Favourite/best Preservation Moment

I've had many memorable moments since I was introduced to the great schoolboy pastime of trainspotting at the age of nine but one of the best must be 16th October 2010 on my annual visit to the West Highland Line for the photographic charter. We had suffered two days of typical Highland weather but went out at silly o'clock on the 16th under clear skies to join the train at Spean Bridge. Off the train neat MP71 on Rannoch Moor and into completely still air, almost unheard of up there and this was taken on the first run past with the entire gallery of photographers looking at each other not believing what we had just seen. The following day, it was back to normal, the weather was foul. A very close second to this must be February 3rd 1968 on the line to Buxton, snow and clear skies.

 

Do I have to pick one?? That I have so many wonderful moments to choose from is a testament to all of the wonderful work that's gone in to keep these wonderful locomotives in service on fantastic railway routes, serving beautifully-kept stations.

 

That morning on Rannoch was something else. The whole day was stunning too. The less said about the Sunday the better!

 

It would be some of the nocturnal goings on with female volunteers/seasonal staff when I volunteered as a student in the eighties. Probably not what the OP was thinking of but those moments only arose, pun intended, because of the preservation industry.

Otherwise it was probably either the first time I had a proper footplate ride as a 14 year old, it was the first time I knew about injectors and really how an engine worked. If not that it was going with my father when he was allowed out by my mother to take photos of the GLTW when we where on holiday in Wales. Generally it was the TR as that and the Fairbourne where closest with the odd trip to the Vale of Rheidol or the Ffestiniog. Actually trips on the lines where rare as my parents did not have much left after housekeeping. Those trips at an early age is where my limited interest arose. I enjoy the history of the Welsh Narrow gauge lines and I enjoy a ride on the standard gauge preserved lines etc but quote an engine number at me or show me a picture of a standard gauge loco and ask me to name what class it was and I would struggle. I could not tell you off my head the number for Tornado or the Flying Scotsman!

 

I have a few.

The cavalcade at the Bluebell's 50th in 2010. The sound of all the locos whistling is one that will live long in the memory.

Being 8 standing in Slough station car park as my grandad was paying for the parking 4472 went through the station as we were joining a diesel charter to Newton Abbot where 4472 was also going (we passed her at Newbury Racecourse and watched her arrive at Newton Abbot from their racecourse as part of the Festival of Transport in 2000. I wouldn't see Scotsman in steam again for nearly 17 years when I got my first run behind her.

Other highlights include The Mayflower with 60019/5029 in 2010, a Cumbrian Mountain Express in 2006 with 71000 from York to Carlisle (which included flying through Keighley while KWVR had a gala on) and The Christmas White Rose with 60163 back in December and The Great Gathering at York in 2013 with the 6 A4's.

 

It's a tough one because I've had a lot of pleasure by the lineside and, since I had enough time and money and little enough responsibility, on the trains.

But for me the magic moment was the day number 4498 came through Horsforth. I had certainly not seen steam on the main line since 1967 and when someone told me SNG was coming through, I didn't know whether to believe them. There was no UK Steam , no Nat Pres, no information in those days. So we walked down to the station, amazing scenes, must have been a hundred people there, all across the goods yard up to the old NER box. She came through looking a picture, pretty quick too I subsequently realised. It was a real wow moment to see the joy on people's faces.

But when was it? Probably it was 30 April 1977.That would fit where we were living and a babe in arms. Six Bells makes no mention of a trip around the Harrogate Circle before heading off to Carnforth but perhaps that's what happened that day. @Fred Kerr may know because I found reference to a photo he took.

 

My records of that day (30/4/77) show that 4498 worked a ? A4 Society Special from York to Carnforth via Church Fenton, as part of its relocation from NCB Philadelphia to Carnforth. It had overnighted on the NRM turntable as the backdrop to a dinner to celebrate the centenary of Gresley's birth.

However, while it did not go through Horsforth that day, something else did. It was the first main line outing of Black 5 5305, which ran from Leeds (dep 10.33) via Harrogate to York and then on to Scarborough, returning later in the day back to Leeds via Church Fenton. I had forgotten what a busy steam day that was at York.

