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24 comments in this gallery
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Score: 9.5 (19 votes)
Score: 9.7 (17 votes)
Score: 9.2 (17 votes)
Score: 9.9 (14 votes)
Score: 9.7 (9 votes)
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2008 has been a mixed year for the S&C photographer. Weather-wise it's fair to say that it has been disappointing, sun was at a premium throughout most of the year and any prolonged spells of sunny conditions seemed to coincide with periods of lower traffic volume over the route. That said there were exceptions, looking back over the year I've summarised each month.
Jan - A complete washout hardly any sun at all.
Feb - Some sun but a very queit spell for freight.
Mar - A poor start to the month. A flurry of snow at Easter with some sun was nice. The highlight of March was that newly liveried Class 60 60074 appeared on the gypsum on a sunny day. Freight traffic started to pick up and the drags began, the best weather for the whole drag season was on the first Sunday.
Apr - Very poor. No sun over any weekend to shoot the drags but at least the new cement flow started late in the month.
May - This was the month when things slowly started to improve. The first half of the month wasn't great, warm hazy conditions. But later was much better, we had long spells of clear light and freight traffic was more frequent also.
June - June was without doubt the best month of 2008. The weather was wonderful and in addition to the usual freight flows (coal, gypsum and now cement) we had plenty of used ballast workings travelling north to Carlisle Yard from the engineering possession near Clitheroe. At this time the ill-fated Stobart Pulllman worked over the line for the second time, but on this occassion in sun.
July - The first day of the month was excellent, full sun and another new flow to photograph, the inuagural run of the Carlisle to Hunslet sand diagram. One of only 3 runs that this diagram would actually make. Unfortunatley the rest of the month follow suit and cloud and rain dominated.
Aug - August was when freight traffic started to operate more erractically, diagrams which you used to be able to set your watch by just didn't show up. Sun was more difficult to find than earlier in the summer.
Sept - More of the same, poor light and few freights.
Oct - Very average, towards the end of the month there was some decent light further north and as usual the colours around Armathwaite were spectacular. The RHTT diagram started with DRS 37s in charge but getting them in sun was very tricky.
Nov - Some decent light but slim pickings for the photographer due to lower volumes of traffic.
Dec - Average, around the 6th the magical combination of sun and snow coincided with 2 specials over the line. Apart from that one day sun has been difficult to find. |
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Welcome to my Settle to Carlisle Railway gallery. What can be written about the S&C that hasn't already been printed? Words like breathtaking, inhospitable wilderness and scenic grandeur have all become synonymous with the line over the years. What really excites me about the route from a photography point of view is not just the unrivalled beauty of the locations but that compared to other places on the network the S&C has changed little since the days of steam. Sure, the motive power has changed and some sidings have come and gone. But at locations like Selside, Angerholme in Mallerstang and Smardale you get the feeling that time has stood still. Photographs that anyone could get today still bear a close resemblance to the famous steam pictures of Eric Tracey and Gavin Morrison.
Later, in the BR blue era and then into the 1990s, another generation of photographers took up the challenge. Bob Lumley, John Hooson and Bill Watson to name just three, recorded many excellent images that provide us all with a fascinating glimse into another era in S&C history. Much of their work is available to view on-line and you'll find links to their sites on this page.
My own introduction to the line came when I was about 6 months old. My father had an infectious interest in steam and many family days out coincided with steam specials over the line. So it's no surprise that I inherited an enthusiasm for spending time by the lineside in Cumbria and the Dales. As a teenager my interest in railway photography grew. At that time my 'bible' was Roger Siviter's: Settle and Carlisle, a tribute. I would spend hours studying the hand-drawn maps planning my next excursion. But I always visited the popular locations, never venturing far from the crowds to attempt something original.
At present I live in Cumbria, in a house with a distant view of the line at Waitby. When I can fit it in around work and when time allows, I've dedicated myself to recording workings over the Settle to Carlisle line and this on-line gallery is my tribute to this incredible and beautiful piece of engineering.
Speaking from a photography point of view some would say that the best days are over. It goes without saying that the variety of traction types and diagrams has certainly narrowed over recent years, but with the tireless work of groups like 'The Friends of the Settle Carlisle line' and their partners the volume of freight and passenger traffic now and in the future seems secure. I for one still get a great deal of pleasure from photographing on the route and this collection represents my small contibution to the huge body of photographic records taken over the decades.
I hope you find it interesting. Over time I will add my collection of pictures onto this site and will update frequently with new shots. Any comments are most welcome.
Enjoy. |
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| Hits (today): | 33 |
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UPDATE 4.4.09:
Starting with northbound:
The Drax - Kirkby Thore loaded gypsum containers (DBS, ex-EWS diagram) have been passing Kirkby Stephen just before 9am. These timings means that a multitude of possible shots are now available at this time of year at Blea Moor Box, Blea Moor tunnel northern portal, Dent Head, Arten Gill, Garsdale Troughs, Dandry Mire, Angerholme.
4S11 is at present more often that not pathed in between the 2 mid-moring passengers. This consistency means that is easier for the S&C photographer to plan his days photography, if you've seen the early gypsum then this should usually be the second freight of the day you'll see. Garsdale Troughs is a good option or leaving Blea Moor Tunnel.
After this, northbound freights become less dependable so gen from the signalmen will help you plan for another northbound working.
As for southbound:
On MWF there is still the chance of 6M00 Mossed - Clitheroe cement empties. If it's in its later path and running to time it will usually pass Kirkby around 10.30am. The options for where to photograph this diagram are far to numerous to mention here.
Recently there have been 2 mid-morning s/b coal diagrams. The 6E85 Hunterston - Drax DBS diagram normally works south first and this would usually be into Garsdale at around 11ish. This would normally be closely followed by the 6Z73, a FHH working. Now that the headways have been reduced you can expect these 2 coal trains to be within 10 mins of each other so choose your locations carefully. I generally opt to get 2 variations at the same location.
After the morning traffic, you have a nice gap whilst the lunchtime passenger runs followed by a busy period when 3 freights could run within an hour. First the returning gypsum (6E13) which has been reliable of late. Then a FHH coal diagram, 6M31. Then you might have enough time to change locations before the 6K05 Carlisle - Crewe engineers working, which continues to generate interest because of the variety of it's make-up. However, you need to be careful because 6K05 is sometimes an hour behind the FHH coal which allows for a change of location but sometimes just 10-20 mins behind.
There are usually a couple of coalies in each direction around 4ish but as I say I'd be looking to get some firm gen if I was hanging around for these.
Hope this is useful.
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