The sight of main line steam engines passing your door at speed is a privilege indeed. During the summer there are regular weekly steam trains - the Fellsman every Wednesday and the Waverley on Saturdays. Today's Fellsman was hauled by The Great Marquess - see picture below. This was one of a very small class of LNER engines designed for use in the Scottish Highlands. Relatively small engines, they were low geared and therefore quite slow. They were also designed to cope with steep gradients and sharp curves as on the west Highland line.
The S&C is something different - no sharp curves but very long gradients. When the Great Marquess was first used on the S&C there were doubts that she would have enough puff to make it to the summit at Ais Gill. Judging by today's performance there was no doubt at all. She stormed through Settle northbound this morning and back again this evening bang on time.
What a sight.
click image to enlarge
The Fellsman and The Waverley have been sell-outs this year, due in part no doubt to television coverage of the Settle-Carlisle line.
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