I hope this is of interest. Below is a picture taken the previous afternoon of the two A4s posed outside the Museum shortly after 4498 had arrived from Philadelphia.

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Peter

 

My 2 favourite preservation momements were.
1 being invited on the RCTS Golden Jubilee using our Vintage Train,. I was working at Didcot in the C & W then and only 14 at the time
2 Being invited to the Paddington 125 event, along with Hinderton Hall, Hawksworth BCK 2202, and Collett corridor 3rd 5952. We were steamed hauled to Paddington as both the class 31's sent to tow us to Paddington broke down.
And of course numersous vintage train trips both steam &Diesel hauled.

 

Thanks Peter. Do you have any records for SNG from July '79? I don't think I was dreaming........... Best, Peter

 

Like you I don't have favourite preservation moment but more of an era. The period from 1964 -1978 when I was actively involved with the Talyllyn Railway have got to be the best of times for me. Many of the events will have to go unrecorded, especially some with the fairer sex, but some of the memorable ones involved the evening engineering trains which invariably ended up in Abergynolwyn where the evening was spent in the Railway Inn before returning to Towyn/Tywyn. It was the logical way to beat the recently introduced breathalyser. I remember on one of these occasions bringing the old ballast hopper down from quarry Siding. 'Sir' said it would fit under the bridges. It didn't, and got stuck part way through Cynfal Bridge and wouldn't go in either direction. After a lot of heavy engineering with a sledgehammer and crowbars we managed to persuade it to do so but it was an anxious moments and a very late finish, that night. The gouge marks are probably still there.

 

Just been to dig them out for you Peter.

4498 came over to York on Sunday 17/6 on a BR Special exchanging it for 4472. 5305 worked the two Sunday Harrogate Circles that day

4498 then worked the Sunday Harrogate circles on 24/6, 1/7 and 8/7. On Sun 1/7 there were an additional two circle trips operated by 5305.

On Sunday 15/7 it worked back to Carnforth on another BR special in exchange for 35028. 5305 worked the Sunday Circles that day.

The BR Sunday circle trips ran weekly from 17/6 to 2/9/79, departing York at 09.57 and 13.37. The locos involved being 35028, 5305, 4472, 4498 and 4771.

As you can see, there were plenty of steam operations through Horsforth at that time, with 4498 working on three consequative Sundays.

Peter

 

Was when kilmesdon was paint in sandd blue livery but don’t think I took a photo of that but it transformed the engine

 

Thanks Peter. So if I'd known what I was doing I could have seen a few famous locos, even Clan Line. I guess Fred's photo in '77 must have been at Newlay Lane on the Airedale line. That was a good place for trains going NW before the wires went up and the bushes ran riot.

 

The vintage train must have been a great experience on the mainline, the SVR had something similar didn't it?

 

Details on the SVR Wiki: https://www.svrwiki.com/The_Severn_Valley_Railway_on_the_main_line

 

It sure did Matt, I helped out with its preparation in 1976, I think that we fully repainted 4 or 5 coaches at a rate of one every 3 weeks. I was on the first trip to Paddington, it seemed rather weird being hauled by a class 47 .

 

I know it visited a few places and as I say it must have been an interesting experiance, Very lucky to have grown up with the SVR on the doorstep and you think nothing of a day out there when you travel in 3 out the big 4's stock. Shame there's nothing like it on now on mainline

 

While the train was at Paddington the Solari board had the full list of SVR Stations listed and the announcements included passengers for Highley should travel in the front of the train and passengers for Northwood Halt should inform the Guard before departure. It did help that the Paddington announcer was Hugh McQuade a volunteer at Bridgnorth.

 

I guess for me out of all the memories the two that stick most are watching Taw Valley depart Waterloo on 11/09/92 as I never believed I would see steam on the third rail again, how wrong I was there!
And being on the first ascent of the Lickey behind 7325 and 2968 on 22/11/97. Great weather, a climb I had never done behind any form of traction, the ability to still window hang and disbelief at the almost instant loss of momentum when we hit the bank.

 

I believe that when 821 was running at the NYMR as DB's 'Vierhund' one of the DTG members announced it's arrival in fluent German! Apparently us 'trainspotters' take ourselves to seriously!