Branch Line Society - 'The Sinfin Syphons' at Brightside & Penistone - 9624+634+635
* Brightside Station
* A preamble to the Weekend's Events
Day One.
To describe last weekend's 'Branch Line Society' charters, 'The Sinfin Syphons' on Saturday, followed by 'The Primary Colours' on Sunday, as exciting, would be a bit of an understatement; the weekend jaunts kicking off on Friday the 2nd July with the south-bound start from Carlisle getting into trouble around an hour after leaving. In that instance, one of the two class 37s, 37419 and 37423, on the haul, had a problem, with 419 producing a cloud of blue smoke and the engine stopping close to Kirkby Thore, where the unit was interchanged for 423, in the consist were also D.B.C. class 66s, 66053 and 66044. The order of traction was 37419 leading with 37423 behind it and behind that, 66053 and 66044 rear; it transpired that 37419 had failed in the Culgaith area with smoking from the engine, it having overheated due to a failed radiator fan. The set then ran south towards Wakefield, on its circuitous route to York and, at Engine Shed Junction, ran to Wakefield Europort, missing out Leeds and Wakefield Westgate. 37423 was detached and the Wakefield Kirkgate Goods Loop and ran, with the failed 37419, as 0Z38 to Knottingley T.M.D. to be inspected and repaired. (This information available on the RailCam 'OpenRail' page for 1Z39). The set then continued to York and arrived as the original 1Z39, over two hours late at 22:14; though the weekend events had only just begun!
Day Two, 2nd July.
Due to other commitments and inclement weather on Saturday 3rd July, I didn't go out for the events which took place on that day which included a reversal back to Doncaster en-route from York to the East Midlands Gateway, due to the driver not having the route knowledge for the section of the journey from Retford, west to Sheffield; the person who had had such knowledge was the driver of the failed 37419! The Charter name, 'The Sinfin Syphons' was partly taken from the fact the the Sinfin Oil Sidings are in the East Midlands Gateway Distribution Centre area, the sidings now being on land owned by Rolls Royce who had given permission for their use on this day. However, the jaunt back to Doncaster caused another delay, this time around 48 minutes and, later in the day, to make up some of the almost 1 hour delay, the planned jaunts on the freight lines in the Doncaster area were abandoned and the set ran up from the south along the South Yorkshire Joint Railway at around 19:30 and headed straight back to York, arriving 3 minutes early at 22:23.
Day Three, 4th July.
The day I ventured out, though even this day was already disrupted early on, by a derailment which had taken place overnight in Holgate Sidings in York, before the Charter had even started out on its day's outings. Fortunately this had been dealt with overnight and the charter train pulled into the station, as the two earlier 'RailCam' videos show, just an hour late. It meant the early start for the 08:40 departure, for me anyway, was deferred for an hour and that a leisurely breakfast could be had, though I already felt slightly stressed by what may happen before the set arrived in my two chosen locations, shown here, Brightside and then, further north at Penistone.
So, this first set of mosaic pictures and a not-too-good phone video show the scene as Saturdays leg of 'The Sinfin Syphons', 'The Primary Colours' comes into view along the Midland Main Line, the Charter having just paused for two minutes or so, to pick up the last of the passengers, at Meadowhall Interchange in the background. The locos and workings for the whole charter are here, separated into the 4 days-
Traction
---------
D.R.S. 37419 ex-D6991 'Carl Haviland 1954-2012', 37423, ex-D6996, 'Spirit of the Lakes', 37422/266 ex-D6966 'Victorious'
D.B.C. 66053 66044 66066 66041 60065 (allocated)
Friday, 2nd July
-----------------
1Z37 37419+37423+66053+66044 Carlisle via Wakefield Kirkgate to York
0Z38 37423+37419 Wakefield Kirkgate Goods Loop to Knottingley L.I.P.
