WITH FULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW
In his latest column, Don Benn reports on the running of the first London-based ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ of 2020 with LMS Royal Scot 4-6-0 No. 46115 Scots Guardsman and a southbound run over Shap behind BR Britannia Pacific No. 70039 Sir Christopher Wr
FIRST this time are two runs with No. 46115 Scots Guardsman battling the weather and the Fells with Railwaytouring Company’s (Rtc)‘cumbrian Mountain Express’(cme) – on February 8 this year, and set alongside it in Table One, a trip from February 22, 2014.
The usual load is 11 coaches but for some reason the load for the 2014 run was 12 coaches, a substantial 475 tons full for this class seven locomotive on a very blustery day. Gordon Hodgson and Chris Holmes had charge and the schedule then was 72 minutes rather than the more normal 77 minutes which applied to the recent run.
Mick Rawling and Martin Soames were the crew on February 8 and they had to contend with weather which was even worse than the 2014 run, but had one coach less at 440 tons full. Their net time was a very good 68 minutes compared with 72 minutes on the 2014 run, which kept the schedule though the four minutes difference was rather more than explained by the extra coach.
Shapstormedinstyle
I wasn’t on the recent run but I know that quite a few of the timing fraternity were, including Sandy Smeaton, whose detail appears in Table One and who comments as follows:“after the cancellation of the February 1 trip, this was the first‘winter CME’OF the year and West Coast Railways turned out No. 46115 Scots Guardsman for the occasion.
“From Carnforth loop, the load was 11 coaches, 405½ tons tare and about 440 tons gross. The crew comprised driver Mick Rawling and fireman Martin Soames. Fortunately, Storm Ciara, forecast for the weekend, did not take a proper grip on the country’s weather until Saturday night, but the‘scot’s’partially open Fowler cab could not have been the most comfortable of places to be on the windier sections. We moved out of Carnforth loop marginally early and passed milepost 9½ at a healthy 39mph with a maximum of 68½mph at milepost 13. Oxenholme was passed at 55mph and milepost 23 at 46mph, before the regulator was shut for the short 20mph temporary speed restriction between mileposts 21½ and 21¾. From a minimum of 18½, speed recovered to 29½mph at milepost 26 and acceleration continued through the Lune Gorge to a maximum of 75mph at milepost 31½. Tebay was passed at 71mph, Scout Green at 47mph and the minimum before Shap Summit was 30½mph. The time from milepost 31½ to milepost 37¼ was 6m 54.4s (No. 46115’s best time for this section to date being 6m 33s). Down to Carlisle, the running sparkled producing a start to stop time of 70m 15s, 6¾ minutes inside the 77 minute schedule, stopping nine early.”
The start out of Carnforth on the 2014 run was just 25 seconds slower to Yealand summit than the recent run, but then we gradually lost ground, being one minute 27 seconds behind at Oxenholme after nothing higher than 63½mph, and two minutes six seconds behind at Hay Fell. The minimum over Grayrigg was 35mph, but then instead of the usual sprint through the Lune Gorge No. 46115 meandered along at around 60mph, before passing Tebay at 61½mph with the engine now being worked hard. This compares with the 75mph, which Sandy recorded before passing Tebay at 71mph.
I wondered at the time whether Scots Guardsman was short of steam through the Lune Gorge and if so, how low speed would drop on Shap as a result of the lack of impetus to tackle the 1-in-75. I need not have worried as speed only dropped to 30½mph, before the roar from up front increased to a crescendo and speed actually rose slightly to 32mph, before dropping to a minimum of 31½ at the top of the 1-in-75 at milepost 37¼ – a splendid effort with such a huge load and outclassing the recent run. From milepost 36, I recorded successive speed readings of 32.1, 31.9, 31.7, 31.0, 30.7, 30.8, 31.5,
“BR Standard Britannia No. 70010 Owen Glendower backed on to take us forward 14 late. It ran well, reaching 76mph prior to passing Warrington Bank Quay in 26 minutes 29 seconds for the 24.10 miles. Two temporary speed restrictions followed, the second at Springs Branch Junction, though this was the prelude to a storming climb to Boars Head, where the minimum was 46mph after only 51 through Wigan, the sounds of which were duly committed to tape.”
32.1 and 31.3mph at milepost 37¼. Estimating an equivalent drawbar horsepower figure over such a short distance is subject to error, but I think it was around 1800, which is a high figure for a class 7 engine.
Both runs entertained with the usual fast run down to Carlisle, though the 2014 trip suffered two slight temporary speed restrictions – before Harrisons sidings and at Penrith. I was very satisfied with my run which in the circumstances was a sterling effort but the recent run was also a very good performance.
Return over Ais Gill
THE first part of the return run on February 8 is shown in Table Two and once again I am indebted to Sandy
Smeaton for the details. Sandy describes the run from Carlisle to Appleby, Hellifield and on to Preston:“the crew was unchanged for the return trip, making it a long day for the fireman. Departure for the Settlecarlisle (S&C) line was on time. Nothing heavier than Class 158 DMUS had preceded us over the S&C that day and climbing passed Scotby, there was some slipping so Cumwhinton was passed at 28mph only and the minimum at Cotehill (MP300) 30½mph. Nevertheless, Appleby was reached in 45 minutes against the 47 allowed. After taking water, we left slightly early reaching a maximum of 51½mph at milepost
275. Thereafter, the speed profile to Ais Gill was 35/49/33/41½/29½mph and the time from milepost 275 to 259¾ was 23 minutes 57 seconds. On February 7, 2009, No. 46115 with 12 on took only 20 minutes, but on February 22, 2014, also with 12 on, took 24 minutes 40 seconds, though with two temporary speed restrictions.
