West Highlander 2009

Hi All

5690 pics from today:

Dalmeny(Forth Bridge)
http://jack.prentice.fotopic.net/p61231406.html

Pettinain(South of Carstairs)
http://jack.prentice.fotopic.net/p61231999.html
47760
http://jack.prentice.fotopic.net/p61231398.html

Well done to the RTC, WCRC...Wish there was more steam tours up here in Scotland

 

Some photographs from Friday and Today....unfortunately I couldn't make it up the West Highlands yesterday....which meant I missed the best sunshine! :

Abington 25/09/09 :

47760 :
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61188053.html

LMS Jubilee No. 5690 "Leander" pulling away from the water stop in the loops :
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61188054.html
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61188055.html
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61188056.html

LMS Jubilee No. 5690 "Leander" at Glasgow Central :
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61188057.html

West Highlands 27/09/09 :

BR K4 No. 61994 "The Great Marquess" on the climb from Horseshoe Viaduct to Tyndrum :
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61235214.html
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61235215.html

Again on the departure from Crianlarich through Glen Falloch :
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61235216.html

And later, on her way home to Thornton, passing through Cowdenbeath :
http://jonathonag.fotopic.net/p61235217.html

Hope you all like them. Well done to RYTC as Jack says, it was great seeing Leander pound away from Abington.

Also, would like to especially mention Mark Fry ( Steamage ) and his friends for very kindly giving me a lift from Abington to Lanark station, and again seeing his friends again today. Just goes to show the kindess in our circles, and I very hope to run in to you again on one of my forays South.

Thanks

Jonathon

 

Leander arrived at Carnforth UDGL at 21.25, Leander came off there .

nice set of pics there Jonathon. thanks for posting.

 

Having been drowned and blown dry in appropriate order we finished in clear evening sun at Abington and a mad dash alongside 5690 to Lockerbie where even 1600 ASA wouldn't pick up any detail.

Cracking weekend providing the entertainment for the passengers and grateful that we didn't have to do the early morning late evening marathons involved.

ps - Where does Dobbin get those stewardesses and their fancy dress???

 

Any images lol

 

Just back from a superb 3 days.

Thanks to RTC, West Coast etc.

Superb driving by Peter Walker between Glasgow and Fort William, both on the Saturday and Sunday ( particulary in the wet conditions yesterday, the most difficult being the climb to Glen Douglas - 4 miles of mostly 1/53 or 1/57).

Great climb of Shap on the return, I heard the speed at the Summit was 44 mph.

 

Well,simply the best tour i think i have ever been on! Fantastic work organising,running,crewing,stewarding etc etc,it was all top notch.

Had a brilliant 3 days all hotels were great,the meal in Fort Bill was lovely (even if we did sit around for 30 mins before realising we had to go to the bar!),the rooms were great and the breakfast was superb,in all 3 hotels!


5690 put in a great effort on the Saturday with a fantastic run from Gordon Hodgson who drove from Carlisle,the sound on Beattock was hellfire. Then on the Saturday with 61994,it all started quite sedately with a steady run to Craigendoran where the fireworks started! Some great crewing (both Driving and Firing) on this run and some brilliant handling from Peter Walker on the controls saw us keep time and absolutely belt over County March Summit! Then the K1 came on at FW and i sat back and enjoyed the scenery,took some fots and then generally enjoyed the run,seeing as though at this point we were at the back i expected some peace and quiet so i was most disgusted to hear the engine making an awful amount of noise on the climb to Beasdale bank! I had the K1 down as a noisy engine but christ what a brilliant noise!! The return run was equally as thrashy with a spirited run towards Glenfinnan,some more brilliant driving and firing ensured we made the summit with no great fuss,we arrived back into Fort Bill more or less on time before steadily heading to the hotel for a lovely meal a drink and a great laugh (Garlic Bread Ciabatta or w/e its called,Gammon,2 Eggs,Chips,Peas,Tomato,Mushroom and a pint of Tennants all thrown in!)