Saturday, 3rd July
-------------------
1Z38 37422/266+37423(1) York to East Midlands Gateway
1Z39 37423+37422/266(1) East Midlands Gateway to Stanton Gate P.L.C, 'Rolls Royce Sinfin Sidings'
1Z40 37422/266+37423(2) 60065 Stanton Gate P.L.C. via S.Y.J.R. & Doncaster to York
Sunday, 4th July
------------------
1Z41 37422/266+37423(3) York via reversal at Brightside Sidings & Penistone to Rose Hill Marple
1Z42 37423+37422/266(2) 70011 70019 allocated as well Rose Hill Marple to Crewe Electric Traction Maintenance Depot
1Z43 37423+37422/266(3) DBC 66066 VT90039? allocated as well Crewe E.T.M.D. via Hope Valley & Sheffield to York
Monday 5th July
----------------
1Z44 66041+66066 York via Leeds & Darlington to Hartlepool Docks Area
On the left, in this first of the 'triads' DRS class 37, 37422, 'Victorious', once numbered 37266, heads briskly south towards the Brightside Sidings where there will be a change-of-end for the driver, to allow the set to reverse and head back to the north. There are 10 coaches in the stock, consisting of S.R.P.S. Railtours brown coaches and 2, 'Blood and Custard' type, the 'British Railways', 'Crimson Lake and Cream', CLC livery of the 1950’s. At the back now, 37419 having been carted off to the Knottingley L.I.P. yesterday to be repaired, is 37423, 'Spirit of the Lakes'. The centre shot is an overall view of the old Brightside Station site with the footbridge in the right background and surprisingly for this event only a handful of 'enthusiasts looking on. The coaches in the set were, behind 37422, in maroon livery, 4831, 4856, 1859, 5028, 35185, 13229, SC3150(CLC livery), 3096, SC1730(CLC livery) & 3115 behind 37423 at the back. In the right distance, the regular regulars, at left, the end of the Forgemasters building, looming black above the railway, and in the far distance, St. Puls Tower near the centre of Sheffield. The Brightside goods loop on the right looks well cared for, it having been re-ballasted in recent years and at upper left, the local school. At right and bringing up the rear, class 37, 37423, ex-D6996, now named 'Spirit of the Lakes' and was the loco which hauled 37419 from Wakefield to Knottingley L.I.P. yesterday when the latter's fan cooling fan failed and resulted in he engine over-heating. The emblems on the front of the loco are those of the 'Martin House Hospice' for children with 'life-limiting' conditions and are being supported from donations from the Charter, see-
A handful of enthusiasts can be seen peeping over the top of the footbridge side and I was surprised the bridge wasn't full of folk watching the unfolding story go past to the Brightside Sidings for its reversal back through here in a matter of 15 minutes... This is today's charter outing, 1Z41 from York to Rose Hill Marple via reversal here, then along the Blackburn Valley Line north to Penistone and Huddersfield, Guide Bridge and Marple.
Branch Line Society - 'The Sinfin Syphons' at Brightside & Penistone - 9624+634+635
* Brightside Station
* A preamble to the Weekend's Events
Day One.
To describe last weekend's 'Branch Line Society' charters, 'The Sinfin Syphons' on Saturday, followed by 'The Primary Colours' on Sunday, as exciting, would be a bit of an understatement; the weekend jaunts kicking off on Friday the 2nd July with the south-bound start from Carlisle getting into trouble around an hour after leaving. In that instance, one of the two class 37s, 37419 and 37423, on the haul, had a problem, with 419 producing a cloud of blue smoke and the engine stopping close to Kirkby Thore, where the unit was interchanged for 423, in the consist were also D.B.C. class 66s, 66053 and 66044. The order of traction was 37419 leading with 37423 behind it and behind that, 66053 and 66044 rear; it transpired that 37419 had failed in the Culgaith area with smoking from the engine, it having overheated due to a failed radiator fan. The set then ran south towards Wakefield, on its circuitous route to York and, at Engine Shed Junction, ran to Wakefield Europort, missing out Leeds and Wakefield Westgate. 37423 was detached and the Wakefield Kirkgate Goods Loop and ran, with the failed 37419, as 0Z38 to Knottingley T.M.D. to be inspected and repaired. (This information available on the RailCam 'OpenRail' page for 1Z39). The set then continued to York and arrived as the original 1Z39, over two hours late at 22:14; though the weekend events had only just begun!
Day Two, 2nd July.
Due to other commitments and inclement weather on Saturday 3rd July, I didn't go out for the events which took place on that day which included a reversal back to Doncaster en-route from York to the East Midlands Gateway, due to the driver not having the route knowledge for the section of the journey from Retford, west to Sheffield; the person who had had such knowledge was the driver of the failed 37419! The Charter name, 'The Sinfin Syphons' was partly taken from the fact the the Sinfin Oil Sidings are in the East Midlands Gateway Distribution Centre area, the sidings now being on land owned by Rolls Royce who had given permission for their use on this day. However, the jaunt back to Doncaster caused another delay, this time around 48 minutes and, later in the day, to make up some of the almost 1 hour delay, the planned jaunts on the freight lines in the Doncaster area were abandoned and the set ran up from the south along the South Yorkshire Joint Railway at around 19:30 and headed straight back to York, arriving 3 minutes early at 22:23.
