The Duchess to Carlisle: VT - 12/03/22

The Duchess makes an impressive sight leaving Blea Moor Tunnel

 

I was working the night shift, when others were returning home after a (hopefully) rewarding day with the Duchess, Oswald was heading out into the darkness. As I opened the door, Diego, a neighbour's cat, slipped in for his third visit of the day. I headed over to Ramsgreave and Wilpshire and parked up. A check on RTT showed 21L at Hellifield - oh dear, possibly a bit of a wait. Onto the station where the sole occupant was a man wearing a coat the same colour as "The Owl and The Pussycat's" boat - nice! I set up on the Blackburn end of the down platform where I was soon joined by a couple of others. Chatting away passed the time and a check showed 6233 now through Clitheroe 13L - things were improving.

It was around 9C but feeling cooler in the stiff southerly breeze; it is a north wind that carries the sound towards the station. By now quite a few people had gathered to await the arrival of the Duchess. Suddenly, the heavy exhaust beat as she left the tunnel and pounded towards us, the head light in the distance, the unmistakable beat growing louder, a long whistle before the platform and into the station. The loco, big and red, powered past then the unfamiliar liveried coaches slid by and finally the 47, it's exhaust note suggesting it was contributing little or nothing to the effort. 1L and 28/9 mph with a train equivalent to 12-13 coaches - that'll do for me!

A water stop in Blackburn meant that there was ample time to see the train again, I had already decided on Cherry Tree. I took the more direct route via Revidge Road. [At the top of the hill, on the right mixed in among the Victorian houses, is a much older building that was once a farm and is now cottages. The name, I have long felt, would have made a splendid addition to the GWR's mixed traffic 4-6-0 class . . . "Sod Hall."]

I reached a deserted, Cherry Tree and set up at the Preston end of the down platform. Cherry Tree has a good view back towards Blackburn, not so good in pitch darkness, but suffers from traffic noise from the main road bridge just beyond the platform. A couple of guys wandered onto the platform, thankfully wearing more subdued clothing. Watering was accomplished in quick time and 6233 left Blackburn RT. Soon the exhaust beat could be heard and the exhaust could be seen catching in the lights of the distant Mill Hill station. The pounding grew louder, and faster, then she burst under the bridge and through the station. As she sped off into the distance the fire light reflected in the underside of the exhaust - lovely! 4L and 37 mph and little evidence that the 47 was "chipping in."

Thanks to everyone involved in bringing the "Big Girl" to see us here in the North West and come back soon. I hope that those on board had an enjoyable day and that the presence of the diesel didn't "ruin everything." Reading between the lines it looks like VT did everything they could to leave the diesel behind but it wasn't possible on the day.

 

The sum total of the work the 47 did whilst the Duchess was on the train was the shunt moves at Carlisle and a bit of a push out of Crewe towards Madeley on the return as the water stop overran a little. Everything else was "her own work" with the 47 running a little above idle to provide train heat. We'd have been back on time but unfortunately the heat source that is a Stanier Pacific triggered the Penkridge hot axle box detector and that caused a delay - safety first, of course - whilst it was confirmed to the signalbox that the vehicle that had triggered it was indeed for a start a steam locomotive and not one of the carriages or the 47.

 

Another photo location bites the dust.

A late change in babysitting expectations meant that I was able to get across for the Duchess after all. The teatime departure from Carlisle meant that I decided to give an old location a visit for the first time in three years. Durran Hill Junction has changed immensely since I first visited it in the 1960s, but by judicious use of a decorator's step ladder set precariously on top of a soil bund next to the trackside spiked fence on the industrial estate, a half decent shot could be taken as trains left Carlisle on the S&C without the fence getting in the way of the shot.

I had some concerns about a small sapling bush that was visible in 2019, but I reckoned that moving the ladder a bit should sort that out.

What a shock when I got there with an hour to spare and discovered that the bush was nothing to worry about at all. When I got onto the bund I found I couldn't even see the bush. A line of willows had shot up just on the inside of the fence, completely obscuring any view of the track at all. A wipe-out. I almost went home there and then, but I decided to take the very sub-optimal stand on the overbridge, reluctantly because the sun shining from a clear sky meant I would be shooting almost head-on. Fortunately a large sheet of cloud moved in from the south and obscured the sun just before the train was due, so I could adjust my location and get more of a 3/4 view.

Three shots below.

1. The Duchess coming out from under London Road Bridge (I took my long lens in case of wildlife opportunities).
2. Passing the industrial estate with the new willows above steam from the whistle
3. Leander in the shot I hoped for yesterday on my last visit there in May 2019.

 

From what I have heard it was a cracking day for the passengers and stewards on board. The journey went well, ran a bit late at times but all the way along the train you could hear the duchess working hard at some point. A cracking team of staff made the day run super smoothly.

 

Cheers, much appreciated.

 

Cheers, Ian. Just one of those rare occasions.

 

Many thanks Matt, though it wouldn't of been possible without the late departure.

 

Lunds.

 

A grand day out where everything went swimmingly for a change ! Thanks to all who were involved.

 

A wide view as 6233 crosses Lunds viaduct on the way north

David Price
Cop Lane on Flickr

 

Duchess in the Gloaming
6233 in rapidly fading light on Ormside viaduct with the return to Tyseley on 12/3/2022

David Price
Cop Lane on Flickr

 

I suspect a bit of a nudge from the diesel on Wilpshire, and getting away from Farington Jn once back on tbe WCML. Will compare with previous efforts next weekend.

And certainly more tban just a nudge leaving Crewe! We were up to 70 mph on the climb to Madeley, whereas a couple of runs with Tornado in solid form gave speeds in the 50s. Historic logs suggest 40 mph was more usual with this sort of load.

But no discernable assistance before Hellifield so everything after that a bonus.

And yes, praise for RTC for scooping up couple of VT pax at Crewe who had missed the VT tour, and taking them to Carlisle on board the Cumbrian coast trip, so they could pick up the VT return.

 

Haha! One of them was seated at my table, and was let down by taxi driver unable to find Tyseley loco.

 

My contribution from yesterday, challenging shot at Helwith as the old current bun put in a guest appearance at the wrong time!

 

A couple of photos of the Duchess on Ribblehead, and the leaving Hellifield on the return leg.

 

If anyone's interested the attachment contains the Outward Timings of the train.