The rest of the video shows train movements from track renewal further north between Bootle and Drigg with a Tamper move to the site followed by a procession of engineers train conveying reclaimed track panels and ballast. Variable weather conditions and a couple of night shots made filming problematic at times. This photo looked ghastly before I put it through photoshop! video here Kev
So I started 2020 in quite an optimistic mood having seen the schedule for steam galas, charter trains, interesting new rolling stock coming into passenger service plus some special freight trains..in the dark day months started filming Network test trains still with the venerable Class 37s in charge but it started to become apparent early March that the pandemic was going to bite. We managed to get the Macclesfield model railway show away just before the lockdown but after that it all ground to a halt. So there are two new videos on my youtube channel The first one is the 'dark day month' one with still quite an intersting mixture. seen are.. 01/01/2020 Askam in Furness DMU 156 480 in the RAF 100 anniversary livery on 2C35 Barrow-Sellafield 01/01/2020 Askam in Furness class 37 259 & 37 059 on 131X Derby RTC-Carlisle IM service 21/01/2020 Askam in Furness 37 059 & 37 259 Derby RTC-Carlisle IM service 16/02/2020 Dalton in Furness a very smoky 57 001 on 0Z56 Carnforth-Sellafield Route proving train after Storm Denis 16/02/2020 Askam in Furness 57 001 0Z56 16/02/2020 Askam in Furness 57 001 0Z57 Sellafield-Carnforth Route proving 16/02/2020 Pennington 57 001 0Z57 Sellafield-Carnforth Route proving 18/02/2020 Askam in Furness 37 409 Lord Hinton and 37 424 Avro Vulcan on 146H Derby RTC-Carlisle IM service 27/02/2020 Crewe 56 090 on ballasts headed north 28/02/2020 Crewe Station 67 001 on 1D10 Crewe-Holyhead 28/02/2020 Crewe Station 57 308 Jamie Ferguson 0C57 Crewe-Preston Thunderbird 13/03/2020 Plumley 66 137 691H Knowsley-Wilton waste train 13/03/2020 Plumley 60 021 6E10 Tuebrook-Drax Biomass 13/03/2020 Plumley 70 003 6H35 Runcorn Folly Lane-Northenden waste train 13/03/2020 Plumley 66 112 632J Peak Forest-Dallam stone 13/03/2020 Plumley 70 016 621L Hardendale-Tunstead Quarry stone 21/03/2020 Park South 88 007 Electra on 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 21/03/2020 Furness Abbey 88 007 Electra 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS so we have Classes 37, 56,57,50,66,67 68,70 and 88. Not a bad mix So as the lockdown eased the U.K enjoyed a protracted period of beautiful weather and as were allowed out to exercise i took the opportunity to get out witm my cameras. As I said the expected charter trains had bit the dust and the regular passenger services had been decimated. Howver the rail company I work for ran all the trains expected as we had to keep the power stations operating. I chose to concentrate on recording trains in the Cumbrian landscape . The skies were blue, the lansdcape was greening up, there were no passenger jets flying overhead and the roads were quiet! This was the result you will notice that some of these trains are 'Top and tailed'. A recent storm collapsed a 100 year old bridge on the Cumbrian Coast line at a place called Parton. This cut the line completely north of Whitehaven which meant all the Nuclear services had to come South with the ones for the Northern Power stations having to reverse at Carnforth. it is a lot easier if the train crew can just change ends rather than run round 23/04/2020 Askam in Furness 37 403 Isle of Mull and 37 424 Avro Vulcan Derby RTC-Carlisle 09/05/2020 Barrow in Furness 88 009 Diana and 68 002 Intrepid 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 12/05/2020 Askam in Furness 37 254 Cardiff Canton 3Q92 Barrow C.S-York Thrall Europa 13/05/2020 Askam in Furness 68 004 Rapid and 68 016 Fearless 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 13/05/2020 Furness Abbey Tunnel (my favourite new place once I discovered the secret pathway to it) 69 004 Rapid and 68 016 Fearless 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 13/05/2020 Furness Abbey Tunnel 68 001 Evolution and 88 005 Minerva 6C46 Sellafield-Kingmoor 15/05/2020 Furness Abbey 