Coal Scuttler Railtour, Sat/Sun May 25/26 1991
Sat May 25th 1991
The 05blip departure off Leighton with 321415 taking the usual Friday nighters home in various states. Steve Wolverton joined en route and at Northampton where we crossed the platform to doss out in the warm comfort of 310106 on the 0629 Brum. Northampton Mick joined us but we were all dossed most of the way to New St. A good crowd were gathered on the footbridge here by the buffet, all sorts of quoted tour power too!
A rather dull 47818 arrived right time at 0805 with the “Coal Scutler” tour with 12 Raspberry Ripple Mk I’s in tow and we all piled aboard. Many familiar faces, the atmosphere was good already. Warrington BQs platform monitors kindly had all the tour power displayed, a nice touch by the nearby PSB. Also at Warrington BQ the exotic tour power began, 20117/20121 backed on but were failed prior to departure with 20131/20175 substituting for the slog up Shap to Carlisle.
Shame they couldnt drop this on the tour too!, 85104 at Warrington BQ, 250591
A smart very recently repainted 86241 at Carlisle, 250591
37714 under the footbridge at Carlisle on cements 250591
The mixed pair of 26038 and 37245 about to work the tour forward from Carlisle, 250591
The mixed pair of 26038/37245 were provided for the Carlisle – Ayr (and return) leg so some decent “tea cup” mileage ensued. At Falkland Yard classic rare Ayr power in 20138/20124 topping and 26002/26007 tailing the tour on the rateable freight only coal branches to Killoch and Waterside. For the record the 20’s powered to Killoch, the xos 26’s back, the 20’s powering to Waterside, 20138 starting a lineside fire due severe wheelslip! for the xos monsters back to Ayr. I was very pleased to get 26002 in the book, my last xos and 26 i could still get. A much needed 4 hour evening break saw the chippers, pubs and a few carry outs visited. No doubt Ayr’s finest “GJ” won’t agree but the town seemed a bit run down, nicer by the beach though, better than Derby at 4am but that pleasure was still to come!
the rare, tempremental 26002 after a good run with 26007 back at Ayr with the tour, 250591
Sunday May 26th 1991
With the tour atmosphere refreshed and very upbeat the 26/37 duo returned us East via Kilmarnock. Sleep set in for most of us till a mass bail at Carlisle around midnight to confirm 20013/141 the forwarding power. Deep sleep then set in for me and many others so we missed out on us whistling South to Preston where 56018 took over for a scream through Manchester and onwards to Derby. I stirred at a very grey Chesterfield so enjoyed some grid thrash before the whole tour woke at Derby around 4am. Obviously everything was closed no chance of a full breakfast a few hoped for.
56015 backed on to top and tail the tour down the rare Denby colliery branch famous for its air piped brake vans on rakes of HAA’s. We didnt go far before stopping for the first unmanned level crossing, the first of too many! So the Denby branch was personally a disappointing stagger . A welcome but brief blast of fast running took us South to Burton before curving onto the freight lines to Coalville. We arrived at Coalville around 0950 for a 2 hour break to enjoy the impressive open day power display which included…..
09008, 20058, 20057, 26025, 31174, 31326, 33051, 37019, 37350, 37904, 45133, 45135, 47001, 47634, 47973, 50008, 58048, 60006, 60035, 73104, 90045, plus preserved, D4, D8, 1013, 5410, 5583, 5705, 9000, 9016, 4472(k), 46203(k)..
The immaculate Co-Bo 5705 looking superb at Coalville Open Day on 260591
With the weather getting increasingly sticky we watched initially with amusement a serious farce develop. A signal failure caused delays then the inaugural class 60 hauled passenger train with Hertfordshire’s “Coalville Swansong” took several attempts to stop the train where the BSK’s at the centre of the train were positioned for a rapid unloading.
Around 3 hours late (1500) we gleefully left Coalville after a shunt release from 58048, with the pair of 60s up front taking us via Wigston to Nuneaton. Our Northampton colleague Mick was in a dilemna as he was supposed by now to be enroute to Weymouth from New St with his Mrs. Unfortunately he was still at Nuneaton and he needed the forwarding grid 56021. No mobile phones back then.
Once we had run round at Coventry 56021 literally flew and screamed westwards to New St, the grid was to work through to the tours final return destination Bristol, how i would love to have stayed on board but reluctantly i bailed at New St. Watching the grid depart it was farewell to a true classic tour that had everything from 17 locos, rare freight track and some fast running….simply superb!
For me it was more basic traction in 321418 on a mileage move back to Leighton!
Tour Organiser – Pathfinder
Headcode 1Z36
Ching £55
The Moves
250591 Sa
321415 0424 Euston – Northampton L.Buzzard -Northampton
310106 0629 Northampton – Birmingham Northampton – New St
47818 0612 Bristol – Ayr “Coal Scuttler” Railtour New St – Warrington BQ
20131} 0612 Bristol – Ayr “Coal Scuttler” Railtour Warrington BQ – Carlisle
20175}
26038} 0612 Bristol – Ayr “Coal Scuttler” Railtour Carlisle – Falkland Yard
37245}
20138} top 0612 Bristol – Ayr “Coal Scuttler” Railtour Falkland Yd – Ayr
20124} (via Waterside/Killoch)
26002} tail 0612 Bristol – Ayr “Coal Scuttler” Railtour Falkland Yd – Ayr
26007} (via Waterside/Killoch)
37245} 2200 Ayr – Bristol rtn Railtour Ayr – Carlisle
26038}
260591 Su
20013} 2200 Ayr – Bristol rtn Railtour Carlisle – Preston
20141}
56018 2200 Ayr – Bristol rtn Railtour PR-Coalville (via Denby)
56015 2200 Ayr – Bristol rtn Railtour Derby – Coalville (via Denby)
60057} 2200 Ayr – Bristol rtn Railtour Coalville – Nuneaton
60032}
58048 2200 Ayr – Bristol rtn Railtour Coalville – Coalville W
56021 2200 Ayr – Bristol rtn Railtour Nuneaton – New St (via Coventry)
321418 1742 Birmingham – Euston New St – L.Buzzard
Leighton Lists 