Super Steam

We have been blessed with some magnificent steam locomotives flying past in recent days click any pic to enlarge:

Union of South Africa, alias Number Nine on what may be one of her last main line runs before her boiler ticket runs out

British India Line alias Bil seen here at Kirkby Stephen on a round Britain tour

Princess Elizabeth alias Lizzie heading last Tuesday's weekly Dalesman sadly caused a lot of delay on the S&C when a points problem at Hellifield meant she could not enter the down loop so she blocked the down main line whilst taking on water, meaning the service train could not pass.  This situation got worse approaching Appleby when that water supply ran dangerously low.  If this cannot be remedied quickly the only answer is to drop the fire onto the track if a boiler explosion is to be avoided.  In the end she was allowed to run onto the up main line to take on water from the up-line-only water supply at Appleby, causing further delay.