Rolling blog. 3 peaks by rail 2026. Part 3…

27 Saturday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in 3 peaks by rail, Photography, Scotland, Travel

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3 peaks by rail, Photography, Scotland, Travel

05:00.

A factor in Scotland is that our extra Peak (45118) has weight restrictions over certain bridges on the line to Fort William.

512Meanwhile, there’s nothing to do but sip coffee and enjoy the rugged scenery as it rolls by whilst trying to pick out deer in the gloom.

Right now the operations and safety teams are discussions on options…

We’ve woken up in Scotland to very different weather we gad on Scafell. There’s low grey cloud snd half-light as we head along the West Higland line some 90 minutes late. A delay that was mainly caused by signalling issues at Sellafield which caused our late departure from Ravenglass.

10:25.

Sorry for the gap but we’ve been busy getting walkers up Ben – and now down again! The first five have crossed the finish line, an incredible effort.

13:29.

We’ve done it! By delaying the train leaving Fort William and with Global Challenge being super efficient at logging people onto the mountain many people made it to the summit, which really lifted spirits. Not only that but we had no-one turning back with injuries, and no-one missed the train back. In the past, late teams have had to be taken to Crianlarich by road to catch up with the train.

Now the walkers can relax. The onboard cre have been busy. The train’s been cleaned, food’s being prepared and the bar will soon be open. My job’s not over yet. Having taken photos of teams at the finish line I still have pictures to get onboard before we get to Glasgow where I can start to relax.

20:10.

And relax! We’re now South of Carlisle and my job’s done. Well, until it’s time to start editing the pictures! But for now I’m enjoying the view from my seat after saying goodbye to friends who’ve already left en-route. Next stop is Preston, where I bail out.

The weather South of the border is a real contrast to Scotland. I’m told it’s chucking it down in Inverness right now. Here in Cumbria/Lancashire the weather’s both sunny and humid. The atmosphere in the train’s wound down as crowds thin out and tiredness and/or imbibement catch up with the remaining travellers.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Rolling blog. 3 Peaks by rail 2026. Day 2…

26 Friday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Uncategorized

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04:50.

Good morning people!

Day 2 is underway. The onboard crew and myself managed to grab a few hours sleep bedded down on the train at Holyhead before we returned to Bangor by 04:00 to pick up the teams. For once, they were waiting for us rather than the other way around. Everyone was able to summit, although I’m told conditions at the top were very windy. That said, there was a fantastic lightning display to be seen.

Now everyone’s aboard as we retrace our route to Chester. The walkers are getting some shut-eye whilst the onboard team start to prepare breakfast.

Argue amongst yourselves. Teacakes, rolls, baps or barms? Breakfast being prepared in one end of the car whilst a sandwich making marathon is going on at the other.

05:45.

As usual, things never go to plan. As the train is being ‘top and tailed’ the idea was that after leaving Holyhead the Class 57 on the year of the train would be leading to Ravenglass, saving the need to run round. Only I’m told it’s overheated. So, at Llandudno Jn we stopped in order to let 45118 run round to the front of the train and take over. The 57 remains inside to provide hotel power for the coaches.

Meanwhile, the interior of the train’s littered with sleeping bodies as the teams grab a few hours of rest before Ravenglass. But not the onboard crew. There’s mad activity in the catering cars. Breakfast’s being prepped and a sandwich making marathon’s going on. Trollies are being loaded with fruit and energy bars for walkers to pick up when we detrain

06:55.

We’ve just left Preston where we loaded extra supplies. Now the tired trekkers are being woken up and asked to clear the aisles they’ve bedded down in so that the breakfast trollies can get through.

09:00.

We’ve made it to Ravenglass where we’re boarding our second special train. This time ‘lil Ratty’ to take us up to Dalegarth ready for the walk across the hills to begin the climb up Scafell.

14:30.

Wow! That was brutal! Whilst the teams walked cross country to get to the start of the climb up Scafell I got a lift with Global Challenge (our event safety team) so that I could climb up Scafell before the teams arrived in order to be in position by the river crossing before they got there. I began my ascent at 10am, with a heavy camera bag on my back. I must be mad. I’m meant to be retired but I’m still doing daft stuff like this. The weather on Scafell meant it was like walking uphill in an oven! Less than a dozen people passed me. By the time others arrived the order had already gone out via radio for teams to turn back due to the heat. Only one person got within 1km of the summit – it was just too dangerous. Here’s how it looked from my perch.

Gorgeous views, but a picture can’t convey just how bloody hot it was!

Now the teams and staff are relaxing in Wasdale before mini buses and coaches ferry us back to Ravenglass. Naturally people are disappointed not to have made it to the summit of Scafell, but safety comes first.

