Techniquest
Veteran Member
A cracking little day there, a shame about the need for a replacement bus but some good scenery. Yikes to that first railcar mind, it's in a terrible visual state! 
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Iskra's Odysseys
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Iskra
Established Member
Yes but it has so much more character and opening windows; the modern ones are a bit bland in comparison!A cracking little day there, a shame about the need for a replacement bus but some good scenery. Yikes to that first railcar mind, it's in a terrible visual state!
Iskra
Established Member
The Dalesman 14/7/22
I was tempted onto this one due to a 10% discount being offered and the additional selling point of Class 40 traction being offered, plus the relative convenience of the boarding stations. Unfortunately, the class 40 element was removed about a week before departure, although it was hardly the end of the world since I like 37’s anyway. Due to the extremely hot and dry weather, there was also something of a question mark over the steam element too on the day, so we weren’t quite sure what we were going to get…
We were dropped off at Wakefield Westgate in good time, where we grabbed a Costa before boarding. While waiting an XC HST came through heading down to Plymouth.
Our train rolled in promptly with WCRC 37676 leading a fairly standard West Coast mixed bag rake which noteably contained Pullman Carriage Amethyst. We were booked in standard for this one and both our seats were Facing from Westgate, which was not ideal on this tour as we would actually end up being backwards for virtually all of the day, but fortunately our bay companion had decided to sit in our seats and invited us to sit in his, which was extremely fortuitous for us. Maybe he didn’t know, or perhaps he just really liked travelling backwards. The thing is this train reverses at Leeds which most passengers can understand quite easily, but what that they don’t grasp is that the train doesn’t simply reverse back out of Carlisle, instead it does a triangle move South of the station which turns the whole set and would now put us facing forwards again on the return
Leeds was quickly reached, with no fuss at all. 37706 would now take us forwards to Hellifield at least.
We took a leisurely departure from Leeds, before visiting Kirkstall Down Loop and then proceeding onwards to our remaining pick up points; Keighley and Skipton. At Skipton, we asked if we could move in to an empty bay behind us and this was allowed so we enjoyed the extra space. At this point, I cracked open the mobile bar which was a great moment on this pleasant sunny day.
The run from here is always pleasant and it didn’t disappoint with the weather adding to beauty and drama of an already fantastic route. At Hellifield goods loop we stopped to switch traction and we were pleased to see we were getting a steam locomotive after all. There was a good turnout of enthusiasts at the station so hopefully the cafe did a good trade. While the traction change was made a couple of service trains came through as well as a pair of class 66-hauled freights.
Our first peak of our haulage (apologies for the quality, it was taken in a hurry).
Merchant Navy British India Line would be our steam locomotive for the day. I was happy with this one as it’s a winning kettle and she looked excellent. We had a fairly pedestrian start from Hellifield as one of the freights that passed us was still reversing into Arcow quarry on the line ahead of us. The run from there up to Blea Moor was still a little tame from the loco, which I suspect could be related to potential fire risk. It was however an enjoyable ride nonetheless over a beautiful line in the summer sun, made better for experiencing it from a Mk1.
After Blea Moor Tunnel the land became noticeably greener and less parched and at this point we seemed to pick up a bit more speed.
We then ran non-stop to Carlisle. Due to disruption, Carlisle was a scene of chaos with all trains from the South terminating there meaning any track that could fit a train, had one. There were also a large number of stranded passengers, many of whom seemed to be foreign tourists who were in need of assistance. The arrival of a steam train did seem to raise the spirits of stranded masses for a while, so that’s something. We squeezed through the throngs to reach refuge- Wetherspoons after a short walk. The Spoons was pretty average and they didn’t have either of our first choice food options, but we struggled through the situation being bouyed by the pints being only £2. While in Spoons, a strange substance started falling from the sky outside. On leaving, it became torrential, I’m told it was rain (haven’t seen any for weeks, it is of course Carlisle’s default weather
).
Back at the station not much had changed on the real railway, although things were a little bit more organised. The Dumfries and Northern DMU’s kept scurrying in and out of the station, while the electric trains just sat their eerily quiet.
After a while our train rolled back in led by a 37 and I got a quick picture of British India Line.
The return journey was a bit more spritely and therefore enjoyable, with the weather also adding to the drama for a great run back over the hills to Hellifield.
Back at the opposite goods loop at Hellifield we repeated our loco swaps and said goodbye to British India Line for our journey home. One point of interest on the return journey was that on the approach to Shipley we switched track to to be on ‘the wrong line’ as we passed through the platform before switching back to the normal track back to Leeds.
Overall a great day trip out, with a winning kettle and I think at least one winning 37 too, but I’ll need to check that later. Thanks to all involved in running the Dalesman, it was a cracking journey.
I was tempted onto this one due to a 10% discount being offered and the additional selling point of Class 40 traction being offered, plus the relative convenience of the boarding stations. Unfortunately, the class 40 element was removed about a week before departure, although it was hardly the end of the world since I like 37’s anyway. Due to the extremely hot and dry weather, there was also something of a question mark over the steam element too on the day, so we weren’t quite sure what we were going to get…
We were dropped off at Wakefield Westgate in good time, where we grabbed a Costa before boarding. While waiting an XC HST came through heading down to Plymouth.
Our train rolled in promptly with WCRC 37676 leading a fairly standard West Coast mixed bag rake which noteably contained Pullman Carriage Amethyst. We were booked in standard for this one and both our seats were Facing from Westgate, which was not ideal on this tour as we would actually end up being backwards for virtually all of the day, but fortunately our bay companion had decided to sit in our seats and invited us to sit in his, which was extremely fortuitous for us. Maybe he didn’t know, or perhaps he just really liked travelling backwards. The thing is this train reverses at Leeds which most passengers can understand quite easily, but what that they don’t grasp is that the train doesn’t simply reverse back out of Carlisle, instead it does a triangle move South of the station which turns the whole set and would now put us facing forwards again on the return
Leeds was quickly reached, with no fuss at all. 37706 would now take us forwards to Hellifield at least.
We took a leisurely departure from Leeds, before visiting Kirkstall Down Loop and then proceeding onwards to our remaining pick up points; Keighley and Skipton. At Skipton, we asked if we could move in to an empty bay behind us and this was allowed so we enjoyed the extra space. At this point, I cracked open the mobile bar which was a great moment on this pleasant sunny day.
The run from here is always pleasant and it didn’t disappoint with the weather adding to beauty and drama of an already fantastic route. At Hellifield goods loop we stopped to switch traction and we were pleased to see we were getting a steam locomotive after all. There was a good turnout of enthusiasts at the station so hopefully the cafe did a good trade. While the traction change was made a couple of service trains came through as well as a pair of class 66-hauled freights.
Our first peak of our haulage (apologies for the quality, it was taken in a hurry).
Merchant Navy British India Line would be our steam locomotive for the day. I was happy with this one as it’s a winning kettle and she looked excellent. We had a fairly pedestrian start from Hellifield as one of the freights that passed us was still reversing into Arcow quarry on the line ahead of us. The run from there up to Blea Moor was still a little tame from the loco, which I suspect could be related to potential fire risk. It was however an enjoyable ride nonetheless over a beautiful line in the summer sun, made better for experiencing it from a Mk1.
After Blea Moor Tunnel the land became noticeably greener and less parched and at this point we seemed to pick up a bit more speed.
