Patrick writes: ”For the second time, in so many years, Christine and I went for a day tip on a preserved train to Carlisle. Many will remember again the film which Terry made, oh! quite a few years ago now. Our journey was by choice, whereas the man in the film found himself unwittingly back in an earlier era.
Our Carlisle trip was just before the signs of lockdown on the 14th March.
We caught the train in Nuneaton at 8-45am. It was, for the technical, a class 86 electric loco hauling maroon BR style 1960’s coaching stock. These preserved carriages are far more comfortable and roomy than present day ones and are equally as stable, cutting a dash of up to 80mph!
[Photo Credit - Bradley Langton]
At Carnforth, the steam loco, a Jubilee class 45562 ‘Alberta’ was attached to haul us around the Cumbrian coast route right by the sea. But again, we were disappointed as the line had been closed the afternoon before, not because of the virus, but a landslip, and Network Rail had closed the line. So instead after a two hour or so break in Carlisle we would be taken on the Carlisle - Settle route over the Ribblehead viaduct. Our steam loco pulled well up the four mile Shap incline and soon we had arrived in the rather splendid town of Carlisle. We spent an hour or so in the town, had a bite to eat and returned to the station, giving us half an hour to get some pics of the steam loco which had reversed ends ready for the return journey. The loco took on water before it ascended into the delightful Yorkshire Dales, an area I would like to have a more lingering look around in the car. Then after Settle, the class 86 electric was hooked up, and we raced back down to Preston then Crewe and finally Nuneaton by half-eight. Then the ‘lockdown’ really came into effect. At least we’d had few early outings to be going on with - Patrick
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You can read more about the Jubilee Class Alberta here
From which the picture by Credit: Bradley Langton is reproduced.