~Steam-Hauled Charter Trains~
10th March 2012
Provided with a lousy weather forecast I chose to spend this Saturday looking for good and new places to photograph steam-hauled trains on Northern main lines.
Diesel Multiple Unit
Scroll down for photos and a description of the day....
Lowgill Viaduct
I set off from home in the rain, but by the time I'd reached Sedbergh it had stopped and here at Lowgill, the sun is shining. The original plan was to ascend Blease Fell for a few zoom photos of the trains, but I'd set off later, not expecting to gain much altitude due to low cloud.
Howgill Sheep
With one eye firmly on the clock, I found a spot on the western slopes of Linghaw. According to my notes there will be two northbound steam trains this morning and I intend to move to a different spot for the second one.
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Virgin Voyager |
Diesel-Hauled Charter Train |
A couple of practice shots with a southbound Virgin train and a northbound excursion. As I don't research the diesel events, I didn't expect the loco hauled train, nor do I know where it came from or where it's going.
Dillicar Knott
This is the wider view and ideally I would have a tripod for the long distance zoom photos.
Northbound Voyager
Nearly time for the first of the steam trains.....
GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 no 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe &
LMS Princess Class 4-6-2 no 46201 Princess Elizabeth
The GWR engine leads the pairing on the way to Carlisle with the excursion from Birmingham. No.6201 "failed" at Carlisle and would not assist in the run over the S&C later in the day.
Double-Headed Steam Train
To Tebay
The bigger picture as the train heads for Tebay, Grayrigg Pike on the other side of the tracks. I walked back to the car and drove around to viewpoint No.2.
A685 Viewpoint
I thought that this would be a good spot to watch the next train. However, as two young men pointed out, there would not be a second steam train as it was scheduled to be diesel hauled as far as Carlisle. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the plans next time!
Freightliner
I took lunch at The Old School Room, Tebay and then drove towards Kirkby Stephen on the A685, turning through Ravenstonedale and over the moors to Wharton Fell and Pendragon Castle.
Wild Boar Fell over Cook Mire
Pendragon Castle
12th Century Norman Castle owned privately with public access.
River Eden from Pendragon Castle
St.Mary's Church, Outhgill
The view of Wild Boar Fell from the graveyard of St.Mary's in Outhgill. I walked here recently and clocked a couple of decent viewpoints for the railway and that's where I'm heading. The weather was much better than forecast and expected. In hindsight, I should have had a long walk in Mallerstang and sacrificed the earlier time in the Lune Valley near Tebay.
Mallerstang Edge
The route took me to Sycamore Tree Farm and Deep Gill. Incidentally a fox ran past me at one point, followed a few minutes later by a scent-sniffing dog. The sound of a horn became relevant now, I thought this kind of activity was now illegal? Can you just see a row of cars by the roadside in the photo above? The owners were involved in the foxhunt.
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Settle & Carlisle Line ~ Northbound |
Settle & Carlisle Line ~ Southbound |
Line Views
Not too sure about public access to this bridge, but I didn't need to climb over anything and there weren't any "keep out" signs.
The Train Approaches
The first train back down the S&C is the one which was diesel to Carlisle. Class 7, 70000 Britannia is in charge.
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Quite a noise from the hardworking steam engine as she heads for Ais Gill, a little further up the line.
Class 7, 70000 Britannia
St. Mary's Church, Outhgill
I didn't have enough time to wait for the second southbound steam train. After the short walk, I got in the car and drove to Coniston for an evening talk by Stuart Maconie and a day's Lakeland walking on Sunday.
I dedicate this page to the memory of my friend and work colleague, Donald Henderson, who collapsed and died whilst he was out on a walk in Burnley, at the same time as I was enjoying my day out.
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2012 ©
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