29th August 2008

Railway Touring Company
The Scarborough Flyer

Locos Used 66129, 67029 & steam: 60009 'Union of South Africa'
Stock Used (2) 35486+5292+5322+4998+3123+3147+3121+3120+1671+3141+21245+5276

Route:
1Z73 : Crewe to Scarborough
1Z74 : Scarborough to Crewe

Loco Route
60009 Crewe - Warrington Bank Quay - Earlestown - Eccles - Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Stalybridge - Greenfield - Huddersfield - Mirfield (1)
66129 + 60009 Mirfield - Wakefield Kirkgate - Castleford - Milford Jn - Church Fenton - York - Malton - Seamer - Scarborough
66129 + 60009 Scarborough - Seamer - Malton - York - Church Fenton - Milford Jn Down Loop
67029 Milford Jn Down Loop - (reverse of outward route) - Crewe

Notes :
(1)
60009’s air braking system failed.
(2) Support coach, (35486), detached at Milford Jn on the return.

Source : Gordon Jakes (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by Gordon Jakes)


60009 waits to leave Crewe at the start of the day (photo: Gordon Jakes)

The train left Crewe one minute late and little did we know at the time but we were never to achieve on-time running throughout the whole day. Slow line running between Crewe and Winsford and through Warrington Bank Quay station to Winwick Junction ensured that the Chat Moss Line was reached five minutes late. The water stop at Eccles was trimmed for an on time departure but Manchester Victoria was still reached a couple of minutes down. Despite a sterling effort up the bank to Miles Platting and onwards to Baguley Fold progress was soon checked by a signal stop of 5 minutes to the west of Stalybridge Junction. The ascent towards Standedge Tunnel was checked by adverse signals in the Mossley area and a similar check was experienced after the tunnel in the Slaithwaite area. As a consequence Huddersfield was reached a total of some 15 minutes late – at no fault to 60009 or her crew.

After leaving Huddersfield and joining the Calder Valley line the defining event of the tour occurred. This was the failure of 60009’s air braking system which resulted in an emergency stop being made by the train between Mirfield station and Mirfield East Junction. On-train repair proved impossible and the train had to be rescued by 66129 which reportedly travelled out from Healey Mills. The train restarted some 90 minutes late having caused major consequential delays and cancellation to a variety of TransPennine and Northern services etc. – a number of the late running east-bound trains were witnessed at York during an unexplained extended station call of nearly fifteen minutes.

The good news was that the watering stop booked for Milford Down Passenger Loop was not required and despite the extended stop at York, the train recovered from the worst case of being 110 minutes late to reach Scarborough only 67 minutes behind schedule. We were advised that it was hoped that 60009 might be repaired before the return departure from Scarborough but perhaps not surprisingly, this proved not to be the case.

The return journey began badly. The train coach re-watering could not be carried in the platform and hence the train had to be moved to the carriage sidings in order to complete this task. The movement was however delayed by a points failure in the station area and then a further delay was caused by the protracted shunting movements necessary in order to position 60009 inside 66129. The train left Scarborough 66 minutes late!

We were advised that the plan for the return journey was for 60009 to be removed at York and for 66129 to be exchanged for a class 67 loco at Milford. In the event Network Rail intervened (in order to avoid delays to other services at York) and 66129 / 60009 were removed from the train together at Milford Down loop. 67029 was substituted. The train left Milford just over 1hour late and was not given much scope to recover time before reaching Manchester Victoria (excepting that the watering stop at Ashton-under-Lyne was obviously not required). The journey after Manchester Victoria was a different story and some particularly fast running was achieved on the WCML which ended with Crewe being reached only 12 minutes late - an unexpected result!

The difficulty that the modern motive power had in achieving the train timings designed for 60009 albeit running out of booked schedule must raise the question as to whether the schedule was really achievable. This was particularly so on the TransPennine sections of the route.

