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Pennine Moors Explorer Sat 08/12/18

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by The Citadel, Dec 3, 2018.

  1. 46223

    46223 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Lostock Hall to Todmorden is roughly 30 miles.
     
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  2. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    The Pennine Moors (Christmas) Explorer 08 December 2018 –70000 Britannia hauling 9+POB+Generator coach

    Well this was my first trip operated by Saphos, I had hoped that by the end of the year that they might have got some Mk1s running for “Peasant Class”. The trip was not scheduled to “go” anywhere; a circuit around Manchester, Copy Pit, Blackburn, starting and finishing at Crewe. When advertised, the route was to be anti-clockwise i.e. up Miles Platting followed by the long climb up to Summit Tunnel, when the timings came out it ran clockwise, ah well! (I understand that there is a long standing clearance issue affecting eastbound trains on the leg out of Man Vic to Todmorden). Now, however, we had a destination, “Burnley Manchester Road” where the outward journey ended and after a few minutes the return one began. Burnley Manchester Road, two four coach platforms and a view down to the town of Burnley, the birthplace of Jimmy Anderson, the most successful fast bowler in Test Match cricket – mmm!

    I wondered if I should drive to Preston and catch the Pendolino down to Crewe; but an hour “waiting time” at each end of the journey convinced me to drive down. I left home at 8 am – Mrs W was up and waiting for MY parcel to be delivered! I had a relatively uneventful journey with mile after mile of 50 mph road works but with the weather improving. I arrived on platform 12 in bright sunshine. A shiny Britannia was at the head of a rake of equally shiny “blood and custard” coaches and at the back was a generator coach (weight 37 tons, ETH Index 75 – for those who need to know). I wonder if Jeremy Hosking was tempted to adopt Crystal Palace’s home colours, blue and red, for his fleet livery – maybe it would be too reminiscent of Accrington Corporation buses? The train was full and I was at the last table of the last passenger coach; no opening windows – but NO diesel on the back, an excellent start.

    RT we were away. The loco was crewed by LSL staff: Fred Lewis, driver; Mark Dale, fireman and Sean Levell, TI. Britannia was eased into her work, we were up to 52 at Winsford (2L) we reached 64 approaching Vale Royal Viaduct before easing for our first stop at Hartford. Up to 56 at Acton Bridge (3½L) but speed was building, 65 across Dutton Viaduct, 70 just after exiting Preston Brook Tunnel, 76 over the M56, 78 crossing the Frodsham line and a couple more miles of fast running before we began to slow for our final pick up at Warrington BQ. We left RT and were allowed 28 minutes for the less than 12 miles to Wigan. Despite some easy running we had to dawdle approaching Wigan and were held for nearly a minute just south of the station to allow a northbound Pendolino to pass.

    Once away we accelerated through the station with a prolonged blast on the chime whistle (30 & 1L). Now for the 2 miles of Boar’s Head (1/104r) we held 40/41 on the climb and accelerated to 50 at Coppull summit; it was even noisy 10 coaches back with no opening windows (except perhaps those in the vestibule). Down the hill, 78 at Balshaw Lane (Fast Line) and 78 past Euxton Balshaw Lane. We began braking approaching Euxton Jn (58 & 2L), slow through Leyland (20 & 3L). A trundle along to Farington Jn (5L) and left the WCML – without stopping!? We joined the Blackburn line at Lostock Hall Jn (17 & 4L). After ¾mile of 1/224r we reached Bamber Bridge (33 & 4½L) and now for the climb up to Hoghton a little over 3 miles first at 1/99r then 1/101r. We reached and then held 36/7 all the way to the summit. Speed increased on the easier gradients, Pleasington (52), Cherry Tree (55) before we began braking for a slow run into Blackburn, we passed through platform 1 at 15 and into the tunnel (1/110r). LSL’s precautionary(?) class 47, D1924 was standing in the loop behind the station; not needed – yet?

