Welcome back!

On Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August 2005, there were two steam hauled charter trains running in the North West of England.
The one that I was most keen to see and record was was a southbound Cumbrian Mountain Express.
This was hauled by LMS Princess Royal Pacific 6201 'Princess Elizabeth' working it's first train after being out of traffic for repairs to remedy the damage caused in April 2004 when the loco failed dramatically descending from Shap on it's way to Carlisle when a core plug in the left hand middle cylinder came loose. This caused substantial damage to the piston head, cylinder lining and rear cover plate. The crosshead, connecting rod and crank axle bearing also suffered.
This damage has cost over £150,000 to remedy.

Having made some superb recordings of the loco over the past few years 6201 is now a firm favourite of mine and I was really pleased to have the opportunity to record it on the 1 in 82 Whalley Bank at Langho.
After our experience with 5690 earlier in the day (see below) you can be sure that we were ready in plenty of time and it would have been a real disaster had we missed getting a recording of this fine loco looking and sounding magnificent climbing the steep gradient at the head of 13 coaches.
This loco truly is a credit to those who look after it. Welcome back!

Early!

Besides 6201 over the S&C there had been another steam hauled train earlier in the day running from Birmingham to Blackpool and back hauled by the LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 5690 'Leander', which I hadn't seen (or heard!) since it's return to traffic.
I nearly didn't see it this time either!
We went to a spot near Boar's Head on the short climb just north of Wigan and arrived there some 45 minutes before the train was due, plenty of time to get set up, or so we thought!
One of the problems with this particular spot was that there was no view down the line and no warning of the train's approach. Under these circumstances I would usually start my recorder some 5 minutes before the train was due and keep it running until the train turned up to make sure that I wouldn't miss anything but, on this occasion I would have to have been recording much earlier as, some 35 minutes before the booked time at Wigan we heard the unmistakable sound of the Jubilee approaching!
I had only just set up my microphone and was able to quickly plug in my recorder and get a very short recording of the train passing but my friend hadn't even started to set up his recorder and got nothing.
In the days when I used to travel a lot behind steam on the main line this sort of thing never seemed to happened. Trains usually ran a little late, often very late, occasionally horrendously late and there were even rare occasions when we were on time but I can recall very few runs during which we managed to get a few minutes ahead of time, certainly never 35 minutes early! Next time we will have to expect the unexpected and be ready far sooner.

Steam to Whitby

Management on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway have for many years looked longingly at the line heading east from Grosmont and the access it could give them to the visitors at the East Coast tourist honey pot at the end of the Esk Valley Line, Whitby.
After many negotiations and a few trial runs last year 2005 has seen a regular programme of trains running to Whitby on three days each week throughout the summer.
Although I feel sure that the NYMR would have preferred it if these trains had run through from Whitby to Pickering this has not proved possible due, presumably, to issues which limit the use of the connection with the Esk Valley Line at Grosmont. For this reason the trains have run through Grosmont, stopping there to allow connection with the NYMR trains, to Glaisdale just a few miles up the line where there is a passing loop.
Motive power for these trains has generally been provided by BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 76079 which was working the train on 18th August 2005.
Returning from Whitby with the morning train 76079 is heard from the lineside on the 1 in 100 gradient through Egton about half way between Grosmont and Glaisdale.

Back in the early 80's it was rare for a week to go by without my having travelled behind steam on the main line. In more recent times I have travelled less and less not just because of the high fares but because, all too often these days, at the front of the train are Pullman coaches or those set aside for diners, in which we ordinary riffraff are not permitted to travel!
I always seemed to manage to ride on at least one steam hauled train on the national network until last year, 2004, when the various possibilities for me came to nought.
Well, whatever happens in the rest of 2005 I have got some mileage in behind steam on the main line! 19 to be precise, all the way from Glaisdale to Whitby and back.
For me, the route even included some new track for steam haulage. I had travelled to Whitby steam hauled back in 1987 when 92220 worked a series of trains off the NYMR. I had also travelled west from Grosmont when 80135 worked trains to Middlesborough in 2003 but I can claim the short section from Grosmont station to the junction with the NYMR as new track for steam haulage!
The main interest from the point of view of sound recording is the 1 in 100 climb from Grosmont to Glaisdale.
From Whitby we were pleased to see that the train was very well loaded, however, at Grosmont the majority of passengers alighted to join the train to Pickering waiting in the NYMR platform and we found ourselves with an empty front coach to record from.
This recording was made as 76079 departs from Grosmont to Goathland.
The climb is interrupted at a few points by speed restrictions on bridges over the river Esk and, soon after starting the regulator has to be closed for the first of these.

A few weeks later, on 1st September 2005, the last day that these trains to and from Whitby ran, I had another opportunity to visit the Esk Valley line.
76079 had just returned to the North Yorkshire Moors having been away in Wales working trains along the Cambrian Coast and was back in service for a final day running trains to Whitby.
Still on just 5 coaches, the loco was being worked a little more vigorously than it had been on my previous visit.
This lineside recording carries on from where the previous on-train recording left off and, as it begins, 76079 can be heard approaching the first bridge over the River Esk after departing from Grosmont. The driver closes the regulator crossing the bridge but, once clear of the restriction, soon has it wide open again and the loco makes a very fine sound continuing on the 1 in 100 gradient towards Egton and Glaisdale.
After the success of this year's operation, let's hope that these trains run again in the future.