Jubilee hauls twicedelayed ‘Jubilee’ trip!
TWICE postponed due to Covid-19, the Railway Touring Company finally ran a London-to-Buxton trip during The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend on Saturday, June 4 – with an LMS Jubilee!
Originally planned to use A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado throughout, it was always going to be ambitious. However, changed circumstances nevertheless produced an unusual and entertaining day for both a soldout train and onlookers (of which there were many).
The ‘Jubilee Buxton Spa Express’ was diesel-hauled from Ealing Broadway, giving way to steam at Barrow Hill just north of Chesterfield, where Jubilee No.45596 Bahamas, which had earlier in the morning run south from its home base at Ingrow on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, took over for a spirited run via Sheffield, the Hope Valley, and Peak Forest to Buxton.
It was in the capable hands of West Coast Railways driver Mick Rawling and firemen brothers Charlie and Nigel Barber, their father having been a footplate man at Hasland shed and who had worked over the routes many times in steam days.
A reduced-frequency service on the former LNWR route out of Buxton via Whaley Bridge meant the return journey ran via Stockport and Denton, before retracing its steps via the Hope Valley, Dore west-to-south curve, and the Midland Main Line to London. No. 45596 left the train at Leicester before running to the Nene Valley Railway for stabling until the next RTC job to York a week later.
The tour was also significant for Bahamas and the Bahamas Locomotive Society in several ways. The trip was almost exactly 49 years since No. 5596 (as it then was, painted in an ‘interesting’ shade of LMS maroon that was hardly ‘crimson lake!’) made its only preservation run until now over the Hope Valley, in June 1973, between Guide Bridge and Sheffield, stabling and servicing at Grindleford in between.
It was also just over 54 years since its last visit to Buxton, which occurred somewhat covertly (and apparently unphotographed) in March 1968 as a running-in turn after axlebox repairs. The by-then preserved No. 5596 had run hot on the delivery journey from overhaul at the Hunslet Engine Co in Leeds to its last BR home of Stockport Edgeley shed (9B), the repair being effected with the use of Longsight shed’s wheeldrop. Due deference was paid on the locomotive’s whistle as the tour passed the site of Edgeley shed and Stockport station itself.
Being the jubilee bank holiday weekend, the tour attracted many photographers and general onlookers, filling platforms, bridges and other vantage points. It is pleasing to report that there were no incidences of trespass or other irresponsible behaviour.