Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

Harvest of Steam
2003

(c) Tim Warner The 2003 event featured 5 steam engines:

  • Monckton No.1
  • Cranford No.2
  • 68005 on Sunday only after repairs
  • Ann on static display for the first time in LMS livery.
  • Thomas (formerly 'Dorothy' on test as station pilot at Embsay.
  • D.2203 press ganged into hauling the Stately Trains 6-wheelers owing to loco failure.

    The Harvest of Steam was reasonably low-key with few engines available, but the 'goods' train this year was a breakdown train, featuring the operational steam crane as well as appropriate vans and a BG for workers' accommodation. A very favourable review was printed in the Railway press.

    Here are some of the photos from the event.

    (c) Tim Warner The Saturday of the event started off with the disappointing loss of 68005, although it was repaired in time for the Sunday. This meant that Cranford featured on more of the trains, seen here from close to Draughton with a passenger train, having just passed under Prior's Lane, heading for Stoneacre.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Looking the other way up the valley, and Cranford can again be seen with the passenger train (which featured the Gresley Restaurant Car to the rear). To the left of the photo can be seen the bracket signals for Stoneacre Loop. This is a really good spot for sitting and watching the trains go by...
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner ..as can be seen from this picture, taken a few yards further towards Bolton Abbey! As there was one loco less than intended, the 04, D.2203 was used on the vintage, possibly its most intensive use for quite some time. This also gave quite a tramway feel to the day.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Congratulations should go to those recently passed-out drivers, of both steam and diesel varieties, who made this event much easier by their availability! D.2203 heads towards Stoneacre with the vintage train, made up of the three 6-wheeled carriages from Stately Trains.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner A few yards further again towards Bolton Abbey, and this view is available looking down the straight and into Hambleton Cutting, behind Monckton and the passenger train with the Gresley Restaurant Car.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Although this took place in October, the weather did its best, and brought out the colours very well, with even the heather retaining some of the purple it managed earlier. Monckton starts onto the straight.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner A few minutes later, and looking back the other way, Monckton heads for Stoneacre Loop with the passenger train, the exhaust blocking out the signalbox. Despite the sunshine, the day was cold as the wind had picked up, as can be seen with the steam being whipped away ahead of the train.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner The 'mixed goods' of previous years was replaced this time by the very successful breakdown train (as used in the Jinty photo charter) featuring the steam crane and associated vehicles. With Cranford in charge, it heads for Bolton Abbey through the loop with only a small cloud of steam in the distance to show for the location of the other train which has already reached Holywell.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Another view of Cranford and the breakdown train, heading for Prior's Lane bridge and onwards to Bolton Abbey.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Walking further towards Bolton Abbey along the footpaths provides good opportunities to show the contrasting forms of transport: to the rear, motorists on the A59 look across the field to the Railway as Cranford makes her way towards Stoneacre with the breakdown train.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Once more, the superior (levelish) route of the Railway is evident as the A59 climbs up in the background. The formation of the train is clear, as the BG, 2 vans, crane and SR brake follow.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Monckton is seen climbing, just onto the straight heading towards Prior's Lane with a 5-coach train, including the Gresley Restaurant Car at the rear.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Now onto the straight properly, and in glorious sunshine, Monckton makes good progress. Despite 'only being an industrial' the locos cope very well on the line, even with quitre a testing climb for most of the route.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Looking the other way as the train passes, still viewed from the public footpath. There are several groups of small trees to make the photographer's life easy!
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Further on towards Bolton Abbey, and this time the 04, D.2203 is seen in charge of the Stately Trains 6-wheelers on its way towards Hambleton Cutting and Bolton Abbey.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner And viewed once more as it is about to enter the cutting. From left to right the carriages are: GER 14, GNoSR 34 and GER 37.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Heading back out of Bolton Abbey a little while later, the train is seen in a similar position to that in the previous photo, but viewed from underneath the tree visible to the right of the last photo. The 04 does actually suit the 6-wheelers, although this was a rare occurence.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Monckton makes a good start out of the loop at Stoneacre with the breakdown train, heading for Embsay.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Seen a few moments later before heading into the cutting and under the two bridges on the approach to Holywell Halt.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tim Warner Despite not being particularly late on in the day, the sun was still low enough to give a few glint shots as the train headed west for Embsay.
    (c) Tim Warner.
    (c) Tom Ireland Back at Embsay, Cranford rests with the passenger train at the west end of platform 1...
    (c) Tom Ireland.
    (c) Tom Ireland ...while Sentinel Ann shows off her new paintwork in platform 2. Although she looks complete, the boiler work wasn't finished in time and so Ann was just a static exhibit. Work will now recommence.
    (c) Tom Ireland.
    (c) Tom Ireland The other loco to feature in the event was No. 8, formerly 'Dorothy', now 'Thomas' although not running as such here! It performed the duty of station pilot (here with the breakdown train) as part of its running in, which has since seen it hauling a passenger train!
    (c) Tom Ireland.

    More details of special events can be found on the Events page, and details of the Harvest of Steam can be found by following the link below.

    Harvest of Steam Weekend

    Top Photogalleries

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