Cumbrian Mountain Express 2022

Magnificent images and video of this unusual pairing. Thank you to everyone for sharing them. 45690 sounding great. Hopefully 34067 won't require too much fettling.

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Throughout the day the mature trees opposite Wistle Towers had been swaying alarmingly in the very strong north westerly wind. Still with a double header on show and a first revenue earning trip for the newly restored Tangmere, a man's got to do what a man's got to do. In my case this meant getting togged up and driving over to Wilpshire (and so it was). Arriving a full thirty minutes before the train was due I found that my favourite spot at the Blackburn end of platform 2 was already occupied, so onto the other side and the Blackburn end of platform 1.

To make up for a late departure from Carlisle the train had omitted the Appleby water stop, this meant that both locos had to be watered at Hellifield and this in turn meant that the train was 13L leaving Hellifield. Could it make up enough time to be "let out" at Horrocksford Jn and through Clitheroe before the 17.19 service train to Rochdale? If not it would be a long wait and all the boys and girls travelling on the train would be at risk of arriving home late. RTT showed that "our" train passed through Clitheroe only 6L and with a bit of super-power on the front I expected it to arrive at Wilpshire somewhere near RT. The worst of the wind had passed and the station, although open to the north, offers a sheltered location and with a temperature of 7C it was a pleasant enough wait (for a January evening).

Then the sound of locomotive exhaust was carried in on a gust of wind, quieter, then more and growing louder this continued for a full 2 minutes and then silence - Wilpshire Tunnel? After a short wait the sound restarted but now continuous, much clearer and growing ever louder. A light reflected on the distant trees to the right, then a loco came into view, its lamp shining brightly. Leander was working hard but before the platforms she was eased, the blowing draincock on the fireman's side became even more apparent.

As the locos passed through the station each of the platform lights in turn illuminated the top of the exhaust directly beneath it. In the light it was easy to see the scorch marks on the bottom of Leander's smokebox door. Then came Tangmere, smoke and steam billowing from her wide chimney, her paintwork looking bright and shiny as she hurried past followed by a string of (mainly) maroon coaches. Then it was over, the wind that had brought the sound towards us now carried it away. 3L and 29mph. It was nice to chat with a member of the Marsh Steam Videos team who had travelled up from Birmingham, chased the full trip and would be travelling back again, puts my 90 minutes and 20 miles to shame.

 

Amazing how much fuss Leander has made just dragging her own weight around while Tangmere made much less fuss taking the weight of the rest of the train.

 

Beauty & The Beast.

Shap Wells and out in the open at Ais Gill.

 

45690 & 34067 seen from Shap Wells and climbing to Aisgill Summit.

 

Just found this video on YouTube. WCR need to be careful, if someone at NR sees this then words could be had. Look how many people are leaning out of the vestibule windows.
(Video removed by moderator)

 

And you are advertising it more ?

 

29/01/2022 - LMS Stanier Jubilee - 45690 "Leander" pilots SR Pacific Battle of Britain class - 34067 "Tangmere" approaching Shap Summit on the Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express to Carlisle

 

This was my first steam trip for 2 years due to Covid. Also my first trip over Shap behind a Jubilee, an aim I've had for several years. With regard to the scorched paint on the smokebox door, the driver grinned and said "She's been working hard". This was at Carlisle and I don't know whether the scorching was caused by dragging Tangmere over Shap, or whether it was already there at the start of the day. A fellow passenger measured the speed at Shap summit as 32-33mph - I don't know if that is accurate.

It was a bonus to have two locos and to see Tangmere in action. The acceleration, apart from being brisk, was noticeably smoother, no doubt because of 6 cylinders rather than 3. The downside was that I couldn't hear anything of the anticipated Jubilee roar, though maybe that was due to the incessant talking of other passengers. (Have you noticed how every coach seems to contain a lady with a loud piercing voice?)

The day was very well organised and the locos turned out well. Well done RTC, WCRC and the train crew.

PS: Having looked at some of the videos, the smokebox door looks OK on the ascent of Shap.

 

Nothing spectacular, but after failing with a video shot at Shap and bailing from the wind at Birkett Common. Kirkby Stephen station had to do




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29/01/2022 - LMS Stanier Jubilee - 45690 "Leander" pilots SR Pacific Battle of Britain class - 34067 "Tangmere" approaching Ais Gill Summit on the "Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express" from Carlisle as far as Preston heading for London Euston.

 

Tangmere is still running in, so It makes sense to not over exert it another couple of runs double headed, before it takes on a train on its own makes sense.
If it needs further fettling, would it be wise to send it out solo on the Northern Belle until she is fully run in, it would make sense to put a diesel inside for the next run, or to not run it with steam.

 

A mixed set of results for us on a day where shelter was paramount. Shap wasn't as windy as expected and we were able to take cover at the summit, while on the S&C, we were hanging onto tree branches and couldn't avoid the constant gusts, thankfully the mic did an OK job. Finished off at Ramsgreave, good to finally meet Oswald.

 

A sense of scale.


Leander & Tangmere climbing away from Scout Green towards Shap Wells yesterday, something over a mile away from the camera.

 

I guess someone had to get lucky!

 

Great stuff (as usual) Nige!

 

Added interest yesterday, brought on by the introduction of the double header and visible in all the stills and videos was the contrast in exhaust of the two locos simultaneously involved in identical weather conditions.

The hard exhaust of the barking Jubilee, lifted high above its single chimney, towering 30 feet or more before levelling, compared with the low ejection of the softer exhaust from the Battle of Britain's multiple orifice blast pipe and wide chimney. How much of this was influenced by how hard each loco was working is open to debate, but the difference is notable and an example of why blinkers were fitted when they were needed.