Classic composition from the north portal of Blea Moor Tunnel. 35018 British India Line hauling The Dalesman on 7th June 2022.
This web page is intended to as a photo-blog depicting steam movements primarily on the ‘mountain’ section of the line from Ribblesdale to Crosby Garrett. Occasionally, I propose to include activities on other nearby lines. Thanks to West Coast Trains, The Railway Touring Company, Northern Belle and others for making this possible.
Over the weekend of 30th-31st July we had 48 hours of rain and very low cloud. Tangmere hauled The Waverley on Sunday, and is here seen coming out of the mist southbound over Dent Head Viaduct
West Coast Trains have started running the Scarborough Spa Express in full steam from Carnforth, formerly it was only from York. Half an hour before these photographs were taken it was raining, but the early morning sun came out just in time and the driver put some steam on for us as he exited Melling Tunnel. Scared off all the sheep, except for one girl who was a bit braver than the others, or perhaps a bit more sleepy. 46115 Scots Guardsman looking superb.
The weather in the Western Dales continued dull and changeable into early August. On the 6th, British India Line hauled the Cumbrian Mountain Express from Preston to Carlisle on the WCML and back via Settle and Clitheroe. Everyone on the footplate seemed to be enjoying themselves as they came down Mallerstang at Tommy Road. Once again, the little camera that can demonstrates its ability to produce images that will stand heavy cropping.
Scots Guardsman was out again on Sunday 7th, seen here northbound on Arten Gill Viaduct. There was full sun five minutes before it arrived a bit late having been pathed behind The Flying Banana, the sudden appearance of which rather surprised everyone.
Much of August was lost due to bad weather, cancellations and technical errors by the photographer, but I finally caught 46115 again, this time heading south over Arten Gill, early evening on the 23rd.
The day following, 24th August, it was unclear what would haul The Settle & Carlisle Fellsman, Braunton was first intimated, then briefly Sherwood Forester, but on the day 46100 Royal Scot was given the job. As the weather was poor in the morning, I skipped the northbound leg and decided to do the Arten Gill scramble for a second day running. However, I failed to account for the heavy overnight rain, and when I descended to cross what the day before had been an insignificant, tranquil stream, I found it to be impassible, the level having risen by at least a foot.
It occurred to me to try something I had scouted a couple of times at Dent Head. A stile at the lay-by underneath the viaduct, leads to an old bridge, possibly the original pre-railway packhorse bridge? (It is very similar in appearance and construction to the pack bridge over Argill Beck near South Stainmore at NY848137) Climbing to the knoll on the south side of the viaduct one can reach springer level without losing too much distance. From this prospect, a composition can be arranged to include most of the viaduct to the full depth of the central piers, even including the little old bridge.
Quite a good result, helped by the presence of proper fresh coal smoke, a few shovelfuls must just have gone on.
On 27th August British India Line was again booked to work the Cumbrain Mountain Express, the Down leg being on the WCML, returning via Settle. I decided to eschew the mountain section and catch it heading north around Grayrigg, getting a nice circular walk in at the same time. Visibility was excellent, so there were extensive views over to the Lakes. Took the photograph below as BIL exited the short tunnel under the M6. Clearly a lot of coal going on in preparation for the climb to Shap Summit.
Had time to drive up to Little Salkeld to catch the return. The Lower Eden Valley is spectacular, especially in clear light, which has been a rarity this summer. I did not go as far as the viaduct due to ongoing construction work underneath. I selected a position just before the wooded cutting at Long Meg with a good view of the river. The arrival of Saloon Car Caroline and her usual Class 37 escort (418 in this case) was unheralded, a pleasant surprise.
The line speed here, just north of the Grayrigg Loops, is 80 mph for most traffic. Judging by the earlier passing of a Pendolino, the old steamer was close to this. Impressive.
More sedate on the return leg. The line is Level at this point. The climb doesn’t start for another 16 miles.
