Stormy weather over the ‘S&C’
MIKE HEDDERLY concludes his coverage of the February 8 ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’, which was beset by a taste of the stormy weather to come…
In SR504, I described No. 46115’s northbound run over Shap on the ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ of February 8, as Storm Ciara was brewing. This time I shall cover its southbound run the same day, back as far as Preston via the ‘S&C’. It is a sobering thought that with the widespread disruption to travel caused by Ciara the following day, it would have been impossible to run the train at all. Of course, that amount of disruption to the transport scene and life in general pales into insignificance compared with the ongoing consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On February 8, the turnaround time at Carlisle was a scant 1¾ hours, a tight margin when engine and support coach have to turn on the London Road Junction/Upperby Junction triangle and the locomotive has to be serviced and water taken in preparation for the journey south. The same crew who worked north were in charge for the southbound run: West Coast Railways’ Driver Mick Rawling and Fireman Martyn Soames. Thanks to commendable work from the signallers, No. 46115 was able to return to the head of its train in good time for a punctual departure at 12.55. The load was 11 coaches, including one Pullman car, making 404½ tons tare and 435 tons gross. The log appears in the left-hand column of Table 1.
WIND PICKING UP
A generally adverse south-west wind was strengthening and there was light rain at the start which cleared by Lazonby. Departure was on time and, with a generous 47 mins allowed for the 30¾ miles to Appleby, there was no need for undue haste. Consequently, the ‘Scot’ was taken quite gently up the 1-in-132 through Scotby to Cumwhinton, the top of the initial climb which, after three quarters of a mile of level track, resumes just short of Howe’s Siding. It continues at 1-in-132 to a summit at Milepost 300¼, where speed fell to 31mph.
The undulations onward to the next minor summit at Milepost 295, beyond the Barons Wood Tunnels, kept speed in the mid-50s and on the subsequent descent to Lazonby 62½mph was reached.
Nevertheless, a full minute was dropped on schedule to Lazonby. The rise through Little Salkeld, partly at 1-in-132, caused speed to fall to 51½mph at Langwathby. The gentle rising gradient from there to Waste Bank Tunnel and subsequent level track allowed a recovery to 58½mph at Culgaith.
Another short rise at 1-in-132 produced a minimum of 52½mph at New Biggin, then the line levels off which enabled an
acceleration to 62½mph beyond Long Marton, at the foot of 1¾ miles at 1-in-120 to Milepost 278¼ where the minimum was 42mph before shutting off for the Appleby water stop. Despite this moderate running, arrival at Appleby was two minutes inside schedule.
In the centre and right-hand columns of Table 1, for comparison, are two runs with ‘V2’ 2-6-2 Green Arrow, at the time running in LNER livery as No. 4771. In the centre column, on a run dating from February 1991, the ‘V2’ had a similar trailing load to the ‘Scot’ but in much calmer wintry weather, with just a light southerly wind, though it snowed after Appleby and there was lying snow on the ground as we climbed towards Ais Gill.
Driver Doubtfire of Skipton was in charge. Starting 19½ mins late from Carlisle, he made no attempt to keep the sharp (in view of the 60mph speed limit) 39-minute schedule to Appleby. Uphill speeds were initially lower than Scots Guardsman’s
but the Gresley machine was opened up to some effect at Howe’s Siding, where speed fell only from 35½ to 34mph at Milepost 300¼, compared with 31mph by the ‘Scot’.
Kirby Thore signal box did not exist at this time, though its location close to Milepost 282 enables an equivalent passing time to be determined. There was a permanent speed restriction (actually to 30mph) in force in this vicinity at the time, which was not closely observed on this run. After recovering to 48mph at Long Marton, a drop in speed only to only 39mph up the 1-in-120 betokened good work, but overall there was a further loss of 10 mins on schedule.
It may have been just coincidence but the ‘V2’s’ performance improved considerably after Appleby and I suspect that the inspector, whose name, unfortunately I was not able to record, had taken over at the regulator.
STORMY WEATHER
In the right-hand column of Table 1 is a ‘V2’ run dating from February 1989. Not only did this feature a very full 12-coach train, including one Pullman car, but marshalled behind the engine for train-heating purposes was an ‘Ethel’ – remember those? They were hated by lineside photographers but welcomed by train timers as the extra 64 tons weight necessitated that the locomotive worked harder, so Green Arrow’s train on this occasion was the equivalent of 14 coaches in weight. The weather was truly atrocious – the ‘S&C’ at its worst – with a Force 7 south-west wind and driving rain.
The Carlisle crew comprised driver Jack Eden, fireman Paul Kane and inspector McClelland. The 12.42 service train to Leeds was delayed until 13.02, a combination of waiting for a connection together with the partial motive power failure of Brush ‘Type 4’ No. 47649 which was eventually provided with a Class 37 pilot. So it was inevitable that, departing only four minutes behind the 12.42 (ourselves already 11¾ mins late), the long signal sections on the line would cause us further delay and it can be seen from the log that the first signal stop occurred as early as Petteril Bridge Junction.
