Saphos 2025

Should be 60532.

 

Oh right - thanks for the information Simon
Best regards

 

60532 + diesel + support coach sat at Preston awaiting the charter from Nottingham. <BJ>

 

60532 crossing Docker Viaduct and later at Greenholme. The 57's were doing the heavy lifting, but at least we got a steam loco, given the current weather we were lucky.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/54724312116/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/54724312096/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/54724516368/in/photostream/

 

Don't think LSL do anything without a diesel on the back since the Kent debacle with Britannia a few years back?

 

You may have missed your chance as 60532 headed the Lakelander on 5 April this year, running with the generator coach and NO diesel - see earlier posts.

 

60532 being heavily pushed by 57002 Winston Churchill over Shap.

 

A bridge near Cinderbarrow

 

60532 with the re=routed Lakelander at Armathwaite, 16 August 2025.

 

Must be Blue Peter's 1st run over the S&C since 2001 or 2002.

 

LNER A2 class No. 60532 'Blue Peter' enjoying a good old shove as it works today's 'Lakelander' 1Z70 towards Shap and onwards to Carlisle



With the Pennines bathed in sunshine, LNER A2 class No. 60532 'Blue Peter' approaches Birkett Tunnel with the return leg of the 'Lakelander' rail tour 1Z71 to Hellifield and onwards to Nottingham

 

Not entirely true, they did run 60007 from Holyhead to Crewe last September on the Welsh Dragon trip.
However that, Scotsman on the Belmond Pullmans for the Great Gathering and the VT Shap Mountaineer are the only trains this year and last I've seen personally without a diesel. I don't think there were many more (outwith the Jacobite operation) from any of the operators, steam on the main line without a minder is more likely to be a loco move these days.

 

60007 went up Beattock unassisted just 4 days ago, plus Blue Peter up Shap in April as has been mentioned.

 

There was a diesel on the rear of Thursdays excursion (class 57), presumably also supplying ETS to the train.

 

My apologies, you're correct.

I had intended to go across to Beattock for the run, but hospital appointments got in the way, and I based my reply on the post by jonathonag without noticing his comment (on his flickr link, but not the actual post here) that the diesel had been removed in post-processing from his photo at Crawford.

 

Yeah, apologies for that!

The Edinburgh runs sadly will never be diesel free, that's purely because of the need to turn on the Niddrie triangle and the associated shunt in and out of Joppa. Sadly, the likelihood of stationing a diesel at Edinburgh to do these manoeuvres and allow a diesel free run would be prohibitive given the infrequency of the trips.

 

The dry weather has continued. Would NR raise the Fire Risk Level? Judging by today's events, yes. Either LSL were being ultra cautious or we had slipped silently into the RED. On Saturday morning @free2grice posted that 60532 + coach + diesel were waiting at Preston, oh dear! The photos and videos that were subsequently posted confirmed our fears; the grunt would be coming from the diesels. This does not detract from the top quality of the images, a blue loco on a sunny day stunning - thanks.

Mrs W and Oswald Jnr were off to the football and, being a nice day, had decided to walk part of the way. This was a compromise, as more often they walk the whole way. Since Maisie joined us in January there has always been someone in the house to let her in or out. Today was her first time without a servant. If things went to plan there would be just over an hour between me leaving home and the football fans returning, and so it turned out; Maisie was waiting on the widow sill. We are not talking about the football, except, early results are not good, the better players are leaving and the owners appear to have lost interest.

As I left I saw that Maisie had carefully placed a dead butterfly by the front door and was napping under a shrub. I don't recall seeing Blue Peter on Wilpshire bank, so even if the loco wasn't working it would be one for the record. Northern appeared to be in its usual mess of cancellations, truncated services and late running. Once I'd figured it all out 60532's path should be unaffected with both services due to cross somewhere near R&W but running around 15L. I headed to my usual spot to find that the only person on the station had already set up his tripod in "Oswald's corner" - b*gger! I decided to go nearer to the Clitheroe end of the platform, conveniently next to a bench - comfy!

Preparations complete I waited. I was joined by a couple, perhaps in their late 60s, who had been chasing BP, the lady showed me photos from Oxenholme & Aisgill and others sent by their daughter from Settle & after Hellifield, very nice. The service trains came and went, a young man left the Clitheroe bound train and began chatting, he decided to stay to video the train. He had a backpack stuffed with camera equipment and took out an expensive looking DSLR, he told us that he was off to university to study photography - well done him! A couple clad in orange waistcoats appeared on the opposite platform, "Northern Volunteers" doing a bit of litter picking. Inevitably they wandered across onto our side, a bit of picking up at the top end before stalling mid-platform for a chat. Not good, there were now large bright orange figures right in the middle of my trailing shot. Oswald went to have a very polite word and they kindly agreed to move back towards the fence.

A hiss mixed with the roar of a diesel announced the arrival of the Lakelander. The train shone in the distant sunlight, still the hiss and a grey haze pushed upwards from BP's chimney. As the train drew nearer the sunlight became mottled as it sneaked through the trackside trees. Blue Peter hissed past and directly behind "Winston Churchill" was roaring like a lion. The carriages trundled by and on the rear "The Institution of Mechanical Engineers" appeared to have forgotten the words but was humming away merrily. Off the train went towards the summit and the litter pickers decided they had waited long enough and wandered out towards the platform edge - such is life! 22C, 3L & 26mph

When I arrived home Maisie had gone out, but later, as dusk was gathering, she re-appeared carrying something in her mouth. Something that was not readily identifiable. I let her in and she headed for the kitchen, I followed. She proudly presented me with a dragonfly, a big 'un with a body at least 3" long, and there was still some fly left in it. She spent at least 30 minutes poking, prodding and chasing the poor creature as it tried to escape. It flew into the air, Maisie leapt upwards whacking it mid-air, it fluttered higher, Maisie jumped up onto the worktops as she pursued it. Eventually she lost interest and went back outside, Oswald was left with the task of ending the creature's torment.



But what has all this this to do with Clan Line, I hear you ask. Well, Blue Peter was designed by Arthur Peppercorn. Arthur Peppercorn was a member of Sir Nigel Gresley's senior team at the LNER. Oliver Bulleid was also a member of the same senior LNER team. Oliver Bulleid designed Clan Line - simple!