Northern Belle 2023

Thanks David, nice to see you again and chat.

 

Tangmere on the climb past Salterwath/Shap Wells and Ais Gill today:

 

60103 York-Edinburgh
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U66043/2023-09-14/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U66044/2023-09-14/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U66045/2023-09-14/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U66046/2023-09-14/detailed

 

Tangmere at Salterwath 16 September, running late after being looped at Grayrig

 

34067 near Grayrigg loop , Beck Foot and Aisgill .

 

There are bus replacements advertised between Skipton and Appleby next weekend (23rd and 24th), so I guess the Northern Belle advertised for the 23rd will either be re-dated or re-routed.

 

SRBB Class No. 34067 'Tangmere' working the northbound 'Northern Belle' from Liverpool through Woodhouse and onto Carlisle



Chilly overcast conditions greets No. 34067 'Tangmere' as it works the return 'Northern Belle' away from Kirkby Stephen and back to Liverpool

 

34067 seen approaching Grayrigg loop and after leaving the loop at Beckfoot then later with the climb to Aisgill Summit.

 

Mrs W was at football (won). Langho foot crossing (2 steps down). Tangmere giving it plenty, a whistle, a wave from the driver (David Blair?) - lovely stuff. Full dull, cool NE breeze, 15C, 8E & 37mph. [Brevity is my middle name].



[A cautionary tale - related in the hope that it might help to prevent someone else suffering a similar plight.

On Tuesday morning Oswald and Mrs W had appointments for check ups at the dentist. Oswald owns a VW Tiguan. The Tiguan has keyless entry and is the second VW I have owned with this feature. Mrs W was first to the car so I pressed the open button on the key fob, the doors opened. (I habitually use the keyless method - key in pocket, grasp door handle, door opens). Seat belts on, press starter button - nothing happens except message appears on dash display "hold key on surface". No idea!?? I tried again with the same result. I searched the handbook for guidance, nothing leapt out.

Time was passing. I went back indoors and returned with the spare key. I tried to start the car but with the same result. I must be missing something, another search of the hand book for guidance - nothing! Mrs W rang the dentist to explain that we couldn't start the car and would be unable get to the surgery. I tried pressing the buttons on the key fobs - nothing!!! Exactly, nothing!, there should be a flash from the LED. At this point all the doors locked themselves. What the hell was going on? I reached over to the door unlock button on the driver's door and pressed it - nothing happened. I tried the windows, they wouldn't open. We were prisoner in our own car. I rang VW Roadside Assistance (AA) and explained. The first available slot was 12.20, it was 10.55 - but they would mark it as urgent and hope to get someone sooner and pass it on to Technical Support in the hope that they might be able to come up with a solution. We waited.

Around 11.15 my phone rang, it was the AA Tech. Support and the guy was confident that he had a solution. "Hold the key against the picture of a key on the RHS of the steering column and try starting the engine" - it worked, the doors opened and we were free! It seems that the batteries in the key fobs were flat. In my defence the dashboard usually displays a message "Change battery in key fob" before it gets to this point. There was no such message; from being enough power to open the doors to flat in a matter of seconds. As for being locked in, the car has something called "Safelock" if you open the doors then wander off (with the key) leaving the doors unlocked after a fixed period of time the car locks itself.

So, if you have keyless entry find out where "your surface" is or if it has another sort of emergency start procedure. Oswald has changed the batteries in both key fobs and now has a spare battery in the glove box. If the system plays up again I will be keeping a door open. A further search of the driver's handbook revealed a small diagram of the RHS of the steering column, with a none too clear caption. It could have been far worse; it was only the dentists, we could have been off to watch a train!!]

 

Tangmere passing Birkbeck Viaduct and at Helm:

 

Very good David , going nicely up the bank. On a sad note I believe Network Rail are clamping down on foot crossing shots as they are wanting us behind the outer barriers ☹️

 

Thanks Steve, I usually keep away from foot crossings. I hadn't been here for around 40 years and had misremembered the setting, I thought that there was some higher ground to the east and nearer to Blackburn and intended to go there. With no time to move I settled for the steps - too low, too much sky and a "looming" loco but good sound, smell and plenty of cinders. This stretch is better suited to a drone.

 

There is now a path for return over Shap.

 

Does anyone know why 34067 was looped at Grayrigg as the London to Glasgow Pendo was still at Lancaster when Tangmere went in . Very strange?

 

With help at the back I was surprised that Tangmere lost 3 minutes between Carnforth and Grayrig.

 

Whilst I understand where you are coming from, but what would be suited to the work? Any steam loco would need a diesel on the back for the A/C or a generator car, which of course means less operational flexibility.
I suspect to those having a pricey up market day out, the fact it is steam, looks impressive and steam and smoke passes the windows it will have ticked most peoples boxes.

 

I am sure the timings for Telford - Carlisle this Saturday were available, gone now?

 

Updated times for Saturday’s N/Belle, returning down the Coast. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U54503/2023-09-23/detailedhttps://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U54504/2023-09-23/detailed