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RTC 'The High Peak Explorer: 17/03/18

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Bulleid Pacific, Oct 31, 2017.

  1. Moylesy98

    Moylesy98 Guest

    One from onboard showing 45157 (45407) backing onto the front of the train after the climb up Hindlow.
     

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  2. J Shuttleworth

    J Shuttleworth Member

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    The intention was to go as far as the Stop board, just short of the ground frame at Briggs sdgs. However, the snow was already beginning to drift beyond the cutting after Hindlow tunnel, so the consensus was that as far as we were going with a passenger train.

    As far as I can ascertain, this was the first steam-hauled passenger train south from Buxton, since a B1-hauled rail tour in 1965(?), although 48151 spent the night in Hindlow quarry with an ecs, on a wet and windy night in November 1995.

    JS
     
    Oswald T Wistle and Haighie like this.
  3. Moylesy98

    Moylesy98 Guest

    I Dont blame ya for stopping just after the tunnel as it certainly was bad the weather, despite this you all did a fantastic job getting as far as you did as better that than it not happening at all.
     
  4. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    All in all, a decent jaunt. I'm glad I changed my mind about driving to Preston from across the Pennines, settling on training it to board at Vic instead.

    Was sat at the table with the groovy gang (all friends and veterans of long trips and even longer pathing stops) diagonally opposite Big Al and, it transpires, OswaldTwistle; it seems all the great and the good was in our half of G...

    As this was my third trip via Peak Forest in as many years, I renewed my acquaintance with the fascinating, moonscape-esque landscape around that location; the lime seepage outside Dove Holes tunnel is always a source of wonder, and thoughts tend to wander to those who constructed the line. The locomotives seemed in pretty good voice.

    Anyroad, time was filled with several cups of jump-leads and a breakfast at Spoons, pondering the ins and outs of my other hobby (armoured warfare in miniature) with Al and two members of the groovy gang, before heading, Alan Partridge style, along the A6 towards a Morrison's petrol station (118.9 for those interested), before beating a track to Titanic Plum Porter. The pub even had Lacons of Great Yarmouth on tap, and considering the trouble I had trying to find it at said location, I was sorely torn...

    Anyway, the branch was a fantastic experience, most picturesque under it's mantle of white, and 45690 was certainly chattering away at the back. The wind was whipping up the snow somewhat, and I think the brief time I spent up there will be remembered for a long while. It's another example of getting another small piece of railway history under the belt.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2018
  5. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    The Buxton route via Great Rocks is really quite a remarkable landscape and route with the river of milky lime solution in the cess either side of the track not forgetting to mention the plod through the 1.7 miles of Dove Holes Tunnel. And then there is the heavily speed restricted western curve as the line traverses what remains of the former triangle at Peak Forest Junction as mentioned by @Oswald T Wistle. You really seem to be in a different world down in the valley, made all the more eerie on Saturday with the snow and bare branches of the trees in the woods.

    I was lucky enough to travel on a rather special trip around the area in 1966. Details are at: https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/661126mr.html.

    Apart from the novelty of routes now long gone to heritage lines - Rawtenstall (and on that trip Bacup) - plus trams (Oldham), we also had the joy of rare locos -47202/47383. The tour took us into Buxton with Ivatt 41204 via Whalley Bridge that I gather is now a more problematic route because of tunnel clearances. We also had J94 no. 68006 piloting 41204 from Buxton MPD (now a barren site with one water column!) down to Millers Dale. The Ivatt took us back into Manchester Central, so quite a trip, as was the one on Saturday.
     
