27th May 2000

Railourer
The Settle Carlisle Scotsman

Route :

Source : David Clark
(joined/left train at Scunthorpe)

Tour Review :
(by David Clark)

This was to be my first normal tour of the year (unless you count the Hertfordshire Forgotten Track!?!). It was a nice simple itinerary with the tour starting at Cleethorpes, going out to the Settle and Carlisle line, up Beattock in to Edinburgh and returning via the East Coast Main Line.

Traction was to be provided provisionally by a Class 47, although the company had hoped for a 67. Friday night, a mate telephoned to say that 47763 was taking the ECS to Doncaster for another spoon forward. Saturday morning came, and the other spoon was 47758. Nice start, a required spoon.

The train arrived at Scunthorpe, at the sane time of 07.45, and I boarded my coach, which was the third from the front. Hopefully, I thought with a window open, for the sound of a 47. ALL Windows were closed, this was definitely a normal tour!!! The atmosphere on my table was like that they had all been to a funeral. Due to platform modernisation work at Scunthorpe, the train had to move forward, to let more people on. This confused people.

Anyway 47758 departed at 07.50, and even with windows shut the Brush could be heard (oh and the clag was seen also!) as we made up pick-up points at Crowle and Thorne South, before leaving the former Great Central at Stainforth Jct, taking the line out to Applehurst Jct, Skellow Jct, and Adwick Jct. I remember having a conversation with someone who needed the last curve?!? We followed the Doncaster to Leeds line until Hare Park Jct, and took the line past Oakenshaw Jct passing Normanton - Yorkshires Number 1 Garden Centre, Altofts Jct, Woodlesford, Stourton FLT with 47292 and 47303, taking Whitehall Curve and across to Wortley Jct. The last time I had wanted to do Whitehall Curve, the track had been ripped up!

So now we headed out to Skipton, Hellifield and for quite a lot of the people, the highlight of the trip being the Settle and Carlisle line. Well it was required track for me (well for this millennium anyway!!). Ribblehead viaduct was crossed, a couple of MGR's were passed, 66151 was sat in the Gypsum works at Appleby. We arrived at Carlisle to find 90032 sat in the back of the station, and 90034 on the 12.00 ex Carlisle to Euston. Typical, the day I am on a tour a required 90 for haulage was seen on a passenger train. After the crew change, we departed and on Kingmoor yard was noted; 66085, 20307, 20304, 20909, 37607-37610, 66206, 08912, 37710 and 66040.

We headed up the West Coast Main Line, but were put in the loops at Lockerbie and Beattock to allow Virgin's to pass and a Northern Spirit 158!!! By this time, gen had come through that 47774 was quoted for the return leg. What two 47s on the same tour, with not one failure!?!?!? HELLFIRE!. After Beattock the journey was quite uneventful as we passed through the suburbs in to Edinburgh at 14.11.

The question was then asked what do we do know??? Well a McDonalds was had, before a CDR to Haymarket was bought. We arrived back at Edinburgh, after the final journey to find no loco on the stock. Hmmmm. Rumours were that EWS could not find a driver for the return journey! In the end a driver was found and we set off 15 late.

Departure was quite good with quite a bit of clag and noise. Due to ground subsidence, there was a temporary diversion in place, and so new track was scored. The train was non-stop all the way to Newcastle, where after a crew change we departed on-time. The TB at Newcastle was 47783, while on Tyne Yard was 56031, 66014 and 66157. Again due to the fact of either tight timings, or the lack of trains we were kept on the fast lines all the way to York. The 80 miles were covered in 70 minutes. Not bad for a loco which was described in the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph as vintage! What cheek!!!!

Another Crew change was had at York, and we departed York with plenty of clag, and noise. The normals didn't understand why I was stood listening and seeing the 47 depart York. We left York covered in Clag (oh, never mind!!), passed Tescos (the original ECML Jct???), before coming at Joan Croft Jct taking the loop on to the line from Adwick Jct to Stainforth Jct. On this final journey in to Scunthorpe, I was told that I was a "sad person" for just coming for the loco!! Well I didn't need the track and had been to Edinburgh many times in the past. After dropping off at Thorne and Crowle we had a pleasant journey back to Scunthorpe.

The train arrived back in to Scunthorpe at 22.20. However, due to platform modernisation and rebuilding, half of platform 1 was cornered off. The loco stopped beyond the stop board, and took the front vestibule with it! (with me in it!). This meant when the train came to a stop, that we had to climb over boarding to alight from the train. Anyway a verdict. The two 47s had performed admirably throughout the day proving that they are not finished yet!!! I would be quite happy to go on another of Railtourer's tours if it featured a 47, but not a 66 or 67. That would be the final straw. The organisation had been quite good, but I wonder if some of the people had wanted more than 3 hours in Edinburgh.

David Clark

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(by David Clark)

(provided by David Clark in absence of anything detailed being provided).

Key;
a : arrival time
d : departure time
/ : passing time

All distances, in miles and chains (M & C) were provided by David Clark.. No attempt has been made to verify the mileages given.

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