Snow and Steam - a railway ride

[Peter]

Snow and Steam – A Railway Ride 7th February 2015

   I often include a journey on the East Lancashire Railway in a local ride through the hills around Rochdale.  I decided to extend this idea to include a trip on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. 

   The ELR starts at Heywood, so I rode the six miles along a mixture of cycle-paths and main roads.  The standard tank workhorse arrived, watered and ran round the train.


   
It may be a toy railway but it's still dangerous



   Engineering, or art?



   Running repairs



   I put my bike in the van; proper space on a train – it'll never catch on


   
The heating was on


   
We click-clacked up the Irwell valley to Rawtenstall



   where I had a half of the local (to Swindon) Piston Broke and ate sandwiches in the coal-fired waiting room



   I'm glad I'm a vegetarian

   Wonderful railwayana on the walls



   I had a Gold Flash once and my brother Trev a Bantam, though he quickly graduated to a Norton Dominator.

   Climbed out of the valley, north past Dunnockshaw Reservoir.



   Crossed Burnley, then dragged through traffic jams to Colne; oddly no pictures of this section.

   The two “different war” memorials on Earl Crag north of Keighley.


   
After 30 mile trip, I arrived at Keighley with an hour to wait for the final train of the day



   Mooched about admiring iron-work



   Took excellent ground coffee from snack-bar and warmed toes in waiting room, where there were   more great posters with relevance to Tees-siders like me.


   
This turntable was moved from Hawes Junction, scene of a terrible disaster on the Settle-Carlisle line a century ago.



   The train arrived, pulled by a Standard 4-6-0.



   Looks homely enough here but it's a sweltering work-place



   At Oakworth there was a difference of opinion about which malt products were most suitable for whom.



   The sun was setting as we arrived at the terminus in Oxenhope but there was time for a  picture of  yet another north-eastern destination.



   I now had twenty-odd miles and two Tour de France climbs to do to get home and the bunting waved me on


   
This is what the camera made of the sunset but it was better than this.


   
I was pretty much speechless with wonder by now, not that there was anyone to listen.



   I flew down to Hebden Bridge by the light of my new dyno-wheel, built by John the Velomancer, then climbed Cragg Vale.  About a third of the way up is the Robin Hood, full of cycling pictures.   I once wrote a ghost story about it, so it was very satisfying to see the ectoplasm when I checked the pictures at home.


   
A three mile drop from Blackstone Edge brought me to Littleborough, whence I rounded Hollingworth Lake, with the sea-birds burbling in their “roost” on the icy water

   Pretty much a perfect day with about sixty miles on the bike and maybe 15 on the railway.  Christmas, whenever you need it.

   I have even more ambitious plans along similar lines (ho, ho!) but I think this one has the makings of a group ride some day.

[Jaded]

Excellent! A grand day out!

[Canardly]

Grand stuff.

[Graeme]

That looks like a chilly day out Peter. Brilliant fun though, I have a growing enthusiasm for pedal and puff excursions. The NYM railway offers a cycling-one-way-train-back experience too. But other nice outings like catching the train to Alnmouth and cycling home, or riding to York and catching a train home.

Broadens horizons for a gentle day out.

Hope you are well.
Graeme.

[Torslanda]

Now that's my idea of a good day on the bike!

When you're back to full strength we'll do something like that . . .

Take care.

luv'n'stuff

John

[Tigerrr]

what a lovely ride report. Thanks for posting it.

[Ruthie]

Oh, how lovely.  Great pictures as well Peter.

[Butterfly]

Marvellous! I'm a big fan of incorporating steam trains in to bike rides. Last summer we travelled on the Severn Valley Railway  on our way to Shrewsbury.

[Steve GT]

Nice one Peter.

As you said, it would make a very nice group ride.

[Peter]

Thanks, all!  Steve, I had a plan to incorporate the Embsay line, too but that's going to have to wait for a bit, now.

[Tail End Charlie]

Super atmospheric photos, love em.