The Wensleydale 6/04/19

A beautiful morning at Long Preston.
"The Wensleydale", 06/04/19.

Bit of a rush shot at Skipton..........good job it was late!
"The Wensleydale", 06/04/19.

Full dull on the ECML.
"The Wensleydale", 06/04/19.

 

That first shot is rather nice.

 

Bridge near Eldroth and running through Gargrave Station

 

Thats a cracker Steve

 

long Preston is a cracker full sun sheep rounded up

 

'The Wensleydale Railway' hauled by LMS 8F No.48151 and SR MN No.35018 'British India Line' on the 6th April 2019.

Video Available Here

 

Thanks for that, got really lucky with the weather.

 

A lens was found near the road bridge coming away from Hellifield this morning, if you have left one behind please send me a message.

 

Excllent video Simon and many thanks for the updates today

 

A very good day out thanks to all involved

 

Arrival back into Carnforth at 22.09 last night (29 Early)

 

Just one thing I tried to find out off one of the stewards on our train, why water was not been taken at Leyburn and instead decided to go for Leeming Bar for BIL and Bedale for 8f. When I went on the Wensleydale and Durham coast express tour in 2015 with 62005 and 61994 water was taken on way down to Redmire by 62005 and back from Redmire 61994s turn. Was it anything to do with easy water road tanker access due to level crossings at Leeming Bar and Bedale on yesterdays Wensleydale tour or NR with their tight timings to be back at Northallerton Wensleydale north jct?

 

Outward run of The Wensleydale at Bentham

 

Return run of the Wensleydale

 

Due to the train being watered in 2 places, the timings didn’t give enough slack to get to Leyburn, so abandoned that part of the tour.

 

Anyhow thanks for that a good ride out on the ex midland lines and north east lines heading back into engine shed jct its not often ive seen a steam tour come n.e. bound from castleford to leeds the Scarborough spa circular from York via Wakefield used to go engine shed jct to Castleford. A few loco movements though come up the ex mid route from Normanton or Castleford fairly regular.

 

Are your Caps Lock and aprostrophe buttons broken or something? As Big Al - and others - have remarked a few times, your posts are very difficult to comprehend at times.

 

The Wensleydale 06 April 2019 – 48151 & 35018 British India Line hauling POB+9

Like many “one off” trips this one suffered several changes from the one advertised. Whilst the starting point remained Carnforth and the destination the Wensleydale Railway, the pick up at Leeds was replaced by Woodlesford and the tour planned to terminate at Leyburn rather than Redmire. The “promised” two Jubilees (RTC email 20 Feb) became the unusual (unique?) combination of the 8F and BIL; class 16! As a result of lengthy stops at Milford, Holgate and joining the Wensleydale the hoped for couple of hours at Leyburn became 35 mins. I had planned to join the train at Carnforth but you can spend too long sitting on a train, especially a stationary one, I decided to cut 3 hours from my day and join at Skipton. I would lose 76ish miles of steam along the “Little North Western” but half of those would be in the dark.

It was a bright/sunny but cool morning as I parked at Skipton station (£6/day but with £2 cash back at the ticket office for rail users). I was early so had time to stroll to Morrisons for a cup of tea. A few minutes late 48151 leading 35018 stopped in platform 2. I was at the very back of the ninth coach. RalphW had planned to make a late booking and join the train at Carnforth; he was sitting across the table as I took the remaining aisle seat. I had clocked the drivers as the train arrived at Skipton, but my thanks to “West Brom Tom”, who was stewarding in the next coach, who found out the names of the firemen. The crews were: 48151, driver Mick Kelly, fireman Clive Gault; BIL, driver Steve Chipperfield, fireman Chris Holmes.