We then ran non-stop to Carlisle. Due to disruption, Carlisle was a scene of chaos with all trains from the South terminating there meaning any track that could fit a train, had one. There were also a large number of stranded passengers, many of whom seemed to be foreign tourists who were in need of assistance. The arrival of a steam train did seem to raise the spirits of stranded masses for a while, so that’s something. We squeezed through the throngs to reach refuge- Wetherspoons after a short walk. The Spoons was pretty average and they didn’t have either of our first choice food options, but we struggled through the situation being bouyed by the pints being only £2. While in Spoons, a strange substance started falling from the sky outside. On leaving, it became torrential, I’m told it was rain (haven’t seen any for weeks, it is of course Carlisle’s default weather
).Back at the station not much had changed on the real railway, although things were a little bit more organised. The Dumfries and Northern DMU’s kept scurrying in and out of the station, while the electric trains just sat their eerily quiet.
After a while our train rolled back in led by a 37 and I got a quick picture of British India Line.
The return journey was a bit more spritely and therefore enjoyable, with the weather also adding to the drama for a great run back over the hills to Hellifield.
Back at the opposite goods loop at Hellifield we repeated our loco swaps and said goodbye to British India Line for our journey home. One point of interest on the return journey was that on the approach to Shipley we switched track to to be on ‘the wrong line’ as we passed through the platform before switching back to the normal track back to Leeds.
Overall a great day trip out, with a winning kettle and I think at least one winning 37 too, but I’ll need to check that later. Thanks to all involved in running the Dalesman, it was a cracking journey.
Last edited:
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Certainly a nice and gentle pace day out there I don't know what this wet stuff you speak of is, there is talk of it affecting my area too but so far, nothing. Starting to think it's just a myth 
I don't know what this wet stuff you speak of is, there is talk of it affecting my area too but so far, nothing. Starting to think it's just a myth 
D6130
Established Member
Excellent write-up and lovely photos. Took me back to my days of driving over the Settle & Carlisle. We've also heard rumours of a strange substance falling from the sky here in Calderdale....but nothing so far - and 34 forecast for Monday and Tuesday!
The Dalesman 14/7/22
I was tempted onto this one due to a 10% discount being offered and the additional selling point of Class 40 traction being offered, plus the relative convenience of the boarding stations. Unfortunately, the class 40 element was removed about a week before departure, although it was hardly the end of the world since I like 37’s anyway. Due to the extremely hot and dry weather, there was also something of a question mark over the steam element too on the day, so we weren’t quite sure what we were going to get…
We were dropped off at Wakefield Westgate in good time, where we grabbed a Costa before boarding. While waiting an XC HST came through heading down to Plymouth.
Our train rolled in promptly with WCRC 37676 leading a fairly standard West Coast mixed bag rake which noteably contained Pullman Carriage Amethyst. We were booked in standard for this one and both our seats were Facing from Westgate, which was not ideal on this tour as we would actually end up being backwards for virtually all of the day, but fortunately our bay companion had decided to sit in our seats and invited us to sit in his, which was extremely fortuitous for us. Maybe he didn’t know, or perhaps he just really liked travelling backwards. The thing is this train reverses at Leeds which most passengers can understand quite easily, but what that they don’t grasp is that the train doesn’t simply reverse back out of Carlisle, instead it does a triangle move South of the station which turns the whole set and would now put us facing forwards again on the return
View attachment 117666
Leeds was quickly reached, with no fuss at all. 37706 would now take us forwards to Hellifield at least.
View attachment 117667
We took a leisurely departure from Leeds, before visiting Kirkstall Down Loop and then proceeding onwards to our remaining pick up points; Keighley and Skipton. At Skipton, we asked if we could move in to an empty bay behind us and this was allowed so we enjoyed the extra space. At this point, I cracked open the mobile bar which was a great moment on this pleasant sunny day.
The run from here is always pleasant and it didn’t disappoint with the weather adding to beauty and drama of an already fantastic route. At Hellifield goods loop we stopped to switch traction and we were pleased to see we were getting a steam locomotive after all. There was a good turnout of enthusiasts at the station so hopefully the cafe did a good trade. While the traction change was made a couple of service trains came through as well as a pair of class 66-hauled freights.
Our first peak of our haulage (apologies for the quality, it was taken in a hurry).
View attachment 117669
Merchant Navy British India Line would be our steam locomotive for the day. I was happy with this one as it’s a winning kettle and she looked excellent. We had a fairly pedestrian start from Hellifield as one of the freights that passed us was still reversing into Arcow quarry on the line ahead of us. The run from there up to Blea Moor was still a little tame from the loco, which I suspect could be related to potential fire risk. It was however an enjoyable ride nonetheless over a beautiful line in the summer sun, made better for experiencing it from a Mk1.
View attachment 117670
After Blea Moor Tunnel the land became noticeably greener and less parched and at this point we seemed to pick up a bit more speed.
View attachment 117672
We then ran non-stop to Carlisle. Due to disruption, Carlisle was a scene of chaos with all trains from the South terminating there meaning any track that could fit a train, had one. There were also a large number of stranded passengers, many of whom seemed to be foreign tourists who were in need of assistance. The arrival of a steam train did seem to raise the spirits of stranded masses for a while, so that’s something. We squeezed through the throngs to reach refuge- Wetherspoons after a short walk. The Spoons was pretty average and they didn’t have either of our first choice food options, but we struggled through the situation being bouyed by the pints being only £2. While in Spoons, a strange substance started falling from the sky outside. On leaving, it became torrential, I’m told it was rain (haven’t seen any for weeks, it is of course Carlisle’s default weather
Back at the station not much had changed on the real railway, although things were a little bit more organised. The Dumfries and Northern DMU’s kept scurrying in and out of the station, while the electric trains just sat their eerily quiet.
After a while our train rolled back in led by a 37 and I got a quick picture of British India Line.
View attachment 117673
The return journey was a bit more spritely and therefore enjoyable, with the weather also adding to the drama for a great run back over the hills to Hellifield.
View attachment 117674
View attachment 117681
Back at the opposite goods loop at Hellifield we repeated our loco swaps and said goodbye to British India Line for our journey home. One point of interest on the return journey was that on the approach to Shipley we switched track to to be on ‘the wrong line’ as we passed through the platform before switching back to the normal track back to Leeds.
View attachment 117692
Overall a great day trip out, with a winning kettle and I think at least one winning 37 too, but I’ll need to check that later. Thanks to all involved in running the Dalesman, it was a cracking journey.
What a great day out. The photo of the viaduct and the semaphore has all the elements needed to partake in a certain other thread.
Edit - except it’s not a preserved railway of course!
Iskra
Established Member
Thanks for the comments all
23/7/22 UkRailtours The Fighting Cocks Flyer.
The day started off with me travelling on a Northern 158 from Chapeltown to Meadowhall, where I connected onto a Northern 170 to Doncaster. There was a bit of minor drama on this service. I took up my seat in the ex first class saloon and an inspector was soon upon us asking for tickets, the guy behind us had bought an advance for a different service and was chancing it. Unfortunately for him, this wasn’t a standard Northern guard but a Revenue Protection Officer, so he was quickly but politely issued a penalty fare. This had the bloke opposite me scrambling in his rather large bag for his railcard and me worrying as my return ticket for the day seemed strangely cheap at £7, but we were both found to be in the clear. Although the bloke who got PF’d did undoubtedly deserve it and the RPI was generally reasonable with him, it did seem a bit untruthful of the RPI to encourage the chap to appeal in order to reduce potential face-to-face conflict as an appeal for such a clear breach would just be totally frivolous. I got chatting to a pleasant bloke opposite who was also heading for the same railtour, he was a guard on the SVR and quite interesting. This service is something of a railtour in itself, diverting via the delights of Rotherham. At Doncaster I had around an hour to kill but luckily it went quite quickly before 67007 rolled into the station on Riviera Mk2’s running a little early.
