RTC TAKES TO COAST

Half a million tons of landslip takes some fixing - and with the Settle-Carlisle still severed, the now traditional playground of the ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ remains off limits. Undeterred, Nigel Dobbing’s Railway Touring Company holds firm to its belief in running northern fells trains during the colder months, albeit in reduced numbers. They’ll follow the now-established precedent of running round the Cumbrian coast, instead of the ‘Long Drag’, with a blast over Shap. The traditional Manchester Carlisle opener with Ian Riley’s ‘Black Fives’ is on January 21, while those that start electric-hauled from Euston are on January 28 and March 3 and 25. With steam on from Carnforth, those latter are expected to use 10A power for the run between there and the ‘border city’. Will these coast trips follow the ‘WCME’ tradition and become the ‘Winter Cumbrian Coast Express’? Maybe not. “It’s just a ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ running in winter, isn’t it?” Nigel responded when I asked. As for the ‘S&C’ itself, work on the £23 million fix at Eden Brows near Armathwaite is ongoing: the line is expected to reopen throughout in the spring.