This tour was something of an afterthought. I'd not planned to be on this until late last month, when I gave in to the lure of a decent amount of mileage behind some new locos, and some much needed unusual track into the bargain. Having had a fairly good night's sleep, headed down to Victoria Station early to find nothing open yet. Eventually the train appeared on the departure boards, which confirmed that things were running a little late. Time to get much needed coffee from the just-opened concession on the station and to watch the growing crowd waiting for the tour. Eventually, a marker light was sighted to the west and 37706 led 37676 into the station slowly. Found my seat and settled in for the day's trip northwards.
From Manchester we headed east to make pick-up stops in Huddersfield, Leeds and York. This route has always been a favourite of mine, and it was good to be doing it behind a pair of locomotives again. From York, we headed north towards Newcastle. This isn't the most inspiring stretch of railway in the country, and given the huge amount of services which have been stripped from the northern reaches of the East Coast Mainline over the years, it's easy to see why. Nevertheless, enjoyed some fantastic views and a relatively rare chance to travel this way. Once we neared Edinburgh there was a little more to see at the various freight terminals and depot's alongside the line. Surprisingly soon we found ourselves arriving in Edinburgh Waverley for only a brief stop before setting off on the second leg of today's tour.
Once all passenngers alighting were set down, we were on the way again and set off via Haymarket and crossed the Forth Bridge. This is never a dull moment, and I thoroughly enjoyed the crossing for the second time this year. From here we made fairly steady progress, with the locos making a fine old racket as we took the line via Ladybank to Perth - the destination of the mini-tour. With a light drizzle just starting, the vast station seemed a little bleak. Grabbed some food and drink and headed back over to the footbridge to watch a complicated running around manoeuvre designed to keep 37706 at the front of the train due to a minor speedometer fault on 37676.
Soon back on board for a low-key send off from the near deserted Perth station. Amazing to think what an important junction this once was, and to see the complex layout of platforms with trains still stabled in the nearby shed. Retraced our steps via Ladybank before completing the object of the tour from my perspective - the few chains of line from Thornton North Junction to the station at Glenrothes. Used by just a couple of very inconvenient trains each day, this link is one of the few sections of passenger track left undone for me in Scotland, so it was great to finally tick it off the list. Relaxed and enjoyed a noisy trip back over the Forth Bridge and into Waverley station. A quick dash to get refreshments and settle back in for the trip back to Manchester via the reverse of our outward route. Some spectacular views over the north eastern coast as the sun sank in the west too.
Arriving into York for our booked set-down, we pulled alongside another set of charter stock. A ripple of excitement passed down the carriage as we realised that this was the Leeds-Edinburgh trip which had been hauled here by 60163 Tornado. Having not seen this newly-built steam engine up close I was keen to get a look, and as we departed first, I was able to see the sleek, green engine quietly steaming at the head of the train. It's hard to explain why this is more impressive than seeing any one of the numerous mainline certified preserved engines on the network - because they too are feats of engineering and need endless care and attention lavished on them to keep them running - in some cases a century after they were built. But Tornado is special because it has skipped through the hoops of the modern safety culture, has been built somewhat against the odds, and perhaps most of all because it is a testament to good old fashioned railway enthusiasm! Looked forward to seeing the loco on Western metals in the summer, as York station receded into the distance and we headed back towards Leeds.
Arrived back into Manchester exactly on time, for a weary trudge back to the hotel. Another day where Spitfire delievered exactly what was offered - not too much in the way of unusual track, but a great run behind cracking locos and plenty of mileage. Long may these trips continue!
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