67007 is unfortunately dud for me as I had it on the Inverness sleeper paired with a 73 in their early days, but at least the livery was a winner and it has a bit of novelty about it. I do quite like 67’s too and was looking forward to a fast run on the ECML later on. I was in First Class Non-Dining for the journey today, luckily in a facing seat which I prefer. All on my table were agreeable company for the day. We headed North via Knottingley and Church Fenton. I was interested to see that Knottingley depot is still clinging on and had numerous Riviera Mk2’s present to receive retention tanks as well as a couple of 08’s.
At York we took the avoider, which I needed and then we really picked up speed on ‘the racetrack’ North of York which I enjoyed. At Northallerton we took the dive under which I needed and the whole line through Yarm was needed for coverage- a glaring omission- but this move completed the passenger network in the North East of England for me for coverage The Yarm line was quite pleasant too. It was then on to Tees Yard to pick up a 60 and class 66. Both were winners for me: 60066 and 66103. The 60 lead slowly up to Boulby and the line here was fantastic, to me it beat Dawlish hands down due to the elevation factor.
The Boulby Potash mine was an interesting facility and also had good coastal views. We went right to the buffers here and covered two lines.
66103 then lead us back to Middlesbrough, with 60066 on the rear this was the only pic I could get of the 60 all day as we weren’t platformed while it was on the train:
We had a break at Middlesbrough, which is an uninspiring place but some fresh air and a takeaway were enjoyed. During this break the 60 was swapped for the 67 once more and 67007 lead the stock back into the station so that 66103 would lead us back out to Darlington.
As @Kite159 has mentioned elsewhere 66103 was quite the beast, producing a lot of clag- certainly one of the more enjoyable 66’s out there!
Although now running late, upon reaching Darlington we took in a siding of interest, where the 66 was detached and we headed South. Despite being late we stayed on the slows South of Northallerton, with nothing passing us. After York we headed to Selby to get the Canal Curve which seemed a big piece of track for many onboard, me included and it was a relief to do it considering we were running late. Back at Donny, I stepped off the train to be greeted by a pair of 50’s heading through on a different railtour.
I then caught another Northern 170 back to Meadowhall as there is little other choice on this line currently, TP seeming to have disappeared and XC having abandoned the line. At Swinton, the Northern Belle joined us in the station.
At Meadowhall it was a quick change onto a Chapeltown service for the journey home.
Overall a pleasant and productive day and it was good to have a short-ish day out on a railtour.
Yes, it is a nostalgic photo. The S&C does have a preserved feel about it and it is the last double track railway built to mainline standards with semaphores throughout, so it is something of a relic.What a great day out. The photo of the viaduct and the semaphore has all the elements needed to partake in a certain other thread.
Edit - except it’s not a preserved railway of course!
23/7/22 UkRailtours The Fighting Cocks Flyer.
The day started off with me travelling on a Northern 158 from Chapeltown to Meadowhall, where I connected onto a Northern 170 to Doncaster. There was a bit of minor drama on this service. I took up my seat in the ex first class saloon and an inspector was soon upon us asking for tickets, the guy behind us had bought an advance for a different service and was chancing it. Unfortunately for him, this wasn’t a standard Northern guard but a Revenue Protection Officer, so he was quickly but politely issued a penalty fare. This had the bloke opposite me scrambling in his rather large bag for his railcard and me worrying as my return ticket for the day seemed strangely cheap at £7, but we were both found to be in the clear. Although the bloke who got PF’d did undoubtedly deserve it and the RPI was generally reasonable with him, it did seem a bit untruthful of the RPI to encourage the chap to appeal in order to reduce potential face-to-face conflict as an appeal for such a clear breach would just be totally frivolous. I got chatting to a pleasant bloke opposite who was also heading for the same railtour, he was a guard on the SVR and quite interesting. This service is something of a railtour in itself, diverting via the delights of Rotherham. At Doncaster I had around an hour to kill but luckily it went quite quickly before 67007 rolled into the station on Riviera Mk2’s running a little early.
67007 is unfortunately dud for me as I had it on the Inverness sleeper paired with a 73 in their early days, but at least the livery was a winner and it has a bit of novelty about it. I do quite like 67’s too and was looking forward to a fast run on the ECML later on. I was in First Class Non-Dining for the journey today, luckily in a facing seat which I prefer. All on my table were agreeable company for the day. We headed North via Knottingley and Church Fenton. I was interested to see that Knottingley depot is still clinging on and had numerous Riviera Mk2’s present to receive retention tanks as well as a couple of 08’s.
At York we took the avoider, which I needed and then we really picked up speed on ‘the racetrack’ North of York which I enjoyed. At Northallerton we took the dive under which I needed and the whole line through Yarm was needed for coverage- a glaring omission- but this move completed the passenger network in the North East of England for me for coverage
The Yarm line was quite pleasant too. It was then on to Tees Yard to pick up a 60 and class 66. Both were winners for me: 60066 and 66103. The 60 lead slowly up to Boulby and the line here was fantastic, to me it beat Dawlish hands down due to the elevation factor.The Boulby Potash mine was an interesting facility and also had good coastal views. We went right to the buffers here and covered two lines.
66103 then lead us back to Middlesbrough, with 60066 on the rear this was the only pic I could get of the 60 all day as we weren’t platformed while it was on the train:
We had a break at Middlesbrough, which is an uninspiring place but some fresh air and a takeaway were enjoyed. During this break the 60 was swapped for the 67 once more and 67007 lead the stock back into the station so that 66103 would lead us back out to Darlington.
As @Kite159 has mentioned elsewhere 66103 was quite the beast, producing a lot of clag- certainly one of the more enjoyable 66’s out there!
Although now running late, upon reaching Darlington we took in a siding of interest, where the 66 was detached and we headed South. Despite being late we stayed on the slows South of Northallerton, with nothing passing us. After York we headed to Selby to get the Canal Curve which seemed a big piece of track for many onboard, me included and it was a relief to do it considering we were running late. Back at Donny, I stepped off the train to be greeted by a pair of 50’s heading through on a different railtour.
I then caught another Northern 170 back to Meadowhall as there is little other choice on this line currently, TP seeming to have disappeared and XC having abandoned the line. At Swinton, the Northern Belle joined us in the station.
At Meadowhall it was a quick change onto a Chapeltown service for the journey home.
Overall a pleasant and productive day and it was good to have a short-ish day out on a railtour.
Last edited:
D6130
Established Member
Great photos and video....especially the Australian one!
Kite159
Veteran Member
You will have to return to get the track from Northallerton towards the junction where the avoiders come in
(And also the avoider line heading away from Yarn as used by the Middlesbrough Azuma)
Glad you enjoyed the tour
Iskra
Established Member
Thanks! I don't know what you mean...Great photos and video....especially the Australian one!
Well that's all very true, and I do like to have a reason to go back... (hence why I do Cornwall one branch at a timeYou will have to return to get the track from Northallerton towards the junction where the avoiders come in
(And also the avoider line heading away from Yarn as used by the Middlesbrough Azuma)
Glad you enjoyed the tour
). Valid point that I may need the regular TP/GC covered Northallerton junction to complete the line properly. I'll look into the Azuma bit, but it sounds less essential to a casual like me!railfan99
Established Member
Thanks! I don't know what you mean...
Well that's all very true, and I do like to have a reason to go back... (hence why I do Cornwall one branch at a time
Iskra, I am from Australia and have been by rail Darlington - Saltburn by the sea - Whitby - Pickering - Grosmont and back to London a few years back.
Is the Yarm line freight only? Where does it junction from the Whitby line? I don't recall seeing such a line from the railcar I was on ex Darlington.