Rolling blog. Three peaks by rail 2026. Day 1…

25 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in 3 peaks by rail, Never a dull life, Photography, Rolling blogs, The Railway Children, Travel

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3 peaks by rail, Never a dull life, Photography, Railways, The Railway Children, Travel

10:30.

The adventure begins! Despite the weather I had a decent night’s sleep last night, which is just as well as that’s a commodity that’s going to be in very short supply for the next few days.

Having packed all my kit – including stuff to cope with all the vageries of the British weather I’m on my first train of the day. As many services have been cancelled across the network I’m giving myself plenty of time to get to Crewe. Dawn’s been a star and given me a lift down to Sowerby Bridge station in time to catch Northern’s 10:20 to Manchester Victoria, so I’ve not started the day off hot and sweaty!

This train’s pretty empty. It looks like many folk have heeded to call not to travel. The few who have are dressed for the weather with shorts being de rigueur!

158843 has carried me across the Pennines to Manchester Victoria.

12:00.

I can breathe easy now. I’ve made it as far as Manchester, a city baking in the sun. A condition which is ruining its reptation! There’s no shortage of trains from here to Crewe so I can take time to get a few pictures here before heading off again for the final leg to Crewe where I don’t need to be until later this afternoon as when registration starts. The train itself doesn’t leave for Bangor until this evening.

13:05.

Nothing’s stopping me now! Having hung around in Manchester to enjoy the sun, do a bit of work* and get some pictures I’m now aboard a vintage Class 323 to Crewe. This is one of the former West Midlands units transferred to Northern, who’re now the sole operator of these 1990s built trains.

Now I’ll be in Crewe before temperatures reach their zenith. The information screens at Piccadilly bore witness to the cull of train services that have already taken place due to the weather. Some already planned, others not.

On the bright side (ish). I’m on an old train with opening windows and no air-conditioning, so there’s nothing to break down!

16:45.

The teams from all corners of the country are gathering at Crewe. It’s great to see so many old friends and familuar faces amongst them.

*the work I was doing means thay you’ll be able to read about the 3 Peaks challenge in a future edition of RAIL magazine.

19:30.

We’re on our way! We’ve already had fun as a short notice loco change has meant our train in now being hauled by a Class 45 ‘Peak’ locomotive 451118. Now the 3 peaks has become the 4 peaks!

23:00.

Sorry for the gap. We’ve had a few technical issues with tge train’s power supply which has meant I had to take time off to power up my laptop and phone.

We left Crewe on time but ran into problems on the North Wales Coast whilst the volunteers were serving the walkers a cooked dinner followed by cheesecake. A failed train ahead meant we had to work ‘bang road’ (wrong line) between Mostyn and Rhyl, so any hope of a spirited run to Llandudno Junction were dashed. Even so we were only a few minutes late into Bangor where the teams departed by bus to get to Snowdon. I stayed on the train with other volunteers who were busy cleaning the train and also preparing food so that everyone could eat when the train arrived at Holyhead. It may have been an ’empty’ train but it was still a hive of activity!

Now we have a little time to relax before we bed down for a few hours sleep. We’re due back in Bangor around 0400 tomorrow to pick up the weary walkers. Let’s see what happens. But for now, good night!

Cheers,

Paul

All change…

24 Wednesday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Railways, Calder Valley, Photography, Southport

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Travel, Railways, Photography, Musings, Calder Valley, family, writing, life

It’s the end of a baking hot day here in the Calder valley with another one in prospect tomorrow – although I won’t be around to see too much of it.

These past couple of days have seen me transition from Southport to Halifax once more, although this time by car, not train as on Monday night Dawn joined me at the coast so that we could both attend my sister in law Bev’s funeral on Tuesday morning. Funerals are never exactly joyful events, but Bev’s last wishes were for something short, sweet and colourful. So, no dark suits or dresses, instead, we were invited to dress for the summer – which was just as well as the weather was scorching! Bev got the funeral she wanted (with one minor deviation as her daughter Hayley read one of the poems that made up the service) and people left feeling uplifted rather than sad.

After a short family gathering for tea and cake Dawn and I drove back. Sadly the journey dragged out due to the weather, traffic jams and idiots on the roads, so we arrived too late to get a train back into Manchester to attend a leaving do. Just as well perhaps, as some other friends struggled to get back due to trains being cancelled.

Now, after a day at home where there was no let-up from the hot weather, I’m preparing to head off again, this time to volunteer on one of the hardest and maddest events in the rail calendar, the annual ‘3 Peaks by rail‘ charity event which raises money for the Railway Children. I’ve been volunteering since 2017, although I was forced to miss the event last year. Now I’m back, so expect a series of blogs from the event as we traverse the rail network to get teams to Snowdon, Scafell and Ben Nevis and back. As if the mountains themselves aren’t enough of a challenge for the teams, this year the rail logistics team and volunteers have to cope with problems with closed rail routes and extreme heat. There’s never a dull moment and each year presents different problems to be overcome.