    Instead of turning left at Daisyfield Jn (the usual steam route to Clitheroe) we kept to the right and continued the cheeky little climb (approx 2 miles mainly at 1/118r). As we crossed the ring road and passed the site of the now eradicated Whitebirk Power Station we were up to 34 and reached 37 as the gradient eases towards the summit. Down the hill through Rishton (46 & 5L) and we touched 60 as we crossed the Aspen Valley, braking before Church and Oswaldtwistle – my favourite! (53 & 4½L), past the site of Accrington shed and down to 10 as we curved sharp left through the platform at Accrington. (I’ll not mention how in the 60s you could have gone straight on and up 2 miles of 1/40r towards Baxenden and on to Stubbins Jn and Ramsbottom.) On falling gradients speed rose, Huncoat (49 & 6½L), Hapton (64 & 5L), we had a booked stop at Rose Grove but it soon became obvious that we weren’t stopping. We passed the site of the shed and through the station at 41 and passed what very little remains of the vast goods yards on both side of the line, then right at Gannow Jn before stopping at Burnley Manchester Road, where it promptly began to rain. (Had Northern not been on strike, I suspect that we would have gone into the loop at Rose Grove to allow a Blackburn-Southport service to pass – you may need a map to figure that one out).

    So water for Britannia and lunch for me (no Woodrow Wilson, just butties). As it was raining and it is a very short platform and I was at the very back of the train and it was Burnley (local rivalry), I remained on the train. I understand that there were problems taking water from the tanker, a burst hose and then slow delivery but with the extra time available it was done.

    If you like a challenge where would you choose to stop a pacific steam loco to take water? Correct, at the foot of Copy Pit in the rain. The rain can’t be predicted and even without the stop you can’t get a good run at the bank as less than a mile beyond the station is a speed restriction for the crossing at Townley. So 1E off we went and onto the 1/71r, 15 at the crossing, up to 27 where the gradient eases to 1/158r through Townley Tunnel. The main part of the climb 1/68r was achieved at 20/21, 4½L at the summit; perfectly reasonable given the conditions. Steadily down the hill, then brake and tight right onto “The Todmorden Curve” – cheers rang out on the train – no they didn’t, I made that bit up! It was certainly my first steam along the re-instated curve and possibly the first by revenue earning steam?

    The weather was miserable as we accelerated through Todmorden (17 & 4½L). Now for the final climb, a couple of miles of 1/182r to the summit, this is just inside the northern end of Summit Tunnel. We were up to 38 at Walsden and 40 as we entered Summit Tunnel and shortly after we left it we were up to 59, through Littleborough at 67, despite slowing to 41 through Rochdale we quickly regained speed and by Mills Hill had covered the 7.88 miles from Littleborough in 7m 54s. This quick running had gained us some time, 6½E at Thorpes Bridge and 8½E when we stopped in the loop at Brewery Jn. There were lots of Northern Trains parked up at Newton Heath – any ideas? We left the loop 6½L and as a prize (and it’s a rare one) we passed through Man Vic without being checked at the east or west ends. (We did have a booked operational stop of 8 mins but this was not required.) Just when things were going so well we were stopped for a minute approaching Ordsall Lane Jn which we subsequently passed 7½E. We ran at just over 50 alongside the M602; this was, by sheer coincidence, exactly the same speed as the vehicles driving alongside, even though there was no congestion.

    Enough of the motorway, Eccles (60), Patricroft (64) and almost 10E and then a max of 67 crossing the M60. We continued with speed in the mid 60s until we began slowing around Culceth, Parkside Jn (44 & 13E) down to 22 through Newton-le-Willows and then sharp left through Earlestown E Jn (12E) and down to Winwick Jn. We stopped in Warrington BQ to set down passengers and 5 minutes later left (5½E). We were booked to leave on the “Old Line” but left on the main and lurking behind the station was LSL’s D1924. Such was the allowance even with easy running we stopped back in platform 12 at Crewe 20E.

    Despite the seemingly endless 50mph road works on the M6 and heavy rain and spray I arrived home at 17.20, a relatively short day.

    So some points of note: my first main line trip behind Britannia, my first Saphos trip, Saphos’s first trip without a diesel, my (the?)first steam trip around the new Todmorden Curve, my first trip through Man Vic without being checked, my first steam round Earlestown East Curve. The loco looked superb, the appearance and interior of the stock has “raised the bar” and I understand that during the summer Mk1s are to become available for economy class passengers.

