The Pennine Moors Christmas Cracker 18/12/21.

Times for the Crewe to Blackburn section are up .https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68412/2021-12-18/detailed

 

Blackburn to Crewe. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68413/2021-12-18/detailed

 

Times for the diesel sections between Rugby and Crewe are on RTT as well. I'm on this one, it's my last trip of the year. Never done Copy Pit in the winter before and the timings are sensible so it won't be in the dark. It's why I booked on it. Hopefully should be a good day.

 

LSL Facebook page confirms 46100 is the rostered loco for Saturday.

Also 90001 is the diesel for the diesel sections.

 

??

 

Hopefully its not as assisted as last year, 34046 was shoved everywhere. Though in hindsight the weather was horrendous.

 

Well 90001 won’t be much use assisting on the hilly bits after Crewe !

 

And there was me hoping LSL had found a banker for Copy Pit

 

90001 has had a wash and brush up especially for the occasion

 

Rather amusingly, my ticket says board at door 1 for seats 1-18 and board at door 2 for seats 19-42.
All very well and good but I'm seat 48!

 

42 is the capacity of a First Class Mk 1 do Mk2's seat 48?
But I take you point.

 

46100 failed at Euxton jn. Train going to Preston to detach 46100 and continue diesel hauled. No idea of fault but train manager said they had to drop the whole fire.

 

Just spoke to driver at Preston. Boiler problem. Losing loads of water. Fire had to be dropped.

 

Shame for the punters. Glad we managed to get 60103 on the S&C earlier.

 

46100 crossing the Weaver on Vale Royal viaduct between Winsford and Hartford.
I assume problems had started by this as the train lost 5 minutes to here from Crewe Coal yard having picked ip a few minutes from a late start.

I guess I was lucky, but shame for the passengers nonetheless.

 

46100 Royal Scot seen passing through Hartford station on its outward journey.

 

Rather a disappointing end to my 2021 railtour season but it is what it is. Up until Euxton 46100 had seemed to be running ok to me from my position in the last coach. Whether it was just a faulty water gauge or whether there genuinely was water leaking somewhere who knows, I'm sure LSL will figure it out. The Class 47 pushed the train up to Preston where every passenger had to disembark so the train could be moved to the goods loop to detach 46100. I wasn't too impressed with station staff at Preston. Many passengers were elderly, several had walking aids, they'd just been dumped off a train unexpectedly onto a cold platform, struggling to get their bearings, and were getting yelled at because their feet were over the yellow line. All it needed was a polite word, no need to yell at people at the top of your voice.

The Class 47 then took us on the planned itinerary up and over Copy Pit and around Todmorden and we got back into Crewe a couple of minutes before we were due to depart. I thought we would have a right time departure but LSL took the Class 47 off and transferred it to the back. The Class 90 that had brought us to Crewe in the morning (also called Royal Scot) then coupled onto the front and took us back to Rugby. So the upshot of that was we then left Crewe about half an hour late..

The bar coach Pegasus was in the consist today. First time I've seen it on a public charter, it's usually only in the Chairman's train. Apparently a small group had paid LSL for it's exclusive use today. First time I'd ever seen it up close, looks exceptional. Bar, piano, armchairs etc.

Anyway, haulage not just from 3 separate locos but 3 separate types of traction (steam, diesel and electric) so a bit of a rarity I think. Certainly the first time I've had Class 90 haulage on a charter. Plus haulage by 46100 from Crewe to Preston, which I certainly enjoyed.

Usual excellent on-board service from the stewards. Most passengers sitting around me seemed happy enough so I don't think there was too much upset from what happened.

I look forward to my next LSL trip in the New Year.

 

Did 46100 suffer a water injector failure? The Scot does seem to be losing rather a lot of water in this video:


Also hearing reports that she suffered wheel flats outside Preston.
Hopefully she won't be out for too long.

Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

Saturday was a lovely sunny day and the promise of Royal Scot had been enough to tempt Oswald from his lair; it was only his second time outdoors in almost three weeks, having been laid up with a bout of shingles. The plan was to watch at the train at Hoghton then drive over to Rishton and see it again.

It was all wall to wall sunshine with just the hint of mist above the water courses. There were more than a dozen cars parked by the gate to the occupation bridge that crosses the line two or three hundred yards west of Chapel Lane overbridge. The day was cold, more suited to a brisk walk rather than hanging about waiting for a train. Around 15 mins before the train was due there were around ten of us waiting on the overbridge (I was the only one wearing a Santa hat – shame on the others) and there were even more people down by the foot crossing.

On RTT all appeared to be well with the train passing Euxton Balshaw Lane 4L (about 20 mins before it should reach us). Then nothing happened, no time for Euxton Jn – a data failure or something more serious? It appeared that our train was “stuck” on the Down Fast with other northbound trains being diverted onto the Slow line. After another 40 mins RTT showed that the train was now 44L at Euxton Jn – was the problem fixed? Another 10 mins and the word filtered through that 46100 had failed and was being pushed to Preston.

Thanks to @bleeder4 we now know what happened. There is no good place to break down but at least it was on a 4-track section of line. Well done to LSL for managing the situation quickly and professionally; the events proved the merits of having a diesel on the back. I hope that those on board were not too disappointed, at least they got a trip, on a beautiful day, through a spectacular landscape, albeit a little late and diesel hauled. I hope that whatever befell 46100 is readily remedied and I look forward to seeing her again next year.

I returned home and did “think” about going over to Wilpshire to see FS (around 17:30 – but subsequently around 25L) but I’d got a bit chilly and the pleasures of a hot drink and a mince pie kept me firmly wedged in my chair. In keeping with the Season and with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore,

‘Twas the week before Christmas,
And along Chapel Lane
Nothing was stirring.
Not even a train.

Merry Christmas! – Omicron and Boris permitting.