“Nearly four minutes had been lost on the schedule when Ais Gill Summit was passed. Only 61 minutes were allowed from Appleby to Hellifield and a further 1¼ minutes were lost, despite running downhill as fast as the line limit reasonably permitted. The landslip temporary speed restriction at Scale Gill also cost some time. Arrival into Hellifield loop was five late. The restart was 7½ late passing two signals at danger with permission due to a persisting problem with Hellifield’s
signalling. Clitheroe was passed only about a minute late and with a clear run at Wilpshire Bank, Langho was passed at 34 with a minimum at the Summit of 21. Despite a dead stand for four minutes before Daiseyfield Junction – the 3.23pm York-blackpool was running seven late – we eventually ran down to the West Coast Main Line and Preston, arriving a minute early. No. 46115 came off to return to Carnforth and No. 86259 Les Ross came on to the south end of the train to work it back to Euston, arriving nine late.”
The‘cme’remains one of the best days out with steam on the main line, almost guaranteed to produce an excellent diesel-free performance from the team and locomotives at Carnforth. Long may it last!
Britannianorthtolancaster
My contribution from the past this time is my last run with steam on the main line in the BR era. Following the end of Southern steam in July 1967, I made just the one foray‘up north’to sample steam before it ended.the main reasons were that I was about to be married and working hard to accumulate enough money to buy our new-build house, but also because to me at that stage I felt that nothing should taint the sacred memories of those amazing exploits of Bulleid’s Pacifics (see‘twilight of Southern Steam – The untold story 1965-1967’, Pen & Sword). Nevertheless I found myself at Euston on the morning of Saturday, August 26, 1967 on board the 10.55am Euston to Barrow, which the grapevine told me would be steam-hauled from Crewe north.
Our 10-coach train of old stock – 325/345 tons – left 10 late, hauled by AL6 (Class 86) No. E3176 and we ran well to pass Rugby in just under an hour, maximum 100mph at Kilsby Tunnel north, but encountered a number of signal checks restricting our time to the Crewe stop to 124 minutes 15 seconds for the 158 miles, or 114 minutes net.
Here steam locomotives Nos. 44679, 45349, 48412, 44832, 45145 and 44711 were noted before BR Standard Britannia No. 70010 Owen Glendower backed on to take us forward 14 late. It ran well, reaching 76mph prior to passing Warrington Bank Quay in 26 minutes 29 seconds for the 24.10 miles. Two temporary speed restrictions followed, the second at Springs Branch Junction, though this was the prelude to a storming climb to Boars Head, where the minimum was 46mph after only 51 through Wigan, the sounds of which were duly committed to tape. Preston, 50.95 miles was reached on 59 minutes 54 seconds, a gain of over eight minutes on the schedule.
Continuation to Lancaster reached eight late after initial checks was also good, with speed reaching 76mph at Scorton. At Lancaster, we left the Barrow train to board the Liverpool to Glasgow train, which I had hoped might be steam but was in fact headed by Brush Type 4 (Class 47) No. D1851. We were checked all the way to Grayrigg, presumably by the van train hauled by No. 45285, which we passed in the loop there, but then ran up to 78mph at Tebay, topping Shap at 48½mph. No. 75039 was at Tebay no doubt waiting to bank the aforementioned vans up to Shap.
The2pmfromglasgow
We alighted at Penrith in order to catch the 2pm Glasgow to Liverpool train, which was a definite for steam that summer. While waiting, No. 45285 appeared, again storming past being thrashed into speed just as our train south was arriving. This all made for another lovely tape recording.
Our engine was BR Standard Class 7 No. 70039 Sir Christopher Wren and the load was 11 for 374 tons tare or about 410 tons full. In this last summer of steam over the Fells, the train had a fair number of enthusiasts on board, no doubt inspiring the locomotive crews to fine performances. This was no exception and we got away a minute-and-a-half late for a good climb to Shap. Table Three shows the details of the run as far as Oxenholme.
After 50mph at Eden Valley Junction and with the engine blowing off steam, speed settled down to a steady 40-41mph up the unrelenting 1-in-125 past Thrimby Grange to milepost 41, where the gradient eases to 1-in-142 to the main summit at milepost 40. Speed was 43mph here and after 47½ on the level at Shap station, dropped to 44 on the 1-in-106/130 to the summit. We then enjoyed an exhilarating dash down to Tebay, before the brakes came on to steady the speed and then for a temporary speed restriction at Low Gill and restrained running before a signal check and stop at Oxenholme nine-and-a-half minutes early.
Our time from Penrith had been five seconds less than 39 minutes or 37 minutes net for the 32.10 miles, a good performance. The high standard of running continued to Preston where our arrival was nearly five minutes early. Here I took the 7.06pm to Crewe behind Brush Type 4 No. D1954 and then the 8.22pm to Euston with AL6 No. E3168 on 11 for 410 tons, arriving on time after 65 minutes exactly from Rugby and a signal stop outside. 103mph was reached twice.
Next time my column will be a tribute to A4 No. 60009 Union of South Africa which is to be retired from the main line just after that issue appears on the shelves.
# I must correct a couple of errors in the log of
No. 4472 Flying Scotsman from Luton to St Pancras on February 23, 1969 as shown in the last issue. The correct time at Napsbury was 13 minutes 17 seconds from the Luton restart and 14 minutes 11 seconds at Milepost 17. I obviously had (yet another) senior moment or two when translating data from over 50 years ago. Apologies to any train timers amongst my readers who may still be trying to make some sense of the point to point averages.
“Oxenholme was passed at 55mph and milepost 23 at 46mph, before the regulator was shut for the short 20mph temporary speed restriction between mileposts 21½ and 21¾. From a minimum of 18½, speed recovered to 29½mph at milepost 26 and acceleration continued through the Lune Gorge to a maximum of 75mph at milepost 31½.”