    There were some celebrities on board; Jeremy Hosking, Pete Waterman and our very own @Bullied Pacific who was sitting across the aisle from me, nice to meet you again. The eight people around the two tables were all enthusiasts and many stories were told about this trip, and that trip, the best pubs at various preserved lines, the strength of various beers and the benefits of wearing waterproof trousers.

    A better than expected trip, my thanks to all who planned and operated it, with the absence of the diesel tail gunner and with Mk1s on the horizon – I’ll be back! I’m sure that Mk1s will be welcomed by passengers who had window seats in the Mk2s and who need surgical intervention to repair the damage done to their nether regions by the centre arm rests. Thanks to all the photographers and video warriors who braved the dreary conditions at Copy Pit and Todmorden and whose efforts I can enjoy in the comfort of my armchair.
     
  3. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Mileage information from the public timetable - courtesy of Network Rail

    Lostock Hall - Blackburn =9.25 miles
    Blackburn - Burnley Manchester Road = 12.5 miles
    Burnley - Manchester Road = 8.25 miles

    Total mileage = 30 miles but add on 0.5 miles for the curve from the WCML to Lostock Hall (passing the site of the Lostock Hall steam shed).
     
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  4. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Minor correction; the looping would have been for a Preston - Leeds and Blackburn - Southport service to pass albeit both were cancelled by strike action. The Blackburn - Southport service is a combination of 2 services - Blackburn - Manchester Victoria via Todmorden and Manchester Victoria - Southport hence services routed Blackburn - Copy Pit - Todmorden - Rochdale - Manchester - Atherton - Wigan - Southport.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2018
  5. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    Thanks Fred. I’d hadn’t spotted the Leeds train - that may becoming a York train again in the new timetable. I did know about the Southport train it just seems so counter intuitive to head due east to get to somewhere that is due west.
     
  6. The Citadel

    The Citadel New Member

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    Rebuilding the Mk1's to the standard they are will take them some time but will be worth the wait. As for operation with diesel staff said it depends on many things. From small acorns oak trees grow.
     
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  7. Where's Mazeppa?

    Where's Mazeppa? Member

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    A bit more detail for you, extracted and summarised from a spreadsheet that I worked up for a previous outing and sourced from RPS mileage database data. Mileages shown are decimal miles, cumulative from Farington Junction. It is knitted together from three separate but contiguous tables.

    Farington Jc. (WCML 18m 75c from Golborne Jc) 0.00/ Lostock Hall Jc. 0.93/ Blackburn 9.98/ Daisyfield Jc. 10.56/ Accrington 15.25/ Rose Grove 19.84/ Gannow Jc. 20.48/ Burnley Manchester Road 21.28/ Copy Pit (Relay Room) 25.61/ Stansfield Hall Jc. 29.71/ Todmorden Viaduct Jc. 29.96/ Todmorden 30.18.

    If you have a regular need for this kind of data at this (or much much greater) level of detail, then I couldn't do better than recommend membership of the Railway Performance Society for access to the most comprehensive mileage information publicly available (to its members). Meanwhile, hope this helps.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2018
  8. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    I have downloaded the latest timetables from Network Rail this morning and the service has returned to being Preston - Leeds - presumably because ARN wants to minimise diesel trains operating into Blackpool with only the Preston - Blackpool South to remain for DMU operation.
     
  9. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    That is very helpful, many thanks.

    I came across the RPS when trying to find data, and whilst it is tempting, my attempt to time this run is likely to be more or less a one off, so it would not be worthwhile.

    The rare trips I undertake don't warrant the purchase of a GPS device, which seems pretty essential to do it properly. I used a GPS app on my phone yesterday, and had to disable it before the end, so it certainly wouldn't last on a long trip.

    I bow to the dedication and concentration of the likes of Sean Emmett who produce such detailed logs!
     
  10. pete12000

    pete12000 Member

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    I travelled yesterday, total route mileage Crewe to Crewe 144 miles according to Garmin gps
     
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  11. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    A most enjoyable write up, as ever. As a fellow passenger I was hoping you might be on this. As it happens, you were probably looking in our direction; we were mid carriage in G, same one as you, I assume.

