On 12th September 2009 I was back at Blea Moor to record the BR Standard Britannia Pacific 70013 'Oliver Cromwell' hauling The Hadrian, steam hauled from Hellifield to Carlisle then via Hexham, Low Fell and the ECML back to York.
Just one year, one month and two days previously I had wanted a recording of this loco at this spot but the weather conditions that day made it impossible. That day over a year ago saw the re-run of the 15 Guinea Special which had marked the end of steam on BR 40 years previously. I had no recorder in those days but, having seen the loco there on that supposedly final train it had long been an ambition of mine to get a recording of 70013 at Blea Moor.
41 years earlier I had seen the Brit pass Blea Moor box from the bridge over the line just to the north and while it would have been nice to have gone there to repeat the photograph I took, a recording wouldn't have been a possibility so I returned to the hillside to the east of the line from where I had seen and recorded the Jubilee a few days before.
Conditions were slightly better than they had been on the previous Wednesday when I recorded 5690; although it was still breezy, the breeze was far less strong so makeshift wind breaks were not required this time.
70013 with its 12 coach train turned up about 5 minutes early. After being eased approaching Ribblehead Viaduct the Brit sounds fine passing and can be heard all the way to Blea Moor Tunnel.
Even if it was over a year (or 41 years!) late, it was really nice to finally get that recording of 70013 at Blea Moor!