VT: The Great Northern with Tornado - 26/09/26

An absolute cracking day; thank you to Michael and the whole VT team.

 

A1 60163 Tornado seen from Arcow Quarry running unassisted then on the return from How Mill Foot Crossing and Cowran Cutting with D1755 on the rear.

 

Southbound--the Vintage trip with Tornado in March this year.

Northbound--- now you're talking. Any advance on Scots Guardsman on the Dalesman in September 23? An age ago.

 

Just to echo the above comments.
An excellent day out, interesting route, a loco on good form and the usual friendly service.
All involved on the VT and A1 teams can be rightfully proud.

The delays couldn't be helped but given the disruption across the network and the unfortunate incident at Darlington, a 35 min late arrival at New St was not at all bad by railtour standards!

Hope the ill passenger is OK and hasn't ended up stranded too far from home,

Looking forward to the next one.

 

I echo everyone else. A good, solid tour despite the rerouting and timetable challenges, and good to be back on the network again! It seemed a good, workaday climb up the Long Drag. Also, Tyne Valley seems to be a rare beast these days - can't remember the last non-GB railtour that combined this with the S&C, may well have been pre-Covid. Well done to all concerned.

 

Anyone explain why the support coach was between the loco and the GUV on the return?

 

So that Tornado could leave the train with its support coach at Darlington, without having to shunt the GUV out of the way first.

 

Carlisle, at least for now as I assume it will be rationalised on it's eventual resignalling, is an absolute rabbit warren of routes and traditional yards, sidings and infrastructure. One of not many places left on the network where you can hide a train on a busy day and remarshal it without affecting other traffic.

 

Taken at Chester le Street, a second before i got bowled by a northbound service.
She sounded fantastic, a credit to the A1 team.

The old station warehouse buildings in the background are due for demolition, being replaced by a small business park/units.

 

Phone cam video of Tornado arriving at Normanton on Saturday before i boarded
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/Days-out/2026/September-2026/Tornado/i-hj8p7Rg

Neil

 

Flying Scotsman did a series of these just after covid if i remember correctly.

York - Carlisle
Carlisle - Low Fell - York on return.

 

But did not a major signalling update take place at the beginning of this year? Do I assume from what you write that this digitalisation did not affect the existing routing possibilities?

 

The actual layout and kit on the ground is unchanged at Carlisle bar the usual bits of attrition over the years. Plenty of yards, sidings, goods lines, curves etc. Though yes, the Petteril Bridge area is still a bottleneck.

The 1973 era Carlisle PSB still reigns supreme and controls a layout well suited to trains that need changes of engine etc. It's not quite the same as it was then with loss of things like the avoiding lines, and the rationalised eastern approaches are a shame - but it has a decent amount of flexibility.

 

Tornado did the reverse trip on The Pennine Explorer on 22 May 2021. Barrow Hill-Carlisle (via York)-Hellifield. West along the Tyne Valley, then south on the S&C.