Scarborough Spa Express 2025

Thanks Idris, It was only a bit of rain which we’ve all been hoping for and from what I could hear the crew handled the situation very well as that can be a tricky section so all credit to those involved.

 

Abysmal conditions greet Peppercorn A 1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' as it works the 'Scarborough Spa Express' 1Z15 passed the old Borwick Station heading for Hellifield and onwards to Scarborough with David Blair driving,Martyn Siames on the shovel and Matt Miller Guard

 

Was there a planned water stop at Strensall Common rd or was the tanker there by chance?

 

Just the faintest glimmer of something coming out of the chimney as "Tornado" gets shoved onwards to Costa del Scarborough with the usual rag bag of coaches behind.

Despite the blue sky in the background it was dull and showery, just perfect!


"Tornado", 26/06/25.

 

Yes according to earlier post in this thread.

 

At least you got the rods down!

 

60163 about to cross the A65 at Coniston Cold with the returning SSE. The train would subsequently be held for over an hour at Settle Junction due to the preceding service train being unable to clear the long section between there and Carnforth (OLE problems on the WCML apparently). I was waiting on Giggleswick Bank, but gave up when the light went.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90397953@N02/54615216857/in/photostream/

 

60163 departs Settle Junction sixty four minutes late due to issues with the preceding unit as explained by 45698Mars above, seen from the top of Giggleswick Bank due to the light having gone the cameras struggled to focus at times.

 

No doubt, not what you hoped for when you set-up for the shot. Nice to see and hear a steam engine being allowed to work hard after all the show ponies of recent weeks.
Thank God for mobile phones. At least you were able to get an idea of what the delay was.

 

Excellent, I enjoyed that, many thanks nige.

 

We have had rain most days in the last week, sometimes brief but heavy and other times moderate and for several hours which was the case this morning. What impact the rain would have on NR's current fire risk status along the route of the "Scarborough Spa" was unknown (to me). Photos and videos from the outbound run showed that at least steam was on the front and better still it was working. (Thanks to those who turned out in this morning's poor weather.)

My usual haunt for returning SSEs is around Gargrave, as it was near mid summer I did consider Giggleswick where the light might hold. (With hindsight I'm glad that I didn't as the train was running an hour late). My next choice would have been the opposite platform at Gargrave station but it was high risk with the Carlisle-Leeds service train booked to stop in the platform at the same time that Tornado was due to pass through. (With hindsight I'm glad that I didn't as the service train was stationary in the station as Tornado passed.) That left the road bridge by the station or Moober Lane bridge, a few hundred yards to the west. The station bridge would have been my choice, but for a recent birthday present. Oswald has a bad back that can only be managed and not cured, this has made it increasingly more difficult for me to carry my bits and pieces even moderate distances. The solution, a small folding "sack truck", load it up and wheel the the stuff - it worked a treat (Thanks, Mrs W).

I've got a bit ahead of myself, I nearly didn't get there at all. We live on a quiet side road, however there is a nearby primary school so it gets busy at school start and finish times and the (narrow) drive to a small hotel is just across the way. The hotel is a few hundred yards along the drive and does not cause any issues, except this evening. It was the venue for a school leavers event. The roads were choc a bloc with exotic sports cars, stretch limos, a tractor, a gang of "hells angels" and even a girl on horseback as the children (or parents) vied for the most spectacular way to arrive. Throw in cars parked where they should and those where they shouldn't as family and friends made their way to watch, and it was gridlock. Fortunately, Oswald managed to force his way through as exotic sports cars took evasive action to avoid a scrape. It took me 10 minutes to get through compared with the usual 10 seconds.

Traffic on the rest of the journey was thankfully light until I neared Gargrave station. A farmer had chosen a Thursday evening in late June to move his flock of sheep, this Thursday evening! The sheep, being sheep darted this way and that but there were a couple of guys moving them forward along the road and they soon gathered up the miscreants. After a relatively short distance the sheep were persuaded to head into a field by a formidable looking lady, about as wide as she was tall, a no-nonsense haircut and arms like a weight lifter - if she had told me that I had to go in to the field, then in to the field I would have gone! Finally I parked up, loaded up and headed along to the bridge, "dragging my truck behind me" . (I know how Bo Peep's sheep felt.)

The path on RTT only appeared on the Thursday morning and looked as though it was the "planning" version, with only limited timing points, rather than more usual final version. It sufficed. It bemuses me that as soon as RTT shows a time for the train having left Skipton it also adds a time for the train having passed thro' Gargrave even though that time may be several minutes in the future. The time is subsequently changed but is often a few minutes different from the time the train actually passed thro' the station. The Carlisle-Leeds service headed into the station and stopped and a minute later Tornado appeared - full block for anyone on the platform.

There was plenty of white exhaust, those waiting on the road bridge were silhouetted, like a human coconut shy. It was good to see some working steam and hear it as Tornado came nearer. The low sunshine held, just, and the train headed off to the west. Lovely stuff. 15C, 2L & 33mph.

A couple of miles from home light rain began to fall - every little helps!

 

Ten out of ten for dedication to the cause Nige lad

 

You done good there Nige!! Good atmosphere and the engine doing some work! Worth the wait.

 

Thanks Idris, Definitely not what we were expecting and we were unaware of what was happening at the Carnforth end at the time so decided to stick it out as we could see her stood at the signal, just a shame the light had gone but it is what it is.

 

Many thanks Victor, Glad you enjoyed watching.

 

Thanks Shep, Much appreciated.

 

Many thanks David, Much appreciated.

 

My shot of 60163 Tornado at Scarborough after boarding the tour at Skipton purposely to gain extra route mileage as I could have joined at shipley nearer to my home in Bradford.
I quite enjoyed the nice fast running on A1 60163 Tornado and the climb up the aire valley line also another reason I joined at Skipton.
Davo 56F