---

Day 4 : Wednesday 29 August 2001

Another jolt as we come to a stand at Carstairs at 06:15. After 12 minutes, we're heading off in the opposite direction and left towards Edinburgh. It's quite grey and cloudy this morning - I hope that the weather will be reasonable for the trip around the coast of the Lake District. The sun is lightening the sky as we head east. The hills to the north are just visible. The outskirts of Edinburgh are quiet at this time. We arrive at Waverley about half an hour early - at 06:50 - another abrupt stop! (The stop for the signal check outside Haymarket was smooth.) 90026 "Crewe International Electric Maintenance Depot" has brought the sleepers in from Carstairs. 90030 "Crewe Locomotive Works" is stabled in one of the old Motorail bays. I notice that the fire extinguisher handle has the label "In case of fire shut down diesel engine and pull red handle"!

156's, 158's and 170's arrive and depart from the bay platforms. Voyager 220017 stops briefly at platform 20 before continuing west. The 07:45 shuttle to Queen Street is a 158 with Porterbrook-liveried 170399 on the rear.. After about 8 o'clock, the incoming trains bring large numbers of commuters. The sun comes out as I watch trains come and go - it's possible to see through the tunnels to Princes Street Gardens. At platform 10, 86240 "Bishop Eric Treacy" waits at the head of the 09:10 to Bournemouth. Just before we depart, 90142 pulling 90144 pulls up alongside. We're slightly delayed by people getting on at the last minute (and after) but we're away at 09:12, through Princes Street Gardens and the tunnels to the first stop at Haymarket. More people are waiting here than at Waverley. We cross the Union Canal just before Kingsknowe station, then the busy city bypass after Wester Hailes. It's not long before we're branching left at Carstairs East. It's still cloudy to the west and the higher hills to the south are lost in the low cloud.

By the time we reach Carlisle, the sun is tryhing to break through, but there are still clouds over the Lake District. A 66 heads north on a two wagon train. 92036 is at the south end of Kingmoor Yard, 2 DRS 37's are heading slowly south, following an 08. Only a few 20's on the DRS depot. The sun is shining at Carlisle, through the train shed roof. The 08 - 709 comes through the station. There are a few photographers at the south end of platform 3. 156455 is the 11:02 to Barrow on platform 2. 87024 "Lord of the Isles" comes in, leading 82152. It starts to move at 11:00, only to come to an abrupt stop before it reaches the end of the platform. The driver gets out. It's still there when we depart.

We branch right, round a sharp curve, immediately on leaving the station onto the Maryport & Carlisle line. We crawl along past the ex-carriage siding with folorn looking 56121 and a number of wagons, then accelerate once we pass the junction with the freight lines. It's jointed track along here. There's a track gang waiting for us to pass just past Dalston, where we cross a full 153357 (our train is almost empty). Industry at Wigton - a green and cream footbridge with red risers and a green and cream flat roof signal box (LMS/BR style). The overbridges are reminiscent of the S&C. A tall hill stands by itself to the south. A 66 on a rail train heads the other way. Aspatria, with its bricked up station is preceded by a short tunnel. We curve through low hills and arrive at Maryport, where there is a single platfrom with a bus stop-style shelter. More industry here, some of it derelict.

After Maryport, the sea is visible - grey today reflecting the clouds. A line of windmills is spinning to the south. We pass them shortly - they're right next to the line. Large boulders form a sea defence here. River, church and harbour and we're at Workington. The footbridge is surrounded by scaffolding. The ironwork of the canopy supports is freshly painted. The wind is shaking the tree branches. Another 153 crosses us here - 153360. We have a prolonged pause - the engine in the rear carriage has stopped. The driver tops up the water with a watering can. We're 10 minutes late leaving - the rear engine is leaking coolant but it's running for the moment. More windmills at Herrington and St. Bees head is visible in the distance. The guard says that he'll ring ahead to let them know that I'm wanting the Lancaster train at Barrow. Yachts in the substantial harbour at Harrington.

We run right along the coast here. A couple of cormorants are on the rocks. Then it's on to a single track section. Boulders and old concrete sleepers form the sea defences. The chimneys of Whitehaven are visiable ahead. We traverse this section slowly then return to double track where a gang are measuring and marking sleepers. There's fresh yellow paint all the way to Parton station. Back next to the shore again. A yacht heads south and a trawler heads for the harbour at Whitehaven. The signal box looks recently painted but the signal post for the other line is rusty. The driver unlocks the token cabin and gets a token. The signal changes to green. Off through the tunnel. We're 15 minutes down leaving Whitehaven.

It's single track south from Whitehaven. We head away from the sea for a while, cutting across to St. Bees with its signal box on a stone, slope-walled base. Back to the shore again, more boulders and a substantial-looking new wall. The sun is coming out again and sunlight reflects off the sea surface. A number of beach houses and a few people on the beach. Sellafield comes into view. The clouds hide all but the closest hills of the Lake District. Past the old water tower and the token is given up to the signalman at Sellafield. The station here (next to the river) has an unusual arrangement - an additional platform has been built for northbound trains, so we have platforms on both sides. The new side is fenced off though. A 142 arrives just as we leave. The rear engine stops again. It looks like I'll miss the train at Barrow.

