3rd May 2003

Green Express Rail Tours
The Settle - Carlisle Glasgow Scot

Locos Used 31468, 47701 & 90040
Stock Used 99671+99125+3143+3136+21266+99311+99327+4984+4973+4960+99328+6528

Route: (GER tour no. 193)
1Z60 : Hebden Bridge to Glasgow Central
1Z18 : Glasgow Central to Hebden Bridge

Loco(s) Route
47701 (1) Hebden Bridge - Sowerby Bridge - Brighouse - Mirfield - Wakefield Kirkgate - Altofts Jn - Methley Jn - Engine Shed Jn - Whitehall Jn - Shipley - Keighley - Settle Jn - Blea Moor - Ais Gill - MP263¼
47701 + 31468 (2) MP263¼ - Birkett Tunnel - Kirkby Stephen - Appleby - Petteril Bridge Jn - Carlisle
90040 (3) Carlisle - (via WCML) - Glasgow Central
90040 (3) Glasgow Central - (reverse of outward route) - Motherwell - Wishaw - Law Jn - (via WCML) - Carlisle
31468 + 47701 (4) Carlisle - (via WCML) - Preston - Lostock Hall - Blackburn - Gannow Jn - Copy Pit - Hebden Bridge - (same as outward route) - Skipton

Notes :
(1) 31468 on rear.
(2) 47701 stopped at approx. MP263¼ on the S&C with smoke coming out of the leading bogie. 31468 was used to assist the train to Carlisle (propelling from the rear).
(3) Plus 47701 dead-in-tow & 31468 on the rear.
(4) 31468 ran round at Carlisle and was used as the main train engine, 47701 assisting once the speed was "sufficient".

Source : David Garnett (joined/left the train at Wakefield Kirkgate)

Tour Review
(from David Garnett)

Initial plan for today was a deltic to Worcester this was cancelled due to a lack of bookings, so a nifty change to the Green Express trip to Glasgow, for what I thought would be a pair of 31's. It soon transpired that it would be one engine to Glasgow with another on the rear for another for the ECS. A quick check of the situation showed that a pair of 31's and a 47 would be in the right place so the ECS engine could be the 47 (You can dream), however realism said that it would be a 47.

On the day the train engine was 47701 and 31468 on the rear for the ECS moves at Glasgow Central to Polmadie and return. That was the plan, not a bad one. However 47701 decided to have a bit of a paddy after its assault on the S&C, somewhere about milepost 263 smoke began to pour from the leading bogie. So we were sat in the middle of the nowhere, and at this point you begin to think why me. However been West Coast Railways and the guard been Jim, all was sorted in five minutes, then plan was for 31468 to push to Appleby, run round take us to Carlisle. This sounded quite a good idea until we sailed through at about 40 MPH with both locos powering. Upon arrival at Carlisle , as with most Railtours at an unscheduled stop we were told stay on the train, to which promptly about 50 people got off to look at 47701. After a few moments Jim was back to announce we were to have the engine of the postal train to Glasgow. after a further short brake while network rail set the points to get the 90 on the front of the train, we were on our way.  Only 24 down on booked time which must be some sort of record, for a failure, rescue, and a new engine, let alone this all taking place on the S&C. Needless to say the 90 dealt with Beattock in fine style, reducing the deficit to just one minute,  needless to say RST was not achieved and arrival at Glasgow was 11 early!

The return journey was headed by 90040 from Glasgow, rumours abounded about an engine change at Carlisle, a quick consultation with Jim produced a bit on enlightenment, 31468 would be removed from the rear and added to the front of 47701,  for the rest of the run. Needless to say the 90 flew back to Carlisle taking 67 minutes to cover the first 28 an a bit miles and 53 minutes for the next 73 and a bit miles. The usual delay by a few Virgin trains getting in the way of running the loco round meant that we left 17 late, the prospect of 468 hauling load 10 and a dead 47 could be best be described as interesting with Shap still to come.

However the driver on 701 was prepared to use the loco once he judged that the train speed  was sufficient as not to strain the 47 so, needless to say, the 31 passed the bottom of Shap rather fast and, as a result, we managed to keep time back to Wakefield.

David Garnett

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from David Garnett)