    We've just booked the Carlisle trip on 18th May, second class apparently already full, as are first class tables for two. Two seats at a first class table for four booked, so hope this guarantees an opening window :)

    Looking forward to the Woodrow Wilson :D
     
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  12. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    Thanks Fred, I understood that there was to be an hourly service Preston to York, may have read it wrong.
     
  13. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    Thanks Rob, I was in G but looking at the generator car. If things are getting booked up I’d better get Mrs W’s purse out whilst she is not looking.
     
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  14. Fulwood Flyer

    Fulwood Flyer New Member

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    COPY1.jpg A little late, perhaps, but one from a rather grim Copy Pit
     
  15. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Worth waiting for though

    Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
     
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  16. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

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    +1
     
  17. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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    Sounds like it was a good trip, it did strike me as a little strange that their first tour without a diesel was over a tricky route at a time of the year the weather is likely to be poor, rather than say around the Telford circle or the North Wales Coast. But like others I hope a sign of things to come.
     
  18. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    I suspect they were more than prepared for any issues. They sent the class 47 to Blackburn, where it sat as we passed. Had there been an issue on the only significant climb, Copy Pit, it would have been pretty straightforward, I suspect, for the 47 to give assistance.

    It then headed to Warrington, where it again waited for the excursion to pass before returning to Crewe.
     
  19. jsm8b

    jsm8b Part of the furniture

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    You could of course look on it as a demonstration of their confidence in their operation at the close of their first season in the business :)
     
  20. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    The Pennine Moors (Christmas) Explorer 08 December 2018 (continued)

    In my report, I rather skirted over the climb to Copy Pit, “the icing on the cake”; the info I gave was correct (to the best of my abilities) but lacking in detail. Analysis of the GPS data had its complications. GPS recorders do not work in tunnels (2 tunnels totalling 663 yards on a climb that is less than 4½ miles). GPS recorders work best when they can “see” a lot of sky and hence as many satellites as possible; I had an aisle seat on the SW side of the train and was “closed in” by the steep hillside on right side. Because of the poor reception my GPS recorder had “travelled some distance”, aka “dither” even before leaving Manchester Road Station. I was 10 coaches back from the tender – approx 0.12 miles. There are significant gradient changes in relatively short distances along the climb. All these factors meant that I had to scratch my head a bit – yes, yes, splinters in fingers!

    So here goes. Shortly beyond the platform end at Manchester Road the gradient kicks in at 1/71r, after ¾mile, at Townley Crossing, we were up to 15 mph. This gradient continues for a further ¼ mile by which time Britannia had heaved the train up to almost 19. At this point the gradient eases to 1/185r and in less than ¼ mile we accelerated to a little over 26 as we entered Townley Tunnel – hasn’t it gone quiet! The tunnel is 398 yards long and we left at 125.8 mph (well that’s what the data said). However, after discounting a couple of rogue points, speed was around 32 just beyond the eastern portal of the tunnel.

    No 70000 took full advantage of the 1/185r which continues for a little under half a mile beyond the tunnel; we were within a smidge of 34 before the gradient “rears up” to 1/68r. We now had approx 1¾ miles where the 1/68r continues without relief; speed ebbed away and on the top part of this section we were slogging along at 20/21. There follows the merest easing to 1/70r but in ¼ mile 20.3 became 22 as we entered Holme Tunnel (265 yds). Now less than ½ mile to go to the summit and just about accelerating. As I and my trusty(ish) GPS recorder approached the summit (at the back of the 10th coach, remember) the train had speeded up to 27 and by the time I passed the summit we were up to 30. The change from climbing at 1/70r to descending at 1/77f can produce this rapid change in speed as more and more of the train’s weight “topples over” the summit. Compensating for my position in the 10th coach I assess that, at the summit, the loco would have been travelling at 23.

    The average speed from Townley Crossing to Townley Tunnel W (in) was a little under 19, whilst that for the “Tunnel Sandwich”, Townley Tunnel W to Holme Tunnel E was 26. A thoroughly competent climb from a “fresh out of the box loco”, with a crew who would be relatively unfamiliar with the loco and with steam over this route and on a day when the rain became incessant (Accrington Stanley’s match was abandoned after 73 minutes because of a waterlogged pitch). Well done to those on the footplate.


    (Note to Oswald: if seated on this side again shift your lazy self and give the GPS half a chance!)
     

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