No sign of anyone on Caroline apart from the Driver and Secondman.
A long wait at Scotchman’s Bridge for Tangmere on Saturday 3rd September. There was some concern that the Class 57 had been moved to the front at Oxenholme. Tangmere seemed to be hard at work, but one can’t be sure whether it was getting assistance from the rear.
There are those who would lay anathema upon the sight of a ‘Southern Region’ locomotive heading up to Shap. I am not among them. I am of the view that as photographers we must take what we get, since we get it for nothing, our hobby being subsidised by those who are paying for the ride. Oliver Bulleid was a great engineer, and it is fitting that a loco he designed should be operating on the UK’s premier main line.
I chose Arten Gill for the Up leg, and I went for a distance shot to capture the whole of the viaduct. I usually stand on the left where the old sleeper is poking up through the grass. As I was packing up, the farmer appeared on his quad and started shouting at me from the other side of the Gill, notwithstanding I kept strictly to the open access land. Second coach a somewhat unusual inclusion in the rake.
Once again the selection of the loco to work the Waverley on Sunday 4th September was left to the last minute. I was hoping for Leander, but 35018 turned out. This one certainly has paid for its keep in 2022 I chose the Helwith Bridge foot crossing as no one else was there. Note the change of gradient from 1 in 100 to level. BIL was evidently working really hard here, having done 6 miles at 1 in 100, with 400 yards of respite at level, then another 7 miles at 1 in 100 before Blea Moor tunnel, and the job’s done. There was no diesel on the back end either, it was doing all the work itself.
This is a good spot for watching them work at really close quarters. Six metres from the nearest running rail, so it is a ‘place of safety’.
On Tuesday 7th September Tangmere was booked to work exactly the same route as Saturday, once again with a 57 assisting, or not maybe. The weather was foul in the morning, but at lunchtime it suddenly cleared. Being a work day I didn’t have much time to spare, so I popped up to Garsdale to catch it coming across Dandry Mire Viaduct and through the station. That coal smoke was really thick, and all the climbing is done. I had not noticed before, that signal is really ‘on the huh’, as they say in Suffolk. I was the only one on the platform. Four regular trains went through in the space of half an hour, and it was a pleasure to sit listening to the bells ringing in the signal box and the levers being worked, for the signalman had the window open.
And one more at closer quarters.
The folllowing day, 8th September, started with heavy rain. But late in the afternoon, out came the sun. I knew that 35018 was working The Dalesman again, so I thought I would try something different. The aim was to combine the Ribble Viaduct at Helwith Bridge with Pen-y-ghent on which I was hoping the sun would appear, but I was unlucky. There is an alternative composition a little further along the road, but it is impossible to lose that tree.
On Saturday 17th September Scots Guardsman worked a special put on by the Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company to mark its 30th Anniversary. It was a fine morning, one of the clearest days we have had all summer. The views of the Lakeland Fells from the Coal Road above Dent Station were spectacular. I figured the morning sun rising behind Wether Hill would show Dandry Mire Viaduct to best effect so I headed there. There were a dozen or so people at Ais Gill Summit, but at Garsdale the old Hawes branch trackbed was deserted.
I managed to get the summit of Wild Boar Fell in view above Scots Guardsman.
The weather on Thursday 22nd September could not have been more different. As predicted by the Met Office, mist descended and rain started to fall 15 minutes before The Dalesman was due to start its run north down Ribblesdale with Scots Guardsman providing motive power. Unlike Saturday, there was no Class 47 on the back. With visibility so bad, a photograph at close range was called for. I selected Selside Cottages on the grounds of proximity and the fact that it is a short walk from the lay-by to the viewpoint. The only downside there is no decent signal here, so one cannot monitor progress of the train after the loco change at Hellifield.
There were a few others dotted around at the Selside Cottages end, but I needed to get much closer with the X100V, and some foreground interest was definitely required to pep up the composition. So I picked a spot down near the bridge over the Pennine Bridleway. This position would usually present a clear view of Pen-y-ghent looming large in the background, but not today, one could hardly see the pasture on the other side of the line.
