Cumbrian Mountain 1st September 2012

Havent been out much recently but you guys show great commitment Steve and I have to say that you all have to be admired for the work you put in.
Its a pleasure to watch the end result.
Henry

 

Thanks Pete, fair comment about the date on the captions, I used to put the date alongside my name on the overlay but havent bothered as much lately.

 

I enjoy the movies as well. Add Dave(linesider1), Chris (khankadet) and Mike(rab4472).

Yeah, I wish Shap had been the northbound leg as well this summer. Maybe Nigel could come up with some round trips utilizing Shap in both directions for next year in a format similar to what he does with The Royal Duchy and Weymouth Seaside expresses out of Bristol. Just a thought.

 

Not only the limited amount of Shap northbound but also no Cumbrian Coast, almost no Little North Western and Copy Pit have limited the number of good locations. As a keen walker I think the photographers have shown a lot of inventiveness. There is really nowhere accessible to video between Settle/Langcliffe and Helwith bridge or between Selside and Ribblehead and I think between Blea Moor tunnel and Dent the line is in a bit of a shelf across the hillside so from above or below is no good. The rest of the Long drag northbound has been covered. Locations like the rock cutting south of Settle and the approach to Rise Hill tunnel are new aren't they? Let's hope for a golden autumn and that some of these Hadrians run and then that there's a bit more route variety next year.

 

If memory serves correctly, part of the problem is finding a Saturday path given that between Preston and Carlisle there is a VT Pendelino + VT Voyager + FTP Class 185 every hour, then DSB have retimed the Saturday TescoLiner plus there's often a Fiddlers Ferry - Hunterston empty mgr running around the path which the northbound steam was allotted. I'm not sure of what contingency Network Rail puts into steam timings but enough, I suspect, to make the previously available path no longer available.

 

I think one of the factors affecting the choice of S&C north-bound and Shap south-bound is that the path and loading must be within the capabilities of a Black 5. 44932 and 45305 put in some remarkable performances last summer, but I think it's wise not to plan for a class 5 to take 11 or 12 "down" Shap unassited on a regular basis. Even going the "easy" way around, there have been problems keeping to the booked slot on the return leg this year.

Looking at the plans for next winter's CMEs, the only one scheduled to run down Shap and up the S&C is the first one, with Ian Riley's Black 5s double-heading. All the trains that might be single-headed by 45305 run the circuit the other way around.

Adding to Ralph's point: on the last Saturday in May, 46233 and 5043 both ran north-bound over Shap about an hour apart, so there were two slots available for 75mph locos with reasonable loads. Of course, if the timetable changes that Fred mentions took effect from June, then the comparison isn't valid.

 

No 9 at High Hesket 1/9
Henry

 

Shame on NR if so. I wasn't expecting to say that about NR ever. But that is frustrating. North over Shap, South of S&T is the better package.

Are Friday and Sunday timetables different?

 

Cracking shot Henry but oh dear the rods!!

 

Last year I went over Shap northbound with 45305 on the CME on the 20th August.

 

Sorry mate lol
Please dont make me do Pendolinos

 

Not quite ! The main problem is the Saturday retimed TescoLiner which loads to 34 wagons (3000+ Tons ?) and is scheduled to pass Tebay at 11:10 - which begins to influence steam paths.

 

6201 is due down shap up settle 17/11 by way of bowing out on a vntl tour.