Tornado to haul certain timetabled trains on S&C: Feb 14-16

Confirmed from TV footage, class 67 is tucked inside, no doubt operational reasons for the southbound runs.

 

She's away, 67 tucked inside, will it stay at the same end all day..... we shall see !

 

Tender first 60163 leads 67029 and first special away from Appleby to Skipton at 0825. AN

 

RTT shows a few minutes late at Kirby Stephen but then no time for Garsdale. Problems at Aid Gill??

 

Hopefully not delayed by lineside visitors.....

 

Probably not. Reporting steam progress on the S&C is a bit hit-and-miss. IIRC, the next update will be Blea Moor or even Settle

 

After almost fifty years telling people that I was on the last ever timetabled steam hauled train, namely the 21.25 Preston - Liverpool Exchange on 3rd August 1968, it now turns out that I wasn't !
Well done to all involved in setting these trains up. You never know, it might catch on.

Bob.

 

Neither doI as it happens, but logic counts for nothing in this game.

 

38 mins Garsdale to Settle Jct including stops at Horton and Settle seems quite nippy.

40 mins to shunt and load up at Skipton-- no time to mess about with the 67, agree with Ralph it will stay where it is.

 

The 67 is staying on the South end.

 

It's interesting that they're doing it this way round, making the tender the leading vehicle, which restricts the maximum speed. However it simplifies the running round and puts the steam loco as the figurehead right at the front.

 

The Anglia stock is probably the most sensitive livery they could have come up with, so good on them.

 

9 mins late on the northbound from Skipton, I suspect that the turn around will get easier with a little practice?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55180/2017/02/14/advanced

 

How about all the years of regular timetabled steam on the West Highland between Fort William and Mallaig?

 

Slightly different. It's a stand alone operation with a ticketing structure all of its own. Today's operation is for normal ticket holders - ok most were pre-booked - and you can use your rail card to get a discount AFAIK.

 

No riots at Skipton then...

 

Well, the following applies :

If the current Tornado program is claiming it's the first mainline timetabled steam hauled train, it's false from all angles :

"First timetabled steam hauled train" - While I cannot say exactly when it first appeared within the timetable, West Coast Railway's 'The Jacobite' is certainly one to consider when it comes to timetabled steam hauled trains. Indeed, the morning train is given the headcode 2Y61 Fort William - Mallaig, and 2Y62 Mallaig - Fort William. The Afternoon is given 2Y68 and 2Y69 respectively. When the vast majority or steam hauled tours are given xZxx headcodes, the 2Yxx definitions cement the idea of a regular timetabled trains, reinforced by the inclusion within printed timetables of mainline services on the West Highlands. Granted, the difference here is that the ticketing system is book via West Coast rather than National Rail means, and at prices above that of normal services.

"First steam hauled, timetabled train, by a franchise operator" - Again, false. The most recent example is Abellio ScotRail with the Borders steam specials. As with Tornado on the S&C this week, the Abellio ScotRail services in 2015 saw public DMU services cancelled and the steam hauled xZxx headcode run in it's path, with expansion to the timings to facilitate the speed limit of the steam locomotive plus gauging restrictions. While the ScotRail steam ran in 2016 to Tweedbank, it was confined to Sunday's in a spare path, so difficult to compare to Tornado without some skew.

"First steam hauled, timetabled train by a franchise operator, at normal fare structuring" - Well, it's back to Scotland! October 2nd 2001 saw K1 No. 62005 and B1 No. 61264 take over a vast majority of the ScotRail services between Fort William and Mallaig, with I believe only the morning train from each location remaining DMU to ensure ferry connections at Mallaig as timings were once again slightly padded out. Much like the Tornado on the S&C scenario we're seeing today, with ordinary ticket prices remaining in place for the steam hauled ScotRail trains. I am fairly certain that this was the first recorded event where steam hauled timetabled, public passenger, services since 1968.


So while I can certainly see why the wording has been chosen by : Northern, Steam Railway/Rail, DbCargo, the A1SLT and Northern Rail ; the real award lies with ScotRail, West Coast Railways, NELPG and the Thompson B1 Trust, all in co-operation with organisers 'Highland Railway Heritage'.

 

Agreed. They should've just said "in England". I don't think that would've lessened the impact or coverage.