RTC Cumbrian Mountain Express Jul-Sep 2011

Just a note for anyone trying to do anything in the Manchester - Denton - Stockport area in the evening - use the A57 or the A6.

The M60 was closed anti clockwise at Junction 22 last night - and the road works are long term weekend arrangements - what a pain!

 

Cheers for the heads up re the road closures. I wish I had known they were repairing half of the Saddleworth area roads prior to going last Friday to see Tangmere at Diggle.

Some cracking videos and photos and thanks for posting the links up, here's my video from Horwich Parkway, took around an hour to upload...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZICnEFkfcrI


Neil.

 

Not often that I can upload my video the day after anymore, but here's the first of two from me showing 6201 near Galgate, the foot of Grayrigg, and finally at Ais Gill:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq8NPDjKQCk

 

My efforts at shap summit and Ais gill. Going well and looked even more soafter a clean coat of paint.
http://richardsteampics.weebly.com/steam-on-the-main-line-network.html

Richard

 

Link now corrected. Sorry for any confusion.
Richard

 

Something doesn't add up!

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Re: Something doesn't add up!

Moving the water stop at Blackburn (last year) to Hellifield has also meant adding a 'splash and dash' water stop at Cherry Tree, adding 15 stationary minutes to the journey. Which also meant on Saturday the passengers sitting on a hot stuffy train in Hellifield and Cherry Tree unable to get off.

 

At the end of the day what is being sold are "Days Out" not expeditions. When per diem rates for a mere seat - even in standard class - overtake daily rates for travel, bed, and all the food you can pack away on major cruise lines, something has gone badly wrong.

When those days extend from around 04.30 out of bed to 01.00 back in it, and include several intervals stopped in some less than scenic surroundings, unable to even get off and stretch your legs - the incentive to travel starts to wane. How the support crews cope is a miracle, and how they comply with network safety case and welfare requirements must also take some juggling.

The role of repeat itineraries and their popularity - especially in standard class is apparent.

 

Great to see a pat on the back to the crews, and you have to add the stewards into that including our very own Mr Moderator, They must get sick and tired of balling at those idiots that ignore the rules and will spoil it for us all by trespassing when the loco stops in a station and they decide that they are allowed to step onto the track for a photograph, and then call the stewards "jobsworths" for upholding the rules that are there to keep everyone safe!!!!

 

Sun and steam on the S&C 30 July 2011

This was a glorious, sunny summer's day and two Stanier express locomotives were due out to Carlisle and back. I decided to turn my back on my usual station vantage points, and head up into the northern fells. I joined the large gallery just north of Ais Gill, which I had so often seen as a steam train passenger. The last patches of shadow disappeared as we first picked up, way down Mallerstang, the smoke and noise of LMS Pacific No 6201. We watched and snapped as she roared up the valley, under the bridge and on to the summit - a wonderful sight.

In the next two hours, I drove down to Kirkby Stephen for coffee and cake, then on to the station where I planned to watch Royal Scot 4-6-0 No 46115 Scots Guardsman at a lower point in the climb. The beautifully restored station looked wonderful in the sunlight, and again the smoke and the bark of the engine preceded its arrival by several minutes. Sadly a shadow had fallen across the station and my main shot failed to freeze the engine. So I have only a going away shot by which to remember the final chapter of a memorable day of sun and steam in North Yorkshire and Cumbria.

See 7 pictures at http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com/p420223594

Peter, on a hot muggy afternoon in Manchester
http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com

 

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If the passengers were complaining it was too hot, offer them a turn on the shovel at the sharp end whilst attacking Shap!

 

Sorry if I've missed it in an earlier post Ralph, but who were the crews out of interest? Thanks in advance.

 

Alan - we went onto the upper level of the Merseyway car park on both Friday and Saturday to get the pyramid shot - you have put a nice creation up there! - and don't get Ralph going about clag again - seems the posh frock brigade don't appreciate it - all together now - awwwww!

Afterwards we went to the Nawaab "all you can eat" in Levensshulme - we presume Ramadan must have kicked in - took us an hour to get a table - but WELL worth it!

 

The diet's still going well then Frank? :lol: