Anyone know why it stopped running? Did quite a few trips then stopped one trip was done in 2020 with 45562 (45699) ran by RTC what are the chances of it running again, steam tours up Copy Pit from the Todmorden end are becoming rarer. Hopefully it will return
I would say here 2 factors why they have not been done for 4 years the cotton mills express.
1. Due to the Todmorden stansfield west curve opening for northern trains blackburn manchester services plus more frequent quarterly hour northern train services man vic via rochdale blackpool and Chester, and vice to Leeds and York via Bradford and Dewsbury and the transpennine upgrade works certainly affecting 2023 2024 season for charter steam trains. And even since about 2014 transpennine trains to Newcastle Middlesbrough Redcar Central York and Saltburn from Liverpool Manchester Airport Manchester picc or vic are very frequent on the colne valley route via marsden and Stalybridge every 15 mins each direction thus also limiting paths for steam diesel charters along this route as well as most of it beyond guide bridge is only double track with one loop at Diggle even when the Transpennine rail upgrade works are not blocking the route. And as well as far as I know the cotton mills express used to run on the calder valley line when northern rail services were every half hour from halifax. Before 2014 and transpennine services were not frequent until also 2014 cos of major changes to the timetables on these routes.
2. West coast railways have had the 2 year wrangle with O.R.R. about their M.K.1 carriages not having central door locks thus affecting what steam loco,s can be rostered as only 34067 tangmere 34028 Eddystone or 45212 45407 and 44871 can only be used as they have air brake equipment only compatible Locos to pull the aircon M.K.2. carriages.
As 45699 galatea 45690 Leander 46115 scots guardsman and 35018 british India line and 44932 are vac brake only locos and cant be used on the M.K.2 carriages as there not dual braked adapted are M.K.2. carriages. I Hope this answers your question.
Also as well another charter similar to the cotton mills express with exception of using the new mills line and hope valley line and Penistone line from Wincobank jct via Barnsley and back over the calder valley line via Burnley over Copy Pit was the tin Bath named after a series of last of the summer wine where the 3 old lads use a tin bath to slide down a hill. Why the tour went to huddersfield using the Penistone line I think it ran from 2010 the Last one I think was 2016 it ran twice a year in January and November. Also stopped cos of timetable changes and the scarborough flyer that used to go from Crewe via Huddersfield also stopped due to the new timetables through huddersfield.