Miles Location Booked Actual
0.00 Hebden Bridge 06.10d -
5.01 Sowerby Bridge 06.16a ~ 06.18d -
5.63 Milner Royd Jn 06/19 -
7.34 Greetland Jn 06/21 -
10.68 Brighouse 06.27a ~ 06.33d -
??.?? Bradley Wood Jn 06/41 -
17.96 Heaton Lodge East Jn 06/46 -
19.63 Mirfield East Jn 06/48 -
20.20 Thornhill LNW Jn 06/50 -
25.78 Horbury Jn 06/57 -
28.08 Wakefield Kirkgate 07.08a ~ 07.10d -
31.86 Altofts Jn 07/14 -
33.33 Methley Jn 07/19 -
41.11 Engine Shed Jn 07/31 07/32
41.54 Whitehall Jn 07/33 -
42.10 Armley Jn 07/34 -
47.86 Apperley Jn 07/46 -
51.38 Dockfield Jn 07/56 -
51.69 Shipley 07.57a ~ 08.02d 07.47 ~ 07.57
57.86 Keighley 08.10a ~ 08.15d 08.06 ~ 08.10
67.05 Skipton 08.25a ~ 08.30d 08.24 ~ 08.30
77.04 Hellifield 08/47 08/47
80.31 Settle Jn 09/05 08/49
93.04 Ribblehead 09/21 09/07
94.28 Blea Moor 09/24 09/09
102.45 Garsdale 09/35 09/20
112.38 Kirkby Stephen 09/45 09/25
123.06 Appleby 09/56 09/55
127.81 Kirby Thore SB 10/02 10/00
???.?? Culgaith 10/05 -
145.48 Low House SB 10/20 -
152.94 Petteril Bridge Jn 10/30 10/30
153.23 London Road Jn 10/31 -
153.84 Carlisle 10.34a ~ 10.49d 10.34 ~ 11.13
162.55 Gretna Jn 10/59 11/20
???.?? Quintinshill 11/03 -
179.66 Lockerbie 11/17 11/32
193.84 Beattock 11/32 -
203.64 Beattock Summit 11/49 11/50
211.71 Abington 11/56 -
227.08 Carstairs South Jn 12/17 12/07
227.53 Carstairs 12/17 12.09a ~ 12.10d
229.96 Lanark Jn 12/21 -
238.60 Law Jn 12/32 -
241.60 Shieldmuir 12/35 12/23
243.31 Motherwell 12/36 12/33
247.59 Uddingston Jn 12/45 12/38
249.58 Newton 12/48 12/39
252.05 Rutherglen East Jn 12/53 -
255.35 Eglington Street Jn 13/02 -
256.16 Glasgow Central 13.05a ~ 17.26d 12.54 ~ 17.26
256.98 Eglington Street Jn 17/29 17/29
260.28 Rutherglen East Jn 17/36 17/34
262.75 Newton 17/39 17/37
264.74 Uddingston Jn 17/45 17/44
269.01 Motherwell 17/54 17/50
270.73 Shieldmuir 17/57 17/51
272.08 Wishaw 18/00 18/09
274.96 Law Jn 18*05a ~ 18*20d 18/20
282.36 Lanark Jn 18/31 18/29
284.80 Carstairs 18/35 18/33
285.25 Carstairs South Jn 18/35 18/33
300.61 Abington 18/48 18/38
308.69 Beattock Summit 18/56 18/50
318.49 Beattock 19/04 -
332.66 Lockerbie 19/14 19/04
???.?? Quintinshill 19/27 -
349.78 Gretna Jn 19/30 -
358.49 Carlisle 19.40a ~ 19.42d 19.26 ~ 19.59
376.35 Penrith 20/03 20/25
395.38 Tebay 20/22 20/44
408.24 Oxenholme 20/32 20/54
421.28 Carnforth North Jn 20/41 -
425.48 Morecambe South Jn 20/44 -
427.38 Lancaster 20/46 -
448.35 Preston 21/05 21.24a ~ 21.26d
448.95 Ribble Jn 21/06 -
449.96 Farington Curve Jn 21/08 21/33
451.49 Lostock Hall Jn 21/11 21/36
460.49 Blackburn 21.24a ~ 21.40d 21.52 ~ 21.54
461.08 Daisyfield Jn 21/42 -
465.76 Accrington 21/48 22/05
471.00 Gannow Jn 21/56 22/11
476.21 Copy Pit 22/04 22/22
480.64 Hall Royd Jn 22/14 22/28
484.50 Hebden Bridge 22.20a ~ 22.22d 22.34 ~ 22.36
489.51 Sowerby Bridge 22.28a ~ 22.29d 22.43 ~ 22.44
490.13 Milner Royd Jn 22/30 -
491.84 Greetland Jn 22/32 22/50
495.18 Brighouse 22.36a ~ 22.38d 22.54 ~ 22.56
500.61 Bradley Wood Jn 22/41 -
502.46 Heaton Lodge East Jn 22/46 -
504.13 Mirfield East Jn 22/48 23/02
504.70 Thornhill LNW Jn 22/49 23/03
510.28 Horbury Jn 22/56 23/13
512.58 Wakefield Kirkgate 23.00a ~ 23.02d 23.18 ~ ??.??
516.36 Altofts Jn 23/06 -
517.83 Methley Jn 23/08 -
525.61 Engine Shed Jn 23/17 -
526.04 Whitehall Jn 23/23 -
526.60 Armley Jn 23/24 -
532.36 Apperley Jn 23/30 -
535.88 Dockfield Jn 23/34 -
536.19 Shipley 23.35a ~ 23.38d -
542.36 Keighley 23.46a ~ 23.48d -
551.55 Skipton 23.59a -

Mileages are taken from the Green Express Rail Tours Website.
No attempt has been made to verify them.

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