Iskra
Established Member
Hi there! The Yarm line runs from Northallerton station on the East Coast Mainline to Eaglescliffe which is on the line between Darlington and Middlesbrough. At one point Yarm Station (the only station on this section of line) was closed and it only reopened in 1996 which could explain why you aren't aware of it. It is used by Transpennine services between Manchester, York and Middlesbrough as well as Grand Central services from London Kings Cross to Hartlepool and recently the new LNER Azuma services from London Kings Cross to Middlesbrough. I don't think it has ever been freight only, but with the station closed at Yarm the York-Middlesbrough trains would have done this line without stopping. This line avoids the need for trains to go via (and reverse at) Darlington to get from the South to Middlesbrough so is very useful and is possibly now a more important line than the one to Darlington from Middlesbrough. The junction is South West of Middlesbrough at Eaglescliffe.
I hope that all makes sense and answers your questions
Iskra
Established Member
Pathfinder Tours Dorset Coast Explorer 7/8/2022
I awoke at 0230 for this one in order to pack and have a cup of coffee before departure which was at around 0340. I'd left plenty of time for the drive down to Burton in case of motorway closures, diversions, parking issues or getting pulled over by the police asking why I'm on the road at silly o'clock (it's happened before!). I had a minor niggle as having my phone turned off (to save battery for the day) confused my cars satnav causing it to not work, so I had to follow actual roadsigns and use the mini-map display in the dashboard to get me to Burton. I've done the journey before a couple of times, but not for a while, but I did okay just having one hiccup on the final straight in Burton town centre, but that wasn't a problem at 0440ish. I pulled up at the station car park where I parked last time for free to find that it was no longer the car park and was just staff, taxi's and disabled parking only now. There were no obvious signs here to direct you to where you should park, but a quick google solved that. On pulling up, I found the EMR parking machine didn't work, so I moved my car to the next set of bays which was operated by someone else and paid the £3 to park there. I then sat and enjoyed my coffee and shortly afterwards other people started appearing, all looking a bit under-dressed for the current -rather chilly- temperature of 8 degrees.
The stock pulled in bang on time and was primarily the Riviera Trains Mk1's led by a pair of winner West Coast Railways class 33 locomotives- 33025 and 33029. I was attracted to this tour for a number of reasons; firstly I like classes 26 and 27, and 33's are the closest I'm likely to ever get to having these on the mainline. Secondly, the route was scenic, interesting and had a few bits of awkward new coverage that I needed. Finally, the destination -Weymouth- was also interesting and somewhere I've never been before. Onboard, the stewards were friendly and my table compatriots sound enough. One even had the decency to not show-up meaning a little more space was enjoyed by the rest of us. At 0545 we departed and had something of a crawl to Birmingham, where we continued to crawl and wind our way towards Kidderminster. At Kidderminster we got an excellent view of the Severn Valley Railway's varied diesel collection and some of their plush coaching stock. We then picked up a little speed which was good and the 33's sounded excellent. After Cheltenham we were onto my first new track which was the line through Kemble which was a pleasant line. We were then onto our last pick-up at Swindon where faster running began after a delay at Standish Junction earlier. We then proceeded to Reading West where I was onto new track for the section down to Basingstoke, this section was again quite pleasant. It was then the mainline down to Weymouth via Southampton which I enjoyed thoroughly, particularly the bit through the New Forest which has very nice scenery. I think the weather really helped the route look stunning as everything is better in the sunshine and I really enjoyed this run. At Upwey we were back onto new track for me for the short trip to Weymouth- better late than never. This previous omission is due to a disrupted journey that meant I had to turn around and head home at Upwey instead of Weymouth to pick up my booked train. Weymouth station was a little underwhelming to be honest, but it did the job.
At Weymouth I had a brief wonder around the busy centre and to the sea front for a quick look around. I then thought of a cunning plan and headed back to the station. Waiting my turn for an amicable looking taxi driver to reach the front of the rank, I approached one and asked if he would drive me over to Portland and give me a tour of the sites and sounds of the area. Weymouth was okay, but Portland looked more interesting so I thought I'd make the most of my time here so I don't have to return. The area was beautiful and the tour interesting, again all helped by the sunshine as well as a friendly and knowedegeable driver who knew the history of the area- it was absolutely worth the money.
After the taxi tour concluded I walked back to the station in search of a toilet. I couldn't find one, and our train happened to be back in the station being watered, with around 30 minutes left before departure. The first coach door that I tried opened and I boarded and made use of the facilities. At this point I was caught with my trousers down. Literally. The train unexpectedly started moving out of the station! I went back to my seat to get a drink out of my mobile bar and was intercepted and ordered to keep a low profile for the duration of what became a trip to the sidings to let a unit use our platform, before we then propelled back into the station.
On the return journey we took the route via Maiden Newton which is a favourite of mine as it is extremely 'GWR Chocolate Box' land and splendid countryside. We then headed towards Westbury and towards Bath which again is a lovely line to travel- especially in Summer on Mk1 stock. We then reached Bristol Parkway and retraced our outward route from Gloucester. The journey home from there was a bit painful in all honesty, the fast running having very much ended and it now became a crawl and loop fest which I didn't need on an already long day, although I did enjoy listening to the 33's restart after each stop however. I think some more sensible souls got off at Bristol Parkway or Cheltenham to get the service train back up to Burton, and I really don't blame them. The sunset was at least delightful and the moon impressive and if you're going to trundle around the country at least first class Mk1's with a pair of 33's on is a good way to do it. Back at Burton, I filmed the loco's leaving which really gives you a flavour of the day:
The drive back from there was plain sailing and I reached home around 01:00, which was better than I was expecting
Overall, a great tour with a pair of winning, classic loco's for over 500 miles, three bits of new route coverage, a nice area explored and an overall brilliant time, just the slow-running to and from Gloucester being the only negative.
I awoke at 0230 for this one in order to pack and have a cup of coffee before departure which was at around 0340. I'd left plenty of time for the drive down to Burton in case of motorway closures, diversions, parking issues or getting pulled over by the police asking why I'm on the road at silly o'clock (it's happened before!). I had a minor niggle as having my phone turned off (to save battery for the day) confused my cars satnav causing it to not work, so I had to follow actual roadsigns and use the mini-map display in the dashboard to get me to Burton. I've done the journey before a couple of times, but not for a while, but I did okay just having one hiccup on the final straight in Burton town centre, but that wasn't a problem at 0440ish. I pulled up at the station car park where I parked last time for free to find that it was no longer the car park and was just staff, taxi's and disabled parking only now. There were no obvious signs here to direct you to where you should park, but a quick google solved that. On pulling up, I found the EMR parking machine didn't work, so I moved my car to the next set of bays which was operated by someone else and paid the £3 to park there. I then sat and enjoyed my coffee and shortly afterwards other people started appearing, all looking a bit under-dressed for the current -rather chilly- temperature of 8 degrees.
