Thursday became our warmest day of the year as the temperature reached 11.8°C (53.2°F) taking over from the previous highest of 11.6°C or 52.9°F.
The weather forecasters suggested it would be warmer as we approached the end of the week and taking them at their word we decided on a day out on Thursday. We planned a day out in the Yorkshire Dales. The day was to include some video of steam locomotive 60163 hauling a scheduled passenger service on the main line between Skipton and Appleby. It's the first time for 50 years that a steam train has hauled a scheduled service on the main line. I'd planned to get some video of the train crossing Dent Head Viaduct. After lunch we planned a visit to Fountains Abbey to see some snowdrops in flower.
The weather in the Dales wasn't brilliant. Cold wet and windy sums it up. Dent Head Viaduct is high up in the Dales and the clouds were skimming the tops.
We arrived at Dent Head Viaduct in the teeth of a gale. I decided to set up the camera and tripod and leave it running to film the train crossing the viaduct. I didn't realise that for some reason the camera stopped recording before the train arrived. So all I had was some footage of a trainless viaduct very much like the photo below.
Sue decided on a much more sensible option and took some photos from the relative comfort of the car through an open window.
You'll notice to add insult to injury a smokeless steam train crossed over the viaduct. At least we had something to show for our visit to Dent Head. After lunch at Wensleydale Creamery we headed for Fountains Abbey. When we pulled into the car park it was still blowing a gale and raining. We thought it wasn't the best weather to be trying to take photos of snowdrops and headed for home.
We'll try a visit elsewhere to see some snowdrops over the next few days but steam trains on the Settle and Carlisle line will have to be put on hold until the line is fully re-opened at the end of March following its closure due a landslip early in 2016.
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I liked this story and the associated photos. I've never really understood what the "Dales" were, but the two viaduct snaps give a good indication. Much fun to watch the fog/mist ascend/descend. New word for today: landslip. We would say: landslide.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane
DeleteGlad you liked the story. I used landslip on purpose. For some reason I assume a landslide involves material falling down from above. In this case it would be onto the railway line. What happened in this case was that the earth under the railway was moving and the railway tracks went out of alignment.
I've seen on the news you have had a drop more rain!!
Oh, that makes sense, a good distinction. I think we would say slump, not sure. In any case, yes, we have had a lot of rain, possibly enough to make this the wettest year since records began and we will be seeing a lot of land slips and slumps.
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