CME Memory

The Cumbrian Mountain Express 16 May 2020 – Cancelled

The corresponding Saturday last year was memorable for 2 reasons; it was the day of the FA Cup Final (Man City 6-0 Watford) and Leander showed just what a top notch Jubilee could do. Whilst on the subject of scores here is mine for 2020: Steam Trips (no tail gunner) – 3, Steam Trips (with tail gunner) – 2, Steam Trips cancelled or postponed because of Coronavirus – 4. I had also booked on the WCME (1 Feb) that RTC cancelled because of lack of bookings – I suspect that if we knew what was to come this would have been a sell out.

It was an overcast day when we left Carnforth with 45690 at the head of 11 coaches with Mick Rawling driving and Chris Holmes firing. It was start as you mean to go on with a min of 30 on Yealand Bank and 34 at the summit. There followed a noisy acceleration up to 65 across Beela Viaduct and holding 50 as we roared through Oxenholme; speeds that would not disgrace a larger locomotive. We topped Grayrigg at 38. Had Leander done too much too soon? No, she was in fine fettle as she gathered pace through the Lune Gorge and we hit the foot of the Shap Trial Section (MP31½) at a shade over 70 and seven minutes and thirty-nine wonderfully noisy seconds later we passed MP37¼ at 28 and cleared the summit board at 32 (average edhp around 1275 – very good for a Jubilee).

As we entered Carlisle 45231 was waiting in High Wapping sidings ready to take a Saphos train along the Cumbrian coast. Wetherspoons were open (those were the days, can anyone still remember what a pub was and how you had to squeeze past other customers?). I had Teryaki chicken and noodles (soon to disappear from the menu and much missed by Oswald).

On the return leg Clive Gault took the shovel and Mick Rawling continued at the regulator. The excellent performance continued on the run to Appleby, the highlight for me being the sustained 60mph whilst climbing from Long Meg Viaduct up through Little Salkeld all the while accompanied by the spine-tingling Jubilee roar. Carlisle to Appleby in a creditable 41m 10s. Then for the only disappointment of the day; not much choice of ice creams and I had to settle for Thunder & Lightning. Mmm, ice cream – those were the days, and, as you ask, I am still abstaining from ice cream (West Brom Tom please don’t report me! Again!).

A little light rain had been falling, could this hinder our charge towards Ormside? No, we touched 55mph in the dip and a smidge less at MP275 which is the start of the “Blue Riband” section. Jubs don’t have a reputation as the best hill climbers; big wheels and perhaps a bit “under-boilered”. However, nobody had told Mick, Clive and Leander and she just kept going and going, roaring all the way. Surely she must run out of puff at some point, but no Mick judged it perfectly and the power stayed on all the way to the summit. We passed the summit board in 24m 02s from MP275 with 33mph at the top and an average edhp of around 1150.

[As we make our way from Hellifield towards Clitheroe we pass through Chatburn and time to mention that “Whistles” came to the south side of the valley in 1961 when nearby Worsaw End Farm was the chosen location for the film Whistle Down The Wind starring Hayley Mills. On the north side of the valley there had been my sort of “Wistles” in and around Grindleton for over 600 years].

One last challenge, Whalley to Wilpshire, a climb of 291ft in 4½miles was dismissed in 8 scintillating minutes and 7 stupendous seconds as Leander roared her way up the bank; the noisiest bit was saved until last.

A memorable day out, and about as good as it gets with a Jubilee – or so we thought. . . .

Mrs W or Yasmeen as I like to call her, spent most of yesterday evening polishing – polishing off the best part of a bottle of cabernet sauvignon. In these turbulent times it is reassuring to find that some things remain unchanged.

(Mrs W has insisted I mention that this week 25 years ago her team lost at Anfield but after the match were crowned The FA Premier League Champions – heady days!)

 

I'm glad you survived the dreadful pileup as you hit the buffer stops at that speed!

 

Whoops! I’ve obviously lost the plot.

 

Nah...same as the rest of us. We ALL need to get out more