A rare opportunity to see Great Western and Southern steam in action in on the West Coast Mainline, tackling the 1-in-75 gradient of Shap within an hour of each other.
Representing the Great Western Railway, would be Ex-GWR 4073 'Castle' Class - 5043 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe"; one half of the flagship ‘Castle’ duo based at Tyseley. 5043 would be powering ‘The Shap Mountaineer’ for Vintage Trains. BR Class 47 - D1755 / 47773 would work the tour from Birmingham New Street to Carnforth via Stafford, where ‘The Earl’ would take the reins for the climb over Shap to Carlisle. The return leg of the tour would see 5043 work the tour back over Shap to Carnforth and on to Crewe where 47773 would take over, retracing the route back to Birmingham. For both legs with 5043 at the helm, 47773 would not be far away, with the 47 working light to Carlisle and back during 5043's run.
The Southern Railway would be represented by Ex-SR 'Battle of Britain' Class - 34067 "Tangmere"; a stalwart of West Coast Railways. The Bulleid pacific would be working ‘The Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’, chartered by the Railway Touring Company. BR Class 86 - 86259 would start the tour out of London Euston, working to Carnforth via Nuneaton. From Carnforth, 34067 would chase 5043 over the same route, tackling Shap to Carlisle with support provided by West Coast Railways Class 47 - 47815 "Great Western". After a break, 34067 would then lead the tour south over the Settle and Carlisle Railway to Hellifield and then on to Preston. From Preston, 86259 would regain control for the charge south on the WCML back to the capital.
Shap Wells would prove to be a popular location on the day, with many enthusiasts gathering to witness both 5043 and 34067 climb Shap. In the afternoon, with the wind growing stronger, 34067 would issue a powerful performance at Langwathby as it powered its tour over the S&C. Moving back to the WCML, and 5043 put in a thunderous showing at Great Strickland as it climbed Shap heading south. Finally, 5043 would provide a fast run past Bay Horse on level ground, as it charged towards Preston.
00:00 - 5043 Shap Wells
03:11 - D1755 Shap Wells
03:57 - 34067 Shap Wells
06:12 - 34067 Langwathby
08:18 - 5043 Great Strickland
09:24 - 5043 Bay Horse
All footage filmed on Saturday the 16th of March 2024.