7L we were off and with all that tractive effort available we were up to 50 in just over 1.5 miles. Except for the odd couple of miles of gentle uphill the gradient falls all the way to Leeds, but with a 50 mph loco on the front would we be able to reduce the lost time? We bowled along in the morning sunshine, around the curve at Keighley at 52 and now only 4L – disappointingly, there was nothing in the branch platform. We pressed on as we shot through Crossflatts then Bingley before slowing ready to collect passengers at Shipley, we passed through Saltaire at 39 but now only 1½L. A quick stop and we were off only ½L. Soon back up to speed and we flew past Apperley Jn, where the Ilkley line trails in from the left, through Kirkstall Forge at 48 then slowing as we approached Leeds, Armley Jn (23 & 2½E). Our pathing stop on the curve at Whitehall Jn was not required and now we were running over 11E and a gentle run on to Woodlesford for our next pick up (9E). We waited and left RT, speed was in the mid 20s to Castleford, then a sprint up to 50 as we crossed the R Aire before stopping in the loop at Milford (4L) for water. There is a hydrant at Milford, but other stock in the sidings meant this was not accessible so we watered from a tanker. Our scheduled stop was for 67 minutes, so time for an early lunch.

We set off 1E and made our way north, through Sherburn-in-Elmet (31) but then we were slowed approaching Church Fenton (17 & 1L), the signals cleared and there was a nice acceleration to 48 at Ulleskelf (2L) and we joined Colton Jn at 51 but were already easing for our planned stop at Holgate loop. We stopped 4L, 48151 was unhooked from the front, dropped back and was coupled to the rear (the chimney was only 1 coach length away). Now in “top and tail mode” (both c/f) we left the loop just over 4L and made our way the short distance to our final passenger stop at York. Quite a few people left the train and one or two joined. So when was the last time a Merchant Navy headed north from York banked by an 8F? (Answer – Yesterday! And probably will only ever be yesterday!?). Just under 6 mins late we left, Skelton Jn (45) and Skelton Bridge Jn (53); it was good to hear BIL busy at the front but not much noise from the back – probably “just taking its own weight” (but that’s ok because it’s steam!). Some fine running until we were slowed almost to a stop approaching Thirsk, but then we were off and BIL was busy again Thirsk (33 & 9½L), we reached 50 on level track and accelerated up the gentle 1/629r before braking, Northallerton (32 & 10½L) and then we eased off the ECML and onto the Redmire Reversing Line. (This line is alongside the ECML to the left and parallel to it).

We stopped and after around 5 mins set off in the opposite direction. The 8F was now leading (t/f) with BIL on the back (t/f). Some preserved lines seem to operate mainly around 25 mph with few restrictions, the Wensleydale is not one of those lines; it seemed to be mainly limited to 10 mph, just a little 15 mph and slowings below 10 for the many road crossings. It runs through open countryside and in springtime, there were plenty of wayside flowers and birds. So, slowly onwards we reached Leeming Bar only a couple of minutes later than planned, but not as planned we stopped for BIL to take water (a tanker on the road near the crossing at the platform end). Passengers were informed that they could, if they chose, leave the train and visit Leeming Bar and rejoin on the return; there would not be enough time to reach Leyburn but we would go as far as time allowed. Watering took 25 minutes and we headed off towards Bedale, where the amended plan was for 48151 to take water (from the tanker parked in the station car park). At this point the plan to head further along the branch was abandoned – it was “Bedale and Bust”, we would be returning to Northallerton.

There was time to wander around and a few chats, Chris Cubbitt had taken over as driver of the 8F (from York) but Mick Kelly had remained on the footplate as an enthusiastic visitor to the line. For the return the 8F was crewed by Chris Cubbitt with Rob Russell firing and BIL had David Blair driving with Bob Bullock firing – not sure where David Blair took over. It is a pity that we couldn’t go further along the branch, but ensuring that we ran on our path was especially important. I had fancied visiting Leyburn, only ever seen when passing through in the middle of the night whilst watching the RAC rally. I also wanted to see the station at Fingall that was used for filming on the BBC’s All Creatures Great and Small – “Na then, Vet’n’ry” (Mr Biggins was my favourite). I feel a car trip coming on, less than a couple of hours from home.

At 16.05 we set off back towards Northallerton, BIL leading (c/f) and 48151 on the back (c/f). Any passengers who opted to visit Leeming Bar would have been very annoyed as we didn’t stop on our return journey. We did stop at the halt at the NR boundary to let WR pilotman and guard alight before running onto the reversing line, we had been due to arrive at 17.20 but arrived at 16.52. We were not scheduled to leave until 17.27 so time for more food and watch the trains go up and down the ECML.