68 004 Rapid and 68 002 Intrepid 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 15/05/2020 Thwaite Flats 69 004 Rapid and 68 002 Intrepid 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 15/05/2020 Lindal (A590) 68 001 Evolution and 88 009 Diana 6C22 Carlisle Kingmoor-Sellafield 15/05/2020 Askam in Furness 69 001 Evolution and 88 009 Diana 6C22 Carlisle Kingmoor-Sellafield 16/05/2020 Park South 88 009 Diana and 68 002 Intrepid 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 16/05/2020 Furness Abbey Tunnel 89 009 Diana and 68 002 Intrepid 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 20/05/2020 Kirkby in Furness 88 009 Diana and 68 001 Evolution 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 20/05/2020 Kirkby in Furness 68 002 Intrepid and 68 004 Rapid 6C22 Seaton-Sellafield 22/05/2020 Plumpton 88 008 Ariadne and 68 001 Evolution 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 26/05/2020 Dunneroam 68 004 Rapid and 68 002 Intrepid Sellafield-Kingmoor DRS 27/05/2020 Kirkby in Furness 68 001 Evolution and 88 008 Ariadne 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 27/05/2020 Kirkby in Furness 68 018 Vigilant and 88 004 Pandora 6C22 Seaton-Sellafield 29/05/2020 Park South 88 008 Ariadne and 68 001 Evolution 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 30/05/2020 Thwaites Flats 68 001 Evolution and 88 008 Ariadne 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 30/05/2020 Furness Abbey Tunnel 68 001 Evolution and 88 008 Ariadne 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 02/06/2020 Askam in Furness (White bridge) 88 006 Juno and 68 017 Hornet 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 02/06/2020 Askam in Furness 66 118 and 66 094 334Q Carlisle NY-Carlisle NY Weedkiller 02/06/2020 Lindal in Furness 66 118 and 66 094 334Q Carlisle NY-Carlisle NY Weedkiller Kev
The first photo looks ghastly, especially the floating skulls. (Actually your bad is my best on my worst day. Say that three times without smiling .)
really excellent video. I'm curious - UK trains aren't required to whistle approaching platforms or level crossings at speed?
Hi Philip. They are only required to sound the horn when they approach a'Whistle board' usually positioned before Tunnels, ungated crossings etc. They can obviously use them as a warning if they see anybody 'on or near the line'. If it is a railway worker, who should be there and is wearing Hi-Viz orange they are required to acknowledge the horn by raising one arm whereupon the driver wil give a second blast to say he has seen them do it. All this is in the rule book we are all issued with, My current one is 3 inches thick and covers just about everything! Because I work for the railway you will notice on some of my videos some additional horn blasts. This is because one of the drivers has spotted its me! Mike Wylie was one of the worst offenders of this even to the point of sticking his head out of the window and shouting 'Hiyah Kev' while I'm filming! Kev
So last night I was editing the latest youtube video when I realised I never posted the link to the June-July one. I know some of you are subscribers and will have seen it anyway. I'd been out to try some different locations including the island platform at Foxfield station and also the coast line at Braystones, north of Sellafield, where the single line section hugs the coastal cliffs. Interesting trains inlude the weed killer train, where the normally self-propelled MPV obviously has issues and is top and tailed with a pair of class 66s and 37 219 'Jonty Jarvis' fitted with the de-mountable test equipment. The shots at Plumpton involved three cameras. The two Panasonics on tripods and the Canon EOS in video mode 'hand held' roll call is as follows 05/06/2020 Foxfield 88 006 & 68 017 Juno 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 06/06/2020 Foxfield 68 002 & 68 004 Intrepid 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 06/06/2020 Plumpton 195 126 1C51 Manchester Airport-Barrow in Furness 06/06/2020 Plumpton 195 116 1U80 Barrow in Furness-Manchester Airport 06/06/2020 Plumpton 68 002 & 68 004 Intrepid 6K73 Sellafield-Crewe CLS 09/06/2020 Dalton in