Setting up was messy, with wet hands and a wet camera. Eventually, it became so dark I decided upon 1/1000th, ISO 1200 and left the Fuji to choose the aperture, which I could see would not be greater than about f4. As it transpired, Scots Guardsman was making only around 35mph on the 1 in 100 gradient, so I could have stepped the shutter down to 1/250 and used a slower film speed. Neverthless, grain is good in these conditions. In the circumstances I was pleased with the result, though it is not one to be cropped and enlarged greatly.
Saturday 24th September Tangmere worked The Northern Belle in conjunction with a Class 47. Came down the Settle & Carlisle late in the afternoon. I tried out a new position near Helwith Bridge by MP 261 1/4. Difficult to get rid of the lineside clutter here.
Tuesday 27th September was a day notable for the passage of 7000 Britannia on a Down run from Crewe to Carlisle via Settle. British India Line was also working the Dalesman, Down from York in the morning and returning in late afternoon. The planned timings were such the the two would pass each other at about 5pm, somwhere around Garsdale. By 3pm it was evident that there was a very good prospect of sunlight until dusk. Choice of location was difficult because of the need to take a position on the Down side of the line with sun behind. I wanted a ‘mountain’ composition and I needed somewhere I could photograph BIL on the way Up. With hindsight, Selside would have been a better choice than that upon which I eventually settled, which was Aisgill Viaduct.
BIL arrived at about 16.55 and I took the photograph below from behind, which is generaly accepted to be the wrong way round, but I thought it not bad. The light was difficult to manage with intensely bright sky, and deep shade in the foreground. Brittannia was delayed and did not arrive for another 20 minutes by which time the sun had almost set behind Swarth Fell. It was only just high enough to catch the superstructure. One for the notebook: at Aisgill Viaduct don’t try anything within 90 minutes of sunset.
British India Line heading Up at 16.55.
Britannia heading Down at 17.15. How the light has changed in 20 minutes.
Saturday 1st October was a rail strike day and most of the excursions were cancelled. The Lune Rivers Trust (Carnforth-York) was re-scheduled for the following day with Scots Guardsman working it throughout in conjunction with a Class 47. There were huge clouds around, but on this occasion our luck held. I made for the Hardacre foot crossing as did a couple of others, and I think we were reasonably well rewarded for a long wait. Judging by the noise and diesel fumes, it was clear the steamer was getting a fair bit of assistance from the rear.
Saturday 8th October was wiped out by another rail strike. Had to wait another week for the next excursion, The Cumbrian Mountain Express from London to Carlsile and back, a long day for the paying punters. British India Line was again given the work, from Carnforth to Carlisle and back to Preston via Settle with a 47 in tow. I chose to head for the foot crossing between Beanthwaite End and Shaw End, just south of CE79 protecting the Grayrigg Loops. The signaller held it at danger until BIL was almost within touching distance, which meant it had to slow to a crawl, leaving me sufficient time to turn and get a shot from the rear.
Great shot of the running gear in full sun from behind. This is heavily cropped and once again shows the capability of the superb little X100V.
Driver got the yellow a fraction of a second before I pressed the shutter. Into the loop to make way for a Pendolino. Time to put some coal on for the climb up Shap.
At Selside on the Up leg, the late afternoon autumn sun was weak through thin cloud. Made for a bit of a moody shot. There was a sneaky, biting south westerly breeze that the photograph sort of captures.