The stock pulled in bang on time and was primarily the Riviera Trains Mk1's led by a pair of winner West Coast Railways class 33 locomotives- 33025 and 33029. I was attracted to this tour for a number of reasons; firstly I like classes 26 and 27, and 33's are the closest I'm likely to ever get to having these on the mainline. Secondly, the route was scenic, interesting and had a few bits of awkward new coverage that I needed. Finally, the destination -Weymouth- was also interesting and somewhere I've never been before. Onboard, the stewards were friendly and my table compatriots sound enough. One even had the decency to not show-up meaning a little more space was enjoyed by the rest of us. At 0545 we departed and had something of a crawl to Birmingham, where we continued to crawl and wind our way towards Kidderminster. At Kidderminster we got an excellent view of the Severn Valley Railway's varied diesel collection and some of their plush coaching stock. We then picked up a little speed which was good and the 33's sounded excellent. After Cheltenham we were onto my first new track which was the line through Kemble which was a pleasant line. We were then onto our last pick-up at Swindon where faster running began after a delay at Standish Junction earlier. We then proceeded to Reading West where I was onto new track for the section down to Basingstoke, this section was again quite pleasant. It was then the mainline down to Weymouth via Southampton which I enjoyed thoroughly, particularly the bit through the New Forest which has very nice scenery. I think the weather really helped the route look stunning as everything is better in the sunshine and I really enjoyed this run. At Upwey we were back onto new track for me for the short trip to Weymouth- better late than never. This previous omission is due to a disrupted journey that meant I had to turn around and head home at Upwey instead of Weymouth to pick up my booked train. Weymouth station was a little underwhelming to be honest, but it did the job.
At Weymouth I had a brief wonder around the busy centre and to the sea front for a quick look around. I then thought of a cunning plan and headed back to the station. Waiting my turn for an amicable looking taxi driver to reach the front of the rank, I approached one and asked if he would drive me over to Portland and give me a tour of the sites and sounds of the area. Weymouth was okay, but Portland looked more interesting so I thought I'd make the most of my time here so I don't have to return. The area was beautiful and the tour interesting, again all helped by the sunshine as well as a friendly and knowedegeable driver who knew the history of the area- it was absolutely worth the money.
After the taxi tour concluded I walked back to the station in search of a toilet. I couldn't find one, and our train happened to be back in the station being watered, with around 30 minutes left before departure. The first coach door that I tried opened and I boarded and made use of the facilities. At this point I was caught with my trousers down. Literally. The train unexpectedly started moving out of the station! I went back to my seat to get a drink out of my mobile bar and was intercepted and ordered to keep a low profile for the duration of what became a trip to the sidings to let a unit use our platform, before we then propelled back into the station.
On the return journey we took the route via Maiden Newton which is a favourite of mine as it is extremely 'GWR Chocolate Box' land and splendid countryside. We then headed towards Westbury and towards Bath which again is a lovely line to travel- especially in Summer on Mk1 stock. We then reached Bristol Parkway and retraced our outward route from Gloucester. The journey home from there was a bit painful in all honesty, the fast running having very much ended and it now became a crawl and loop fest which I didn't need on an already long day, although I did enjoy listening to the 33's restart after each stop however. I think some more sensible souls got off at Bristol Parkway or Cheltenham to get the service train back up to Burton, and I really don't blame them. The sunset was at least delightful and the moon impressive and if you're going to trundle around the country at least first class Mk1's with a pair of 33's on is a good way to do it. Back at Burton, I filmed the loco's leaving which really gives you a flavour of the day:
The drive back from there was plain sailing and I reached home around 01:00, which was better than I was expecting
Overall, a great tour with a pair of winning, classic loco's for over 500 miles, three bits of new route coverage, a nice area explored and an overall brilliant time, just the slow-running to and from Gloucester being the only negative.
Last edited:
Pathfinder Tours Dorset Coast Explorer 7/8/2022
I awoke at 0230 for this one in order to pack and have a cup of coffee before departure which was at around 0340. I'd left plenty of time for the drive down to Burton in case of motorway closures, diversions, parking issues or getting pulled over by the police asking why I'm on the road at silly o'clock (it's happened before!). I had a minor niggle as having my phone turned off (to save battery for the day) confused my cars satnav causing it to not work, so I had to follow actual roadsigns and use the mini-map display in the dashboard to get me to Burton. I've done the journey before a couple of times, but not for a while, but I did okay just having one hiccup on the final straight in Burton town centre, but that wasn't a problem at 0440ish. I pulled up at the station car park where I parked last time for free to find that it was no longer the car park and was just staff, taxi's and disabled parking only now. There were no obvious signs here to direct you to where you should park, but a quick google solved that. On pulling up, I found the EMR parking machine didn't work, so I moved my car to the next set of bays which was operated by someone else and paid the £3 to park there. I then sat and enjoyed my coffee and shortly afterwards other people started appearing, all looking a bit under-dressed for the current -rather chilly- temperature of 8 degrees.
The stock pulled in bang on time and was primarily the Riviera Trains Mk1's led by a pair of winner West Coast Railways class 33 locomotives- 33025 and 33029. I was attracted to this tour for a number of reasons; firstly I like classes 26 and 27, and 33's are the closest I'm likely to ever get to having these on the mainline. Secondly, the route was scenic, interesting and had a few bits of awkward new coverage that I needed. Finally, the destination -Weymouth- was also interesting and somewhere I've never been before. Onboard, the stewards were friendly and my table compatriots sound enough. One even had the decency to not show-up meaning a little more space was enjoyed by the rest of us. At 0545 we departed and had something of a crawl to Birmingham, where we continued to crawl and wind our way towards Kidderminster. At Kidderminster we got an excellent view of the Severn Valley Railway's varied diesel collection and some of their plush coaching stock. We then picked up a little speed which was good and the 33's sounded excellent. After Cheltenham we were onto my first new track which was the line through Kemble which was a pleasant line. We were then onto our last pick-up at Swindon where faster running began after a delay at Standish Junction earlier. We then proceeded to Reading West where I was onto new track for the section down to Basingstoke, this section was again quite pleasant. It was then the mainline down to Weymouth via Southampton which I enjoyed thoroughly, particularly the bit through the New Forest which has very nice scenery. I think the weather really helped the route look stunning as everything is better in the sunshine and I really enjoyed this run. At Upwey we were back onto new track for me for the short trip to Weymouth- better late than never. This previous omission is due to a disrupted journey that meant I had to turn around and head home at Upwey instead of Weymouth to pick up my booked train. Weymouth station was a little underwhelming to be honest, but it did the job.
At Weymouth I had a brief wonder around the busy centre and to the sea front for a quick look around. I then thought of a cunning plan and headed back to the station. Waiting my turn for an amicable looking taxi driver to reach the front of the rank, I approached one and asked if he would drive me over to Portland and give me a tour of the sites and sounds of the area. Weymouth was okay, but Portland looked more interesting so I thought I'd make the most of my time here so I don't have to return. The area was beautiful and the tour interesting, again all helped by the sunshine as well as a friendly and knowedegeable driver who knew the history of the area- it was absolutely worth the money.
[Weymouth/Portland]
After the taxi tour concluded I walked back to the station in search of a toilet. I couldn't find one, and our train happened to be back in the station being watered, with around 30 minutes left before departure. The first coach door that I tried opened and I boarded and made use of the facilities. At this point I was caught with my trousers down. Literally. The train unexpectedly started moving out of the station! I went back to my seat to get a drink out of my mobile bar and was intercepted and ordered to keep a low profile for the duration of what became a trip to the sidings to let a unit use our platform, before we then propelled back into the station.
On the return journey we took the route via Maiden Newton which is a favourite of mine as it is extremely 'GWR Chocolate Box' land and splendid countryside. We then headed towards Westbury and towards Bath which again is a lovely line to travel- especially in Summer on Mk1 stock. We then reached Bristol Parkway and retraced our outward route from Gloucester. The journey home from there was a bit painful in all honesty, the fast running having very much ended and it now became a crawl and loop fest which I didn't need on an already long day, although I did enjoy listening to the 33's restart after each stop however. I think some more sensible souls got off at Bristol Parkway or Cheltenham to get the service train back up to Burton, and I really don't blame them. The sunset was at least delightful and the moon impressive and if you're going to trundle around the country at least first class Mk1's with a pair of 33's on is a good way to do it. Back at Burton, I filmed the loco's leaving which really gives you a flavour of the day:
The drive back from there was plain sailing and I reached home around 01:00, which was better than I was expecting
Overall, a great tour with a pair of winning, classic loco's for over 500 miles, three bits of new route coverage, a nice area explored and an overall brilliant time, just the slow-running to and from Gloucester being the only negative.