It was nice to have a lesuirely morning on the Sunday,another great breakfast with me throwing Milk on the carpet! Then the real fun began,the weather was dismal and we set off in fine style,conquering bank after bank until the real challenge up Glen Douglas bank faced us from Arrochar and Tarbet,the conditions actually deteriated before we started the climb and in heavy rain Driver Walker made a thunderous attack at the foot of the climb on the short downhill section out of A+T station,then speed gradually began to drop,the odd slip in the very heavily treelined section (huge bushes scraping the side of the train in places) saw speed drop further and we were down to around 10mph but Peter,the crew and the K4 obviously wouldn't let a little rain and leafall stop them!! 61994 kept on plodding away on triumphantly made the summit at a good speed!

The Jub then came back on and an awesome ascent was made of Beattock before the booked stop at Beattock summit loop saw driver Hodgson shut off power,we maintained 62mph until this point. At Carlisle Albert Seymour took over for a solid run over Shap before descending towards Carnforth where the real excitement began when 47760 came on the front

A huge thanks to Nigel,all stewards (and stewardesses ),WCRC,NR and Scotrail for a great tour and a huge congrats is due for making it so smooth and succesful,barely any late running (was 10 mins about as late as we got all weekend?) and actually arriving early back into Preston proved just how great it was!

Now need to book GB3 and i hope you consider running this next year Nigel!

Hope you like the review (i reckon some will have better write up's) and i have pics and over an hours worth of vid (ear defenders ready?)


Cheers,
Mark

RIP Dick Moore,who unfortunately died a couple of days before the tour.

 

Here is a cheeky one:

http://andrewstransport.fotopic.net/p61267539.html


Seriously, this was an absolutely outstanding tour. Warm thanks and congratulations to Nigel Dobbing for the vision and to everybody at RTC, WCRC and everywhere else for making it happen so well. More photos will follow in a few days. (But no more micro-kilt shots!)

Cheers

AN

 

A couple of pics from Rannoch Moor on Saturday.
http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/imaging.centre/showimage.php?image=133002
http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/imaging.centre/showimage.php?image=133015

 

Photos now up:


Day 1: http://mark-walker.fotopic.net/c1761376.html

Day 2: http://mark-walker.fotopic.net/c1761410.html

Day 3: http://mark-walker.fotopic.net/c1761520.html

Blackpool trams extra : http://mark-walker.fotopic.net/c1761555.html

Thought i would include the tram bit as we went there on Monday....


Cheers,
Mark

 

A selection of my photo's, can be found at http://paul-simpson.fotopic.net/c1761646.html

 

My Phot Efforts from the West Highlander tour

I'd just like to add my congratulations to the organisers and post a few shots of my own

• 5690 climbing towards Glasgow: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61202402.html
• 5690 heading towards Cadder Yard from Boness: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61278957.html
• 61994 accelerating through Westerton: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61278953.html
• 61994 at Westerton: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61278954.html
• 5690 in Cadder Yard: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61278958.html
• 5690 reversing on the E&G main line: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61278959.html
• 5690 racing through Stepps on the way South: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61278955.html
• 5690 @ Stepps again: http://ian.fotoblog.org.uk/p61278956.html

The Jubilee sounded fantastic going through Stepps and I've got some audio and video clips in the
pipeline from the weekend which I'll post links too as soon as I get them on line.

Cheers,
Ian

 

34 photos of day 1 now online here:

http://andrewstransport.fotopic.net/c1761336.html

Does anybody know for certain when a Jubilee last worked over Beattock?

Cheers

AN

 

It's Danny Davin, a member of Leander's support crew who was firing her from Cadder through to Lockerbie including his first time climbing up Beattock. Not bad for a lad who's only 18.

 

Good to put a face to a name, thanks. The Jub was hammering along the former G&G line so he'll no doubt have worked up a bit of sweat by the time he got to Beattock!

Ian

 

G&SW? Which stretch of the G&SW did Leander travel over? And how did it get back onto the Caley to go over Beattock?

Peter on a sunny Manchester morning
http://pjhrailpics.fotopic.net

 

Hi all

A bit late but i have two images from the opening day of the tour last friday. Its the first time i am posting images, so bare with us if it doesnt work out at first.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oli_g_15/3962251585/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oli_g_15/3962221589/

Fingers crossed!