Created 23-Apr-23
Modified 23-Apr-23
30 September 1967 was the date of the last foray over the Settle to Carlisle line of Castle class 4-6-0 No 7029 Clun Castle. The Vintage Trains team have long had the ambition to repeat the venture, and today it was to happen.
The green VT Class 47 pulled into Crewe for the last passenger pickup of the Cumbrian Mountaineer Express, and we headed north up the WCML to Farington Junction. Here we turned right and headed up through Blackburn and Clitheroe to Hellifield, where we went into the loop to change engines. With window bars now in place, we could only hear Clun Castle move onto the front of the train: sight of it would have to wait until Appleby. It was a grey and drizzly day, so the climb would be a challenge with the GUV water carrier, 9 coaches and the ‘dead’ 47 behind us.
We started slowly out of the loop but picked up speed quickly, reaching 42 just beyond Long Preston, but then braked sharply for, we presumed, adverse signals at Settle Junction. We were down to 9 mph before we started off again, reaching 20 at the junction, 24 through Settle and on up the 1 in 100 in the twenties. We could hear the sharp four-cylinder bark from the fourth coach, with no hint of a slip. Reaching Helwith Bridge at 28, I had hoped we would gain more speed on the level stretch; However after reaching 33 we slowed again for a slack through Horton, and thereafter we stayed in the 20s all the way up to Blea Moor Tunnel. 47 was our maximum across the tops to Ais Gill but then we were up in the 60s down Mallerstang and on to Appleby, reached 20 minutes late.
At last we were able to get a glimpse of our locomotive before it took its train into the siding for the layover. The rain did not relent until, two hours later, the 47 led the train back into the platform for our departure. We enjoyed a lively run at around 60 down the hill to Petteril Bridge Junction on the outskirts of Carlisle, reached five minutes early, The station area was out of bounds to us due to engineering work, so we turned left round the tight curve to Upperby, where we stopped for water.
We made a steady start up the West Coast main line, reaching 54 at Plumpton and 61 before Penrith, but we were checked through the station, passed at 44. We reached 59 after Thrimby Grange and stayed in the 50s all the way up to Shap Summit at a minimum of 53. We rollicked down the other side in the early 70s, continued in the 60s through the Lune Gorge and topped Grayrigg at 61. On we flew in the 60s and 70s for mile after mile through Oxenholme and Lancaster and almost all the way to Preston. Progress thereafter was slower, but we managed 71 through Wigan North Western. Thereafter my recording ceased but we were soon back at Crewe and I was able to get my first view all day of the locomotive while Clun Castle took water for its final leg back to Birmingham. Despite the poor weather it had been an excellent day out with a beautiful locomotive – congratulations to all who made the tour possible.
Category:
Subcategory:
Subcategory Detail:
Keywords:
© Peter Hewitt's Transport Pictures
