Created 1-Mar-20
Modified 18-Dec-22
Ian Riley and Andy Staite in the early 2000s devised a way of using the Bury Black Fives for a circular tour from Manchester round the southern parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and they called it the Cotton Mills Express. RTC later took it over but, after a series of engine failures, abandoned it. A similar concept on a different route became established as the Tin Bath.
So the revival of the Cotton Mills Express was most welcome. Even more so was the choice of locomotive: No 45699 Galatea has been repainted in BR green as defunct classmate No 45562 Alberta. The last run 0f the original Alberta was an excursion in October 1967 which ran on part of our route today.
The tour began at Lancaster but I boarded at Manchester Victoria, so we were straight into the climb of Miles Platting bank. We attacked it with noise and vigour, quickly reaching 17 mph then after a short slowing were back up to 22 before the right turn towards the east. 45 at Clayton was our maximum before stopping at Stalybridge to allow Transpennine expresses to pass. Then we slogged steadily up the bank to Diggle with a maximum of 40 at Saddleworth. Rattling down from Standedge Tunnel we reached 62 before a tsr at Slaithwaite, then on through Huddersfield and turning left at Heaton Lodge Junction. We chuffed briskly westwards along the Calder Valley in bright sunshine to a water stop at Sowerby Bridge then on through Hebden Bridge to Hall Royd Junction, where our major challenge was to begin. We had reached 27 before the real climbing began, which slowly reduced our speed through the teens through Lydgate and down to 12 at Cornholme. Slowly we clawed back some speed as the engine passed Portsmouth and reached 20 just before Copy Pit summit. Then a nice brisk run down to Burnley and through Accrington to our lunch break at Blackburn.
We set off briskly westwards again through Mill Hill at 42, Cherry Tree at 45 and Pleasington at 52, then over Hoghton summit we touched 64 on the way down to Bamber Bridge. From Lostock Hall and Farington Junctions we moseyed along the WCML to Euxton then along through Chorley and Adlington (49) then down through Bolton and on towards Manchester, touching 67 at Clifton. Then began our second circuit, and this time we were even faster up the first section of Miles Platting bank, quickly storming up to 20 mph though dropping back a little to 17 before the junction. Then we turned right again at Philips Park West junction, on the ‘rare track’ for passenger trains, towards Ashburys, picking up the line from Piccadilly to Guide Bridge and then to Stalybridge again. We got away very smartly this time and were well into the 30s past Mossley, touching 38 before Greenfield and into Standedge tunnel at 40. Rollicking down the other side we touched 64 before the slack at Slaithwaite then 54 again before Huddersfield and 45 at Hillhouse. We ran steadily along the Calder Valley to our second water stop at Sowerby Bridge then we made rapid headway westward with 51 through Mytholmroyd. We went straight on through Hall Royd Junction this time towards Todmorden (55 just after) and 44 into Summit Tunnel. Downhill again we touched 60 at Littleborough and, after a slowing for Rochdale, touched 55 again at Castleton, 63 at Mills Hill and still 56 at Moston before slowing past Newton Heath depot for our water stop at Brewery Junction.
The short run down into Victoria brought to an end (for me) a magnificent day out with a fine engine in fine form and looking great in its BR green. An interesting and demanding route and bright sunshine most of the day topped off a wonderful experience – one of the best!
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© Peter Hewitt's Transport Pictures