RTC - The Jubilee Buxton Spa Express: 4/06/22 - 45596 Bahamas

Soloman’s Temple looks down on a dramatic departure from Buxton by 45596 with today’s Buxton Spa Express.


Once again a rare working on this route fails to live up to promise weatherwise.

 

On a fresh June evening with a brisk easterly wind 45596 sweeps through Normanton on Soar with the returning RTC Buxton Spa Express a fabulous sight.

 

A couple of pictures from Furness Vale of the return train.
45596 passing the 1887 LNWR signal box and just for fun (after seeing the train at New Mills -it was early and likely to be held at South Junction) later looking from the footbridge across to the Midland line as the train passed the site of Gowhole yard. Lucky not to have been bowled by a passing stone train.





Chapel Milton and New Mills.

 

Nice set of pictures, something different.

 

Had an unexpected seat on this yesterday and what a good day it was. First coach behind either engine all day and Bahamas was in fine noisy form on the way back in the Hope valley. Even enabled a good look at the engine at Denton as only the first two coaches were in the platform.

 

In the event, I decided to put the GWSR gala on ice and take up some of the last-minute availability on this. Considering that the last run out of Buxton via the ex-LNWR route was apparently 11 years ago was a considerable incentive! The itinerary is rather appealing in any case with a number of climbs, Peak District scenery and the potential for a speedy sprint towards Leicester. However, the number of congested urban areas the tour passed through - London, Leicester, Sheffield and Manchester - undoubtedly created their own challenges, and keeping close to time was no doubt essential.

As such, being towards the back, there seemed to be occasional assistance on the gradients, perhaps not surprisingly up the the 1 in 100 out of Sheffield, and also through some of the longer tunnels (of which there were plenty on this itinerary!). Nevertheless, there was some nice chatter from the locomotive when the environmental conditions permitted the sound to reach the rear of the train; 45596 seems a quieter proposition than its single chimney brethren!

The ability to run into Buxton URS via the Midland and 'simply' (though I understand not really for waiting service trains) set back into the station, before heading out to Stockport via the LNWR makes for a really good itinerary; it's a shame that under ordinary circumstances there's no longer the capacity. The way the routes cross at different levels and their setting seems pretty unique on the national network.

A nice flourish was that we passed through Stockport; as 45596's last allocation was to 9B in July 1962, the trip marked a return 'home' almost 60 years later.

 

Three from the Derbyshire circuit...

Great Rocks tunnel


Departing Buxton



New Mills South

 

It’s reported that Bahamas has failed at the NVR and will not be working tomorrow. I don’t know what the problem is.

 

The NVR Website is reporting that a problem was found after 45596 arrived and the loco had to be taken out of service. 34081 is hauling the Jubilee's services instead.

Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

What is buxton urs please? Saw it on rtt and wondered.

 

Buxton Up Relief Sidings.

 

Something injector related according to BLS on Facebook.

 

Thanks.