Gordon Jakes

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gordon Jakes)

M.C
Location
Booked
Actual
 
Booked
Actual
0.00
Crewe
07.30d
07.31 [P12]
 
22.28a [P11]
22.40½ [P12]
0.58
Crewe Coal Yard
07/32
07/34½ [SL]
 
22/27
22/37½ [FL]
7.41
Winsford
07/39
07/42½
 
?
22/30
8.70
Winsford SB
07/40
07/43½
 
22/16
?
11.64
Hartford
?
07/46
 
?
22/27½
14.38
Acton Bridge
?
07/48
 
?
22/25½
16.41
Weaver Jn
07/49
07/50
 
22/07
?
22.20
Acton Grange Jn
07/54
07/54½
 
22/03
?
24.11
Warrington Bank Quay
07.57a ~ 07.59d
08.00 ~ 08.02½ [SL]
 
21.57a ~ 21.59d
22.15½ ~ 22.17 [FL]
27.44
Winwick Jn
08/05
08/09
 
21/52
22/11
29.03
Earlestown
08/08
08/12½
 
21/45
22/08
29.75
Newton-le-Willows
08/09
08/15
 
21/42
22/05½
30.71
Parkside Jn
?
08/16
 
?
?
36.69
Astley
08/17
08/23½
 
21/35
21/59
40.61
Patricroft
?
08/29
 
?
?
41.61
Eccles
08w23 ~ 08w55
08.32 ~ 08.54 [UL]
 
21/29
21/54½
44.52
Ordsall Lane Jn
09/02
09/04½
 
21/25
?
45.22
Deal Street Jn
09/05
09/07
 
21/17
?
45.65
0.00
Manchester Victoria
09.07a ~ 09.09
09.09 ~ 09.11
 
21.12 ~ 21.15
21.45 ~ 21.47½
1.36
Miles Platting
09/16
09/17
 
21/07
21/41
1.70
Philips Park No.1 SB
09/18
09/18
 
21/05
?
2.39
Baguley Fold Jn
09/19
09/19
 
21/04
?
5.52
Ashton Moss North Jn
09/23
09/23½
 
21/00
?
6.33
Ashton-under-Lyne
?
09/25
 
20w35 ~ 20w57
21/35
7.62
Stalybridge
09/28
09.?? ~ 09.34
 
20/30
21/31½
10.39
Mossley
?
09/41
 
?
?
12.54
Greenfield
09/35
09/45
 
20/23
21/25
14.59
Diggle Jn SB
09/38
09/48
 
20/20
21/23
18.59
Marsden
09/42
09/54
 
20.13 ~ 20.14 [UPL]
20.59½ ~ 21.11½
25.60
Huddersfield
09.50a ~ 09.52d
10.05 ~ 10.08
 
19.53a ~ 19.55d
20.57 ~ 20.59½
28.39
Bradley Jn
?
10/12½
 
?
?
29.45
Heaton Lodge Jn
-
 
 
19/45
20/49½
29.74
Heaton Lodge East Jn
09/59
10/13½
 
-
 
30.57
Mirfield
?
10L15a ~ 11L46½d
 
?
20/48
31.51
Mirfield East Jn
10/01
11/48½
 
19/41
?
32.17
Thornhill LNW Jn
10/02
11/49
 
?
?
37.63
Horbury Jn
10/09
11/57½
 
19/33
20/34
40.07
Wakefield Kirkgate
10.13a ~ 10.15d
12.03 ~ 12.05
 
19.25a ~ 19.27d
20.26 ~ 20.29
43.11
Normanton
?
?
 
?
20/21½
44.00
Altofts Jn
10/22
?
 
19/18
2020
46.61
Castleford
10.27a ~ 10.28d
12.15 ~ 12.16
 
19/12
20/16
52.53
Milford Jn SB
10/39
12/25½
 
19/04
20/06½
?
Milford DPL
10w41 ~ 11w13
??/?? [DnNNL]
 
18w35 ~ 19w01
19L42 ~ 20L05
54.73
Sherburn-in-Elmet
?
12/28
 
?
19/36
57.01
Church Fenton
11/21
?
 
18/22
19/32½
61.34
Colton South Jn
11/31
12/38
 
?
?
62.18
Colton Jn
11/32
12/39
 
18/14
19/23½
67.59
0.00
York
11.42a ~ 11.50d
12.51½ ~ 13.05
 
17.59a ~ 18.04d
19.07 ~ 19.15
6.48
Strensall
?
13/13½
 
?
?
15.01
Kirkham Abbey
?
13/23½
 
?
?
21.12
Malton
12/20
13/31½
 
17/24
18.29a ~ 18.32d
32.68
Weaverthorpe
?
13/45½
 
?
?
38.66
Seamer West Jn
?
13/52
 
?
?
39.14
Seamer
12/45
13/52½
 
17/02
18/06½
42.06
Scarborough
12.52a [P1]
13.59
 
16.55d [P1]
18.01


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