24th July 2013 (The Fellsman)

Date Wednesday, 24th July 2013

Locomotive 61994 (The Great Marquess)

Ran as 61994

Direction North and south

Load 12

Diesel Inside

Tour name The Fellsman

Headboard The Fellsman

Tour promoter Statesman Rail

Operating company West Coast Railways

Route

  • Lancaster (61994 on)
  • Preston
  • Blackburn
  • Hellifield
  • Carlisle
  • Hellifield
  • Blackburn
  • Preston
  • Lancaster (61994 off)
When photographing 47580 at Liverpool Street almost 30 years ago, I would never have thought that it would survive to tell the tale of such a bizarre combination of locomotives, and over the Settle-Carlisle line! Having given up on trying to conceal the 'fire risk assurance' diesel, I finally bit the bullet and took a standard three-quarter view, in the knowledge that the likes of this may never be seen again - hopefully. The saving grace was the black exhaust from 61994 on the falling 1 in 100 gradient from Blea Moor tunnel and consequently few heads out of the windows, not to mention the benefit of full sun of course. The line of the tunnel can be seen by tracing the spoil/rock mounds dumped on the hillside during the tunnel's construction between 1870 and 1875. 'Brush Type 4/class 47' No.47580 'County of Essex' is piloted by Gresley 'K4' 2-6-0 No.61994 'The Great Marquess' between Blea Moor tunnel and Ribblehead, the return 'Fellsman' charter to Lancaster from Carlisle on Wednesday 24th July 2013. Hopefully this may see the end of the 'fire risk' diesel addition. The volume of rain that has fallen in Cumbria during the last 48 hours is a good start. © Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission An Unlikely Marriage
 at , Chapel le Dale, England, United Kingdom by Gordon Edgar.