Furness 195 116 1C54 Manchester Airport-Barrow in Furness 09/06/2020 Dalton in Furness 66 723 Chinook 0C66 Route leaning Carlisle NY-Carlisle NY 09/06/2020 Askam in Furness 66 723 Chinook 0C66 Route leaning Carlisle NY-Carlisle NY 15/06/2020 Lindal in Furness 66 199 & 66 139 371X MPV 98912 Wigan L.I.P-Carlisle NY 15/06/2020 Askam in Furness 66 199 & 66 139 371X MPV 98912 Wigan L.I.P-Carlisle NY 18/06/2020 Askam in Furness 37 423 7 37 407 Spirit of the Lakes 199C terminated Ulverston Carlisle Wapping to Blackpool North 25/06/2020 Braystones 68 017 & 68 003 2C51 Routed North Sellafield-Heysham 14/07/2020 Kirkby in Furness 37 219 Jonty Jarvis 095P Demountable test equipment Carlisle NY-Carlisle NY via Barrow 14/07/2020 Foxfield 37 219 Jonty Jarvis 095P Demountable test equipment Carlisle NY-Carlisle NY via Barrow video here The August video see the return of steam to the Cumbrian Coast, Hurrah!!! Kev
It is rather like coming out of winter as the U.K eases the lockdown brought in for the Pandemic. gradually the museums and preserved railways are starting to open up albeit in a social distanced fashion. Amongst the first were lines that had retained compartment stock rather than the open carriages used now, by being able to allocate compartments to family groups social distancing can be maintained but it does mean you have to book in advance. Some railways have decided not to run at all in 2020 but save their efforts for next year. On the main line all the charters trains and scheduled steam fell victim to the lockdown but two weeks ago a new enterprise 'Rail charter services' started to run a regular excursion train along the classis section of the famous 'Settle to Carlisle' line using LSLs heritage diesels When I took our Brooklyn to practice his camera skills we found 47 593 'Galloway Princess' on one end of the top and tailed train D6817 (Actually 37 521 on TOPS) in classic BR Green was on the north end On the freight side at DRS where I work we began a 12 week campaign taking stone trains into Drigg from a virtual quarry at Barrow Docks. Brand new VTG JNA open wagons top and tailed by EMD Class 66s 66 421 and 66 091 seen through the heat haze approach Kirkby in Furness with the empties as the Cumbrian fells rise in the distance slowly going through Kirkby station after negotiating the tight curve over the river Duddon
Another tight curve as the train inches along the Ramsden Dock Branch at Barrow 66 091 is one we have leased off rivals DB Cargo ( ex Ed Burkhardts EWS) due to a motive power shortage. It is freshly pained in our new 'Plain DRS' Livery So I promised steam. 46100 'Royal Scot' the loco that gave the class its name headed south from Carlisle to Crewe on the 'Lakelander' Making fine progress though Askam. Note the not, very, socially distanced crowd. It was all over facebook a couple of days before! After it passed a few of us headed over the hills to get it again at Lindal. in the middle of nowhere really there were dozens of people waiting for it. It was like a scene from 'Zulu Dawn'!
The trip was not without its dramas. on the way down to Carlisle it had started several lineside fires on the West Coast main Line. On the way back it has to be halted so a passenger taken ill on it could be transferred to an ambulance roll call for the video 07/08/2020 Kirkby Stephen West D6817 & 47 593 169Q Skipton-Appleby 07/08/2020 Appleby 47 593 & D6817 Galloway Princess 170Q Appleby-Skipton 07/08/2020 Appleby 66 083 616W New Biggin-Tees Dock 07/08/2020 Appleby D6817 & 47 593 171Q Skipton-Appleby 07/08/2020 Appleby 47 593 & D6817 Galloway Princess 172Q Appleby-Skipton 13/08/2020 Dalton in Furness 37 407 & 423 Blackpool Tower 136S Carlisle-Blackpool North 14/08/2020 Kirkby in Furness 66 421 & 091 Gresty Bridge TMD 676M Sellafield-Barrow ABP 14/08/2020 Barrow ABP 66 091 676M Sellafield-Barrow ABP 14/08/2020 Askam in Furness 66 091 651N Barrow ABP-Sellafield 15/08/2020 Askam in Furness 46100 Royal Scot 1Z63 Carlisle-Crewe 15/08/2020 Lindal in Furness 46100 Royal Scot 1Z63 Carlisle-Crewe
Kev, the throaty exhaust of the 37 Class is delightful, so unique. How is the 37 Class exhaust system different from other, later engines?