Absolutely love a 33 and that looked excellent.
Iskra
Established Member
Now with added pictures! Yes, I thought it would have been up your street- great little loco's!
Now with added pictures! Yes, I thought it would have been up your street- great little loco's!
Ah the pictures. Yes Portland is lovely actually. There were loads of little narrow gauge lines up there at one time too.
Kite159
Veteran Member
I saw that tour from a passing 165 on the outskirts of Bath, sadly the timings didn't work out for a photo. Glad it sounds like a good tour behind 33s, a class I've not had any of.
I noticed Weymouth station was a bit of a building site when I visited there today. Makes sense for those who can afford to ditch the tour early at Cheltenham to get back to Burton earlier to avoid the slow running when all the 'interesting' bits have been done, I've seen it happen with tours from London, people bailing off at Doncaster to catch a service train to London rather than a slow trip getting looped along the way and ending up stuck behind a Moorgate stopper from Hatfield etc.
I noticed Weymouth station was a bit of a building site when I visited there today. Makes sense for those who can afford to ditch the tour early at Cheltenham to get back to Burton earlier to avoid the slow running when all the 'interesting' bits have been done, I've seen it happen with tours from London, people bailing off at Doncaster to catch a service train to London rather than a slow trip getting looped along the way and ending up stuck behind a Moorgate stopper from Hatfield etc.
Iskra
Established Member
Yes it was a lot nicer and more interesting than I was expecting
Yeah, but on a voyager... I suppose many tour participants wouldn't be paying full fare, personally I begrudge paying twice, but I've seen a few do it on tours now I guess you have to make the call based on the exact tour, ticket cost and time saving.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Guess that will be a benefit to some of the tour participants whom might even get free rail travel due to working under British Railways, or even getting 75% off the public fare.
I guess it also depends on the difference between forking out for a hotel for the night compared to being able to get home on the last train.
Also on the time of year, slow running when you can't see outside isn't much fun, i.e. winter tours where it gets dark around 4pm.
Iskra
Established Member
Ben Nevis 27/8/22-29/8/22
An early start was required for our trip up to Fort William to make certain of actually getting there with the current state of play on the network. On arriving at Leeds we grabbed a quick Starbucks before heading over to the platform.
0620 Northern Service to Carlisle. Northern 3 Car 158.
I always enjoy a trip over the Settle-Carlisle, but the main reason for this route today was to use a pair of Northern complimentary tickets to save some money, the scenic route being a bonus. The train was busier than anticipated but we secured a bay of 4 towards the front (to ease our onward connection at Carlisle). The journey was glorious, with the exception of one blokes insistence on watching a documentary about ants outloud for the majority of the journey. At Carlisle we had a quick change to make.
0915 TP Service to Glasgow Central. TP 397.
In the end we needn't have rushed as for some reason the TP service was starting at Carlisle today, and the train was still in the sidings by the time departure time came. During this time some extremely mediocre coffee was purchased from the Pumpkin on platform 3 and the train eventually appeared around 10 minutes late. This was my first trip on any of TP's 'shiny new stuff' due to the pandemic. The unit looks great inside and out and I was very happy with the interior. This is another favourite route of mine, and I particularly like the descent from Beattock down towards Carstairs. We made up a bit of time on the way to Glasgow arriving 6 minutes late in the end.
Glasgow Central was extremely busy with Rangers at home that day. After my partner briefly admired the station architecture we headed out in the direction of Queen Street. On stepping out of the station we were greeted by a huge pile of trash due to a strike by council workers. We then had some breakfast at Pret, before a visit to a Starbucks and taking in some of the city centre architecture. Fortunately, we arrived at Queen Street in very good time as upon entering I glanced upon the departure boards to see that the train to Fort William was cancelled. I felt a bit hard done by, as it was the only train that wasn't running and the service is sparse. We quickly proceeded to the information office, where we were directed to a rail replacement bus parked behind the station. I was happy that some replacement transport was being provided, and also that this would be to Crianlarich where we would then get the train. We found the bus fairly easily and were the first people to do so. We then split up with Ms Iskra heading off for provisions while I secured some seats, which turned out to be a very wise move with a single coach replacing a 6 carriage train. Other passengers then started to trickle on until every seat became taken around 5 minutes prior to departure. There were a handful of passengers who were left behind, hopefully they got a taxi. The coach itself was actually very nice with comfy leather seats, power points, working Air Conditioning and clean windows, so was possibly an upgrade on a Scotrail 156! The route to Crianlarich was interesting taking in a rather large bridge and running the length of Loch Lomund which was a nice drive. At Crianlarich, a 156 was waiting in the platform, but it caused confusion as its' advertised destination was Glasgow Central. I found a staff member and it turned out to be the correct train and the 2 car 156 would run through to Mallaig.
1424 Crianlarich-Fort William. Scotrail 2 Car Class 156.
We managed to secure another bay of 4 although sadly this was on the less desirable side of the train in terms of views, but we still very much enjoyed the run although it was shame that the refreshment trolley was absent (although we did appreciate just having a train at all really). On arrival at Spean Bridge the Royal Scotsman luxury landcruise train was parked in the station on the opposite track to us, with guests milling around drinking champagne. One notable thing about this journey was that at every station we ran through on the 'wrong' line to normal. On arrival at Fort William we pulled in alongside The Jacobite service with a Black 5 on the front.
We then checked into the hotel- Nevis Bank Inn before heading into Fort William for some well-earned beverages and a nice meal before getting an early night.
28/8/22
We got up at 0500 in order to climb Ben Nevis in a leisurely manner and still make our train home. I won't go into too much detail about Ben Nevis, as this isn't the right forum, but I will say that it is an intense but thoroughly enjoyable hike with ever-changing views and good banter was had with the other hikers who were from all over the world. Both me and my partner were hospitalised last year in a car crash (her worse than me) and we were just feeling extremely happy to be physically able to climb the UK's highest mountain in the first place.
We made the top in good time and were back down in Fort William town for 1500 where we picked up our luggage and headed for the station, to be greeted by The Jacobite again.
We then headed into the Sleeper Lounge where we were greeted by the friendly host who gave us some much appreciated refreshments and arranged for us both to take a much needed shower. I didn't catch her name but the lounge host was fantastic, she was Canadian and she later introduced me to her husband who is a driver up there and apparently drives the Royal Scotsman. The lounge eventually filled up and some passengers were met with the news that they were being downgraded from Double Rooms to the more traditional Twin rooms. This didn't go down too well, and some were a bit rude and unpleasant about it towards the staff, which I felt was unfair when it wasn't the staffs fault. Next, the guests were told that there was an issue with the Aberdeen Lounge Car so no cooked breakfasts would be available, which further upset some passengers. Luckily, this was then sorted out and the full breakfast would be offered, although I wasn't that bothered really as no lounge car would just mean more time in bed instead. The hosts came into the lounge to board us, but unfortunately this happened at the worst possible time as the West Coast Railways Company's - The Jacobite service had just returned and disgorged its mass of passengers onto the narrow station, the flow of which we had to walk against to reach our train, which seemed to cause a breakdown in the boarding process resulting in minor chaos.
1900 Fort William-London Euston. GBRF class 66 and Caledonian Sleeper 73 with Mk 5 Coaches, later changing to a Caledonian Sleeper Class 92 locomotive.
