Three Peaks with a difference
The Branch Line Society is acting as a booking agent for a threeday trip, operated by Locomotive Services Limited that will raise money for the Railway Children charity. Called ‘Three Peaks from a Seat 2021’ this special will run from June 10-12.
Each year, the charity provides a fundraising event, sponsored by Porterbrook, to transport walkers by rail between the mountains of Snowdon, Scafell and Ben Nevis. There have often been requests for some seats for enthusiasts to enjoy the trip, but sadly there has never been room. This year is different as the main event has been postponed to September 2021 but the train will still run – as a rail tour for anyone! With this in mind it has an amended itinerary, but there are more than 1,200 miles of double-headed Class 37 haulage in Mk 3 First Class coaches on offer. All profits will be donated to the Railway Children so it can continue its amazing work for street children here in the UK as well as in India and East Africa.
Coronavirus has increased the demand on Railway Children’s services, but at the same time the charity’s income has been drastically reduced with the cancellation of many of its events, including the Railway Ball and the Three Peaks Challenge by Rail.
The three-day plan will start with the ‘Malvern Mountaineer’ on Thursday June 10, with two 37s starting at Crewe (circa 1030) and running a circular tour via Tame Bridge Parkway, Kidderminster, Gloucester and Severn Tunnel Junction to Hereford for a short break and then on via Worcester Foregate Street, the Lickey Incline, Birmingham NS, Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley back to Crewe. The following day will start at 0745 from Crewe and heads to Holyhead, Llandudno and then to Carlisle via Helsby, Carnforth and Maryport. The Saturday will be the ‘Haggis, Peaks and Tractors’ that will start from Carlisle just before 0700 and head via the ECML across Glasgow and on to Oban for a 90-minute break. It will then return all the way back to Crewe. A buffet car
will be available on the three days offering snacks, light refreshments, and drinks. There will be a charity raffle each day. You can find out more about the charity at www.railwaychildren.org.uk.
Seating will be allocated in line with Government guidelines and the BLS’s Travel Safe procedures. Where possible, families, household groups and those in ‘social bubbles’ from separate households should make a single booking for their entire party. Passengers will be required to arrange their own overnight accommodation in Crewe and Carlisle and it is important for all bookings that you state where you intend to join and alight (this is for coach stewarding purposes and can be changed subsequently by notification).
Four days and LOTS to track from the BLS!
The Branch Line Society has announced four one-day charters for July 2-5 featuring a host of track and traction. All four trains will be raising funds for Martin House Hospice. The charters start on July 2 with the ‘Europort Explorer’. This train will be operated by DB Cargo using the SRPS Mk 1 rake and will feature two DBC Class 66s topand-tailing all day. It will start at Edinburgh around 0900 and head west to Glasgow Central via Shotts, before travelling down the Ayrshire coast to Prestwick, then turning east towards Kirkconnel and taking the Glasgow & South Western to Carlisle and on via Settle to reach Leeds. After reversal at Leeds, the train will make a trip over the track bashers’ much sought after Wakefield Europort freight terminal, with thanks to Maritime and DB Cargo. It will then run to York where the train will terminate at roughly 1945.
On July 3 the ‘Sinfin Syphon’ will again use the SRPS stock and DBC as the TOC, but the traction for this will be two Class 37s from the DRS fleet. It will start at York at 0700 and head firstly to Sheffield via Doncaster and Retford before heading down the Midland Main Line to Derby and on to the Sinfin branch. There, thanks to Rolls-Royce, it expects to enter the oil terminal. After visiting St Andrews Siding, the train will reverse at Chaddesden Yard and again at Beeston, to proceed to the Marks & Spencer Distribution Centre at Castle Donington and the recently opened East Midlands Gateway freight terminal. Next on the agenda is a trip to the Toton area to visit Old Bank Sidings, before continuing on through Creswell to Worksop to reverse. To end the day, the train will take the South Yorkshire Joint Line through Dinnington to Kirk Sandall Junction to reverse and cover unusual lines in the Doncaster area, before setting down and returning to York via Selby Canal Curve.
On July 4, the ‘Cromford and High Peak Explorer’ will again feature two DRS Class 37s in top-and-tail mode. Another York starter, this time circa 0730, the train will first head to Brightside via Doncaster, before continuing to Huddersfield via Penistone, a long-held aspiration for Class 37 haulage. Next on the agenda will be a trip via Rochdale to reach Tarmac’s Tunstead Works, where access to private owner infrastructure has been secured. It is expected that the charter will be piloted in this area. After reversal at Avenue Sidings (near Guide Bridge), there will be the rare chance to enjoy a loco-hauled train to both Glossop and Hadfield before heading to Sheffield and back to York via Doncaster.
The final trip of the quartet of charters will be on July 5: the ‘Great Corby Syphon’, which will return the coaches to their Bo’ness base. This train will start with top-and-tail DRS Class 37s to Carlisle and two DB Cargo 66s from there to Falkirk Grahamston. Naturally, the route will not be a direct run. Starting at York, it will go to Leeds and Harrogate before proceeding to Darlington and then taking to the Durham coast to visit Hartlepool Docks (with huge thanks to PD Ports) and then on to Newcastle, before turning west towards Carlisle. After the loco swap, the train will continue via the WCML to Glasgow Csentral. It is then planned to cover some bits of rare track in the Glasgow area before reaching Falkirk Grahamston. During the day there will be a charity raffle with a range of fantastic prizes. Seating will be allocated in line with Government guidelines and BLS’s Travel Safe procedures. As mentioned, the trains are all raising funds for Martin House Hospice and you can find out more about the hospice by visiting www. martinhouse.org.uk