(Above) With the end of BR steam still fresh in enthusiasts' minds, the news that No 4472 Flying Scotsman was booked to haul 'The Moorlands' Rail Tour from Liverpool Lime Street to Carlisle via Rainhill - Earlestown - Newton-le-Willows - Golborne Jn - Wigan North Western - Preston - Carnforth - Penrith - Carlisle on 26th October 1968 caused quite a stir. The return journey was via the S&C to Settle Jn - Hellifield - Keighley - Engine Shed Jn - Normanton - Wakefield Kirkgate - Huddersfield - Diggle - Stalybridge - Miles Platting - Manchester Victoria - Eccles - Newton-le-Willows - Rainhill - Liverpool Lime Street. A week before Flying Scotsman was due to climb Shap bank  I travelled to Cumbria to find somewhere suitable to get the desired photo. Following construction of the M6 Motorway through Cumbria, many roads were closed or altered, including a minor road which crossed the WCML at Shap Wells. This was closed along with the level crossing - once a popular venue for railway photographers in steam days.  After several unsuccessful journeys down farm tracks and minor roads I eventually found the access to the site of Shap Wells level crossing via a gated farm road.  Having got the farmer's permission to wander over his grazing land, I decided that it would be the best place to go. When the big day finally dawned, it was cold and very foggy.  I left home at 5am and spent nearly five hours travelling the sixty miles across the Pennines to Shap in dense fog.  By the time I arrived at the chosen point the fog was beginning to lift, but it was still freezing cold and not a breath of wind; 4472 was due to pass Shap Summit at 10.33 but actually passed Shap Wells at about 10.42 running just a few minutes late - and what a sight!

(Right) After the train had passed the exhaust hung in the air like the vapour trail from an aircraft for some 20 minutes afterwards - clearly the air was cold enough to form 4472's very own contrail and in the final shot, the drifting hot exhaust can be clearly seen cooling in the surrounding air precipitating a long trail of cloud. It gives some idea of the temperature at that height in the northern fells. Needless to say it wasn't the best weather for photography... 

(Below) Class B16/3 (Thompson 1944 rebuild on a Raven N.E. design) No 61418 was one of the last of the class to survive. On 13th October 1962 the loco is seen running round the S.L.S./M.L.S./Kings College Railway Society (Newcastle) 'Durham Rail Tour' at Port Clarence before using the Billingham Beck Branch to Stockton. The Durham Rail Tour started at Durham and visited Bishop Auckland, West Auckland Colliery Yard, Shildon Tunnel Branch (built to avoid Brusselton Inclines), Simpasture Branch (Raven's pre-war 1200 volt overhead electricfication route), Port Clarence, Billingham Beck Branch. Stockton, West Hartlepool, Wellfield, Seaton Bank, Sunderland, Newcastle, Scotswood, Blaydon Loop, Dunston, Tyne Yard, Beamish (where it stalled on the 1 in 36), Consett Station, Consett Shed, Conset North, The Lanchester Valley Line back to Durham where it arrived hours late and after the last connection to Newcastle.  The Railtour was extended to Newcastle as a result. For further details of the railtours on this page visit Gary Thornton's incredible 'Six Bells Junction website' which contains the largest archive of railtour information anywhere on the planet! Click on the Railtour Files on the site's side menu and you can explore over 11,000 pages of railtour information from over 150 years ago to the present day - a quite remarkable feat! For example, the 'Durham Railtour' can be found by clicking on the year (1962) and then scrolling down the list of tours in date order or by name. The site welcomes contributions, and the 'Durham Rail Tour' features another of Roy's photos along with his comments - 'We arrived at Consett in total darkness having stalled on the 1 in 36 somewhere near Anfield Plain due to a shortage of steam.  I remember the storming start on the bank and the burning cinders high into the dark sky. Arrival at Durham was some 3 hours late. If railtours are your bag, then the 'Six Bells Junction' website is highly recommended…a fantastic reference source.

(Above-Below) Class A4 60019 Bittern is start attraction at Newcastle Station on 12th November 1966 while hauling "The Waverley" special (York-Newcastle-North Wylam-Carlisle-Hawick-Edinburgh-Berwick-Newcastle-York). Bittern at Hawick.

(Below) On 2nd October 1966 Ivatt Class 4MT 2-6-0s Nos 43000 and 43063 (running tender to tender) arrive at Newcastle Central Station with the empty stock for The 'Wansbeck Piper' - the last train over the former North British Railway branch from Morpeth to Reedsmouth Junction.  The train terminated at West Woodburn (line closed and lifted beyond that point). 

(Above-Below) These elevated view show the BR Standard Class 5s getting to grips with the 1 in 68 climb from Todmorden to Copy Pit.

(Below) Our next port of call was Spring Vale, hoping to see the rail tour storming up the grade to Slough Tunnel but when it arrived, it slowed to a stop and the Class 5s propelled the train through a cross-over before working wrong line into the tunnel. We later discovered that parts of the tunnel roof were under repair hence the change to wrong line working.

(Above-Below) Following another engine change to Stanier Class 8F 2-8-0 No 48773, we photographed the train storming to Clayton Bridge Viaduct, then coasting past us at speed, by now running rather late.

(Below) Our final shot of the day shows a filthy Class 9F 92160 at Boundary Bridge, Cheadle on the Stockport to Liverpool line, now running an hour late. We saw the train hurtling towards us on the newly ballasted track and thought it was going to derail; it passed over the bridge (just behind the loco) and the front end visibly reared up and became very unstable. Stephen reported this on Monday morning but was assured there was nothing wrong with the track. However, just a few weeks later, a diesel-hauled freight did derail on the bridge, went down the embankment (at the exact spot we had been standing) and demolished a car showroom full of Bentley and Rolls Royce cars. Stephen received a profound apology from BR for not checking out his observations, and we are sure it helped his career with rapid promotion

Unfortunately, I lost touch with Stephen over the years; I joined the RAF and do believe Stephen was promoted to Shed Manager at Bristol Bath Road. He later concentrated on photographing Signal Boxes and his work often appeared in publications, such as 'Backtrack'. I understand he died some years ago.
    Stephen meant a lot to me; on the first day I went to Senior School, Stephen was in the 3rd year and made a point of seeking out a train spotter like himself to befriend…and he chose me! In those days, the school's senior pupils were encouraged to make new arrivals feel welcome in their first year. Therefore I dedicate this page to his memory, for it was due to Stephen that I was accepted on the Dearness Valley Branch at Ushaw Moor Station (Porter Jack Railton), New Brancepeth Signal Box (Jacky Hammill), Flass Junction Signal Box and Waterhouses Station - every one of whome made a lasting impression...

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