I had been very much less than impressed at not being able to be present on Shap to see my favourite Black 5, 45305 on its first northbound runs on the route but luckily my friend and his car were available on 20th August 2011 for what was expected to be the third and last run, for the present at least, for the loco over Shap. Third time lucky perhaps?
On its previous two runs 45305 with a 10 coach train had, as I would have expected, acquitted itself well on the climb and we had hopes that the same would apply on this run but, arriving at Shap Wells, we weren't expecting the kind of performance we were about to witness.
Conditions were not at all bad; there was a little more breeze than we would have liked but at least it wasn't carrying the sound of the motorway towards us and there was a chance that it would carry the sound of 45305 from further down the bank.
At around the expected time a little smoke appeared down towards Tebay and we were pleased to be able to hear the Black 5 before we could see it as it came out of the cutting above Greenholme Bridge.
As I stood watching and listening to the approaching train it seemed to me that it was going far too fast for a Black 5 on 10. Was there an assisting diesel? No there wasn't, this was simply a Black 5 in top form going very well. Indeed, going amazingly well and it passed us making a truly superb sound. Definately a spine tingling experience to be there!
Although speed had fallen on the 1 in 75 gradient it hadn't fallen as much as I'd have expected and I'm told that it was still doing 34 mph passing the summit, surely some kind of a record for a preserved Black 5 on 10.
Third time lucky? I'll say we were!