SETTLE & CARLISLE PULLMAN - SATURDAY 22nd JANUARY 2022

Departure from;

Eastleigh (pu) - Winchester (pu) - Micheldever (pu) - Basingstoke (pu) - Reading (pu) - Maidenhead (pu) - Slough (pu) - Watford Junction (pu) then fast to the Settle and Carlisle reaching Carlisle around lunchtime.

This specially preserved HST set run by Midland Pullman are pleased to offer this very special New Year rail tour  special circular tour including a journey over the entire majestic route of the famous Settle to Carlisle railway and Cumbrian Fells. The Midland Pullman, was Britain’s first luxury high speed diesel-electric train, running in the early 1960’s between Manchester Central and London St Pancras. Beautifully refurbished carriages hark back to the days when you could truly unwind and enjoy the journey. The comfortable Pullman and first class carriages have leather cushioned seating, generously sized tables, and plenty of room to stretch your legs.

With great limestone peaks and deep valleys, we travel over no fewer than 19 viaducts and through 12 tunnels on this masterpiece of Victorian engineering – including the famous Ribblehead Viaduct Our train heads into the Yorkshire Dales for a spectacular journey over the magnificent high Pennines with the prospect of snow-covered mountains as they glisten in winter sunshine. The sheer scale of the scenery is apparent as we pass such famous landmarks as Batty Moss, Wild Boar Fell and Mallerstang Edge, with views of the three peaks towering over the line.

One magnificent sight follows another before we gradually descend into the tranquil Eden Valley to the border city of Carlisle for a lunchtime break of around 2 hours. We return over the west coast route passing Penrith, climbing over Shap summit and through the pretty Lune Gorge affording stunning views of the Cumbrian mountains, thence through historic Lancaster and Preston.

Blue Pullman, A brief history.

In July 1960 the Midland Pullman was relaunched as a luxury all-first-class service using two new Blue Pullman six-car diesel-electric units. The Blue Pullmans were luxury trains used from 1960 to 1973 by British Rail. They were the first Pullman diesel-electric multiple units, incorporating several novel features.

Named after their original Nanking blue livery, the trains were conceived under the 1955 modernisation plan to create luxury diesel express trains aimed at competing with the motor car and the emerging domestic air travel market. Although not entirely successful – they were seen as underpowered, and ultimately not economically viable – they demonstrated the possibility of fixed-formation multiple-unit inter-city train services, that a decade later was developed as the InterCity 125, which resembled them in having an integral power car at each end of the train. The sets were an advanced and luxurious design, befitting a Pullman train, although they did suffer some criticism particularly over a persistent ride quality problem. Over time it became costly to maintain such a small fleet of trains. By 1972, with the development of first-class accommodation in Mark 2 coaching stock, the surcharge for Blue Pullmans seemed uneconomical and unreliable to passengers and BR managers, and in 1973 the trains were withdrawn. Sadly none of the class were preserved.

SECOND HAND / REPAIRED OO GAUGE MODELS #2 - GWR PANNIER TANK No.5764

OO Gauge 

Manufacture - Mainline Railways

Cat No 37084

57XX Pannier Tank Locomotive

GWR Green/Gold No. 5764

This model represents probably my earliest memory of owning a OO Gauge 'toy' model train, it was probably a Hornby or even Airfix model back in the 1970s (yes I am old), although this is a much more recent acquisition and doesn't have the smoke effect it still a very well made model for it's age, and I'm pleased to have picked one up. 

Especially pleased that it only cost us about twenty quid, which for a boxed item and one in such lovely condition seemed a quality purchase, will be used with some of my wagons as well as the auto coach or B-set that I have in Choc Cream GWR styling too. 

Nice and easy one to take apart, removing the screws to release the chassis from the body, tidy, just probably a lack of run and been in storage for some time. Didn't show us anything to begin with but after it was removed, cleaned and some light 'sewing' machine oil applied, as I do regularly with other models, also checking all the leads are intact too. All back together and checking for signs of life. 

Excellent result as we soon found it responding, leaving it on a rolling road to run gentle for about twenty mins at a very low speed. Like it so much I am looking at getting another one and having it renumbered, although also seen that Bachmann produce the London Transport livery which might be interesting to us.

GWR Pannier Tank History

5764 was built in 1929 at Swindon at a cost of £2,651. It spent its entire service under BR ownership based at Old Oak Common. 5764 was sold to London Transport (LT) in 1960 and renumbered L95. By the time it was withdrawn from service it had completed 668,771 miles.

It was sold to Severn Valley Railway in 1971, and was operational less than a month after last being used on LT. Along with many other locomotives 5764 has appeared in films and television dramas. This engine appeared in the BBC production of the Charles Dickens winter tale in 1976. It was last entered service in 2010, the boiler certificate expired December 2020, and it is currently in store at Kidderminster awaiting overhaul.

