performance on the Fellsman, clearing this section fully one minute quicker (18m 19s). For more detail, do take a look at Ian Cawthorne’s truly excellent website https://settlecarlislesteam.co.uk/2019/ which offers a wealth of data for selected runs in a format that lends to ease of comparison.

So at Blea Moor Box, having matched but not beaten the Explorer’s scheduled times to this point, we were still 2L. Onward up the final mile of 1 in 100, which continues a short distance inside the south portal of Blea Moor Tunnel, there was barely any gain in speed, and we entered the tunnel at 28.2. Our passage of the tunnel was achieved in 2m 31s (average 35.6), emerging at 46.0 before slowing again over Dent Head Viaduct (38.1) to negotiate the 10 chains of 20 mph tsr south of Arten Gill Viaduct. One mile further north, the 30 mph psr at Dent preceded a resumption of unhindered progress as we traversed what has been described as “the Roof of England”. And looking down on Dentdale, what a truly marvellous sight was to be had on this bright, clear day – definitely the best of several visual highlights of the day. Recovering to 52.0 at Garsdale, and further accelerating over Moorcock Viaduct to enter Moorcock Tunnel at 53.5, speed over the ensuing one mile rise at 1 in 165 saw speed fall marginally to 48.0 as we emerged from Shotlock Hill Tunnel, before increasing again to 51.8 over the final 1.2 miles to the Ais Gill Summit board.

The familiar pattern of frequent adjustments to limit our downhill momentum to adhere to the ruling 60 mph line speed limit ensured constrained maxima of 60-63 over the first section of the descent from the Summit Board as far as Ormside Viaduct. With a vertical difference in altitude of 660 feet over the intervening 15.6 miles, equating to an average of 1 in 125 down, our pass-to-pass time of 15m 24s represented an average speed of 60.8 mph over this section. The short 0.9 mile rise from the Viaduct at 1 in 176 pulled us back slightly from 60.8 on the viaduct to 54.2 at the minor summit at 276m 20c, but with a rapid recovery we passed Appleby at 59.3 in 59m 19s for the 46.0 miles from Hellifield.

Subsequent point-to-point averages (almost all downhill, with passing speeds at the latter timing point given in brackets) were as follows; Appleby to Long Marton 59.6 (58.1), Long Marton to Newbiggin 56.7 (56.6), Newbiggin to Langwathby 60.5 (58.0), Langwathby to Lazonby 60.0 (55.2), Lazonby to Armathwaite 56.7 (54.3), and Armathwaite to Scotby 58.3 - after a minimum of 51.6 on the climb past Low House and a maximum of 63.5 at Howes Sidings Box. From Scotby, passed at 54.5, speed reduction commenced to anticipate a time-consuming negotiation of the junctions on the approach to Carlisle on a day of considerable congestion, with a full programme of ECML diversions via the Tyne Valley line. All of which had been anticipated in the scheduled times, which featured a seemingly generous allowance of 22 minutes for the five mile run into Carlisle from Howes Sidings.

Our run had been a model of adherence to booked timings, the 3L departure from Hellifield having been shaved back to 1L as we passed Howes Sidings Box. We drew to a signal stop on the approach to Petteril Bridge Junction, arriving there in a time of 91m 21s for the 75.9 miles from Hellifield (averaging 49.9 mph start to stop), no less than 11 minutes ahead of our booked time to pass the junction. On top of this, an allowance of 6 minutes for the final 0.9 miles across this and London Road Junction should have ensured a punctual arrival at 14.12. But it was not to be; outbound and inbound Tyne Valley line services passed as we stood for 8 minutes at the Petteril Bridge Junction approach signal, and then, advancing a few hundred yards to the signal controlling access from London Road Junction to the Carlisle South junction route, a further wait of 9 minutes before we finally advanced to our appointed platform (P3), arriving 6L. A total of no less than 23m 25s for the final mile from our initial stop at Petteril Bridge Junction, and I would guess that the 5 minute late arrival and departure at Platform 3 of Virgin‘s 9M56 12.52 Edinburgh-Euston service, originally timed to depart at 14.08, was a significant part of the delay story.

So, 90 minutes of free time in Carlisle before the stock was due to be re-platformed for the returning southbound service. And not much time to ponder how best to use it. But in truth, not much of a challenge either when the Border City’s comparatively small range of places of interest and places to visit is taken into account – especially after previous multiple visits to the city during rail-tour breaks.

(To be continued)

 

Excellently detailed report - made us feel we were back on board, with the long whistle reminder through Tornado's birth place. New member, Marshline, sitting in 'F' coach.

 

Looking forward to part II of Where's Mazeppa report on the Oct 5th Charter, The Pennine Explorer.

 

Many thanks for that note of encouragement. Currently trying to precis lots of detail to make it readable, but Part 2 Carlisle-Hellifield-Leeds Whitehall Junctions-Barrow Hill will be winging its way to NatPres during the course of Monday. Hope it will meet with your approval!!

 

Hello, Where's Mazeppa - I did firstly send a messages about how we enjoyed the report(1) which such details as the 'long whistle' through Tornado's birth place raised the hairs on one. I was sitting in coach 'F' with friends & my other half.
Cheers.

 

Mods, could the two threads for this tour be merged into one maybe?