I found our carriage and waited with our combined luggage for the doors to be unlocked to load the luggage into our room. Meanwhile, I'd suggested that Ms Iskra wait by the lounge-car door to secure us a table on the busy train, but not just any table; we were hoping for one on the side of the train with the good views to make up for not getting sat on that side despite our reservations on the inbound journey. When the doors opened I located our room and stowed our luggage before heading down to the lounge car. Ms Iskra had done a great job and had even surprised the lounge car host with her speed, and was justly awarded the facing table for two on the side with good views I headed down to join her and we ordered with the friendly host. Once our order was placed I walked through the train towards the loco's to get a quick picture, and quick it was as the guard was ready do dispatch the train. The picture was so quick that I didn't even have time to ID the leading 66.
Luckily, the guard was happy to provide me with the loco information from some sheet he had once he'd completed his duties. The loco's were winners 66740 and 73966. I was very happy to get a 66 on the sleeper for the novelty, but also pleased to get a winning 73/9 as I'm making good progress with that subclass. It was then back to the lounge car for some food and drink. I'd ordered the Cod, followed by a cheeseboard and accompanied with a few beers. The cod and cheeseboard were excellent. Ms Iskra ordered the chicken and while it didn't look all that great in my opinion, she said it was nice and she also followed with a cheeseboard.
We then sat happily enjoying a few drinks, with the stunning scenery gently rolling by. The Fort William staff were extremely friendly, which was excellent with the dining car so busy and there was a very pleasant atmosphere. There was also some personal relief, as before this trip I'd told Ms Iskra that deer were more common than sheep in the highlands based on my previous trips (usually in winter), and embarrassingly at this point we hadn't seen a single deer! Luckily, after a while we saw a singular example and then finally a couple of small groups in the Rannoch area. We then went to bed at around Crianlarich after a long and tiring day. The Twin room was very much like the old Mk3 rooms (nothing wrong with those), but modernised and with the addition of a mini-bathroom. The room was pleasant enough and I found the bed comfortable and sleep quality was decent, aided by having climbed Ben Nevis earlier in the day! The route tonight would take us along the West Highland Line, through Glasgow Central Low Level and onto the Bathgate Line to Edinburgh. I didn't feel the 'bump in the night' there, I only noticed we'd left Edinburgh by the quieter Electric locomotive and the much smoother track South of there.
29/8/22
For breakfast, we were now in the Aberdeen lounge car which was in the opposite direction to the Fort William from our room. We somehow got lucky again and ended up with one of the nice tables for two again. I had the Full Scottish which was nice- even if I didn't really know what I was eating at times - and it certainly set me up for the day. On alighting, I noted we had been hauled by winner 92018.
Shortly after we arrived at Euston, unfortunately someone was hit by a train on the WCML North of there, so we had done well to avoid being involved. We then headed to the Avanti Lounge, which was nice and well stocked with giant pastries in particular.
We then headed along Euston Road to London Kings Cross, lingering in their First Class Lounge until departure.
1033 London Kings Cross-Leeds. LNER Class 91 Set.
I was happy to have class 91114 for this trip as it's been a while since I've been class 91 hauled. I wasn't that hungry on this journey so just had a Belgian Waffle with Nutella which I enjoyed.
- - - - -
Well, it was another great trip. It was good to try some of the new stock on the railways that I'd not got around to with TP and CS as well as the old class 91 appearing and the Sleeper Lounge car was a particular highlight Three winning locomotives and a class weekend away were also an excellent result.
An early start was required for our trip up to Fort William to make certain of actually getting there with the current state of play on the network. On arriving at Leeds we grabbed a quick Starbucks before heading over to the platform.
0620 Northern Service to Carlisle. Northern 3 Car 158.
I always enjoy a trip over the Settle-Carlisle, but the main reason for this route today was to use a pair of Northern complimentary tickets to save some money, the scenic route being a bonus. The train was busier than anticipated but we secured a bay of 4 towards the front (to ease our onward connection at Carlisle). The journey was glorious, with the exception of one blokes insistence on watching a documentary about ants outloud for the majority of the journey. At Carlisle we had a quick change to make.
0915 TP Service to Glasgow Central. TP 397.
In the end we needn't have rushed as for some reason the TP service was starting at Carlisle today, and the train was still in the sidings by the time departure time came. During this time some extremely mediocre coffee was purchased from the Pumpkin on platform 3 and the train eventually appeared around 10 minutes late. This was my first trip on any of TP's 'shiny new stuff' due to the pandemic. The unit looks great inside and out and I was very happy with the interior. This is another favourite route of mine, and I particularly like the descent from Beattock down towards Carstairs. We made up a bit of time on the way to Glasgow arriving 6 minutes late in the end.
Glasgow Central was extremely busy with Rangers at home that day. After my partner briefly admired the station architecture we headed out in the direction of Queen Street. On stepping out of the station we were greeted by a huge pile of trash due to a strike by council workers. We then had some breakfast at Pret, before a visit to a Starbucks and taking in some of the city centre architecture. Fortunately, we arrived at Queen Street in very good time as upon entering I glanced upon the departure boards to see that the train to Fort William was cancelled. I felt a bit hard done by, as it was the only train that wasn't running and the service is sparse. We quickly proceeded to the information office, where we were directed to a rail replacement bus parked behind the station. I was happy that some replacement transport was being provided, and also that this would be to Crianlarich where we would then get the train. We found the bus fairly easily and were the first people to do so. We then split up with Ms Iskra heading off for provisions while I secured some seats, which turned out to be a very wise move with a single coach replacing a 6 carriage train. Other passengers then started to trickle on until every seat became taken around 5 minutes prior to departure. There were a handful of passengers who were left behind, hopefully they got a taxi. The coach itself was actually very nice with comfy leather seats, power points, working Air Conditioning and clean windows, so was possibly an upgrade on a Scotrail 156! The route to Crianlarich was interesting taking in a rather large bridge and running the length of Loch Lomund which was a nice drive. At Crianlarich, a 156 was waiting in the platform, but it caused confusion as its' advertised destination was Glasgow Central. I found a staff member and it turned out to be the correct train and the 2 car 156 would run through to Mallaig.
1424 Crianlarich-Fort William. Scotrail 2 Car Class 156.
We managed to secure another bay of 4 although sadly this was on the less desirable side of the train in terms of views, but we still very much enjoyed the run although it was shame that the refreshment trolley was absent (although we did appreciate just having a train at all really). On arrival at Spean Bridge the Royal Scotsman luxury landcruise train was parked in the station on the opposite track to us, with guests milling around drinking champagne. One notable thing about this journey was that at every station we ran through on the 'wrong' line to normal. On arrival at Fort William we pulled in alongside The Jacobite service with a Black 5 on the front.
We then checked into the hotel- Nevis Bank Inn before heading into Fort William for some well-earned beverages and a nice meal before getting an early night.
28/8/22
We got up at 0500 in order to climb Ben Nevis in a leisurely manner and still make our train home. I won't go into too much detail about Ben Nevis, as this isn't the right forum, but I will say that it is an intense but thoroughly enjoyable hike with ever-changing views and good banter was had with the other hikers who were from all over the world. Both me and my partner were hospitalised last year in a car crash (her worse than me) and we were just feeling extremely happy to be physically able to climb the UK's highest mountain in the first place.
We made the top in good time and were back down in Fort William town for 1500 where we picked up our luggage and headed for the station, to be greeted by The Jacobite again.
