We were on our way back from Bedale on Monday morning when we realised that we were following one of the last few runs of the Black 5 which has been heading up the Polar Express.

When heading the Polar Express the loco is in steam but not really doing much work as it’s actually being pulled one way and pushed the other way by the Class 47 on the other end of the train. We live on a slight rise so we would hear the chatter if the loco was doing any ‘work’, this has been absent on the Polar Express for the last few years.

However on two of the running days between Christmas and the New Year the steam loco actually does the work of pulling the train.

Getting back to Monday, Chris joked about racing the train and we soon caught up to it just before Crakehall crossing. From there we moved ahead and I was able to pull up in a farm lane just to the east of the village where we could see the train coming from a long way off so I decided to try an video it.

Apologies about the slight glitch in the middle where I got out of the car to get a better shot as it came closer. – What a lovely sound!

Following the visit last week of the Volker Rail Beaver 1900 Tamper surveying the line last week (photos above) we have had several visits this week from  a Volker Rail 2004 and today we had the chance to really get up close and personal as it levelled the line at the back of our house. What a fascinating machine to see in action.

We had something a little different down the branch this afternoon or rather it went up the branch last week but I only caught sight of the rear cab window as it disappeared out of view. We thought it odd that it didn’t return (usually most ‘trains’ go up the branch and return the same day). We have had quite a bit of works train traffic on Monday’s of late but much of it has been seen before so I haven’t posted any photos. 

They look to have been working their way back from Redmire surveying the branch because it had already passed our house on the way to Bedale when I became aware of it and popped up to take a look. 
By good fortune it had stopped a couple of hundred yards away and after marking up the ground, (when the machine made a series of loud beeps) it then reversed to about 20 yards beyond the house on the Redmire/Leyburn side. More beeps more marking up and it reversed direction again heading back off towards Bedale. 
I reckon it must be sat in the passing loop at Bedale station now, because just before 5pm we had the Class 20 featured previously, come past light engine heading to Leyburn/Redmire. 

For those it might interest, there are more details shots on my Flickr site