20th
July – The Luca Pezzulo Express
When this tour went on sale in April I decided to treat
myself for first class, as I would be on the tour for roughly 15 hours and as
the standard class bench seats don’t do my back any good, it would save having
to carry around my cushion. I had
forgotten it wasn’t plain First Class non-dining but sort of a First Class Plus
with teas/coffees and some light food.
Anyhow my alarm was set for half five, and after a so-so night I walked
towards the Tesco Express in Preston to get some supplies, waiting in line with
a couple other tour goers for the store to open at 6am, before walking back
towards Preston station to await the arrival of the tour from Lancaster.
Leading the tour for the first leg was Colas 37521, which was required for me (so
always a good start, sadly 37669 was on the rear which I’ve had on two previous
tours. I took my seat in the posh seats
for the run towards Manchester Victoria via Bolton, using a loop on the other
side of Victoria before carrying on towards Rochdale for another pick up. After Rochdale it was full steam ahead via
Summit Tunnel and into Yorkshire, going via Brighouse and Mirfield to take one
of the remaining operational lines via Healey Mills (Engine line P and Down
Healey Mills Departure Line) to allow an unit to overtake before heading into
Wakefield Kirkgate for the final pick up and the first reversal of the day.
37669 took control for the first time as the train went up
the chord towards Wakefield Westgate, using the non-platformed through line and
into Wrenthorpe reception sidings, unusually without any old coal wagons parked
up, used to be used by the old Wakefield Westgate – Huddersfield services
before they were rerouted towards Castleford [and the Knottingley – Kirkgate services
extended to Leeds]. Another reversal
with 37521 leading the way, back via Westgate and towards Fitzwilliam, using a
loop along the way before turning right towards Moorthorpe and then into South
Yorkshire with the line towards Swinton and Rotherham Central, staying
underneath the tram wires before they disappeared on the new chord towards
Meadowhall South. The train continued
and turned left into the Tinsley yard area, using line “TY4” for another
reversal, probably new track for me as I have no idea which part of Tinsley the
Don & Went tour did back in June 2015).
Another reversal and back towards the main-line, taking the south facing
chord before heading towards the former Sheffield Victoria station on the
closed Woodhead route. The tour
continued along the old route, passing some closed stations, and heading across
the Network Rail boundary at the steel works at Stocksbridge for around half a
mile to the Ellen Cliff Loop, beyond was off-limits for heavy locos due to
weight issues.
Due to an issue with some points not being clipped around
the former Deepcar exchange sidings, the train had lost some time, so to try
and gain some time back the route towards Hull was changed, it was meant to go
via Pontrfact Baghill and then Selby, but instead once it was back on the
passenger network after Sheffield Victoria and running alongside the tram line
towards Rotherham Central, the train used the direct Swinton avoiding line via Thrybergh
Junction, using the loop along the way to rejoin at Mexborough Junction, using
the loop the other side of Conisbroigh before taking the Doncaster avoiding
lines to avoid Doncaster (who would have guessed that?!). The train rejoined the passenger network to
head towards Goole to rejoin the original route at Gilberdyke, racing towards
Hull where we had roughly a 20 minute break.
Needless to say I wasn’t the only person who headed towards
the WH Smiths for a meal-deal, I could have probably made it to Tesco and back,
but there is a risk that the checkouts could have been busy. With sandwich in bag (for later on), it was
back on board for a brief reversal, before the train returned towards Hull, but
this time using the carriage sidings, using siding E. One of the old platforms used in the olden
days, where the train got watered by a man in a van. Once done, it was back out towards Hessle,
and towards Goole, taking the line towards Hensall to head into the remains of Kellingley
Colliery, nobody really knew how far the train would actually get in this
closed colliery (of which not a lot remains), but it got further than
expected. One final reversal with 37521
back in charge for the remaining of the tour, back out towards the main-line
and towards Drax where the train went via the Biomass unloading area, and also
the coal unloading area, with a good tour guide explaining how Biomass works
and how it was built. A track engineer
was also on board explaining the track layout and the old unloading machines in
the coal area.
After the loop of Drax, it was back out onto the mainline,
passing an empty looking 142 bound for Goole, passing Knottingley, Featherstone
before pausing at Wakefield Kirkgate for the first set-down, where a lot of
passengers alighted. The tour returned
towards Mirfield, Brighouse, eventually leaving Yorkshire behind and into
Greater Manchester for another set-down at Rochdale. Afterwards things went a bit slow due to
trespassers around Victoria, the train used a loop before slowly getting back
going, passing Victoria, but as it was now following a Wigan bound stopping
service, it was very stop/start until that unit was looped at Bolton, and the
37 gained some speed back towards Preston where I alighted at the end of a good
tour. Once I was back at the hotel, it
was a case of dropping my bag, putting my phone on charge and having a much
needed shower, for it was quite humid.
A bit of new track in my book, but the good thing is that
the tour raised a lot of money for Martin House’s Children’s Hospice and was a
good day trip, well organised as well. Well worth paying the
extra for 1st class, just for the larger seat for the long day [I've been on too many tours where I've been unlucky enough to get one of the narrower bench seats in the middle of the coach/by the doors, and in hot weather it can be uncomfortable)
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