East Lancs Railway Autumn Steam Gala 18/19 October 2014

The Crab at Ramsbottom (double headed with the A Clas)

The ELR trains weren't running on the Friday, but I had a quick peep past the Trackside and saw the Crab, resplendent in its maroon LMS livery in Bury bolton Street station. It was also the weekend of the Homegrown folk festival and that evening went to the Met to see Lucy Ward and the Keston Cobblers' Club. It was a standing gig, which meant I didn't see a lot of it - why don't they make the tall gits stand at the back! Had a nice couple of pints of Ruby, however.

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley at Bury

On Saturday 18 October I used my ELR membership card as a platform ticket and spotted the magnificent Sir Nigel Gresley in LNER/BR blue. There were two streaks to be seen and the full line up was:

LMS Jinty 16407

• 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley
• 60009 Union of South Africa
• 61994 The Great Marquess
• 13065 LMS 2-6-0 Crab
• 12322 LMS 0-6-0 A Class
• 16407 LMS 0-6-0 Jinty
• 80080 Standard tank
• 0-6-0ST W^D 3163/1943 Sapper and
• 0-4-0ST May (in Yates Duxbury livery)

I had a bowl of chunky veg soup and a half of Darkness in the Trackside, then it was over to the Drill Hall for the wonderful Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band with Lucy Ward doing three numbers with them, support was squeezebox maestro John Spiers.

May

60009 Union of South Africa at Rawtenstall

 On Sunday it was back to the ELR this time with a round trip ticket. I just misses Sir Nigel going out so jumped onto  train heading for Heywood pulled by South Africa. Two trains were in the sidings just outside Ramsbottom: Sapper, 80080 and The Great Marquess, all in steam. At Rawtenstall it started raining. I jumped off at Ramsbottom, with the aim of catching Sir Nigel in an hours' time. On the other platform was a double header of the A Class and the Crab. I'd been told of the new craft brewery behind Morrisons, so in a very crowded Irwell Works Brewery I had a half of dark mild and a half of milk stout.

Double header of the A Class and Crab at Ramsbottom

 Back at the station, Sir Nigel was in, en route to Rawtenstall, so I crossed the footbridge and joined the train pulled by the A Class, with the Crab as backwards banker.

The Crab (as banker travelling backwards) and Sir Nigel at Ramsbottom

Back at Bury I just spotted South Africa pulling out en route to Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall. On Monday I took the tram to Manchester, but had to get off at Market Street and walk to Piccadilly Gardens. Train to Euston via Crewe, 73 bus across London, half of Oyster Stout in Victoria Wetherspoon's and train home.

The Great Marquess at Bury

Other visits to the ELR:

• 28 June 2014 
• 19/20 October 2013
• April 2013 
• October 2012 
• August 2012 
• September 2011 
• October 2010 
• November 2009 
• April 2009 
• October 2008 
• November 2007 
• September 2006

Six surviving streaks reunited at York

I'm an LMS man, born and bred, but couldn't resist the prospect of copping all six surviving A4s in one spot - the National Railway Museum in York. It was the Great Gathering, 3-17 July, commemorating Mallard's world speed record of 126mph on 3 July 1938. I arrived on the second day and expected it to be heaving, but there was no queue and a relatively sparse crowd, so I was able to get some reasonable snaps. They were arranged around the turntable as follows:

• 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley* (4498) in BR Blue
• 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower (formerly 4496 Golden Shuttle) in BR Brunswick Green
• 60009 Union of South Africa* (4488) in BR Brunswick Green
• 4464 Bittern* (60019) in LNER Garter Blue
• 4468 Mallard (60022) in LNER Garter Blue
• 4489 Dominion of Canada (60010, formerly Woodcock) in LNER Garter Blue

* operational



60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower had been shipped over from the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin and 4489 Dominion of Canada was brought over from the Canadian Railway Museum, near Montreal. Both received cosmetic restoration at the NRM in Shilton. 4464 Bittern had arrived under its own steam, setting a new record for a British preserved steam locomotive on the main line, when it achieved a maximum speed of 92.5 mph.



I had the pleasure of riding behind Bittern on the Watercress Line, back in 2008 when it was in green BR livery. I'd only ever glimpsed Sir Nigel and Union of South Africa before (though I may have copped them back in the day, who knows, my Ian Allen combined volumes are long gone!).



After a quick look at Flying Scotsman in the Works and a cappuccino in the Mallard Cafe, I repaired to my hotel, the swanky Hampton at the Hilton nearby, thence to meet Sam and his chums at the Maltings for a pint of Baron Saturday.

Friday morning, the NRM opened at 10am, and this time there was a queue! There were also more people getting in the way of photographs. It must have been really crowded at the weekend. It was getting scorchio in there so I relocated to the Container Cafe outside and met up with Sam et al for a coffee, a quick look round the Station Hall, with Queen Victoria's train and a splendid LMS crab No. 13000, then back to the station and home, via St Pancras. The damp men had finished in my kitchen and bathroom and everything seemed to be functioning!



 More photos on Flickr.

An A4 at Alresford

RIMG0035.JPG
Originally uploaded by fred pipes

Belting through the green Hampshire countryside, we see a train in the distance. What's pulling it? Is it a diesel? A Spam can? No, bloody hell, it's a Streak, an A4 like Mallard the world speed record holder for steam! The world's second most beautiful locomotive (well, I am an LMS man, after all). As we arrive at Alresford station, the train is just pulling in. It's 60019 Bittern in Brunswick green British Railways livery. Wow! I'm on my second Worthing Coaches excursion, this time to the Watercress Line. As the other passengers amble off into town, I can't wait to get onto the platform. LMS Class 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41312 is in steam in a siding and I wait for Bittern to change ends to take some photos. Then I sit and eat my Boots sandwich as she quietly chuffs away. Our train is this one, but two hours later, so as Bittern headed off to Alton, I head off for a pint of Ringwood bitter at a local hostelry. Arlesford is a Georgian town and actually had a Post Office open, so I took advantage to buy some stamps.

Back at the station I crossed the footbridge to take a snap of the train coming in, wheels and all. Then it was on board for our cream tea, in the front coach. At Ropley I jumped up to cop the engines in the shed: BR standard class 5 4-6-0 No. 73096 and SR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 No. 35005 Canadian Pacific amongst others in various states of repair. At Alton I popped out to take more photos and on the way back we passed a lonely DMU with zero passengers on board! Then it was into the coach for a scenic ride home. Never did get any watercress!