Here’s a selection of pictures and behind the scenes look at the 2017 adventure.

I’ll see you tomorrow with the first of the rolling blogs…

Cheers,

Paul

Political plus ça change…

22 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Politics, Uncategorized

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Musings, Politics

I’d hoped my first blog of a new week would have been about something more positive, but I’ve just watched Sir Keir Starmer announce his resignation as PM and leader of the Labour party. A decent man has been hounded out of office by the media and betrayed by the disloyalty and the personal political ambitions of those in his own party.

Some things never change. It seems the Labour party has steadfastly refused to learn the lessons of the Tory years of endless political psychodramas. The political stability many have been yearning for following those times has been ripped apart again. Now we’ll have a Labour leadership race – with Andy Burnham looking the almost certain winner.

I’ve no real love for Burnham. Having watched his career over the years I’ve come to the conclusion he’s a political Janus. Now personal ambitions have unseated a serving Labour Prime Minister. Now, I’d be happy to be wrong about Burnham. I hope he makes a good Labour PM, but those in his party who think ditching Starmer will stop the onslaught of negativity from the right-wing media are naive fools. The media has gained another scalp and will be even more emboldened. Far too many of them want to see Farage in No10 so aren’t going to stop. Now will the Elon Musks of this world. They all have far too much power nowadays. Gone are the times when the rich spent their money on improving the welfare of their fellow citizens. Now they buy newspapers, set up TV ‘news’ channels which are little more than propaganda outlets, or rig social media to highlight and pump out far-right views – and or politicians seem unable and/or unwilling to do a damned thing about it.

Now, all we can do is sit back and watched the media circus as they salivate over the leadership contest, something they’ve been so keen to make happen.

This is not a good era for democracy.

Ironically, I passed this reminder of better times yesterday. Southport infirmary was built with money donated by the wealthy owner of Hartley’s jam. Then, the wealthy campaigned for and helped build a better future for the fellow citizens. Now the obscene wealth held by just a handful of people is used to undermine not only their own citizens, but everyone.

Another Southport blog.

18 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Photography, Southport, Travel

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Musings, Photography, Southport, Travel

Yep, after time in rolling Devon and a brief sojourn in the hills of West Yorkshire I’m back in the coastal flatlands of Southport for the next few days. Only this trip is tinged with sadness. Whilst I was away in Devon I received the tragic news that Bev, my sister in law had lost her brief fight with cancer. There’s so many thoughts and memories about the time we all had together before I moved down to London in 1986, but a blog is hardly the best place to express them. So many of the people we knew then have passed away – but there is one memory I’ll mention. A birthday party at the flat they occupied in the early days. Lots of friends were there and various people provided food – including my mother, who’d made a trifle. As the evening wore on (and the more senior members of the family had taken their leave) things got out of hand. If I remember rightly, Angie threw the first bit of trifle. After that all hell broke loose and we ended up in a full on food fight of the sort that you’d have seen in a 1960s comedy! The next morning those of us who’d stayed overnight ended up trying to clear up the mess, scraping trifle and other sticky foodstuffs off walls, pictures and carpets. Not to mention what was stuck to us! So, Bev, I’m so sorry to hear of your passing, but I will never, ever forget you – or the fun that we had in those distant days.

Right now I’m passing time by getting fit (no really!). Staying with my sister Anne has enabled me to do a lot of walking as well as taking advantage of the exercise equipment in a local park. What I’m finding helpful with this is what was my old Fitbit. Now, Fitbit was great for keeping track of your movements and giving you feedback on some of your health metrics, but it was passive. Now it’s been absorbed into Google and they’ve added an AI coach. I’ve always been cynical about AI – for lots of reasons – but I find this AI coach really helpful. It’s both motivational and informative, it’s not passive at all. It doesn’t always get things right (but all you have to do is correct it) but it gives me lots of useful information unprovoked that inspire me to improve my exercise.

Mind you, that’s not all. Our friends in Devon (along with Dawn) have inspired me to go on a low-carb diet. I’ll be interested to see how that pans out over the next couple of months, but as I’ve just cleared 3 million steps in 2026 I’m feeling positive!

Meanwhile, I’ll be enjoying splitting my time between walking, exercising and working as the weather here in Southport’s been pretty good – although we’ve had some threatening skies

Tomorrow I hope to be doing some more exploring, so watch this space….

Devon days. Part 7…

15 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Devon, History, Photography, Railways, Ships, Travel

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Devon, hiking, History, Photography, Railways, Ships, Travel

Our last day in Devon saw us breaking up into different camps. Clive had to go off to Northamptonshire for work, so the four of us only had the morning together before he left. Dawn and Ann arranged to enjoy a sunny day at home in the garden but I had something more adventurous planned. As much as we’d enjoyed walking the Tarka trail there was a gap in the route which we hadn’t closed, so I planned to go out and complete the section between Bideford and Instow. Dawn decided to accompany me as far as Bideford in order to get her walk in for the day, only to find the shops she was hoping to browse whilst she was there were all closed. Bideford isn’t exactly a hive of activity on a Sunday, to say the least!

