Ais Gill

On a previous page I included some recordings made of northbound trains on the Settle & Carlisle line climbing the Long Drag from Settle Jc. to Blea Moor. For trains running in a southbound direction the summit of the line is reached at Ais Gill. The climb in this direction is not quite so difficult as that in the other direction. Although the ruling gradient is 1 in 100 this climb is broken up by a number of easier sections which allow speed, water level or boiler pressure, sometimes all three, to recover during a difficult run.
This first recording was made at the culmination of one of the most remarkable climbs to Ais Gill that it has been my good fortune to witness.
It was during the course of the Thames - Eden Pullman on 23rd April 1983. 46229 'Duchess of Hamilton' was motive power for this 12 coach train weighing around 475 tons. At Appleby we had stopped for water and the train had shunted into the N.E. Sidings to allow a service train for Leeds to pass. With the service train clear the Duchess brought our train back into the station and everyone was soon back on board. Once the Leeds train had reached Kirkby Stephen the starting signal cleared, the guard gave the 'right away' and...... nothing happened. More whistling and flag waving produced no result and it was only after the third attempt that he was acknowledge from the footplate and we got under way.
With Skipton driver Edwin Altham in charge we were soon recording what obviously was intended to be a record climb to Ais Gill. After a max of exactly 60 mph across Ormside Viaduct speed fell to just 55 1/2 mph which was maintained on the 1 in 100 gradient to Griseburn. On the easier gradients to Crosby Garrett speed rose once more to a max of 62 mph and on the climb beyond everything was going well and the record run seemed assured. Alas, it was not to be as, approaching Kirkby Stephen the distant signal was seen to be on. The service train which overtook us at Appleby hadn't yet cleared Blea Moor and we now knew why Edwin had been in no hurry to leave Appleby. I can still recall quite clearly the great sense of disappointment as the regulator was closed and the record run that we were recording was dashed from our stopwatches! We crawled up to the home signal, still at danger, at about 5 mph. Just as it seemed that we would have to stop the home signal cleared and, after a heart stopping slip Edwin treated us to a demonstration of sheer power. From 5 mph at Kirkby Stephen we accelerated to 40 mph before the gradient eases at Mallerstang. Speed rose to slightly over 50 mph before the 1 in 100 gradient resumes and remarkably continued to rise to an absolutely magnificent 54 1/2 mph at Ais Gill summit. Despite the check at Kirkby Stephen then entire climb had occupied no more than 26 mins and 50 secs! What an engine - what a driver!
This recording is of the last few miles of the climb and ends soon after passing Ais Gill.

Over two days after Christmas 1984 main line Santa Trains operated over the Settle & Carlisle running to and from Appleby. King Arthur 4-6-0 777 'Sir Lamiel' was the motive power. The southbound run was on the 28th December and this recording, made a little over 30 minutes after departing from Appleby is how the 'Arthur' sounded reaching Ais Gill summit at a little less than 30 mph.

When David Smith announced his intention of moving his base from Carnforth to Hellifield (a move which, so far, has not taken place) we all assumed that this must have something to do with West Coast Railway Company running a regular steam hauled operation over the S&C in much the same way that they had been running from Fort William to Mallaig. The first toe in the water was a series of four trains steam hauled from Hellifield to Carlisle and back at the bargain fare of £25. The first of these had been due to take place in late October but this turned out to be rather more of a train in the water rather than a toe since, due to appalling weather conditions the ECS from Carnforth, hauled by the 8F running tender first, had considerable difficulty reaching Hellifield due to flooding and the tour had to be abandoned. So, the first train ran on 5th December 1998 with 8F 2-8-0 48151 in charge of 10 well filled coaches.
The climb to Ais Gill on the return journey began with a very vigorous start from Appleby. Perhaps too vigorous as, by the time we were approaching Ais Gill although everything is under control things aren't going quite as well as we could have expected after the fast start. The 8F makes a fine sound completing the climb nevertheless.

Motive power for the Cumbrian Mountain Express on 20th February 1999 was V2 2-6-2 60800 'Green Arrow'. The northbound run a fortnight earlier had been so popular as to require no less than 13 coaches. For the return working a fortnight later on 20th February 1999 the load was reduced to 12 coaches. Although still a substantial load the V2 sounds to be coping well as can be heard in this recording made at the line side at Ais Gill summit.

And going the other way...

Although the loco has been out and about on the main line for some time now my first opportunity to see and hear it came on 29th July 2002 when 6233 worked a train northbound over the Settle - Carlisle line.
With 12 coaches behind the tender 'Duchess of Sutherland' makes relatively easy work of this load on the 1 in 100 gradient as can be heard in this recording made near Selside. No records broken on this occasion but a fine sound never the less.