Lune Rivers Trust Special - Saturday 3rd September

This was an excellent day. 44932 performed superbly with some good fast running. High 60's and low 70's. Yes those speeds are correct! 12 coaches including the support. Water stops outward were at Hellifield and Crewe (Platform 12), and on the return at Crewe and Chatburn, which is between Clitheroe and Hellifield. Required ladders etc to get up over the wall and embankment to connect to a hydrant. A full train and excellent time keeping. The site at Carnforth on the return was so reminiscent of Brief Encounter with a steam passenger train occupying the platform in the fading light.
Attached are 4 pictures of the day at Crewe and Shrewsbury.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64454718@N05/sets/72157627590159254/

 

Just to add to this thread - 44932 did a totally amazing job on this run - OK lost a bit of time on the Hellifield - Preston leg, and made hard work of Wilpshire, but Class 5 with 12 on, some quite heavy vehicles, this was not at all bad. The recovery time at Cherry Trees and to Euxton Junction meant that time was then maintained almost throughout, and some amazing speeds were clocked up considering the power classification of the loco and the load.

I have lived with Black 5s since I was a lad, and have seen them do some quite prodigious things in their time, and this was probably just about the best I have seen in either genuine main line service, or since in preservation. Sitting one back from the loco with a bacon sarnie in one hand, a coffee in the other, and a Black 5 thrashing away on some difficult grades was my idea of heaven.

Shame 44932 managed not to repeat the performance on the West Highlander the following week.

And as for 46115 - one of the WCRC managers told me that a test run was imminent, but since then, nothing else, and somebody else with connections to WCRC said that damage is serious - in fact he said the valve gear was mangled.