24th June 2006

Pathfinder Tours
The Pennine Syphons

Locos Used 37406 & 37417
Stock Used 17015+3144+3110+3098+RMB(1863?)+5009+5040+4902+5350+5376

Route:
1Z50 : Liverpool Lime Street to Carlisle
1Z51 : Carlisle to Liverpool Lime Street

Loco(s) Route
37406 (2) Liverpool Lime Street - Huyton - St Helens Junction - Earlestown - Astley - Eccles - Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Baguley Fold Jn - Ashton Moss North Jn - Stalybridge - Marsden - Huddersfield - Thornhill LNW Jn - Wakefield Kirkgate - Altofts Jn - Castleford - Milford Jn - Church Fenton - Colton Jn - York
37406 + 37417 York - Colton Jn - Church Fenton - Cross Gates - Leeds - Shipley - Hellifield - Settle Jn - (via S&C) - Carlisle
37417 + 37406 Carlisle - Haltwhistle - Hexham - Norwood Jn - Low Fell Jn - Durham - Northallerton - York
37406 (2) York - Colton Jn - Church Fenton - Cross Gates - Leeds - Morley - Thornhill LNW Jn - (reverse of outward route) - Liverpool Lime Street

Notes :
(1) Tour was originally planned to have been called "The Pennine Deltic" and to have been the return to mainline running for 55022 but the Deltic was not ready in time.
(2) 37417 on rear.

Sources : Chris Tyas, Brian Gooch & Andrew Martin

Tour Review
(from Andrew Martin)

Originally hailed as the Pennine Deltic and 55022's mainline return, this should have run in January. Feeling depressed with a lack or personal rail activity in the middle of Winter 2005-6, I thought about booking as soon as it appeared on the Pathfinder website but as my friend wasn't fancying an early Winter's morning drive from Lancaster to mine to join it, I was going to let it go. However, when it got postponed to June, and the prospect of light mornings and evenings, I persuaded him to join me on the new date. Firstly advertised as a clockwise trip, it was looking like an anti-clockwise one for most of the spring, the excuse being Network Rail's difficulties in finding paths on the S&C. However, we stayed with it when the letter came through stating that 55022 wouldn't be ready in time and so it would be 37s instead with a re-name to the Pennine Syphons.

When the tickets arrived, the route had gone back to its original clockwise one with the proposed 07.45 departure from Manchester Victoria put back to 08.15 - I've misplaced my letter but thought it was 08.15 although the tour booklet gave an arrival time of 08.03, departing at 08.06 and this roughly what happened on the day. We set off up from Victoria with 37406 at the sharp end and 37417 on the back. The journey to York was via Stalybridge - a little unusual as recent eastbound tours I've been on from Victoria have gone via Hebden Bridge - but we still went via Healey Mills. It was approaching there and I was looking out the windows through binoculars when a steward thought I was birdwatching whereas I wanted to see stabled and stored locos at HM! Arrival at York was roughly on time and there was almost an hour to meander round the station while 37417 ran round. Unfortunately, this meant we were at the wrong end for the two 37s over the S&C! While at York, 66551 was seen heading south round the avoider and 66133 went North through the station with coal hoppers. We retraced our steps back to Church Fenton but this time took the Micklefield route to Leeds. After last pick up there we headed for the S&C, passing a northbound gypsum behind 66708 in Kirkstall loop. We were slightly behind schedule but regained all arrears by passing straight through Hellifield instead of stopping for 8 minutes.

The trip over the S&C was pleasant but only 1 southbound coal was passed [loco not known], and the sky was getting darker... We had a short, leg stretching break at Appleby, but some of us had to walk forward to get out as the platform wasn't long enough. Just enough time to get a picture and we were back on-board and coasting down to Carlisle, 66074 being noted waiting leave British Gypsum at Kirkby Thore. We arrived in Platform 4 just about right-time and my friend and I wandered off into town, but unfortunately, it had started to drizzle. We headed North toward the castle and found a cafe for a late lunch and, after a sojourn in a bookshop selling old books, made our way back to the station. Departure was from Platform 1 (furthest West), 1 minute late but just when we thought we'd be getting going, we stopped for a minute or 2 somewhere near Weatheral or Brampton. However, once we set off again, we had a reasonable run to Dunston where we took the curve past the Royal Mail terminal [now disused] and joined the ECML at Tyne Yard, finally crossing to the up track at Birtley Junction. A steady 80mph (max speed for 37/4s) was then had all the way to York and we were given the fast lines South of Northallerton.

