PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE EXTRA
GUARDSMAN ON PARADE
With steam tours thankfully back on the main line again after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, John Heaton FCILT was aboard an impressive run behind Scots Guardsman from Hellifield to Carlisle and back to Carnforth.
HOW lucky we are to have regular steam hauled trips over the Settle & Carlisle Line more than 60 years after steam officially finished in regular service, and how privileged we are to sit in Hellifield down goods loop without much sense of excitement at this now almost routine experience.
On a previous visit, my travelling companion Peter Hewitt said that ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35018 British India Line had ‘snuffled’ its way to the front of its train, but not so ‘Royal Scot’ No. 46115 Scots Guardsman today, which hissed as it passed by with a hint of a derisory snort. Perhaps it had heard the remark from my neighbouring passenger (or ‘civilian’, as Scots Guardsman might perhaps term the lady), who had announced: “Yes, it is our engine – Scots Dalesman!” A classic.
The long drag
Oswald T Wistle had blogged that the driver was Mick Rawlings with fireman Soames. Well, they had us wondering for a while as the loco made three unsuccessful attempts to start away, managing it smoothly – to the relief of the cognoscenti who feared brake problems – on the fourth attempt.