Vintage Trains 2025

45596 seen at Docker and Kirkby Stephen:







Richard

 

45596 Seen from below Shap Summit Footbridge and Shap Summit in strong winds then later on the return from the old Kirkby Stephen Goods Shed and up signal as the conditions deteriorated.

 

Making a wonderful sight in the Lune Gorge 45596 Bahamas with The Shap Mountaineer.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/54419068684/in/dateposted/

 

In atrocious weather conditions 45596 Bahamas with the return approaching Birkett Tunnel.

 

Some fantastic videos and stills everyone, enabling me to relive a brilliant day!
Vintage Trains really did put on a fantastic trip yesterday, brilliantly organised. A lot of people mentioned the proactive actions such as the 47 shadowing as insurance and to help with shunting stock, to the 37 being summoned just in case.
The run over Shap and down the other side was up there with the best and Alastair really did show what a top loco Bahamas is. The climb of Ais Gill was marred, but in some awful weather, 45596 rallied to clear the Summit in the 30s.
The decision to dispatch the 37 to Hellifield was likely based on 47773's lacklustre performance on the way up, where it lost a fair bit of time and was clearly struggling with just a 9 coach load. 37240 though put in a sparkling performance and was one of the highlights of the day - we were only 15 minutes down by the time we got back to Crewe. I am sure there will be a few jealous growler followers with this unexpected appearance, apparently it's first passenger run in preservation & looks to be a very fine addition to the VT fleet!

 

45596 on a blustery S&C, 29.03.25.

 

It's all been said really, but a hugely enjoyable and nostalgic day. I am hoping Rail 200 will be commemorated in a proper manner and for that we are probably looking to a Vintage special.

The slow start up Yealand made me think we might be in for a slogging day, but what a sparkling run from then on*. The acceleration from the top of Grayrigg to Low Gill and Tebay was notable, as was the recovery from walking speed at KS up to Birkett in pretty full on S and C weather conditions.

The only downer was 90 mins at Hellifield but better that than a poorly diesel stuck on Wilpshire. Having been lucky with the late running Avanti at Penrith in the morning, we were unlucky to clash with one of the few Ribblehead to Rochdales. But fortunately the Northern connections at Blackburn were performing OK and I hope the connections further south were OK also.

Good to meet @Julian Jones and @1020 Shireman and many thanks to all at Tyseley and the Bahamas group for a memorable trip. And to the photographers too, now I can relive it!

* the professionals will correct me on the exact timing points but I made that under even time, 53' 20 for the 54 miles from Milnthorpe to Upperby Bridge Jct pass to pass over Grayrigg and Shap. That must qualify as a good run!

 

I want to agree with you, but I fear the 2 examples are simplifying what is a much more complex situation, ignoring the David and Goliath of DBS and Vintage Trains, the differing braking situations and the fact that Clan Line has a very settled relationship with Belmond - providing certainty of income. Compare that to 45596 which had the rug pulled and can now only operate with VT. Yesterday may have been its last steam tour for a while.
What I will say is that a few years ago, some of us bought into the Tyseley vision (in every sense of the word), with a view to keeping steam on the mainline. Trips like yesterday show that although small, Vintage Trains do execute what they do brilliantly well and with a good level of professionalism. By making a few adjustments to manage risk they can deliver what we all want, so for that reason they should be applauded and supported.

 

I understand that around 10 years ago Leander had the modified single chimney arrangement fitted and that was said to have "transformed the steaming". The same modification was not carried out on Galatea but over the years carbon build-up in the blastpipe has reduced the effective diameter thus sharpening the blast and improving the steaming. The double chimney currently fitted to Bahamas is not the one that was in use back in BR days but is I believe a new one based on drawings produced by BR.

 

If anyone would like to read the book Chapter 8 The Rugby Tests goes in to some detail about the Modified Double Chimney, we're currently saving up for the next overhaul........... We're a volunteer run Society, and a Registered Charity (No.259626)

Bahamas - the story of a steam locomotive, by Peter W Skellon - The Bahamas Locomotive Society

 

Thanks. I am a bit surprised that 5699 has not had the mods (which involved a new blastpipe top and mods to the chimney). The potential for carbon build up was noted in the Rugby report with the suggestion that the blastpipe cap was cleaned at "fairly frequent" intervals.

 

45596 on the Shap Mountaineer

 

A very memorable day yesterday and very lucky to have avoided the rain!
45596 & 34067 on Shap and the S&C around Langwathby

 

Here are 17 photos of the activity at Hellifield after Bahamas had left for Keighley:

https://andrewstransport.smugmug.com/Northwesttrains/Hellifield-2025/i-xNf4kFd

Andrew N

 

Lousy weather but with Bahamas hauling its first railtour over Shap it had to be done. Locations are; Greenholme, I've never seen anything come past there so fast and two at Birkett Common. The first of these has quite a dramatic exhaust as the high wind hits the side of the cutting, worth getting soaking wet for.

 

Thanks for your "almost as it happens" reports of the day's events. I must admit that I was envious but had only myself to blame for not booking. The "fly past" at Greenholme went a long way to compensate, the sound was astounding and made the hairs rise on the back of your neck, the speed was unbelievable.

I thought a comparison with an excellent run by Leander on the CME of 13 July 2019 might be revealing. (13 July 2019 figures in brackets)

Loco: 45596 Bahamas, (45690 Leander)
Load: 10 (11)
Position on train: Coach H - 2nd, (Coach H - 10th)
Weather: Dry & strong cross-wind, (Dry & calm)

Yealand Bank min: 26mph (34mph)
Grayrigg start max: 58 (67)
Oxenholme: 48 (54.8)
Grayrigg summit: 42 (40.9)
Shap start max: 76 (71.3)
MP 37.25: 38 (30.1)
Shap min: 36 (28.7)
Shap summit board: 36 (33)

Carnforth-Shap summit: circa 42m (39m 54s)
Carnforth-Carlisle: 70m 20s (68m 07s)

As you reported Bahamas was eased into her work and it paid off. In contrast Leander powered up the earlier part of Grayrigg but by the summit speeds were very close. From then on Bahamas came to the fore with a remarkable assault on Shap. Leander's climb was very, very good but 45596 simply romped away. Whilst Leander had an extra coach, Bahamas had to contend with a cross-wind.

Overall 45690 had the faster times due in a large part to the quicker running on Grayrigg. If Leander had been held back a little, might she have had more available for Shap? If Bahamas had charged away from Carnforth, could she have put in the same tremendous performance on Shap? The questions are unanswerable. I had the best of both worlds; I thoroughly enjoyed riding behind Leander and witnessing Bahamas. And the next train right this way please . . .

(PS I hope that your cat is ok)

 

I had a very fast run in 2006 behind Leander on a VT out and back via Shap to Carlisle. Apparently we beat the old Caledonian timings that day, not sure Bahamas was quite that quick, but would be good to see a comparison if anyone is able to provide!

 

Yes, I've tried to find out that about that. Haven't been able to find anything via Google. UPDATE ! I'm now reliably informed that on the 02/09/2006 the great Mike Notely timed 45690 going over the top at 41mph on load 9 and more importantly Canforth to Carlisle took an unbelievable 67.33 mins. Maybe some of our members have these logs ? Footage wise, PSOV maybe our best hope.