I had better luck as I managed to get shots of the old station and its museum in far better light than on my previous visit, which was a bonus. After that I pounded the tarmac on the Tarka trail all the way to Instow. It was a lovely walk as the trail follows the River Torridge all the way. Plus, the sun was in the right position for me to get shots of many of the old ships that litter the riverside as well as the shipyard at Appledore. This yard’s had a mixed history over the years but seems to have gained a new lease of life. In 2024 it was bought by a Spanish company Navantia. Now it’s building Royal Navy ships again, this time supply ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (link).

Arriving hot and sweaty (but happy) at Instow I had an hour to wait for the tide to come in so that the ferry across the river to Appledore could start running, Admittedly, sitting on a pier watching the world go by whilst the sun beats down upon you is hardly a hardship!

Once across I had another 90 minute walk ahead of me through Appledore and the quaintly named Diddywell before getting home, where the girls were still chilling in the garden. Still, 27,000 steps on a hot day with a camera bag on my back was an achievement!

Here’s a few pictures from the day…

I did say the weather was better in Bideford!

The Tarka trail looking North form Bideford

Built in 1946 and preserved at Bideford, the SS Freshspring is a former RFA ship and the last of her kind.

The Tarka trail on the approach to Instow from the South.

And so ended our last day in Devon. We’d had a fantastic time exploring places neither of us had seen before and others we’d not visited for yonks, none of which would have been possible without the superb hospitality of Ann and Clive. Thank you!

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days. Part 6…

14 Sunday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Devon, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

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Devon, england, History, Photography, Railways, Travel, Walking

With the weather having picked up dramatically day 6 saw us off on another grand tour thanks to Clive, who spent the day driving us around Devon and into Somerset.

Our first port of call was Chelfham, a small village on the route of the old Lynton and Barnstaple railway. The landscape here is dominated by the impressive old viaduct.

Underneath it nestles an old mill and the ‘crafty cafe’ which is run by a community organisation called the growforward project. They serve great breakfasts as well as other food and drink and regularly hold music events, yoga sessions and all manner of community focussed activities.

Whilst the reborn Lynton and Barnstaple railway hasn’t reached here yet the station’s been beautifully restored and is open on a regular basis.

Our next stop was at the railway proper. The current base for the railway is at Woody Bay. The old station building contains a ticket office, cafe and shop with the rest of the site containing the line’s loco depot and carriage shed. It’s all beautifully kept and a real credit to the volunteers. Trains run along the former line as far as Killington Lane which is roughly a mile away. The trip offers some fantastic views of the Devon coastline – and what better way to see it than in some superbly restored railway coaches hauled by a steam locomotive which is a carbon copy of one of the line’s original engines?

No 762 is a modern recreation of one of the original engines used on the Lynton and Barnstaple before its closure in 1935.

One of the beautifully restored old coaches.

I wish the L&B every success with their ambitious plans to extend the line in each direction as it really is a little gem of a railway.

Our next port of call was the coastal town of Lynton, where we took the funicular railway down to Lynmouth. The funicular has the distinction of being the highest and steepest water worked railway in the world. Lynmouth itself is a pretty little harbour with a torrid past. In 1952 the village suffered a terrible flood which killed 34 people and left the place buried in mud. There’s little sign of the event now other than a small museum which tells the story of the tragedy.

Joining the funicular car at Lynmouth for a trip up to Lynton.

When they said the funicular was steep, they weren’t kidding!

Having explored and filled ourselves with ice cream we set off again, this time to Exmoor , where we crossed the border into Somerset. There’s some fantastic views to be had from the moors. You can look across the Bristol channel to South Wales, or along the Somerset coast to spy places like Minehead and Hinkley nuclear power station.

Looking along the coast from Exmoor towards Minehead, with Hinkley nuclear power station in the distance

Having driven back to base the day ended with an evening out at Westward Ho! where we enjoyed a few drinks by the beach before tucking into fish and chips. Well, what else should you eat besides the sea!

Low tide at Westward Ho! with the wind driving the sea onto the rocks.

In the opposite direction, surfers hope to catch a few waves.

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days, part 5…

13 Saturday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Devon, Flora and Fauna, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

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Devon, Flora and Fauna, hiking, History, nature, Photography, Railways, Travel, Walking

The weather here in Devon picked up again on Friday. We still saw mixed skies and the occasional light shower, but sunshine was a constant visitor throughout the day and temperatures were ideal for walking – which is what we did.

Today’s plan was to walk more of the Tarka trail, this time South from Bideford to Torrington, a distance of about 6 miles. