Hiccupsfor Mayflower on
main line trip to Dereham
ByBrianSharpeTHEMid-NorfolkRailway hasseen
incomingdieselrailtoursoveritsmainline
connectionatWymondhamandasteam
tourstartedfromDerehamseveralyears
ago–butSteamDreams’excursionfrom
LiverpoolStreetonJuly4was th efirst
incomingsteamtourto arriveatDereham.
Motivepower wasLNER B1 4-6-0
No.61306Mayflower.All went well on
the outward run in traditional B1territory
from LiverpoolStreet to Norwich with
Class 33 dieselNo. 33207 on therear of
the train. On arrivalatN orwich, the diesel
wasscheduledto haul the train outon
to theYarmouth lineso thatthe B1could
head the trainround the thirdside of the
triangletoTrowseJunction and onto
Wymondham andDereham.Signalling the wrongroute
Howeve r, the si gnaller sentthe train out
of the stationdirec ttoWymondham with
the diesel on the frontandMayflower
trailing on therear.The trainwasrunning
alittle ahead of time,but the signaller’s
errorwould starttocause problems once
the train arrivedatDereham.Thewater
supply isat th enorth end of the station
but the B1was onthesouth end of its
train. Time wasverytightfor servicing the
engine and there wasnow considerable
extrashunting necessaryleading to
departurebeing 25 minutes down with
Mayflowerback in charge.
This delaywas thencompounded on
arrivalbackatNorwich as there now
neededtobeaturning move to get
the B 1facingtowards LiverpoolStreet
forthe returnjourney.The train passed
TrowseJuncti on 63 minutes late.The
B1 had not been scheduledto haul the
train fromDerehamback to Norwich
and had thereforeused morewater than
antici patedsot he dieselhad to assist
on the main line southfromNorwichto
conserve the B1’swater supply.Tanktop-up delays
Howeve r, the diesel sufferedacoola nt
leak soon afterleavi ng Norwich andwas
unableto assist. On ar rivalatI pswich,
Mayflowerdid not have suffic ient water
to reach the scheduledwaterstopin
Mark ’s Teyloop.There wasafurtherlong
delayuntil the firebrigade arrivedtot op
up thetender.Most passengers travelled
from Ipswich backto Londononservice
trai ns.The tour continued, stil lmaking its
scheduledwaterstopatMark’sTey and
wasterminatedatS tratford bywhich
time itwas166 minutes late.Right:WestCoastRailways’Clas s33
No.33207 headsSteamDreams’
‘CathedralsExpress’fromLiverpool
StreetpastKimberleyParkonthe
Mid-Norfolk Railway onJuly4. Inthe
rece ntly-laidsidingsarebrand-new
Stadle r-builtClass755unitsfor
theGreaterAngliamainlin e. Once
rele asedintotraffic, theseunitswill
replacetheClass90-hauledsetswhich
willtake thenew units’placeint he
sidingsat KimberleyPark.Therailtour
wasscheduledforhaulageby LNER
B1 4-6-0No.61306Mayfloweronthis
sectionfromNorwichtoDereham
butasignallingerroratNorwi chled
totheB1beingontherearofitstrain
instead.BRIANSHARPELNERB1 4-6-0No. 61306MayflowerbringsuptherearofSteamDreams’
‘CathedralsExpress’fromLiverpoolStreetasitarrivesatDereh amontheMid-
NorfolkRailway hauledby Class33 No.33207 onJuly4.BRIANSHARPEOnJuly20, No.6201Princess Elizabethhaul edtheRailway TouringCompany’s
‘TheCumbrian MountainExpress’,whereitisseenpassingthroug hSettlestati on.
ThePrincessRoyalClassworkedth etrainbe tweenLiverpoolLimeStreetand
Carlisle–theoutwardlegrunningoverShapandthere turnviatheSettleand
Carlisle.ALANWEAVERReliable ‘Lizzie’works CME
ByCedric JohnsLMS Stanier4-6-2 No.6201Princess
Elizabethis gradually accumulating
passenger hauling mileageand pr oving
to be astrong,reliablelocomotiveon
the basis of itsrecent attentioninside
West Coast Railways’Carnforthworks.
According to the owning group’s
chairman CliveMojonnier,the big red
engine is nowinexcellen tcondition,
thanksto the efforts put inbyWest
Coastsenior engineerJohn Haddow
and histeam.
Thelatest call forthe Pacific came
whenNo. 6201wasbookedat short
noticetohead theRailwayTouring
Company’s‘CumbrianMountai nExpress’
(CME) working out of Liverpool Lime
Street,onS aturda y, July 20.
To reachthe train’sstarting point, the
‘Express’was diesel-hauled fromCrewe
with the 4-6-2 trailingat therear,whileon routethe train stoppedat Runcorn
to pick upbefore reachingLiverpool
LimeStreet.
Nowpositionedcorrectl y, the Pacific at
its head,the‘Express’departedLiverpool
forCarlisle via theSettle andCarlisle line,
making callsatStHelensCentral,Wigan
NorthWestern,Preston and Blackburn.
Afte rabreak at Carlisle,the‘Express’
returned via Shap.
Princess Elizabethwasalsobooked
to haul the‘NorthernBelle’onaprivate
char teronJ une 30 carrying people
involved in theRolex watchmarket.
Like the trip from Liverpool,the‘Rolex
Express’turned outto be aone-way
job,‘Lizzie’working aheavy train
approaching some500 tons,from
CrewetoHolyhead via Chester, Conwy
andLlandudnoJunction.
On arrival, No.6201 departedfor
turning,the‘Belle’s’dedicatedClass57
taking chargeforthe returnjourney.60 Heritagerailway.co.uk indusonwww.facebook.com/heritagerailway
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