Did 46115 Scots Guardsman fail again at Carlisle? and Northern Belle at Dumfries 16.07.22

[@DavidSmith-gx1dx]

The closing shot of the man and his dog were pure cinema. The lighting, the movement of the man and his dog, the fade out.........beautiful.

[@schoolshorts]

A touch of poetry and cinema on Dumfries station - now, there's something new!

[@MrOldmeg]

Two excursions on one long full day from both sides of the border you really are treating us to the full works many thanks again for your efforts, and as always very enjoyable. JohnK.

[@schoolshorts]

Thanks John. So long as they are enjoyed, the efforts are worthwhile. Best wishes to you.

[@ServiusTheBear]

A Pleasure watching your videos. Hopefully at some point. I can get to meet you in person. Watching these wonderful machines doing what they do best!

[@schoolshorts]

Thanks Servius. People do sometimes recognise me when I'm filming - do please introduce yourself if you ever spot me at work. Best wishes in the meantime.

[@tattoo1084]

Another great vid Tim, good to capture two tours.👍

[@schoolshorts]

Thanks David - it made a very long day worthwhile. All the best.

[@davidowen6977]

A lovely visit to Dumfries and Carlisle. Glorious footage, Mr. G 🌟

[@schoolshorts]

Thank you Mr O.

[@bobnweaver]

A superb video from both locations Tim and I liked the close up views at Carlisle. Cheers, Jeff.

[@schoolshorts]

Thanks Jeff. It looks as if we'll have to settle for diesels or take up another activity for the near future. Can you do a rain dance?

[@cedarcam]

Great content as usual Tim. I think you were lucky with Scots Guardsman, as Nick Garswood says from what I also saw this morning (17/07/2022 ) a lineside fire started by Duchess of Sutherland has resulted in a ban on steam and British India Line is in Crewe Heritage Centre instead of out on the main working her train. Looks like Dumfries has the longest flower planter train double headed and banked, looks very nice

[@schoolshorts]

For two years running in the 1980s Dumfries won the Best Station in Britain award - so B.R. got rid of half the staff! The gardens, floral displays etc are maintained today by a group of volunteers and - yes - it is an attractive station despite having lost most of its traffic. Looks as though we are going to be missing our steam trains - at least until the rains come.

[@stephenbrass1808]

Great filming and content Tim, you seem to like these long days to bring us all the days action, plenty going on in your videos and i are sure it takes some time to edit, heard about the steam ban, bad news but was bound to happen given how dry things have got very quickly, cheers, Steve .

[@schoolshorts]

Thanks Steve. Long days - well, it keeps me out of mischief. It seems a pity to be longing for rain but, without it, we're going to be missing our favourite filming subject. Best wishes.

[@AndreiTupolev]

Well done to the station staff at Dumfries for that lovely floral display 💐

[@schoolshorts]

Hmm - the gardens and floral displays are actually managed by a team of volunteers - quite a common practice around the country, I believe. I came upon one station in another part of the country where the flowers and art work were maintained by the local primary school.

[@NickGarswood]

Another great informative video. Dumfries station looks very nice. From what I understand NR brought in a national steam ban later on Saturday after Duchess of Sutherland caused a line side fire around Stafford, and was taken off at Northampton on the return from Chester back to Euston. Maybe wrong of course!

[@schoolshorts]

Thanks Nick - we did hear that there were concerns about fire risk but no further details. Given the weather forecast for the next few days, it looks as though there'll be a lot of steam cancellations. Bad news for the operators, the passengers - and the photographers.

[@NickGarswood]

@@schoolshorts I'm booked on the Royal Duchy two weeks today, with Duchess of Sutherland. Can't see it running though. I enjoy your videos because I've been a regular visitor to Carlisle from 1963, as a young train spotter from Lancashire (always with a visit to Kingmoor/ Upperby/ Canal sheds!) to present date on various railtours, but now living in Devon.

[@schoolshorts]

@@NickGarswood Don't give up hope - you know how changeable the weather is throughout the U.K.

[@m1klgordon]

Hi Tim, you're videos are always delightful to watch. I've said before they are a mix of locos, trains and social history of life on the railways. I particularly enjoy the sequences where the camera shows trains through archways, under bridges and especially like the close up scenes taken through train windows. And of reflections from the glass - You with your bonnet and beard! I play in a band and we sometimes play 'National Express' by the Divine Comedy. I've adapted the lyric a bit and hope you might like the fun of it. On the TP Express when your life's in a mess It'll make you smile All human life is here From the feeble old dear to the screaming child From the student who knows that to have one of those Would be suicide To the family man Manhandling the pram with paternal pride And everybody sings 'ba ba ba da' On the TP Express there's a jolly hostess Selling crisps and tea She'll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks For a sky-high fee Mini-skirts were in style when she danced down the aisle Back in '63 (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) But it's hard to get by when your arse is the size Of a small country And everybody sings 'ba ba ba da'

[@davidowen6977]

👍 Those lyrics have Neil Hannon written all over them 👌

[@m1klgordon]

@@davidowen6977 Indeed they do!

[@schoolshorts]

Very amusing - but where's the verse about the cancelled TP Express?

[@railwayscene]

Superb video. Thanks for all the info, I really enjoyed it.

[@schoolshorts]

Thank you RS - it's always good to know that one's work is appreciated. Best wishes.

[@jonathanhasnip3700]

Great video as always Tim, scots guardsman looks like a new pin!!

[@schoolshorts]

A very big pin!

[@jonathanhasnip3700]

@@schoolshorts oh yeah not alf!!!

