Confessions of a mis-spent youth

[John Clements]

When I was a lad down Souf Lunnon way my edukation was improved by the fact that a busy railway line ran at the bottom of our school field. The best views were to be obtained from the french classroom located in an annex nearer to the line. Whilst most of the trains were humble electric EMUs there was one train which taught me more French than a succession of french masters(sadly I never had a french mistress but thats another story!). That train was the "Fleche D'Or " or Golden Arrow which passed by at 11.20ish ie halfway through the third lesson of the day and was eagerly awaited since attention to the conjugation of french verbs would only last about ten secounds(on a good day). This train at this time was an all pullman carriage train hauled by a steam engine and therefore not to be missed. French masters notwithstanding!
Now the relevance of these reminisances is that you too can experience the vision of a Bullied Light Pacific on Saturday 6th December when one of the regular performers on the Golden Arrow number 34045 Ottery St Mary passes through Healey Mills on its way to Doncaster.
Whilst full times are not yet available the train is scheduled to leave
Blackpool 07.30
Manchester Victoria 09.10
then via Accrington & Copy Pit
to Doncaster arr 12.xx and on to
Lincoln arr 13.15.
(note diesel hauled Donny to Lincoln)
The train returns steam hauled in the evening through HM.
I will post details of local times when these are available.

Regards
John Clements

NB On a controversial note. The rebuilt Bullied Light Pacifics were the most modern design of steam locomotive to appear on British Railways and in the eyes of some the most handsome.

[Geoff Boyle.]

Thanks John for the most interesting story, also the info on the Special--
" The Lincolnshire Poacher ". Lets hope the weather is kind enough for
some good photos. Cheers, Geoff.

[Steve]

This train is being advertised as running via Bolton, is this now not the case? Thanks for info, a Bullied over Copy Pit, ever happened, I doubt it.

[John Clements]

A bit of a mystery here.
The times I have for Bolton are 08.50 with a return at 21.15.
In the morning the train will be south through Bolton and east through Man Vic. From my sketchy knowledge of the network west of the Pennines how can the train be routed via Accrington, Rose Grove and Copy Pit without reversal? (NB there is no time for reversal at Man Vic). I stand to be corrected on this but i think that there must be an error on uk steam info website. and that the train will run via stanedge. Can anybody clarify?

Regards,
John Clements

[8G]

As there are no times down for Accrington and Copy Pit and this train is routed via Bolton and Manchester Victoria I can only see 2 possible routes.
Rochdale & Todmorden or Stalybridge & Huddersfield
Cheers
Alan Rigby

[John Clements]

UK Steam website now showing revised times and route.
Blackpool to Preston now diesel. Steam on.
Preston 07.32
Leyland 07.42
Then Wigan & Eccles to Man Vic
(Is thhe train now facing the right direction?-I THINK NOT!!)
Man Vic 08.50
Accrington ??/??
Copy Pit ??/??
Hebden Bridge ??/??
Healey Mills ??/??
Doncaster 12.??

More questions than answers
Watch this space!!

Regards,
John Clements

[John Clements]

Full steam timings as follows:
Preston 07.32
Leyland 07.39/42
Wigan NW 07.57
Springs B 07.59
Astley 08.27
Man Vic 08.47/50
Rochdale 09.15
Hebden Bridge 09.36
Brighouse 10.01 10.32 Water.
Horbury Junc 10.53
Wakefield Kirkgate 10.59
Hare Park 11.13
Adwick 11.27
Doncaster (pass) 11.35
Doncaster RMT 11.42 STEAM OFF

Return
Doncaster RMT 17.59
Doncaster(pass) 18.04
Adwick 18.26
Wakefield Kirkgate 18.39
Brighouse 19.01 19.24 Water
Hebden Bridge 19.38
Rochdale 19.58
Man Vic 20.27 STEAM OFF

Regards
John Clements

[geoff]

Hello Folks,
Just heared that the steamer is
34027 Taw Valley 7p.
Cheers, Geoff.

[John Clements]

AWS failure on 34045 meant that 66i89 was leading instead of tailing the Bullied. Richard Hardy(shedmaster at Stewarts Lane) would have never have allowed such a thing. And as for a dirty loco on the 'ARRER absolutely not!!!!
Very mixed rake of coaches as well. Not a good image for the Southern.

They are hoping top fix the AWS at Doncaster so all being well it should be proper for the return. JC looking out some cotton waste to volunteer for cleaning duties.

Regards,
John Clements

[Derek Holmes]

Anyone know if the kettle did return?
I went to Ravensthorpe slightly late just in time to see the train go into the distance,and couldn't tell what was in front.I didn't get much impression of steam though.
By the way JC,nice workstained loco in the morning,like you must have remembered from your youth!
Cheers DEREK
Incidentally my school was in the shadow of the GN Bradford Queensbury line in it's last few years and if you thought 34027 was mucky you should have seen the WD's we used to see!

[mallatt]

kettle did not show on return - much to the dissapointment of about a dozen tripods at Brighouse stn - a couple of HM.com contributors included!!

[AdsBot [Google]]

Other contributors were at Wakefield Kirkgate(me!) and at Fitzwilliam.
Understand that train ran very early and was diesel hauled. Is 34045 still at Doncaster. Will it return to East Lancashire Railway light engine?
Any body with any gen please advise.
I understand that 34045 is due to visit Healey Mills again on the 3rd January on the Morecombe & Wise tour. 34045 will replace Black 5 45157 which is currently sans wheels following derailment damage due to vandalism. 76079 + 34045 should be double heading. Provisional route
Preston-Copy Pit-Hebden Bridge-HM-Normanton-Woodlesford-Keighley-Skipton-Morecombe etc.

Regards
John Clements

[mallatt]

it was on time when we saw it at brighouse

[JOHN CLEMENTS]

Understand that 34045 worked westbound engine and support coach
passed HM at 12.15 on Tuesday 16th December. Paused briefly to pick
up (a pilotman?) before continuing on its way back to the East Lancashire
Railway. Thanks to Roy and Donald for the information. Presumably the
absence of any reports on this site means that all the other HM contributors missed it. Are there any photos out there?
34045 still booked to work with 76079 on 3rd January Morecombe & Wise
tour. Details to follow.

Merry Xmas to all

John Clements