Day Three, 4th July.
The day I ventured out, though even this day was already disrupted early on, by a derailment which had taken place overnight in Holgate Sidings in York, before the Charter had even started out on its day's outings. Fortunately this had been dealt with overnight and the charter train pulled into the station, as the two earlier 'RailCam' videos show, just an hour late. It meant the early start for the 08:40 departure, for me anyway, was deferred for an hour and that a leisurely breakfast could be had, though I already felt slightly stressed by what may happen before the set arrived in my two chosen locations, shown here, Brightside and then, further north at Penistone.
So, this first set of mosaic pictures and a not-too-good phone video show the scene as Saturdays leg of 'The Sinfin Syphons', 'The Primary Colours' comes into view along the Midland Main Line, the Charter having just paused for two minutes or so, to pick up the last of the passengers, at Meadowhall Interchange in the background. The locos and workings for the whole charter are here, separated into the 4 days-
Traction
---------
D.R.S. 37419 ex-D6991 'Carl Haviland 1954-2012', 37423, ex-D6996, 'Spirit of the Lakes', 37422/266 ex-D6966 'Victorious'
D.B.C. 66053 66044 66066 66041 60065 (allocated)
Friday, 2nd July
-----------------
1Z37 37419+37423+66053+66044 Carlisle via Wakefield Kirkgate to York
0Z38 37423+37419 Wakefield Kirkgate Goods Loop to Knottingley L.I.P.
Saturday, 3rd July
-------------------
1Z38 37422/266+37423(1) York to East Midlands Gateway
1Z39 37423+37422/266(1) East Midlands Gateway to Stanton Gate P.L.C, 'Rolls Royce Sinfin Sidings'
1Z40 37422/266+37423(2) 60065 Stanton Gate P.L.C. via S.Y.J.R. & Doncaster to York
Sunday, 4th July
------------------
1Z41 37422/266+37423(3) York via reversal at Brightside Sidings & Penistone to Rose Hill Marple
1Z42 37423+37422/266(2) 70011 70019 allocated as well Rose Hill Marple to Crewe Electric Traction Maintenance Depot
1Z43 37423+37422/266(3) DBC 66066 VT90039? allocated as well Crewe E.T.M.D. via Hope Valley & Sheffield to York
Monday 5th July
----------------
1Z44 66041+66066 York via Leeds & Darlington to Hartlepool Docks Area
On the left, in this first of the 'triads' DRS class 37, 37422, 'Victorious', once numbered 37266, heads briskly south towards the Brightside Sidings where there will be a change-of-end for the driver, to allow the set to reverse and head back to the north. There are 10 coaches in the stock, consisting of S.R.P.S. Railtours brown coaches and 2, 'Blood and Custard' type, the 'British Railways', 'Crimson Lake and Cream', CLC livery of the 1950’s. At the back now, 37419 having been carted off to the Knottingley L.I.P. yesterday to be repaired, is 37423, 'Spirit of the Lakes'. The centre shot is an overall view of the old Brightside Station site with the footbridge in the right background and surprisingly for this event only a handful of 'enthusiasts looking on. The coaches in the set were, behind 37422, in maroon livery, 4831, 4856, 1859, 5028, 35185, 13229, SC3150(CLC livery), 3096, SC1730(CLC livery) & 3115 behind 37423 at the back. In the right distance, the regular regulars, at left, the end of the Forgemasters building, looming black above the railway, and in the far distance, St. Puls Tower near the centre of Sheffield. The Brightside goods loop on the right looks well cared for, it having been re-ballasted in recent years and at upper left, the local school. At right and bringing up the rear, class 37, 37423, ex-D6996, now named 'Spirit of the Lakes' and was the loco which hauled 37419 from Wakefield to Knottingley L.I.P. yesterday when the latter's fan cooling fan failed and resulted in he engine over-heating. The emblems on the front of the loco are those of the 'Martin House Hospice' for children with 'life-limiting' conditions and are being supported from donations from the Charter, see-
A handful of enthusiasts can be seen peeping over the top of the footbridge side and I was surprised the bridge wasn't full of folk watching the unfolding story go past to the Brightside Sidings for its reversal back through here in a matter of 15 minutes... This is today's charter outing, 1Z41 from York to Rose Hill Marple via reversal here, then along the Blackburn Valley Line north to Penistone and Huddersfield, Guide Bridge and Marple.