The Sir Nigel Gresley at Eaglescliffe Station, 13 February 2014. These A4 steam engines were a very familiar sight on the east coast main line and probably through both Eaglescliffe and Stockton stations too?
Sadly, they now only run on special occasions and there are only three of them that do ‘steam’.
Photographs and details courtesy of David Thompson.
Apparently four of the A4s are leaving Shildon next week at 9am Monday 24 Feb (2- Union of South Africa hauling Mallard), Tuesday and Wednesday coming through Eaglescliffe about 9.30 and reversing and going down to Northallerton over Yarm Viaduct, leaving the 2 that are going back to America at Shildon until Easter weekend.
Monday 24th the Union of South Africa will haul the Mallard back to York and should arrive at Eaglescliffe around 10:00 . It will then turn around via the Stockton and Thornaby triangle and head south again from Eaglescliffe around 11:30. Viewing is excellent at Eaglescliffe but they may look more impressive going over the Yarm viaduct a few minutes later ?
Tuesday 25th will see the Sir Nigel Gresley making the same journey and at the same times.
Wednesday 26th will see the Bittern follow the above to York and again , at roughly the same times.
You may never get this opportunity again so, be there!
I went along to Shildon to see the ‘Great Goodbye’ and I have to admit, sad as it may seem, the sight of the six A4’s lined up together brought a lump to my throat.
I was fortunate, after a long wait, to get into the cab of the Sir Nigel Gresley, one of the ‘ streaks’ I had seen in the ’50’s at Darlington station in my trainspotting days ( yes – I was a girl and I loved trainspotting).
I can’t remember whether I spotted all of them in those days but I certainly saw most of them, full of life, puffing steam and blowing their whistles ….such characters they seemed.
I was at Shildon yesterday to se the A4s. The place was crowded in spite of the cold misty day, a good sign that there is plenty of interest from generations younger than mine. I queued for 40 mins to go on Mallard’s footplate, well worth it although I have ‘cabbed’ an A4 previously. Good to see them all and in all the various guises, LNER Garter blue, early BR blue and BR green, with and without side valances and both corridor and non-corridor tenders. ‘All of the colours in all of the sizes’ as Maureen Lipman would have said (that’s a memory test).
Last Thursday I was due at a Dr’s surgery close to Stockton Station for an appointment at 11am.
I was just getting out of my car at 10:50 when I heard the unmistakeable sound of an A4 Pacific whistle. Was I hallucinating??
Do I make the Dr’s appointment – or go and search out the A4 – a real dichotomy bearing in mind the notices in the surgery about missed appointments.!
As I was planning to go to Shildon to see the 6 A4s this week anyway I reckoned it must be one of them on the way there, so somewhat reluctantly made the Drs appointment. It’s a wonder that my blood pressure registered as normal after that bit of excitement. I’m just glad it actually was an A4 and I can still recognise THAT sound after all these years.
Seeing an A4 in Stockton was a treat, usually when the main line trains were diverted , normally at Ferryhill and came to Stockton via the line that crossed Blakeston Lane.
One Sunday in the summer of 1958 seven A4’s came through Stockton. It was a diversion day. This was when there was maintenance on the main line.
All six remaining, including Mallard are at Shildon Railway Museum until 25/02/2014. A once in a lifetime opportunity. A brilliant occasion don’t miss it.
I was lucky enough to be able to stand on the footplate of the old girl at Pickering Station after a up and back trip on the NYMR… it made my day, way back in 2001. My last boss Andrew Goodman of Moveright fame brought back the two from USA and Canada to Shildon. A fine site to behold, was proud to be a Brit!