Sitting at my desk early morning on 20th October, I received a call from a client who had rolling stock involved in a derailment east of Carlisle at Petteril Bridge. When I arrived later in the day, it was immediately evident that there was significant damage to the parapet of what seemed to be the Midland Railway extension to the original bridge constructed in the 1830s for the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway as the approach to ‘London Road’ Station, closed in the 1860s. From underneath it’s clear that the later Midland part is in stone and the earlier section on the north side is in brick. (This has all been covered up by the work undertaken to repair the bridge and parapet, which has involved the use of a prefabricated arch made from steel reinforcement, to which a lot of shotcrete has been applied. )
Unfortunately, the damage repair took until the end of the first week in December, so all of the remaining railtours in 2022 were cancelled.
Network Rail unusually has released several videos, including one showing the use of the Demag 2800 crane, a real beast, and the same one that was used at Logan in 2015 to lift DRS’s Class 66, which was too badly derailed to be bruffed. I was also involved in that incident. At Petteril Bridge, the only possible site for the crane was on the old sidings on the north side of the line. But the ground is so bad that they had to excavate four, 6m by 6m by 1.5m reinforced concrete pads with mini piles to 13 metres depth, all to provide the crane with a secure footing for the outriggers. Network Rail also released a video of the novel solution they used to rebuild the parapet, concrete of course, it would have taken weeks to rebuild in stone.
We wait to see what caused the massive flat on the leading wheelset of the wagon that rolled over into the river. For those who are interested, the RAIB has released a photo of this.
Saturday 21st January 2023, The Railway Touring Company put on the first of two winter excursions today’s being from Manchester Victoria to Carlisle. The Down leg was via the Settle and Carlisle, with the Up leg on the WCML. Scots Guardsman was booked to work the steam section, but apparently failed its Fitness to Run test, so a replacement had to be found. And what a replacement, 44932, on its first Settle and Carlisle run since 2013.
It was still well below freezing up in Ingleton at 9.30 am, so I decided to go for a close-up shot at the Helwith Bridge foot crossing, accessible via main roads. At 11am the sun was only 15 degrees to the line, so clearly there would be issues with reflected light. When 44932 eventually arrived, it was doing a fair old lick up the 1 in 100 gradient, but by the sound of it was getting plenty of help from the Class 47 at the back. With all that sunlight the colour image did not hit the spot, so I converted it to monochrome, and I was reasonably pleased with the result.
Only two ‘winter’ excursions were planned for February and both on the same day, 11th February. Saphos Trains ran The Lakelander from Rugby to Carlisle, and West Coast Railways put on The Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express from Euston to Carlisle on the WCML and back via the Settle and Carlisle. I had company at the footpath crossing near Beanthwaite End, but fortunately I was able to take up my preferred position on the landing half-way up the steps to the bridge deck.
Royal Scot hauling The Lakelander arrived first, followed an hour or so later by Scots Guardsman. The weather was clearing light rain, and by the time Guardsman appeared, there was just a hint of sun through occasional gaps in the heavy cloud.
The above photograph hardly does Scot justice. Cleaned and polished to within an inch of its life. Assistance was on hand at the rear from D1924, Crewe Diesel Depot, which was even better prepared, if that were possible.
At the very last moment the farmer appeared at speed on his quad with his son, evidently taking a quick break from feeding his sheep. He ran down to the fence to watch, but his lad seemed more interested in the bike, as can be seen above.
Given the weather conditions, and bearing in mind 46115 has had quite a few outings over the last year, I thought I would try something different using the built-in filters on the X100V. I used the green filter and then made some ‘adjustments’ as we say in the insurance claims trade. I am not sure it really works, but I had fun doing it. Certainly, in black and white the overhead line equipment, especially the steelwork, seems more integrated into the composition
For Guardsman’s return leg, I headed for Aisgill Viaduct, taking up a position on the north side. No one else there, although there were many up at Cotegill Bridge. Some had even walked halfway up Aisgill Moor, I could just about make them out in the distance, at least three hundred yards from the line. Really, I don’t see the point in taking photographs from such a distant position, especially in poor light.
I took several shots as Guardsman covered the final mile of the 1 in 100 grade up to Aisgill summit. This I consider the best, though the steam plume has obscured most of Mallarstang Common’s vast brooding bulk. Again, all the work was being done by the steamer, nothing on the back this time out. I may put a couple more on Flickr.
