Copy Pit

I always regretted never having a steam hauled run over Copy Pit in steam days. By the time I got really interested it was a little too late as by then, there weren't many trains over the route. So, it has been nice to have had a few opportunities to get steam over the route over the last few years. Let's hope we get more in the future.
My most recent sound recording on the route was just a few weeks ago when Standard Class 4 76079 worked a train on a circular itinerary from Preston which included Copy Pit.
The site for this lineside recording was about half way between the site of Cliviger signal box and Holme Tunnel not far from the site of Holme station. The loco is heard approaching having recovered some speed on the 1 in 185 gradient through Towneley Tunnel and going very well at the head of 8 coaches. Now on a gradient of 1 in 68 speed begins to fall as the train passes and continues to fall on the continuing gradient towards Copy Pit summit.

On the 17th April 1999 I was able to go out for a lineside recording of a steam hauled train heading in the other direction. This one was double headed by 8F 2-8-0 48773 and Black 5 4-6-0 45407 travelling from York to Crewe. My previous visit to the lineside at Copy Pit was back in August 1968 and, coincidentally the loco that I photographed that day was 48773 on an Eastbound enthusiasts special.
Since I didn't expect to have a lot of time to reconnoitre the area all I could do was pick a likely spot on the map and hope for the best. It is always a problem picking somewhere to go for a lineside recording with only a map and a gradient profile as a guide since maps do not indicate such things as noisy dogs, kids, chain saws or trail bikes. On this occasion the spot I picked, about ¼ mile beyond Lydgate Viaduct and Kitson Wood Tunnel with a good view towards Cornholme, was almost exactly how I imagined it from the map the only drawbacks being the busy road just below the railway and the fact that hills blocked the sound of the locos approaching. Despite being at the head of one of the longest trains that I had seen for some time, no less than 14 coaches including both locos support coaches, the pair were making very easy work of the load on the 1 in 65 gradient and, as they passed me the Black 5 seemed to be doing most of the work though the 8F can be heard as the pair continue to climb towards Cornholme. I will look forward to trying a different spot next time!

My one and only ride behind steam over the route was on 8th March 1997 when Stanier Class 5MT 2-6-0 2968 worked a train from Crewe to York.
The load permitted on this occasion was no less than 10 coaches which, loaded must have weighed somewhere near 400 tons. I'll bet that in steam days, with that sort of load and a Mogul the driver would have insisted on having a banker.
Despite the load and the 1 in 68 gradient 2968 is well in control of the situation passing the site of Holme station at about 20 mph where this recording begins. Just before entering Holme Tunnel the loco slips violently. The slip is quickly controlled but speed falls off rapidly on this gradient and the remainder of the climb to the summit is completed at around 15 mph. An excellent performance from this fine engine.