South of Drigg, there are views up the valley to the hills of the Lakes, which sweep round toward the coast ahead. Across the River Mite estuary to Ravenglass. We're only 11 down here. There's a DRS-liveried diesel being turned on the turntable at the R&ER. The River Esk heads north here, separated from the sea by a line of dunes, until meeting the Mite and the Irt at Ravenglass. We cross it on another viaduct. There are spectacular views toward the hills - the clouds have lifted a bit, so the taller peaks are visible. With only one engine, we lose time on the climb from Bootle. Another wind farm south of Silecroft. We're 15 down again leaving Millom, where we head inland, skirting the estuary. The tide is out, so a large expanse of sand is visible. We curve round, cross the river and pass through Foxfield, now running along the other side of the estuary. 16 down leaving Askam, with a lawn on the unused part of the platform an elegant stone and half-timbered station building. We branch right onto single track, and slow for an ungated crossing. We arrive at 13:36. The Lancaster train has left.

They're painting the roof. Green, cream and red is the colour scheme again. The Furness Railway memorial to the First World War is battered. A plaque notes that the damage was done during the Second World War. 175009 shuttles off to the sidings. The 153 on the Millom service returns to form a Carlisle service. The 175 returns from the sidings at 14:54 - back to platform it left 15 minutes ago! There's an Alstom engineer on board. We set off on time. The interior reminds me of a 158. There's an automated announcement, a station display and slightly more legroom. The engine noise is less than in a 158, although a high pitched whine is still audible. There are a few ships in the docks as we pass. The line curves to the junction with the line avoiding Barrow and is twisty afterward too as we amble through low hills from Dalton to Ulverston. The ironwork here is freshly painted too and the station building grand with its clock tower. The other line has platform faces on both sides like Sellafield.

A pair of 153's arrives just before we depart. There's a folly looking somewhat like a lighthouse on a hill on the left. Apparently, it's lit up at night and visible for miles. The sea returns again. The tide is right out now. We slow for the Leven viaduct. Hills visible to the left and an island to the right. It looks like you could walk out to the island. The power station at Hest Bank is just visible in the distance. The line is slighly straigher here and we travel somewhat faster now. There are sheep grazing on the marsh grass at the edge of the bay. The sun is shining brightly but it looks quite hazy to the south and east as we run alongside the estuary past Kents Bank to Grange-over-Sands. Green, cream and red again, and sandstone and limestone station buildings. There's a large house on its own wooded island just east of the town. We curve toward Arnside and its viaduct. A few people are on the beach.

Another 170 arrives just as we depart from Arnside. Lots of foot crossings on the line from here to Silverdale. The view across Morecombe Bay returns as we near Carnforth. Lots of water fowl on the marshes. Three Fragonset 31's in Steamtown yard. One is 602 "Chimera". Slow past Carnforth Station Junction signalbox and into the station. They're starting to work on the building here. About time! D9000 is still here. Slowly across onto the WCML for a faster run for the 6 miles to Lancaster. There are brief views across the bay back in direction we came from. 5 late into Lancaster at 15:55. The 15:57 fast train to Euston has been cancelled - overhead wire problems in the Wembley area. The 16:05 is still running, which started at Glasgow Central - it looks like both trains have been combined. It arrives at 16:00 behind 82129. We leave on time. The guard announces that the two trains have been integrated. A cup of tea arrives immediately after we depart! I wonder what the Pendolino will be like inside - these MkIII refurbishments are very comfortable and spacious. We arrive early at Preston. Because of the disruption, the following train is also cancelled. We also arrive early at Wigan North Western and Warrington. Three freights are queued on the slow lines waiting for us at Warrington. We have to wait for 87018 "Lord Nelson" on a train from Liverpool. We pass an elegant footbridge spanning a tributary of the River Weaver just below Dutton Locks. A 47-hauled Virgin train passes us just before we come to a stand north of Crewe. We arrive 1 minute late. 90012 "British Transport Police" is on the rear.

Not many trains are moving at Crewe. There are quite a few people waiting. The trains from London are all marked as late. The 18:00 to Glasgow is down for an 18:30 departure. The 18:28 shows up on the board as 18:39 and the 18:30 as 18:40. Finally, the 18:00 is 18:46 and the 18:28 is 18:52. I watch the 18:00 come in with 86248 "Sir Clwyd / County of Clwyd" on the front. It's packed, so I opt for the 18:28 instead. The arrives behind 87023 "Polmadie". There's quite a bit of freight moving now. We have a quiet run until we grind to a halt just south of Lancaster. "Congestion at the station" then "A broken down Barrow train". I begin to wish that I'd caught the 18:00 after all! We move again after about 25 minutes and we're 57 late into Lancaster. Between Crewe and Penrith, I talk to a lad who's been off round the country visiting friends. He works as a computer programmer on the ordering system for a company that manages pharmaceutical distribution around the country - Penrith is their northern depot.

A few people are about on Carlisle station. Leaving Carlisle, we're 52 down - 5 minutes up on Lancaster. I recall catching the sleeper from Glasgow after a run from Cardiff behind a 37 in 1998. At least then, I was fairly sure that I'd make it when we left Crewe, instead of not sure until Carlisle. We slow as pass the lights of Carstairs. Not long afterward, we see the lights of the outskirts of Glasgow. There's a 90 at the mail depot at Sheildsmuir. Motherwell at 22:38. It's been raining here. We cross the bridge toward Central station. The streetlights and lit up buildings reflect in the water of the Clyde. I see 90238 at the head of the sleepers. We arrive in platform 1 at 22:54 (48 late). 86248 is next to us in platform 2.

There are a few late evening trains ready to depart. 86240 "Bishop Eric Treacy" takes 86248 and its train off to Polmadie. 87024 "Lord of the Isles" arrives for ours. 47733 "Eastern Star" had brought the sleepers in. It's raining hard now. There's a complimentary gin 'n' tonic in the berth and the steward comments that a "Miss G. Coleman" is also travelling.

---

Day 5 (Thursday)

---

Introduction Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Timetable Mileages

---

Text and photographs Copyright J.D.Coleman 2001.

---