Looking back over the viaduct towards the summit. Several people were way off to the right up Aisgill Moor out of shot. That’s quite a hike from the bridge over rough and wet open fell, to get what?
On 18th March Guardsman was out once more working another Cumbrian Mountain Express. As there was the hint of decent weather by late afternoon, I thought I would give it a go down by the north portal of Blea Moor Tunnel on the west side, where the incipient River Dee passes under the track in a large culvert, with a bridge and waterfall adding to the composition. Unfortunately, a weak sun was first obscured and then replaced by increasingly dense cloud and light rain by the time Guardsman arrived.
I returned my old Sekonic 608 to service so that I can use the X100V on full manual. The pinpoint accuracy of the super zoom, hand-held light meter clearly betters that of the built-in Fuji meter when it comes to this type of composition in difficult conditions. I had thought of selling the meter recently, but I won’t be doing so now.
Unfortunately, on 24th March while out walking on the Pennine Bridleway across the Ribblesdale drumlin field I slipped in very wet conditions and fractured my left ankle, requiring surgery. That explains the lack of recent posts. I was particularly disappointed to miss Clun Castle’s run in late April, but consoled myself with the fact that the weather was awful. Hopefully I will be back in action sometime in July. But it will be a long time until I can manage the scramble to get a southbound shot at Arten Gill.
Finally, at the end of July, 15 weeks after surgery, I felt sufficiently confident to manage a short walk on moderately rough ground to obtain some new material and recommence this blog. I would have gone out for Flying Scotsman’s run on the 9th July, but I was on holiday in Scotland. Anyway, I noticed that 45212 had been booked to work the Northern Belle on 29th July. According to the unparalleled website settlecarlislesteam.co.uk, this was 45212’s first ever solo run on the Settle & Carlisle. Given my restricted mobility, I figured I had the choice of Garsdale station or the Helwith Bridge footpath crossing, both locations where parking is available from which the lineside can be accessed with a reasonably short undemanding walk. Of course, I chose the latter because I knew no-one would be there. Having climbed over the stile I discovered that since I was last there the large lineside tree had been cut down and sections of the trunk left where they fell, providing more than adequate seating for what proved to be a longer wait than I had anticipated.
When I parked up, the sun was shining with just a few clouds. I anticipated perfect light from behind. Unfortunately, the weather changed gradually, and moments before 45212 arrived a dense low cloud passed over and with it a heavy shower. By the time I walked back to the car and drove 3 miles to Austwick, the sun was out again. This is the weather in the Western Dales on a summer weekend!
On 17th August I went slightly off beat to catch the Scarborough Spa Express on its run down the Wenning Valley. Looking for a fresh location, I chose Cragg Lane Bridge near Edroth, and was joined by three others. West Coast Railways promised Galatea, but in the event delivered 44392, which I had caught earlier in the year, pre-ankle fracture, at Helwith Bridge on a frosty but sunlit Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the sun did not appear this time, 44392 was pretty much on time, and the mist above Ingleborough took another 30 minutes to burn off. Nonetheless, a very satisfactory way to start a working day, back home for coffee, toast and videocons!
None of the images I obtained quite hit the spot, but this epitomises the slightly disappointing conditions. As always, the ‘Black’ 5 takes on the reflected colour of its surroundings.
On Saturday 19th August Tangmere replaced the promised Black 5 at the last moment. The weather deteriorated throughout the day and I stayed at home. From my top floor window I could not even see the top of Leck Fell, let alone Ingleborough. However, Galatea (running in the guise of Sierra Leone as usual since 2019) was promised for Sunday’s York to Carlisle ‘Waverley’, and was duly delivered. This was a chance I could not miss. Surprisingly for this summer, the weather also delivered.
