Hello all. It's my birthday on Tuesday and I fancied bussing it to Skipton, up the Settle to Carlisle and back via the coast and then back to Burnley via Preston. Perhaps a few stops on the way? Or how about leaving a car at Skipton and coming off the coast to Lancaster and then back to Skipton. Any thoughts and ideas on timings?
Special thanks to D841 for giving me the info to do this journey. We boarded a 158 at Hellifield at 0940. An hour and a half at Carlisle then a single coach 15x to Whitehaven. Serious points problems at Maryport meant 45L which continued through the afternoon. We were meant to catch the 1623 out, but there was all sorts of talk about the diesel loco not stopping; in the event it did but then ran non-stop to Barrow. The sight of bewildered 'passengers' having done a shift at Sellafield watching us tootling past was bizarre; I thought that's why the loco set was introduced? I mentioned the connection at BiF to a lady staff member who, remembered us later, and said that if we missed our connection, Northern would taxi us back to Hellifield! As it happened, the connection at Barrow to Carnforth was made. The only low point of the day came at Platform 2 at Carnforth when serious screeching noises preceeded the unwelcome sight of one of Newton's finest. As a bus man really, I've always defended the Pacer, but even I was glad to get off. We don't do railways often but it was a splendid day out, made better, it has to be said, by excellent staff.