We then headed into the Sleeper Lounge where we were greeted by the friendly host who gave us some much appreciated refreshments and arranged for us both to take a much needed shower. I didn't catch her name but the lounge host was fantastic, she was Canadian and she later introduced me to her husband who is a driver up there and apparently drives the Royal Scotsman. The lounge eventually filled up and some passengers were met with the news that they were being downgraded from Double Rooms to the more traditional Twin rooms. This didn't go down too well, and some were a bit rude and unpleasant about it towards the staff, which I felt was unfair when it wasn't the staffs fault. Next, the guests were told that there was an issue with the Aberdeen Lounge Car so no cooked breakfasts would be available, which further upset some passengers. Luckily, this was then sorted out and the full breakfast would be offered, although I wasn't that bothered really as no lounge car would just mean more time in bed instead. The hosts came into the lounge to board us, but unfortunately this happened at the worst possible time as the West Coast Railways Company's - The Jacobite service had just returned and disgorged its mass of passengers onto the narrow station, the flow of which we had to walk against to reach our train, which seemed to cause a breakdown in the boarding process resulting in minor chaos.
1900 Fort William-London Euston. GBRF class 66 and Caledonian Sleeper 73 with Mk 5 Coaches, later changing to a Caledonian Sleeper Class 92 locomotive.
I found our carriage and waited with our combined luggage for the doors to be unlocked to load the luggage into our room. Meanwhile, I'd suggested that Ms Iskra wait by the lounge-car door to secure us a table on the busy train, but not just any table; we were hoping for one on the side of the train with the good views to make up for not getting sat on that side despite our reservations on the inbound journey. When the doors opened I located our room and stowed our luggage before heading down to the lounge car. Ms Iskra had done a great job and had even surprised the lounge car host with her speed, and was justly awarded the facing table for two on the side with good views
I headed down to join her and we ordered with the friendly host. Once our order was placed I walked through the train towards the loco's to get a quick picture, and quick it was as the guard was ready do dispatch the train. The picture was so quick that I didn't even have time to ID the leading 66.Luckily, the guard was happy to provide me with the loco information from some sheet he had once he'd completed his duties. The loco's were winners 66740 and 73966. I was very happy to get a 66 on the sleeper for the novelty, but also pleased to get a winning 73/9 as I'm making good progress with that subclass. It was then back to the lounge car for some food and drink. I'd ordered the Cod, followed by a cheeseboard and accompanied with a few beers. The cod and cheeseboard were excellent. Ms Iskra ordered the chicken and while it didn't look all that great in my opinion, she said it was nice and she also followed with a cheeseboard.
We then sat happily enjoying a few drinks, with the stunning scenery gently rolling by. The Fort William staff were extremely friendly, which was excellent with the dining car so busy and there was a very pleasant atmosphere. There was also some personal relief, as before this trip I'd told Ms Iskra that deer were more common than sheep in the highlands based on my previous trips (usually in winter), and embarrassingly at this point we hadn't seen a single deer! Luckily, after a while we saw a singular example and then finally a couple of small groups in the Rannoch area. We then went to bed at around Crianlarich after a long and tiring day. The Twin room was very much like the old Mk3 rooms (nothing wrong with those), but modernised and with the addition of a mini-bathroom. The room was pleasant enough and I found the bed comfortable and sleep quality was decent, aided by having climbed Ben Nevis earlier in the day! The route tonight would take us along the West Highland Line, through Glasgow Central Low Level and onto the Bathgate Line to Edinburgh. I didn't feel the 'bump in the night' there, I only noticed we'd left Edinburgh by the quieter Electric locomotive and the much smoother track South of there.
29/8/22
For breakfast, we were now in the Aberdeen lounge car which was in the opposite direction to the Fort William from our room. We somehow got lucky again and ended up with one of the nice tables for two again. I had the Full Scottish which was nice- even if I didn't really know what I was eating at times - and it certainly set me up for the day. On alighting, I noted we had been hauled by winner 92018.
Shortly after we arrived at Euston, unfortunately someone was hit by a train on the WCML North of there, so we had done well to avoid being involved. We then headed to the Avanti Lounge, which was nice and well stocked with giant pastries in particular.
We then headed along Euston Road to London Kings Cross, lingering in their First Class Lounge until departure.
1033 London Kings Cross-Leeds. LNER Class 91 Set.
I was happy to have class 91114 for this trip as it's been a while since I've been class 91 hauled. I wasn't that hungry on this journey so just had a Belgian Waffle with Nutella which I enjoyed.
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Well, it was another great trip. It was good to try some of the new stock on the railways that I'd not got around to with TP and CS as well as the old class 91 appearing and the Sleeper Lounge car was a particular highlight
Three winning locomotives and a class weekend away were also an excellent result.
xotGD
Established Member
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- 4 Feb 2017
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That sounds like a great weekend.
Out of interest, how long did it take you to get to the top of Ben Nevis?
Out of interest, how long did it take you to get to the top of Ben Nevis?
Kite159
Veteran Member
Sounded like a good weekend trip
D6130
Established Member
An excellent report on a wonderful trip @Iskra . Glad to hear that everything went well - apart from the rail replacement coach - but that looked super-comfortable and, as you say, ten times more comfortable than a refurbished ScotRail 156 with ironing board seats. Your photos were well up to your usual standards and I especially liked the one of the sunset over Rannoch Moor. Hopefully see you next Monday in Marsden.
Iskra
Established Member
From the timestamps on my photos it looks to have been around 4 hr 10 to do it upwards, but we weren’t rushing and we also had the walk to and from Fort William on top of that and we were carrying more than most.
Iskra
Established Member
I totally agree, it was nice to get back up there again!
Techniquest
Veteran Member
I'm not too familiar with Ben Nevis (or mountain walking in general), but that sounds like a most reasonable time. I have to confess I was a little disappointed to not read more about the experience in your trip report, it had the potential to inspire not just myself but others to go and have our own adventure!
The rest of it was, as always, an enjoyable read and some excellent photos. I was pleased to read that you like the 397s, they seem to get a lot of hatred but I thought they were fine. I might be slightly biased by the fact it was easy to load and secure my cycle, and when I travelled it was very much off-peak and well outside the tourist season. Getting on a packed train might have spoilt my view!
That coach looked rather nice, and that photo of the sunset was gorgeous
I didn't envy the food you had, as well made as it looked, but that's my taste and I'd have taken my own food with me. Overall your sleeper experience sounds like a great time for both of you
Iskra
Established Member
I'm sorry to dissapoint Tech, but there's plenty of info on Ben Nevis out there should you wish for more - I found watching a youtube video of the climb most informative during the planning stageI'm not too familiar with Ben Nevis (or mountain walking in general), but that sounds like a most reasonable time. I have to confess I was a little disappointed to not read more about the experience in your trip report, it had the potential to inspire not just myself but others to go and have our own adventure!
The rest of it was, as always, an enjoyable read and some excellent photos. I was pleased to read that you like the 397s, they seem to get a lot of hatred but I thought they were fine. I might be slightly biased by the fact it was easy to load and secure my cycle, and when I travelled it was very much off-peak and well outside the tourist season. Getting on a packed train might have spoilt my view!
That coach looked rather nice, and that photo of the sunset was gorgeous
Thanks!
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Just a quick one...
4/9/22
I was in the vicinity of the Keighley & Worth Valley today and the roster caught my attention. Two of my favourite classes of locomotive were operating and I'd not been on either of these loco's for a while- the 37 and 2MT Tender locomotive. Additionally, both coach sets had a bar car selling Timothy Taylors and there was also a Branch Line Society railtour due on the line with some West Coast 37's, so it seemed rude not to... ...additionally, I'd never actually called at Damems- England's smallest station- so I visited that station twice today as it's a very convenient place to switch trains to stay on the more interesting part of the line, with only a short wait.
37075 was in fine form today
Not sure about the colour on 78022, I much prefer black on a mixed traffic locomotive.
All in all a great day was had