Thursday 31 January 2013

I saw the notifications concerning the support move for 60009 Union of South Africa from The National Railway Museum to Carnforth. This move was in order for UoSA to work this Saturday's Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express for The Railway Touring Company. The steam hauled section is planned from Carnforth to Carlisle over Shap summit with the return leg via the famous Settle to Carlisle line. The tour starts and ends at Euston station (London) but is hauled up and down to Carnforth by an electric locomotive.

I supposed this would be an opportunity to get our first main line steam photographs of the year. We made our way to a spot near Colton Junction just South of York where UoSA should have made an appearance at about 14:15 if all had gone to plan.
Of course you're seeing this picture because everything didn't go to plan. After an hours wait there wasn't any hint of steam just lots of diesels. It was blowing a gale and quite difficult to stand up at times so in the end we decided to give it up as a bad job and head for home.

It turned out that UoSA's support coach had been derailed in York so I suppose its none appearance will have to be forgiven.

Copyright: Original post from http://steamdaysblog.blogspot.co.uk/author M Garrett

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Welsh Railways on TV

I saw the programmes on TV over the last couple of nights about the restoration of the Welsh Highland Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales.
Ffestiniog Railway at Blaenau Ffestiniog
We visited both railways on a holiday in North Wales in September 2011 and I never realised that the full length of the Welsh Highland Railway had only been open for a few months following 15 years of work by many volunteers.

So if you missed spotting these video I posted back then of these two Welsh mountain railways  I've posted them again below.



Copyright: Original post from http://steamdaysblog.blogspot.co.uk/author M Garrett

Sunday 13 January 2013

The Wait is Nearly Over

Just a couple of weeks to go now before the 2013 mainline steam action gets underway. That's not forgetting that the first steam gala of the year takes place on the East Lancashire Railway next Saturday and Sunday. The following weekend sees The Great Central Railway's steam gala held over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday 26 January 2013 steam should once again be running over the famous Settle to Carlisle route with the Railway Touring Company's Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express. This should be double headed by 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier and 44871 making the trip from Manchester to Carlisle via Shap returning over the Settle to Carlisle.

I've no photographs of either of these locomotive so I've added a picture of 6201 Princess Elizabeth at Kirby Stephen  on 17 November 2012 with The Cumbrian Mountaineer.
Camera and video fully charged and ready to go!

Copyright: Original post from http://steamdaysblog.blogspot.co.uk/author M Garrett