Tornado - Border Raider - 24th June 2010

Saw LNER A1 No.60163 'Tornado' at Scout Green this morning, and at Ais Gill summit on the return, running an hour down.

I've uploaded the clip from Ais Gill Summit with the two clips available on the 'Part 3: Summer Steam 2010' DVD due for release next week.

Clip Available Here

 

The 66 stopped in front of me at Waitby and seemed to have a hell of a job getting going again. Steve

 

It was struggling as it passed Kirkby Stephen so must have been down to a crawl at Ais Gill ?

 

This is some footage from the Border Raider with 60163 today at Scout green and Waitby on the return . www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVSkVJXCUYk

 

cracking photo John. best exhaust of the day.

 

Just got back in - crackin' day out with Tornado. The main reason for the late running was that the water company had disconnected the hydrants at Carlisle so we had to make an extra water stop at Appleby on the way back, so then lost our path. All the banks were dismissed with consummate ease, not sure about records, but Mr Notley was on board. All I can say is that the safety valves appeared to be feathering all the way up to Ais Gill

 

I should take that camera off her Dave, she's making us blokes look silly! :biggrin1:

A great shot. :thumb:

 

Tornado, Border Raider, record buster 24 June 2010

Tornado's first northbound assault on Shap has been long awaited, but the grey drizzle at Crewe and the long dry spell (prompting fears of lineside fires) did not give me hope of any great excitement during the day ahead. How wrong I was!

The train was away on time but after reaching 74 mph just after Acton Bridge, there were tiresome checks and we were late into Preston, and late away.

By then, the weather had cleared and the fireworks began! Six miles from the start we reached 70 mph, and we continued above 70 all the way through Lancaster and Carnforth until we hit the start of the climb after Milnthorpe. We passed Oxenholme at 64 then stayed in the fifties all the way up Grayrigg. With a couple of short slips, I made our minimum at Grayrigg summit as 49. We then flew along the Lune Gorge in the seventies before hitting the climb to Shap. We were still doing 66 at Greenholme, 58 at Scout Green, 47 at Salterwath and we went over Shap Summit at 43 mph. Then it was non-stop to Carlisle, in the 70s nearly all the way for a 19 minute early arrival. From the Preston start to the Carlisle stop - 88 minutes for the 90 miles - do the maths! And the word from Mr Notley was that we had beaten the Duke's record for the climb of Shap by 19 seconds! A raid on the borders indeed.

A delayed start to the return journey meant the service train was just ahead of us, meaning constant checks until we stopped for water at Appleby. From there we accelerated quickly to 60 mph at Great Ormside, then 55 at Smardale and 50 through Kirkby Stephen. We slowed at 45 at Birkett but we then stormed up Mallerstang in the 50s to crest Ais Gill at 52 mph, just inside 8 minutes for the nearly 7 miles from Kirkby Stephen - another epic climb.

Highlights on the rest of the journey were accelerating from 14 over Whalley Viaduct to 29 up the climb to Langho and 28 into Wilpshire tunnel. Back on the West Coast main line, Tornado was given her head after Wigan and ran at over 70 almost all the way to Crewe - 74 through Warrington Bank Quay rattled all the windows! A memorable day indeed: I cannot recall a better one.

See 12 photos at http://pjhrailpics.fotopic.net

Peter, on a sunny Manchester morning after the wonderful day before
http://pjhrailpics.fotopic.net

 

Yes, many thanks for the updates. my footage from yesterday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIH7UQoyE_g

 

Great photos and videos so far everyone, my offering with shots at Winwick, Shap Wells, Birkett Common and Langho now uploaded;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj3DULCz4do

 

Great day. I can confirm arriving back at 12:43 at Euston. 1hr 55min late. No tube or train home (Brighton) so slept on a friends couch at 1:20am. Well worth it.

 

Sure was a great day out for us, but I'm not sure some of the OAP's in our coach would be at all happy about getting back to London 2 hrs late with no easy/affordable way of getting back home. Absolutely no fault of the tour operators, but not the sort of thing that will have the non-enthusiasts coming back for more.

 

60163 Salterwath (think i got name right this time Ralph
Henry


http://elliottsteam.fotopic.net/