Castle Over Shap - Sat 20 Jun

What makes you think it will get that far up the hill!

I have it on good authority that Network Rail have asked VINT to write to all of the passengers booked on this train to request them to turn up an hour before departure time in order for them to be put through a crash course, ran by Sentinal, who will then issue a temporary PTS to all of them. This is so that in the event of a stop for a 'blow-up', which is a manouvre favoured by a number of Swindon products once they are a couple of miles into a 'northern climb', all 400 passengers can then legally de-train so that they can then push the stricken GWR hauled charter up to the summit.
People at the linside, who may have an LMS bias, will be prohibited from photographing this spectacle as it would be deemed to be an infrigement of the Human Rights Act.

Further to this, a well known manufacturer of locomotive headboards has ammended the one already cast to read 'Castle On Shap' as the one originally made, 'Castle Over Shap' could be construed as a bit of a misnomer.

 

Thxs for the reply earlier in the thread about Clun Castle going over Shap in 1967.

That was 42 years ago and this run could be a once in a lifetime viewing if we where to wait for another !!

It might need one of those metal boxes on the back to give it a shove on the way up !

John

 

So, better to catch it at Oxenholme rather than Penrith or Carlisle you reckon? I have an LMS/LNER bias, but personally I don't want to see any locomotive do badly on the main line. Hope she storms it ! [-X

 

[smilie=to funny.gif]

In all seriousness though to the Bob and the lads, good luck im sure you will absolutely hammer shap!!!

We will be there to see you off Crewe on the Saturday morning :smt023

 

I know Bob Meanley and I am sure that he and his team will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the Castle puts in a first class performance on Shap.

My post was most certainly tongue-in-cheek, you couldn't expect a GWR loco to feature in the northern fells without some leg-pull from us LMS types.

 

Now you are having a larf Ralph!

 

No need to worry, unless someone sends a Jinty up there with 11 on sometime in the next week :-D

 

Whwne has Rood Ashton been to Plymouth then ? i know Kinlet has been to Penzance a couple of times but i thought a single trip to Kingswear was the limit of 4965's operations thus far.

 

That's run by the same people that run the Westmoreland Services on the motorway itself, isn't it? Is the grub as good? (Best MWay services in the country, by far!) If so, it could be the perfect lunch spot.

Current plan is to drive part way on Friday, stay overnight at Standish, near Wigan, get a shot near there, then on to Greenholme/Shap Wells. There'll probably be three of us, from Salisbury, Cardiff and Oxford - all of us are Southern fans, so not partisan at all!

 

Ticket arrived today, departure time off Crewe is 9.55.

Only a week to go now. \/

 

Sounds like you haven't been there on a bank holiday / summer weekend, Ralph

 

Now, why would someone want to use a code number for calling himself Princess Margaret Rose?

 

The northbound services at Tebay is the one with the better food and has the Westmoreland Farm Shop. This thread is becoming better than an Egon Ronay guide!

 

Would recommend Leyland station for that northbound shot - its only 5 minutes from M6 with time to reach Greenholme.

 

Tickets suggest 8 passenger coaches so with support on one end and buffet on the other I suspect the load will be 10.

 

Sounds about right; the Tyseley Team usually err on the side of caution - but it will still require a good performance up Shap.

In response to Ralph, the steam locos usually cut off after Leyland northbound once they can see almost into Preston and can gauge where they will be platformed; with the high speed 185 / Voyager / Pendelinos on its tail I don't see it coasting through the station - and earlier steam workings have also had healthy regulator openings through Leyland; cut-off tends to be nearer Faringdoon Junction in my experience.