[@mlp-hot-rod5824]

Lineside fires? No, my friend. I was on that train. What actually happened was an error in comms. The 47's relief driver hadn't gotten the message that he was working that day. They were just about to put the 47 at the front when he turned up. But worse was to come. When we arrived at Preston, Guardsman had to go back to Carnforth. After she left, we realised that the 47's brakes had failed. An hour later, a 37 had to rescue it. But because we no longer had a rear engine, the passengers who wanted to get off at Wigan, St Helens & Liverpool Lime Street had to board a different train while the 37 had to pull the train and the dead 47 solo back to Warrington & Crewe. Needless to say, we were unimpressed.

[@schoolshorts]

Thanks for the information. You'll appreciate that those of us on the platforms at Carlisle were picking up scraps of gossip from various sources with no means of verifying any of it. In fact, Duchess of Sutherland had caused a lineside fire - I believe in the Northampton area - and the railway authorities reacted by imposing a steam ban, but clearly this wasn't the cause of the delay at Carlisle. It has been a difficult week for West Coast Railways with a number of failures and delays - but I suppose that when working with 80, 90-or-more years old machinery this will inevitably happen from time to time. Curiously, it was the relatively young diesel which failed on this occasion. I'm glad that you eventually got home safely - albeit not quite how you expected. Best wishes.

[@LeslieGilpinRailways]

Great footage as ever Tim. Interesting comments you received on the messing about with the diesel. I've heard that Wednesdays Fellsman may be class 20s.

[@schoolshorts]

That will be worth filming! I don't know whether you remember me talking (over a sausage roll!) to a couple at Carlisle - read Sheila Thompson's comments - the truth of what happened that day.

[@LeslieGilpinRailways]

@@schoolshorts yes I read that. Also read about Duchess of Sutherland causing two fires on the same day. I suspect if BIL had been on the CME half of Shap and more would have been in flames.

[@sheilathompson2851]

Hi Tim, we are the couple from the Cumbrian Mountain Express Tour you spoke to while you had your lunch at Carlisle. I’ve just spotted your video & can update you on the reason, we were told whilst sat on the train for Scots Guardsman’s delay yesterday. They were excellent at keeping us up to date with the problems they were having, first of all they told us the driver of the rear diesel had failed to appear from off the Edinburgh train so they were in contact with WCRC to find another driver. They then informed us no spare driver could be found so Plan B was for the diesel to head the front of the train with the steam driver taking control of the diesel & the train would only drop passengers at Preston, Wigan & then head straight to Crewe because it wouldn’t be able to exit Liverpool Lime Street without a diesel at the rear. We were then informed it was now Plan A with the Scot heading & the diesel behind so I presume they either found a replacement driver or the original guy eventually turned up but then reverting to Plan B at Wigan with the train omitting the remaining drop offs. We had an amazing journey over the S&C but it appeared they were trying to make up for lost time in as much as we went straight through Appleby without a water stop, charged through Settle at some speed eventually stopping at Hellifield to take on water. On arrival at Preston Scots Guardsman after performing perfectly duly headed off. It then turned out the diesel at the rear had failed a brake test so we had to wait at Preston at least another hour for a replacement WCRC diesel to head the front of the train to Wigan & then straight back to Crewe.

[@schoolshorts]

Hello Sheila - and thanks for your very full account of what really happened. You'll appreciate that those of us on the platforms could only pick up pieces of gossip and rumour which we pass on with the caveat that they may or may not be accurate. You certainly had an erratic journey but I'm glad that at least you had a trip over the Settle and Carlisle and eventually got home safely. It was good to meet you and - who knows - we may bump into each other again. With best wishes - Tim

[@sheilathompson2851]

@@schoolshorts Thank you Tim, we did have a wonderful trip & we’ll definitely follow your future videos. Lovely to meet you & who knows we may see you at Carlisle on our next adventure. Take care - Sheila & Roy.

[@declanjoyce8640]

Enjoyed this....thank you

[@schoolshorts]

- - - and thank you Declan - - - your comment is much appreciated. Best wishes.

[@jameswillan6635]

I had another of my days out by train, this time to Newcastle (well Gateshead Stadium to be specific) and saw the Northern Belle 3 times. It was in a platform at Carlisle just as I was changing trains there. On the way back I saw it out of the window just south of the Tyne, presumably waiting until the train I was on had gone past. Then after getting to Carlisle it arrived very shortly afterwards. May have been held back a bit because the train I was on stopped at literally every station between Newcastle & Carlisle.

[@schoolshorts]

The driver of the Belle must have found the return trip over the Tyne Valley line rather frustrating if he was following an all-stations stopper!

[@AndreiTupolev]

9:07 47813 has an updated version, 1962-2022 60 years of service. Which is quite impressive really

[@schoolshorts]

As with the class 37s, the railways have really had their moneys worth out of these machines.

[@spuds4t]

Just think each of those table lamps must be worth something in excess of £200 return for the promoter.

[@schoolshorts]

The total amount of money tied up in each of these trains doesn't bear thinking about - let's just hope they can continue running into the forseeable future.

[@sw8091]

It did not fail I asked the crew if it’s failed but I did not get the full reason why they were stuck for so long.

[@schoolshorts]

Looks as though we won't be seeing any steam engines in the near future - very disappointing.

[@sw8091]

My friend saw one today from Carlisle to carnforth steam town

[@samanthaleese52]

No diesel driver is what I was told by them

[@schoolshorts]

@@samanthaleese52 The mystery thickens!

[@macjim]

Why sleeper cars on a day trip?

[@schoolshorts]

The train can be away from its base for days at a time - the onboard stewards, chefs etc have to sleep somewhere!

[@naplion123]

Failing again

[@schoolshorts]

Not failing - apparently, banned by the railway authorities because of the fire risk.

[@naplion123]

@@schoolshorts that's annoying