Tornado & Flying Scotsman Over The S&C - 20/10 - 21/10 - 27/10 - 28/10

James, I expected that there was issue at Langwathby and then after watching Steve's video, it was pretty much confirmed. I responded to the spectacle as I saw it and that's what it was, a 'shower' a shower for all concerned and not just my purist cravings. Thankfully Tornado delivered earlier on.

 

And plus as well its leaf fall season and 60103 not having a rocking grate and hard Russian coal playing up besides the electrical gubbins on F.S.

 

I don't know what coal the loco had, but it is worth remembering that the LNER had good access to hard coal during its time, and its pacifics were generally reckoned to run well on it. I remember talking to Clive Groom about days he had on them out of Kings Cross and his amazement about how they ran with ease on thin fires dancing on the grate - quite unlike what you would do with soft coal.

By contrast, I've mentioned before a notable run with Blue Peter back in about 1966 on a rail tour when it was down to 100psi and an inch of water within 70 miles of starting from Waterloo, 30 minutes down along a largely benign route, fired on Welsh coal - and that with an experienced crew on the footplate, including a traction inspector from its home region.

Don't believe the hype about coal unless you were actually there on the footplate: not all Russian coal is bad; not all Welsh coal is good, and different locos steam better or worse on different grades.

Tom

 

Tbere are plenty of eXPERTS on this forum Steve!!

 

Well as long as you get your video then I guess nothing else really matters......

 

Reports on another forum that 60103 had issues with “safety equipment” and that’s why she was failed. Don’t shoot the messenger though.

 

21.10.21

 

Beautiful shot.

 

Thank you. Just had a look into my catalogue, it appears that it may be 32 years since Clan Line appeared on the S&C - long overdue - see if you can pull any strings to use yesterday's template - 35018 one way, 35028 on the return!

 

Speaking with my treasurer's hat on (and not speaking for the society or the committee): it would need to make financial business sense and fit into our agreed schedule and arrangements. Putting on my enthusiast's hat, I'd love to see '28 over the S&C. Far more pressing is the final frontier which is Clan Line in Scotland, in my view, but that really is a dream unless we get asked to do the Great Britain, I think.

 

I still got my video, so not fussed. Just not what I envisaged beforehand, no doubt there was a few passengers who felt the same.

 

"What a difference a day makes!" Wednesday started (very) wet and turned into a dry but cool evening. Thursday was cool and sunny and would have been ideal for an evening trip to Wilpshire - or would it? Around 6 pm we had an unpredicted, prolonged and heavy shower that slowly eased to light rain. A check on RTT indicated that there appeared to have been an issue between Low House and Culgaith and with no stop at Appleby and subsequent good timekeeping this suggested that the diesel was heavily involved. 7.20 pm and decision time, it was still spotting with rain but the train was now safely in the loop at Hellifield so I decided to give it a go.

Over to Wilpshire where I parked up just after 7.45 pm. A check on RTT showed that the train was still in the loop - was RTT working? OTT showed the same thing. Then the heavens opened and it absolutely threw it down, I was glad that I wasn't on the platform. RTT showed that the (late running) RHTT had passed through Hellifield and was heading my way (and proved that RTT was working). RTT showed nothing had left Carnforth to mount a possible rescue, but they did have a diesel on the back. It was still raining steadily so at 8 pm I upped sticks and went home. Disappointed but dry.

Full marks to the A1 team for coming up with the "two loco" trips (shades of yesteryear) and I am so sorry that it didn't work out as planned. Originally the trips were pencilled in for mid-September (when a diesel wouldn't be required) but they were moved to late October and into the leaf fall season. My thanks to all involved in operating this relatively intense action and to WCRC for finding the resources to send Tangmere out on her loaded test run. [I hope that the 37's conduct was to everyone's satisfaction but remember there were only 6 coaches - not 12!]

This seems to be the last meaningful steam of the year through Blackburn. On Saturday it looks like Tornado comes off the Northern Belle at Hellifield and heads to York. Even I can't get excited about the ECS move on Sunday morning with 45699? being hauled backwards on the rear of the train? I may have to travel further afield to see steam but with diesels on the back and poorer weather????

 

Why?

It just requires someone to ask.

 

We had a sudden emergency stop at Long Preston which I assume was an AWS/TPWS activation. Train Manager told us the failure was due to an electrical fault with a braking component and when I asked him if it was related to the emergency stop he said it was. So I think it was an AWS/TPWS fault. The 47 ran around us at Hellifield and took the lead but we then got stuck behind a stopper at Clitheroe so had to crawl to Preston. Class 57 waiting for us at Preston and we had a fast run down the WCML back to Birmingham. The last southbound train from Preston had already left so there was nothing ahead of us. Got back into Birmingham about 70 mins down.

Highlight of the day was undoubtedly the outward run over the S&C with Tornado. Despite some comments on here about the surprise of it, passengers were emailed weeks ago saying Tornado was doing the outbound so it wasn't anything unexpected.

 

What happened between Low House and Lazonby, did you come to a stop for said issues ?