A lot smaller. The limited U.K loading gauge didn't help. I still recall when the Clas 66s turned up from EMD and were immediately christened the ' Whispering death' as you couldn't here them coming!
The steam is impressive as always! I also really enjoy the styling and character of all the locos you have been posting. Thank you for sharing them!
Traffic on the southern end of the Cumbrian Coast line in the second half of August was dominated by the thrice weekly stone working from Barrow Docks to Drigg LLWR. The standard pair of class 66s in DRS Plain Blue, 421 and 091, are seen at various vantage points including Askam in Furness ( both the station and White bridge), Sowerby lodge, Park South, in atrocious weather at Salthouse Junction, Dunneroam, Sandscale crossing and from the Slag bank on the approach to Barrow. This area was once a maze of tracks at the north end of the vast Barrow steelworks. I'm standing on a lower level of the slag bank that towers high above behind me Punctuating them are a network rail test train hauled by Colas class 37 219 'Jonty Jarvis' and we finish with the Black 5 45231 'Sherwood Forester' hauled 'Lakelander' excursion. Now these trains have become immensly popular with the general public as word spreads on social media that they are coming through (Curse facebook!) and it won't be long before Askam wil be impossible to film at Brooklyn and I shot over the hill and went somewhere the public don't know to get it again video at I've already started noticing that he nights are getting darker and I suspect filming is not going to be so easy soon. Sadly with every model railway show this season cancelled I'm not going to get very far filming this fall. Still, better luck next year Kev
I had a couple of days leave to use up in September and decided to get across the the Settle & Carlisle to catch the last week of the Rail Charter services trains along with some other interesting workings. 37 667 restored to British Rail green was on one end seen at Settle station on a Skipton bound service on the other end was 47 712 'Lady Diana Spencer' in Scotrail livery seen working hard on the climb through Horton in Ribblesdale station Two other 37s in action were 37 407 'Blackpool Tower' topping and tailing the Network Rail test train with 37 419 'Carl Haviland' rounding the curve at Kirkby in Furness heading for Blackpool North DRS Superpower! four class 68s total 15,400 HP hauling one PFA wagon weighing 31 tonnes You can see it better on the video as well as another of our 'interesting moves' more in a minute when I find the video list
A lot better month than I hoped for and a lot of variety finished off by Carnforth's Royal Scot4-6-0 46115 'Scots guardsman' on a railtour filmed from the slagbank of the former Barrow in Furness steelworks which now forms a natural amphitheatre to watch trains on the single line section I can't discuss the train seen from 04.38 onwards. Let's just say it is very rare I'm also sorry about the flange squeal at Thwaites Flat from the stone train but thought I'd keep it in just to annoy people Roll call 01/09/2020 Park South 37 419 & 423 Blackpool Tower Carl Haviland Derby RTC-Carlisle 04/09/2020 Lindal (A590) 68 002 & 005, 018,006 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 04/09/2020 Askam in Furness 68 002 & 005, 018,006 6C53 Crewe CLS-Sellafield 04/09/2020 Foxfield 66 421 & 091 Gresty Bridge TMD 6Z21 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP 07/09/2020 Askam in Furness 68 006 & 002 Daring Sellafield-Crewe CLS 07/09/2020 Lindal in Furness 68 006 & 002 Daring Sellafield-Crewe CLS 08/09/2020 Long Preston 47 712 & 37 667 Lady Diana Spencer 5Z40 Appleby-Skipton 08/09/2020 Long Preston 37 667 & 47 712 1Z40 Skipton-Appleby 08/09/2020 Long Preston 35018 British India Line 5Z53 Carnforth-Hellfield 08/09/2020 Kents bank 47 805 Roger Hosking 1Z87 Derby-Ravenglass 08/09/2020 Askam in Furness 47 805 Roger Hosking 1Z89 Ravenglass-Derby 09/09/2020 Long Preston 37 667 & 47 712 5Z40 Appleby-Skipton 09/09/2020 Horton in Ribblesdale 47 712 & 37 667 Lady Diana Spencer 1Z40 Skipton-Appleby 09/09/2020 Settle 37 667 & 47 712 1Z42 Appleby-Skipton 09/09/2020 Hellifield 66 102 643H New Biggin Gypsum-Tees Dock 09/09/2020 Hellifield 47 712 & 37 667 Lady Diana Spencer 1Z43 Skipton-Appleby 10/09/2020 Kirkby in Furness 37 407 & 419 Blackpool Tower and Carl Haviland Carlisle-Blackpool North 14/09/2020 Thwaites Flats 66 421 & 091 Gresty Bridge TMD 6Z21 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP 17/09/2020 Askam in Furness 66 421 & 091 Gresty Bridge TMD 6Z21 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP 17/09/2020 Askam in Furness 66 421 & 091 Gresty Bridge TMD 6Z21 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP 26/09/2020 Cocken Jnct Royal Scot 4-6-0 46115 'Scots guardsman' 1Z87 Carlisle-Crewe cheers Kev
Kev, thank you very much. That's lovely video. I especially like the stack barking of the 37 Class when they are working hard or accelerating.