At 17.28 (1L) we set off, 48151 (t/f) leading and 35018 (t/f) on the back. The exit from the reversing line is onto the DF (it is bidirectional on this section) so off we went through Northallerton station (17 & 2½L) after a mile we crossed over the UF and onto the US (this movement and running on a 45 mph path was the reason we HAD to keep to our times). It was now the best part of the trip 48151 hauling the train and with the chimney only a coach length away – some lovely sounds and Chris wasn’t sparing the horses; we slowed through Thirsk (39 & 1¾L) but by Tollerton Jn we were RT. A brisk approach and stop in York to drop off and pick up passengers; someone in our coach rejoining at York had won the chocolates in the raffle (they didn’t share). Another spell of fine running followed before a (very) hastily arranged stop at Sherburn-in-Elmet. It had been planned to take water at Gascoigne Wood but access problems for the tanker meant a rapid change of plan to allow the 8F to be watered from the tanker parked on the road at the end of the platform; BIL was ok for water. We left 22½L and curved off left to Gascoigne Wood stopping in the DGL adjacent to the Hull line. The 8F was uncoupled and ran past us on a very rusty loop line, crossed onto our loop and was coupled on the front of BIL. Hey Presto, both locos now c/f on what was now the front for our west bound journey.

We left and crossed over the Hull line and made our way to Milford via the southern chord. We accelerated past Milford SB (18) and reached 52 as we crossed the Aire beyond Fairburn but then we slowed as a passenger train was using Castleford station, through Castleford RT. We were slowed to 17 at Whitwood Jn, back up to 37 at Methley Jn before stopping in Woodlesford 2½L. Off again (1E) but the journey towards Leeds was slow with a 3 min stop approaching Stourton Jn, we were now running almost 9L the lights of Leeds shone brightly as night came on. We pulled a little time back and our 2 min pathing stop at Whitehall Jn was omitted, we swept across the maze of lines at the west end of Leeds station, the trust between driver and signaller clearly illustrated. We passed Armley Jn (33 & 1½L), some good running followed, all around 50ish and on rising gradients, then we slowed for our stop at Shipley. Away 1L; Saltaire 36, Bingley 52, Crossflatts 53 & RT, Keighley 50. The fine running continued by Cononley we were 3½E. Coat on and ready for leaving the train at Skipton where we stopped 1E. A quick(ish) walk down the subway and onto platform 2 just in time to see and hear the train depart.

Off to the car and a quick drive to Giggleswick station, no-one there, a check on RTT showed a time for Hellifield but nothing after. I was early enough but had it gone? Just as I stepped out of the car it was here; rapid exhaust beats, the fire glowing in the exhaust on a still cool night, exhausts fading as it climbed on towards the summit. Wind back the clock almost 40 years and the “bottom leg” of the southbound Cumbrian Mountain; then it was almost always a black five. Back in the car and home for 10.30.

On balance an enjoyable trip even if we didn’t go “all the way”. Some new track (for me) the Redmire reversing line and the Gascoigne Wood chords and loop. Some splendid running within the restrictions imposed by the 8F, especially after Shipley on the return, and the tender first section up the ECML and all rounded off with the blast from the past at Giggleswick – Memories!

Good company throughout, nice to see Torgormaig (Peter) again who was not “Guarding” today but a passenger from York. Davo had a brief chat with me as I was waiting to leave the train at Skipton – as enthusiastic in person as he appears in his posts. Things didn’t always go as planned but we coped well and without a single red line or indicative vote. As always my thanks to all involved in planning and operating the trip. I doubt if the trip can be “done” using this template, but a worthy try. A certain member of Nat Pres was effusive in his praise of the Gravy Train’s steak and ale pie with peas, may be worth noting for those of a similar persuasion – Man Food! Mrs W’s team lost again, I told her to come along with me, “Every trips a winner!” “Deltic”, came the reply – whoops!

(Note for Victor – Not a single piece of salad was harmed during the consumption of Oswald’s meals).