KENDAL MODEL RAILWAY CLUB - EXHIBITION 29th - 30th JANUARY 2022

Saturday 29th - Sunday 30th January 2022

LOCATION:
Leisure Centre, Burton Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7HX
OPENING TIMES:
Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm
ADMISSION:
Adults £6.00  Concessions £5.00  Children £3.00  Family £16.00 

All being well this will be the Kendal MRC 2022 Annual Exhibition, with many of the traders and layouts carried over from the cancelled 2021 show with a number of new layouts and traders to replace those unable to attend. 

As with many events at this time of the year the rules might change at short notice with regards to attendance and rules, so far as we publish this the Uk Government have NOT issued further restrictions. "At this point we are hoping to be able to run the show as we usually do, but we will of course be guided by government policy and Covid safety requirements at the time. We will have wider aisles and hand sanitiser available".

List of Layouts Attending:
Abbotsford - N Gauge BR 1960s Liverpool/Manchester
Dunkow Road - N Gauge SR/WR set in the era 1960/70
Coketown - N Gauge WCML 2000
Gravelly Oak - N Gauge West Midlands/Shropshire.
Upper Cwmtwych - N Gauge from 2000 set in South Wales.

Rushen Valley Railway - O Gauge Preserved Railway. The clubs own modular O gauge layout which usually depicts a preserved railway. It can be exhibited as separate layouts -  Maidenhaiste Station and Broadhurst Works - or joined together, with additional scenic boards, to become the Rushen Valley Railway.

Harkness - by Tony Bucknell. An EM gauge layout based on a private railway in Northumberland 1930s to 1950s. The Belford Budle and Harkness Railway was a private light railway joining the LNER East Coast Mainline at Belford to the small harbour at Harkness on Budle bay. It is based on the North Sunderland Railway which ran between Chathill and Seahouses. We run two periods, 1939 (LNER), 1949 (early British Railways) and will add a third 1959 (BR) in due course, all with representative locos and stock.

Hartburn - EM gauge Northumberland, Hartburn is a small village in Northumberland (pictured above). It was never served directly by rail but lay just north of the old Wansbeck Valley Railway from Morpeth to Redesmouth, with the nearest station being Angerton. However, the original plan put forward in 1855 to link Morpeth and Rothbury proposed a line running via Meldon, Hartburn and Longwitton.

Furka Oberalp - HOm Swiss metre gauge, set somewhere on the Swiss Furka Oberalp Bahn, between Andermatt and Disentis, the layout features working rack and pinion operation allowing the train to climb approximately 3 feet as they wind their way around the layout, with up and down passenger trains passing each other at the small station, which is served by a funicular railway.

Loughborough Midland - OO gauge Loughborough Station.
Museum of Transport - 4mm museum layout

Lochdoun - OO9 Gauge - Automatic layout fitting into only 2ft square space

Nearest Railway Stations:
Oxenholme Lake District [0.99 miles]
Kendal [1.14 miles]
Burneside [2.96 miles]
Staveley [5.3 miles]

MAP:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022 [PRAYING THIS YEAR IS MORE FUN THAN THE LAST]

Oh yes it's time to kick off another year, a big welcome to 2022 and may it be twelve amazing months for you and yours, unlike the year we have just seen go by for many of us.

Can we just agree that the last year has not really gone to plan at all so might be best to just leave it be and move on. Been unable to attend any of the regular open days and running nights at local railway clubs, so quietly been adding to my small N Gauge collection at home, which is growing nicely now with a few additions and my Xmas gift to myself of another locomotive. Still need a place to give everything a good run but we do what we can with a test track at home. Hopefully would be nice to have some events and exhibitions to enjoy as well as visiting heritage railways and therefore the plan for 2022 will be to indulge in that more. While also considering a change of scene might do me the world of good and would be looking at a move down towards the south coast depending on how work turns out. While this blog has outlived its original remit, which was to highlight and focus on my late father's models, I do enjoy it and plan to keep it going for as long as I can with hopefully more news and events throughout the year as well any more days out I can manage. Still need to rearrange trips to places like Swanage during the coming year now that the line is connected to Wareham and they might begin to run a service from the main line which would help my plans to get there by Train. Must arrange a few days away in York when it becomes possible and a trip to the National Railway Museum plus hopefully Blaenau Ffestiniog would be great ideas for long weekends away this year. We also expect to see more of friends and family as well given the past year and an almost complete cancellation of activities then. All this would help if work was better for me too, and if I can get back to enjoying life rather than the grind of train strikes and commuting. Whatever happens make it fun, enjoy life as much as you can and be entertaining too in all you do.

Peace and love to all.
Hope you enjoy a wonderful year throughout 2022.