Two Steam Galas

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

I first visited the NYMR back in 1971. That was before the railway was open to the public with trains only running on special open days and even then only for members.
In the thirty odd years since then there is one locomotive that I have hoped on many occasions to get an on-train recording of and always, until now, failed.
This loco is the NER P3 0-6-0 2392. I have ridden behind it and recorded it on other preserved lines but this was my first chance on it's home turf.
On Friday 1st October 2004 2392 worked two round trips from Grosmont hauling 4 Gresley & Thompson designed LNER teak coaches.
This recording is of the loco completing the climb from Grosmont to Goathland.
On departing from Grosmont it soon became apparent that the boiler was perhaps a little too full as, on the first part of the climb the loco primed badly and it was only beyond Beck Hole that the driver could begin to work the loco a little harder but by the time we were approaching Darnholme, where this recording begins, 2392 was going well on the 1 in 49 gradient.

2392 completed two round trips to Pickering with it's four Gresley & Thompson designed LNER teak coaches and, for the second of these I returned to the lineside.
A favourite spot of mine for lineside recording on the 1 in 49 climb from Grosmont to Goathland is about a mile from Esk Valley, where the climb begins opposite Green End at the other side of the valley at Dowson Garth.
Although this spot is over a quarter of mile from the line, when conditions are right, some excellent recordings can be obtained, plus, there is the added advantage of having an excellent view of trains climbing the gradient.
Recording conditions on this day were excellent and this is part of the 7 minute recording that I got of the P3 climbing towards Goathland.

The next train an hour later was double headed by the Great Western pairing of Large Prairie Tank 5164 visiting from the Severn Valley Railway piloting 0-6-2T 6619.
From a sound recording point of view I'm not a great fan of double headers as with relatively short trains, 7 coaches in this instance, having two engines only serves to reduce the amount of work that each locomotive has to do which, of course, reduces the amount of noise!
At least in this case, thanks to the locos having differing driving wheel diameters both are clearly audible.
I had recorded these two earlier in the day and been a little disappointed with the result but heard passing Green End from near Dowson Garth they are going a little better this time.

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

During the following weekend the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway were having a Steam Gala Weekend.
One of the visitors to this event was the LB&SCR E4 0-6-2T 473 'Birch Grove'.
Aside from a couple of shuttle trains between Keighley and Ingrow this loco's only unaccompanied passenger working during the weekend was on the first train from Keighley at 09.00 on the morning of Saturday 9th October 2004. Now, obviously, this was the train that I wanted a lineside recording of and this presented a bit of a problem as public transport early on a Saturday morning is a little sparse to say the least so I had a very early start to get to Damems by train and bus in time for this train.
As you can hear the effort was well worthwhile.
This recording was made a little way beyond Damems Loop and the E4 is heard making a fine sound on the 1 in 60 gradient up to Oakworth.
Well worth getting up at 5.30am for!

The next train up from Keighley was in the hands of the other loco visiting the railway for this event, BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 76079.
This was a freight train made up of no less than 18 vehicles and 76079 had worked this train as far as the loop by itself.
This train then waited in the loop until the Taff Vale Railway 0-6-2T 85 arrived light engine from Keighley and was attached to the rear of the train to act as banker for the remainder of the journey to Oxenhope.
These two locos make a fine sound departing and passing heading up the gradient with the banker doing it's fair share of the work on the climb.

Later in the morning a train consisting of 5 vintage coaches provided the rather unique sight of a Brighton and Lancashire & Yorkshire double header with LB&SCR E4 0-6-2T 473 'Birch Grove' piloting L&YR 0-6-0 957, surely the first time such a pairing has occurred!
These two are heard in this recording climbing away from Damems Loop on the 1 in 60 gradient towards Oakworth.

Both railways have websites, the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway at www.kwvr.co.uk and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at www.northyorkshiremoorsrailway.com.
'Birch Grove' will normally be found at the Bluebell Railway, 5164 at the Severn Valley Railway & 76079 almost anywhere(!) but it's usual base is at the East Lancashire Light Railway.