Compass 2012 steam dates now available to book

Re Fred Kerr's posting and the subsequent correction I can inform you that I travelled on the Sunday trip and a good one it was too. For me the highlight was the bit where we branched off at Bootle Junction and travelled along the now freight only line through the former Spellow station, etc.
Mike

 

Interesting link to the "end of steam" in the Wirral, which was recently posted on another website:
British Railways

Nobody thus far has come up with anything after November 1967 when Birkenhead depot ended to steam, but am interested to know if ther have been any workings on the Wirral since as a few people I know are curious. Unfortunately with the mothballing of the docks line to Birkenhead some 2 decades ago Hooton is now the only place left in the Wirral that can facilate charters.

 

Reference to the Wirral reminds me that Prairie 4566 and Jinty 7298 were working special trains on the Port Sunlight system - including the shunting neck parallel to the Chester - Birkenhead line on May 2 1988 whilst the Class 502 unit 28361/29896 operated a number of Rock Ferry - Hooton shuttles to celebrate Port Sunlight's Centenary; I spent some time on the day getting photographs of all 3 workings.

 

Anyone know what locos Compass will be using? (Apologies if this has been mentioned elsewhere.)

Alan. ;-)

 

Whatever is available for traffic on the day Seems there is nothiong pre-planned.

 

45305 and 70013 were used on the Merseyside trains last August. 45231 was a last minute replacement for the final one though. This year might be different though.

 

No steam on the Hooton trip till preston now. NR have put a steam ban on the Chester - Stockport line. :mad2:
Hope this doesn't effect the summer tours!
Matt

 

According to the letter received from Compass it is because of weak structures found during a recent routine inspection of the line. It does not however specify what or where.

 

No steam booked to run on the Chester - Stockport line during the summer. The NWCE is booked to run from Crewe via Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester, Earlestown, Warringtron BQ and Frodsham to Chester.

 

Thanks so much for that info! I was getting a bit worried considering I'll be booking onto one of the NWCE's!