'Austerity' Clag! Hunslet 0-6-0ST 'Cumbria' at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway - 29/08/2020

The Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway lies deep in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, just east of the market town of Skipton and north of the milling communities around the nearby Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. However, unlike it's close neighbour, the Embsay line has consistently relied on industrial tank engines as the backbone of their services. A handful of mainline and tender locomotives have visited now and again, but it is almost always up to the railway's fleet of plucky little side and saddle-tanks to provide the day-to-day operations.
Now beginning to get back on it's feet after four months in lockdown due to Covid-19 restrictions, the railway held it's 'Beer Festival' over the August Bank Holiday from 29th to 31st August. With a gazebo set up in the courtyard at Embsay station, and on-train bar and dining facilities available, the event was a welcome breath of fresh air from the strict, imposing regulations surrounding the dreaded virus, although entry was by ticket-only and face masks were required in stations.
The Hunslet 'Austerity' 0-6-0STs are the most numerous locomotive class to survive in Britain, with Embsay's locomotive department having no less than four on their books! Previous visits to the line have seen Southern Locomotives Ltd's 'Norman' in action, but with said engine bowing out of traffic in December 2017, 'Cumbria' was hired to fill the void. Owned by the Furness Railway Trust, 3794 spent the first thirty-five years of her preserved lines shuttling up and down the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, before moving to the Ribble Steam Railway for overhaul and eventual spot-hire to the Battlefield and Mid-Norfolk lines, ending up on long-term loan to Embsay.
In this video we see 'Cumbria' putting on quite the spectacle. With five BR MK1s in tow, including a heavy kitchen coach and an LNWR Director's Saloon from 1913, not to mention a mostly-uphill gradient from Bolton Abbey to Embsay, the locomotive certainly had a lot to contend with but took each journey in its stride. The only downside of my visit was the weather which consisted of pleasant patches of sunshine but coupled with a persistent breeze, which didn't exactly make panning particularly easy.
I hope you all enjoy the video. Special Thanks to the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway station staff for going the extra mile during my visit. Feel free to comment and subscribe!

[@_A.MCarsTrainsTravel]

I think I was on the back coach that day

[@Duusgaard78]

Beautiful capture 👍

[@pannierprairie7884]

As you mention in the description, the backbone of the railway's fleet are industrial tank engines, not that I'm complaining! I believe another one of their Hunslet engines, Beatrice, has just returned from overhaul (not an austerity though). Also, an interesting consist to go with 'Cumbria', the LNWR saloon in particular. Superb footage👍

[@SecondValveSteam]

Thanks for your comment Pannier Prairie. The railway has some wonderful little locos. I saw ‘Beatrice’ a few years ago at Locomotion, beautiful engine. All the best. Cameron

[@D9019]

Nice video there mate, can't beat a small loco working hard in the countryside.

[@SecondValveSteam]

D9019 Thanks for commenting. There is a unique charm to industrial locos that I can’t quite put my finger on, but works all the same. Kind Regards. Cameron

[@D9019]

@@SecondValveSteam Indeed, industrials certainly have a charm of their own.

[@zacharyspinks6207]

Fantastic Video mate!

[@SecondValveSteam]

Thanks for commenting Zachary. Glad you enjoyed. Kind regards. Cameron

[@SimonTog]

Lovely video, thumbs up :)

[@SecondValveSteam]

Many thanks SimonTog.

[@NJPurling]

They also have one of the predecessors of the Austerity: A Hunslet 50550 class that looks very similar. I saw it down in the line of derelicts many years ago on a day when the railway was not running. I think it has an extended buffer-beam.

[@robertsowden1454]

She's currently under restoration work at a site in Bolton to my knowledge, left the railway a good few years ago now and don't know where the loco will go once complete.

[@MaylonArmando-ir1mb]

No wolfoo train

[@_A.MCarsTrainsTravel]

I WAS ON THE BACK COACH

[@kineticrail]

Whats it like there getting to the good filming locations are they walkable from either of the stations?

[@SecondValveSteam]

Thanks for commenting. The only shot the can be accessed from a station is the closing shot at Bolton Abbey. 1:53 is taken from a publuc overbridge, whilst stoneacre loop is accessed via a public footpath just up from a lay-by on the A59. Hope this helps. Cameron

[@waichulee3914]

Whatever train I gess

[@HM...333]

Hi, it is a great railway isn't it. The railway has lots of the hunslet saddle tanks. The number is around 8. Many are not shown on the website because they are not running but if you visit the Wikipedia page, old website or preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/ Embsay railway page it tells you them all. Great video by the way!!

[@SecondValveSteam]

Thanks for commenting. Embsay has lots of Hunslets but I was only referring to the Austerities, of which there are four: ‘Warspite’, Wheldale’, ‘Monckton No. 1’ and 69 (not including visitors). But it is a nice little line with lots of brilliant industrials. Kind Regards. Cameron

[@HM...333]

@@SecondValveSteam sorry, I understand now.