Since there was no point in hurrying, with long signal sections ahead, matters were taken very easily to the next signal stop at Low House Crossing. Thereafter, given the additional load and the weather conditions it can be seen that the speeds held up well against the comparisons in columns 1 and 2.
The permanent restriction in the Kirby Thore area was strictly observed and this naturally impeded the climb to Milepost 278¼. At Appleby, the locomotive was detached and went for water at the nearby dairy, which was common for steam excursions in the 1980s. A stop of 50 mins had been allowed at Appleby but this was cut to 35 mins, making departure only 16¼ mins late.
After an initial dip at 1-in-176 down to the River Eden bridge at Ormside, the line climbs continuously at 1-in-100 to Ais Gill Summit, save for brief easings between Griseburn and Crosby Garrett Tunnel (1-in-166/200), a very brief respite after Kirkby Stephen and almost a mile at 1-in-330 after Birkett Tunnel, through Mallerstang.
‘V2’ VS ‘SCOT’
In the centre column, No. 4771, similarly loaded but in more clement conditions, bettered Scots Guardsman’s time to the summit by a full 3 mins, gaining a full minute on the last stretch between Mallerstang and the top and falling only to 39mph. In the right-hand column, and with the heavier load, No. 4771’s start out to Ormside was almost identical to that of the ‘Scot’ but the gradient soon took effect and speed fell to 27½mph at Griseburn, compared with 34mph for the ‘Scot and 39mph for the ‘V2’ in the centre column.
On No. 4771’s run with the heavier train, conditions were gruelling with the wind tearing the exhaust from the chimney on exposed sections as the locomotive battled with the elements, as well as the gradient. Speed fell to only 21½mph exiting Birkett Tunnel, but now a supreme effort was made, rallying to 33½mph on the easing of the grade through Mallerstang.
Above this point the train was in the lee of the mountainside and the great roar from the chimney was unforgettable as the ‘V2’ stormed up the final 1-in-100 to the summit in great style, with the rain lashing down, falling only to 29mph. It was a truly heroic performance!
I recall that when that fine Carlisle steam man Gordon Hodgson was reminiscing on his retirement from the footplate, he nominated the ‘V2’ as his favourite locomotive to work on – doubtless he had many experiences of tackling the even fiercer gradients of the Waverley route on which these engines seemed so much at home.
In the right-hand column with the heavier load, Green Arrow had a booked stop at Garsdale and took on further water there.
Its time of 41 mins 35 secs from Appleby reflected a loss of 1½ mins on schedule, while the other two runs were non-stop. The rest of the performances to Hellifield call for little comment. The current 30mph permanent restriction through Dent did not apply when the ‘V2‘ runs were made.
No. 46115 dropped 5¼ mins on schedule despite some speedy work downhill, while Green Arrow’s run in the centre column was very easily timed and the locomotive was able to make considerable gains. It too had taken water at Appleby dairy and had departed from the station 35 mins late. It was running non-stop thence to Skipton North Sidings for an engine change, reached in 76 mins 50 secs against an over-generous schedule of 100 mins for the 55.60 miles from Appleby and arrived there only 12 mins behind time.
Table 2 features the continuation to Preston of Scots Guardsman’s run on February 8. The line, over which no booked passenger trains run north of Clitheroe, is downhill overall, following the Ribble Valley as far as Whalley. Speed limits in the 45-50mph range apply as far as Clitheroe. After a downhill start from Hellifield the line is level at first until a brief rise at 1-in-176 to Newsholme and a steeper drop, at 1-in-101, for two miles through Rimington. There follows a descent at 1-in-176 from Chatburn through Clitheroe, continuing at 1-in-127 beyond for a short way until a level section leads to the foot of Whalley Bank, 3 miles at 1-in-82 followed by 1½ curving miles at 1-in-88/68 to Ramsgreave Summit.
The schedule was generous and No. 46115 gained nearly ten minutes by Whalley after leaving Hellifield 7¼ mins late. After a demanding climb, during which speed fell to 20mph at the summit, the adverse wind again impeded progress and there was a signal stop before Daisyfield Junction. Despite this, Blackburn was passed on time. A pleasant spell of downhill running followed, well within the 70mph line limit, and despite further signal checks approaching Preston, Scots Guardsman was able to arrive there 1 min early.
ERRATUM
Reader Joanne Crompton has pointed out that the fireman on No. 46115’s run on February 8, described in SR504’s ‘Top Link’ was Martyn Soames and not Chris Holmes. My apologies to all concerned.
It is sometimes difficult to ascertain crew identities amid the general crush of onlookers around the locomotive cab, not to mention the ambient noise!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to the following correspondents who have commented or contacted me about recent trips – Sandy Smeaton and Doug Landau. I am always pleased to receive such details so they can be considered for inclusion in future ‘Top Link’ columns. They can be emailed to me directly at mthedderly@btinternet.com
WITH THE WIDESPREAD DISRUPTION TO TRAVEL CAUSED BY CIARA THE FOLLOWING DAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO RUN THE TRAIN AT ALL