An on-time, or even slightly early arrival at York and another run-round so 37417 was back on the rear gave another half-hour or so in which we went out of the station, round to Leeman Road and used the new footbridge intended for visitors heading to / from the NRM back into the station. Back via Micklefield to Leeds where we were a few minutes late departing. The rain had now got here too and being back near the front of the train, the driver was heard to be applying the power in short bursts, presumably as we were slipping on greasy rails. This was the case most of the way to Huddersfield and we were losing time. We were booked to use the up passenger loop at Marsden and we duly recessed there to let a TP 158 to Liverpool pass - seems to defeat the purpose as it's all downhill after Standedge Tunnel and sure enough, we got some speed on again resulting in Manchester being reached seemingly in no time at all. We were about 15 late - I certainly missed the 21.21 to Wigan which I could have got to Salford Crescent and changed into a Bolton train there and so had to await the 21.58 to Blackburn. All in all a pleasant day out, no time pressures, farce factor almost nil, perhaps this is how railtours should be...The only thing missing was Pathfinder's real ale announcements!

Andrew Martin

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Brian Gooch)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Liverpool Lime Street 07.00d ?   22.10a ?
Edge Hill 07/04 ?   22/04 ?
Bootle Branch Jn 07/05 ?   22/02 ?
Huyton 07/09 ?   21/57 ?
Rainhill 07/13 ?   21/52 ?
St Helens Junction 07/19 ?   21/47 ?
Earlestown 07.27a ~ 07.29d ?   21.39a ~ 21.42d ?
Newton-le-Willows 07/32 ?   21/37 ?
Astley 07/39 ?   21/29 ?
Eccles 07/44 ?   21/22 ?
Ordsall Lane Jn 07/48 ?   21/16 ?
Deal Street 08/01 ?   21/14 ?
Manchester Victoria 08.03a ~ 08.06d ?   21.08a ~ 21.12d ?
Miles Platting 08/10 ?   21/05 ?
Baguley Fold Jn 08/12 ?   21/01 ?
Ashton Moss North Jn 08/17 ?   20/57 ?
Stalybridge 08/21 ?   20/53 ?
Greenfield 08/27 ?   20/47 ?
Diggle Jn 08/30 ?   20/45 ?
Marsden 08/34 ?   20.32a ~ 20.39d ?
Huddersfield 08.41a ~ 08.43d ?   20.20a ~ 20.22d ?
Heaton Lodge East Jn 08/48 ?   20/15 20/23
Thornhill LNW Jn 08/51 ?   20/12 20/21

 

Location Booked Actual
Horbury Jn 09/00 09/01
Wakefield Kirkgate 09/02 09/03
Altofts Jn 09/07 ?
Castleford 09/10 09/12
Milford Jn 09/17 09/19
Church Fenton 09/22 09/22
Colton Jn 09/27 09/27
York 09.34a ~ 10.29d 09.3? ~ 10.29
Colton Jn 10/35 10/35
Church Fenton 10/40 10/40
Micklefield 10/45 10/45
Cross Gates 10/50 10/50
Neville Hill West Jn 10/52 10/52
Leeds 10.56a ~ 11.01d 10.56 ~ 11.00
Whitehall Jn 11/02 11/03
Armley Jn 11/08 ?
Apperley Jn 11/13 11/10
Dockfield Jn 11/16 11/14
Shipley 11/17 11/15
Keighley 11/26 ?
Skipton 11/41 11/46
Hellifield 11.54a ~ 12.02d 11/59
Settle Jn 12/08 12/02
Ribblehead 12/22 12/19
Blea Moor 12/25 12/21
Garsdale 12/35 12/32
Kirkby Stephen 12/45 12.44a ~ 12.46d
Appleby 12.56a ~ 13.06d 12.58 ~ 13.07
Kirby Thore SB 13/13 ?
Culgaith 13/16 13/17
Low House Crossing SB 13/31 13/31
Petteril Bridge Jn 13/41 13/40
London Road Jn 13/42 13.41a ~ 13.42d
Carlisle 13.45a ~ 16.16d 13.46 ~ 16.17
London Road Jn 16/19 16/20
Petteril Bridge Jn 16/20 16/21
Corby Gates SB 16/25 16/29
Brampton Fell 16/62 16/38
Low Road SB 16/37 ?
Haltwhistle 16/49 16/54
Haydon Bridge 17/01 17/00
Hexham 17/11 17/10
Prudhoe 17/27 17/24
Wylam 17/30 ?
Blaydon 17/35 17/31
Gateshead Metro Centre 17/38 17/38
Norwood Jn 17/41 17/41
Low Fell Jn 17/46 17/46
Birtley Jn 17/51 17/49
Durham 17/59 17/58
Tursdale Jn 18/06 18/04
Ferryhill South Jn 18/08 18/06
Darlington 18/18 18/16
Northallerton 18/31 18/27
Thirsk 18/37 18/33
Tollerton Jn 18/47 18/43
Skelton Jn 18/54 18/49
York 18.57a ~ 19.27d 18.54 ~ 19.29
Colton Jn 19/33 19/39
Church Fenton 19/37 19/42
Micklefield 19/46 19/47
Cross Gates 19/51 19/53
Neville Hill West Jn 19/54 19/56
Leeds 19.57a ~ 19.59d 20.00 ~ 20.03
Whitehall Jn 20/01 20/06
Morley 20/06 20/14

Timings continue in first table.

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