Back to "Tours That Did Not Run/Were Postponed"3rd July 2004
North West Railtours
(Freight Line Tour to Cleveland)
Tour cancelled (for full reasons, see extract from letter given below).
Planned route & locos:
| Loco(s) | Route (original spec) (2) |
| class 66 with 60 or 66 Thornaby to Wakefield in t-n-t mode | Crewe (approx 07.30) - Stockport (PU) - Heaton Norris Jn - Denton Jn - Ashton Moss North Jn. - Baguley Fold Jn. - Philips Park No.2 - Ashburys - Guide Bridge - Stalybridge Down Goods - Diggle Down Loop - Huddersfield Down Slow (1) - Leeds (PU) - York (45 min. stop) - Northallerton Longlands Jn - Boroughbridge Jn - Low Jn - Thornaby East Jn - Down Goods - Newport East Jn - Middlesborough Down Goods - Saltburn West Jn - Skinningrove (Craig Hall SB - Network Rail Limit) - (rev) - Saltburn West Jn - Grangetown SB - (rev.) - Shell Jn - Wilton Branch to near Cleveland Freightliner Terminal - (rev) - Cargo Fleet - Middlesborough Up Goods - Newport East Jn - Up Goods No.1 - Engine Line (passing Thornaby TMD) - Thronaby Goods to Main - Northallerton - York Avoiding Line - Leeds Neville Hill East Jn UGL - Hunslet East end of line (to be confirmed) - (rev) - Neville Hill West Jn. - Leeds (SD) - Wakefield Westgate - Wakefield Kirkgate - (rev - detach one loco) - Huddersfield - Stalybridge Up Goods - Stockport (SD) - Crewe (21.45) |
Notes :
(1) Organised by BLS Member David Isherwood.
(2) Alterations to tour made after original advertising were as follows;
The train will run direct between Crewe and Man Vic to pick up, as Stockport is under possession, but by reversing at GuideBridge it will still cover Philips Park No.2 and the other advertised red track round there.
Huddersfield down slow is withdrawn because it doesn’t exist (became a dead-end DMU siding).
Cleveland Freightliner Depot branch withdrawn due to state of track.
The loco line within TE withdrawn due to inadequate signalling.
On the return the train will run direct between Leeds and Manchester.
traction to be t-n-t class 66 throughout.
Extract from the cancellation letter (dated 15th June 2004) from David Isherwood/North West Railtours read as follows;
"TO ALL PARTICIPANTS AND ENQUIRERS ABOUT THE FREIGHT LIEN TOUR FROM CREWE TO CLEVELAND 3RD JULY 2004.
It is with the greatest reluctance and regret that, due to insufficient bookings, despite the heavy advertising and publicity, the above railtour will not run.
Many of you will be aware of the recent revision of the route and deletion of the "Wilton" branch to Cleveland Freightliner depot gates (state of track) and "Engine Line" passing Thornaby TMD (insufficient signalling for class 1 passenger train). A number of people pulled out of the tour at that point - quite understandably - as two of the "attractions" were no longer available. Alterations had also been made with regard to the route from Crewe, due to major engineering works in the Stockport area starting on July 3rd although that was less of a problem.
As many of you know, these things happen at a late stage as the route discussed and applied for months ago goes to the Network Rail planning departments.
The result is that the train is only half full, and to go ahead would lead to heavy financial losses which cannot be justified."
Sources : various including NJ (Gas) Hill
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