EE & Sulzer power in the North West plus 34067; The North West Wanderer & Northern Belle 10/08/2024

The latest offering from the Inter City brand was very much an enthusiast's tour, with LSL turning out 5 different classes of diesel locomotive for an epic tour around the North West. Starting off was a run up the WCML from Crewe to Carlisle behind recently acquired D400 but the weather forecast meant that the planned shot on Shap was a non starter, so instead I headed to the much more sheltered spot just to the south of Tebay loops. It's not the longest view here but it's almost always going to be a fast shot and as expected the 50 came flying past, doing what looked to be around 90mph ahead of the 4 miles of 1 in 75.
The second leg saw 45118 run along another former stamping ground for the peaks; the Settle & Carlisle. The only shot I was ever considering was Ais Gill and in glorious sunshine it looked and sounded brilliant hauling the rake of 11 coaches plus D400 on the rear.
On arrival at Preston D213 took over for an anticlockwise run round the Lancashire circle. 45118 was always planned to remain on the rear with D400 booked to come off and run light back to Crewe, however the 50 had failed so the 40 ended up hauling an additional 120 odd tonnes behind it. Running pretty much on time the consist is seen running along the jointed track of the Little North Western at Eldroth.
Also out today was 34067 heading the latest Northern Belle 'Settle & Carlisle Steam Special'. The shot at Langho was intended to be a 'for the record' view with the expectation that the 57 on the rear would be pushing the whole train up the 1 in 80 but much to my surprise that wasn't the case. The bullied just got louder and louder as it dug in more and more gradually getting slower until 57313 opened up to give some assistance. Perfectly timed though as it only did that as it was going past me...
The 4th leg of the North West Wanderer saw class 37 action in the form of 37409 & 37521 running around what could technically be called the other Lancashire circle - over Copy Pit, round the Todmorden Curve then through Manchester Victoria back to Preston. Unfortunately, the locos were heavily delayed on the way up from Crewe to Preston and this section only got underway at 1923, some 51 minutes late. By the time they reached Gannow Junction they'd clawed some of that deficit back though and the pair roared past the waiting gallery at Walk Mill 39 minutes down. Heading round through Manchester the delay increased again, by which time I'd driven back along the M65 to Leyland and when they thundered through on the last section back to Preston they were 41 minutes late.
The final leg back to Crewe saw the use of class 20's 117 & 138, both in matching Railfreight livery. Ahead of them were the 37's running light back to Crewe before the main tour thundered through around 10 minutes later and 34 minutes behind.
Top marks to LSL for this one, and I expect it won't be the last time they run a tour like this...

[@steamedlyons]

Fantastic shots! Didn't get any of the 37's myself due to the fuss with the signalling circuits, but even with that it was well worth the day out. I really hope you're right and second that I'd love to see more enthusiast tours like this, I've never seen fuller platforms (or should that be vegetable patches?) for a tour in my life!

[@steamdriver12]

Thanks mate, much appreciated. You're certainly right about the full platforms; I use Leyland for pretty much all of my WCML night shots and haven't seen it as many onlookers as there was last night in some time. With the success of this tour I really can't see LSL not doing another in the future - with the variety of Diesel and Electric locomotives they have and the number of routes easily accessible from Crewe the possibilities are almost endless...Graham

[@CityThatCannotBeCaptured]

Beautiful!!!!

[@steamdriver12]

Thanks mate, much appreciated...Graham

[@stephenbrass1808]

Very nice indeed, a nicely planned day with great results, .👍

[@steamdriver12]

Thanks Stephen, much appreciated...Graham

[@allan5919]

Super video footage from all locations. 👍

[@steamdriver12]

Thanks Allan, much appreciated...Graham

[@stestepney]

Great stuff Graham some nice shots there cheers Steve

[@steamdriver12]

Thanks Steve, much appreciated...Graham

[@mattwilson6552]

Excellent job, well done, I saw it a few times but you must have the record there. Where did Fearless go in the end?

[@steamdriver12]

Thanks mate, appreciated. D400 was taken back to Crewe by D213 after the 3rd leg of the tour, being unable to get back under its own power on arrival from Carlisle earlier on...Graham

[@mattwilson6552]

@@steamdriver12 thank you, I forgot about the 40 going back, how could I??!!

[@mikehsmith1]

When you are a steam hauled train with a diesel on the back like mid video is the steam loco pulling the entire train and the diesel ?

[@steamdriver12]

Yes at that point 34067 was hauling the entire train unassisted. As the diesel went past me you can hear it open up to provide assistance to Tangmere up the remaining 2 miles or so of 1 in 80 but even then the steamer was doing most of the work...Graham