The Waverley heading Down along the Ribble Valley. A heavy sky with the sun just out over the lower slopes of Overdale, with Langcliffe Scar just visible in the background. This was taken at the junction with the private branch to Arcow Quarry.
The Waverley was pathed to leave Carlisle at a relatively late 4.30, so did not start its run over the mountain section until well past 5.30. I decided to try something I have wanted to do for a while, and headed to the north portal of Shotlock Tunnel, just on the south side of the summit. I did not see any other likely photographers, although I did not venture as far as Cotegill Bridge.
Classic ‘Rails in the Fells’ composition. Wild Boar in the background and Beck Side Pasture off to the right.
I did not get out on Saturday 9th September because I was walking in the Bowland on my slowly healing ankle. Nice to be able to manage four miles on the flat. I saved myself for the following day when Flying Scotsman was booked to haul the Waverley from York.
I headed up to Shotlock Tunnel early to get the perfect spot to put the X100V to work. For a while I thought I might be on my own, but a few others arrived in good time. The weather had turned to heavy cloud with the threat of rain, hazy but with good visibility all the way to the top of Wild Boar Fell.
Wanting to keep the shutter speed to 1/500 as usual, I was forced to compromise on film speed at ISO 500 in order to maintain the aperture at a minimum f4. The sky was completely burnt out, but I would have cropped it in any event because someone parked their car on the roadside just level with the spandrel of the tunnel portal.
I went back home to monitor the situation, as it was obvious there would be thunderstorms by late afternoon. Around 4pm I decided to chance it. Arriving at the lay-by adjacent to the Pennine Bridleway at Selside Cottages I was astonished to find no other vehicles. Perhaps it was the dark, heavy low cloud that put people off, or the lateness of the hour. However, there was just enough mobile reception to establish that 60103 was going to be late, and the thunder I could hear was at least 5 miles to the west. Encouraged, I made my way down through the pasture to the underbridge and up on to the convenient knoll close to the lineside with extensive views north and south.
As I waited, the heavy cloud thickened, but I had brought the Sekonic with me, so I was confident I could manage the light. Nevertheless, on my final check I was down to minimum aperture f2 with ISO 640 in order to hold the shutter at 1/500.
When it finally arrived Scotsman was making the most of the 1 in 100 gradient. I was actually surprised how quickly it covered the 800 metres or so from the Selside Curve. I turned and tried my luck in the opposite direction, and was fortunate to catch it just right with a brooding Pen-y-Gent surrounded by turbulent thunder cloud. These two photos required very little touching up. I feel they portray accurately what was for me a classic Settle and Carlisle experience.
Conditions for photography have been a bit of a dead loss here in the Western Dales during October. However on the 21st, Royal Scot was booked to haul a circular from Carnforth across to Hellifield and back via Clitheroe. As the weather was mild, if not sunny, We headed out from Kirkby Lonsdale to find a spot between Clapham and Giggleswick. We were a bit late, and the usual places were surprisingly well attended. Arriving at Eldroth we decided to park up in the community centre and have a walk up the adjacent footpath to the line. I have never tried this before, because in summer this field is usually full of bullocks. When we reached the south side of the line we were slightly disappointed to find that there is a lot of vegetation obscuring the track. Nevertheless, we managed to find a spot where there is a decent composition. Scot as ever was turned out to perfection.
Later on, I tried something else new, and we headed over to Arnside to see if we could catch British India Line over the viaduct in the late afternoon sun. The light and sky were perfect, but unfortunately BIL failed at Dalton, which was a shame because a fair few people had turned out.
The following Saturday we paid a visit to Kirkby Stephen with the intention of catching Tangmere working up from Carlisle. We visited the excellent deli/coffee/wineshop and then headed up to Tommy Road for a picnic. Tangmere arrived with a huge smoke and steam plume that obscured most of the rolling stock. Unfortunately, I omitted to select RAW and ended up with an inferior quality JPEG. Five months later I was still kicking myself
