The snow must be getting a bit serious. Light engines have been to-ing and fro-ing all day over the Settle-Carlisle Line (the highest in England) to keep it open. They have been using Class 37 diesel engines (above) whose growling noise suits the mood perfectly. It isn't just a matter of snow drifts. Ice forms underneath the air shafts in Blea Moor and Rise Hill tunnels and both lines need to be kept clear. The Network Rail picture below shows ice inside Blea Moor on 10th January 2010. Had the ice been allowed to form then the line would almost certainly have had to close until it had melted or been removed. Notice how the curtain of ice is penetrated by two Class 37-shaped arches!
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