  6. 2J66

    2J66 Well-Known Member

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    Coincidentally visiting family in Buxton over the weekend the opportunity to do a bit of linesiding was enthusiastically taken despite the conditions. Vantage points in Ashwood Dale near Morrisons and next to the allotments adjacent to the Hindlow branch were the main ones with good brisk walks between. There were two main highlights. The returning train from Chinley came to a stand in Ashwood Dale for some reason so I was able to enjoy an unexpected standing start. I'm not sure the footplate crew of 5407 appreciated it quite as much as they were still in the tunnel. The second was watching the train pass the allotments on the climb to Hindlow. The steady whumph of the Black 5's exhaust contrasting well with the chatter of 5690's. The last time I remember that effect was a few years ago in the dark at Glencruitten summit when 5407 had stalled and the K4 came to the rescue.

    Whilst standing at the allotments l was chatting to a couple of local folk and the lady was telling me that her late husband used to drive Nunlow at Hope Cement Works. She seemed really pleased to hear that it was still going strong on the Worth Valley. Heartwarming chat on a cold day.

    The train certainly ran on the right day. The weather deteriorated with plenty of drifting snow such closed most roads into Buxton including the A515 over Sterndale Moor. The line via Whaley Bridge was also closed. It's unlikely that the Hindlow branch would have been attempted in those conditions had the train reached Buxton in the first place so luck was certainly with those on the train and at the lineside.
     
  7. Moylesy98

    Moylesy98 Guest

    It's taken some time to deal with the video of mine from on-board but it's nearly ready for upload.
     
  8. Moylesy98

    Moylesy98 Guest

    45157 Thumb.jpg
    One from Saturday prior to leaving Buxton for the Hindlow Branch
     
  9. Moylesy98

    Moylesy98 Guest

  10. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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    Not forgetting 47383 is still with us on the SVR via the NCB.
     
  11. Moylesy98

    Moylesy98 Guest

    As promised the long overdue video I took from onboard "The High Peak Explorer" on Saturday.

     
  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Rather you than me in that weather. A day at a droplight in sub zero temperatures would have been no fun. Hope that the train stewards were relaxed about it all. (Just don't try it on a VT trip when they get back into harness! ;))
     
  13. Moylesy98

    Moylesy98 Guest

    The stewards at RTC arent a major problem but there is one who is a right nasty piece of work as even if you have your hands and head in and are just timing the trips or even getting some fresh air he kicks off at you threatening to have you thrown off the train, he's known by a lot of people as Hitler/The Fuhrer as he's that nasty a piece of work. Even though he wasn't on-board this tour when filming the trip I was being extra careful, infact I didn't even have my hand out as it was just the camera and my hand was inside, if you look at other people's video's you can't even see me let alone my camera. Although I was playing it safe with only the camera out of the window there were other people who were sticking their heads out while the train was moving.

    I want to be able to prove to VT that I can be trusted by filming with just the camera out of the window and my head is inside but the problem is how I can show them. Christ even if someone was watching me to see how I did things I can prove to them that I'm sensible and would NEVER stick my head out, only time it's out is when stationary in a station OR when stationary in a loop that's well away from the mainline.

    No idea what Statesman are gonna be like and I recon RTC will be tighter with the Scotsman runs, but the later trips are extremely expensive for standard so very likely nobody stupid will be on-board.
     
  14. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    It's this sort of thing that stops me from travelling on any mainline trip. Look at some of the pictures from recent German Plandampfs where they do seem to treat you as an adult.
     
  15. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    Good to almost meet you.
     
  16. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Likewise.
     
  17. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    Cancel
     
  18. Oswald T Wistle

    Oswald T Wistle Well-Known Member Friend

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    There was some confusion who was driving what and when. I do not have a definitive answer but Ian Riley confirms that he drove 45407 with a route conductor from Carnforth to Buxton and Ron Smith drove 45407 on the return. Mick Kelly was definitely driving 45690 into Buxton (from Carnforth). Perhaps someone who actually knows can help.
     
  19. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

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    Eh? I meant it was good to almost meet you, too. Its always great to put more faces to names on here. Hopefully there'll be an opportunity to say hello properly in due course.
     
  20. pedantic_p

    pedantic_p New Member

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    Unless this trip ran more than once I was the fireman on 47202. Quite an experience. one injector and the company of Don Nuttall.
     

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