Saturday 23rd July 2022

The history of railways goes back in the UK well over 200 years, longer if you include wagonways.

The industrial revolution saw the invention of the locomotive, and this was used to move freight, more of it, quicker than ever before.

Passengers were an afterthought.

There is a website which is trying to map every railway there has ever been in the UK, and looking at it, you can see lines criss-crossing the country, most are freight lines leading to and from mones or ports, to factories or cities.

Moving people by rail came as an afterthought, but enabled social and geographical mobility on a scale not seen before.

Globalisation and the exhaustion of resources has been many frieght lines close, but some still exisit, and some were opened to exploit new discoveries.

A railtour was announced to Baulby Potash Mine, situated on the North Sea cost just south of Teesside, along a private branch, and as the line features what is possible the most spectacular clifftop views of any line remaining, the chance to ride this proved irristable to me. I booked us on the tour in 1st class dining, but we had to join it at Potters Bar, north of London, as rail services from Dover would not have got us there in time.

So, an early start was needed. Even earlier as there were jams still in and around Dover, and Google Maps was telling me the Dartford Tunnels were closed until half eight.

THe A2 was blocked at The Duke of Yorks, but going through Guston we got on our way, and had no trouble, and found the Dartfild corssing fully up and flowing well.

We got there with 50 minutes to spare, but registering on the parking app took a good twenty minutes. So, enough time to stand on the platforms and watch trains hammer by on the ECML.

On the platform, a large group of men of a certain age was gathering. And it seems I am doomed to join them, but I also realise that when these fine gentlemen can no longer go on these trips, who will? There are a few women, like Jools accomanying their partners, though I don't have notebooks.

Already, I recognise faces from previous trips, does this mean I am now one of them?

67007 lead the tour, and is in a bright purple colour scheme to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. I stand at the end of the platform to snap it coming up the slow line from London.

We get into coach B, find our seats and settle into the armchair like seats. We can smell breakfast cooking. We were offered some fruit to start.

Coffee is brought round at regular intervals, and soon cooked breakfast is brought round, though I skip the fried egg, there is really nothing like eating on a train whilst the countryside rolls by the large carriage windows for our entertainment.

It took us op the main line to Northallerton, picking up more passengers as we went, but for rare track fans, we took the freight avoiding line at York.

From Northallerton, we headed to Middlesbrough, where we swapped Locos at Tees Yard and 60066 took over to lead us on.

That took nearly an hour. Lunch of quiche was served while we looked at flatbed trucks loaded with recently rolled steel bars.

then through the post-industrial landscape of the South Tees hellscape to Saltburn, then on the private branch to Bouldby.

We passed small stations used to two carriage DMUs, so a double loco hauled eleven carriage train was something of a surprise for those waiting. They waved at us, and we waved back.

Highlight is the line nearing the edge of the cliffs with views to the rocks below and along the rugged coastline. There was barely enough room for the coastal path between the line and the cliff-edge, just wide enough for one person, fences on either side stopped people getting onto the line or going over the cliffs.

A few photographers had taken positions to record our progress, so rare is a passenger train on this line. We waved at them too.

We crossed over the Saltburn Viaduct, an impressive structre, which once carried trains down the coast to Whitby and beyond, but now is on the freight only branch.

There was passage through the delightfully named Grinkle Tunnel before we emerged from the woods into the freight yard at the mine.

We went all the way to the buffer stops, paused, then began to long journey back.

I took shots. Don't lean out of the windows they said, so I waved the camera out of the window and clicked the shutter.

Back down the branch with some switching to different lines so those who like to ride on different tracks were satisfied. That was until Network Rail got beyond pissed off and refused the last request to change tracks from our driver.

We had an hour in Middlesbrough while the train was served and the locos swapped back over.

We went along the line to Darlington, as close to the route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the Fighting Cocks Station, all now long gone.

We were served dinner as we ravelled. A good job as we were both hungry. Asparagus soup followed by poached chicken on fried black pudding with fresh vegetables and three different cooked potatoes. That was followed either by lemon merange pie or garlic mushrooms: I chose the later, a poor choice it seems, and finally there was cheese and crackers.

Finally, we reversed at Darlington head back down the ECML, leaving it to travel on the Canal Curve at Selby, then back on the main line, arriving back at Potters Bar at 23:00.