The first half of October 2020 saw the stone train workings on the Cumbrian Coast coming to an end but these were punctuated on the Barrrow Ramsden Dock branch by some nuclear moves, This line has seen more activity over the last few months than anybody expected. # 68 001 and 68 006 at walking speed trundle down the branch with three, four bogie, KXA-C wagons seperated by PFA barrier wagons The all freight trains on the branch are top and tailed due to the reversing manouver at Salthouse Junction The stone train at Askam on the 16th was held at the home signal due to the crossing gates at Park South being stuck. Because of the section interlocking there was already a passenger trainstood in front. This needed a Pilotman to enter the failed section. The DRS driver had to pass two signals at danger on instructions from the signaller to continue his journey . The 68s traction control paid dividends as it headed up Askam Bank from a standing start and the last clip shows Kirkby in Furness in the grip of a ten metre high tide. The fields where I was filming earlier this year under six foot of sea water roll call Askam in Furness 68 018 & 68 006 Vigilant 6C51 28/09/2020 Sellafield-Heysham P.S Dunnerholme 66 421 & 66 091 Gresty Bridge TMD 6Z21 28/09/2020 Drigg-Barrow ABP Lindal in Furness (A590) 37 407 & 37 419 Blackpool Tower 1Q47 29/09/2020 Derby RTC-Carlisle Askam in Furness 156 444 2C56 29/09/2020 Carlisle-Barrow in Furness Askam in Furness 37 407 & 37 419 Blackpool Tower 1Q47 29/09/2020 Derby RTC-Carlisle Askam in Furness 68 005 & 66 091 Defiant 6Z21 07/10/2020 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP Sowerby lodge 68 005 & 66 091 Defiant 6Z21 08/10/2020 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP Park South 68 001 & 68 006 Daring 6X73 09/10/2020 Sellafield-Barrow MT Salthouse Junction 68 001 & 68 006 Evolution 6X73 09/10/2020 Sellafield-Barrow MT Barrow Ramsden Dock 68 001 & 68 006 Evolution 6X73 09/10/2020 Sellafield-Barrow MT Askam in Furness 68 001 & 68 006 Evolution 0C23 09/10/2020 Barrow MT-Sellafield Dalton in Furness 88 005 & 68 017 Minerva 6C53 10/10/2020 Crewe CLS-Sellafield Askam in Furness 88 005 & 68 017 Minerva 6C53 10/10/2020 Crewe CLS-Sellafield Askam in Furness 68 001 & 68 006 Evolution 6C23 12/10/2020 Barrow MT-Sellafield Askam in Furness 68 005 & 66 091 Defiant 6Z21 16/10/2020 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP Kirkby in Furness 156 454 2C59 19/10/2020 Barrow-Carlisle Kirkby in Furness 68 005 & 66 091 Defiant 6Z21 19/10/2020 Drigg LLW-Barrow ABP Kev
Very interesting locomotives, who are they made by? And they look like they have a face on the front!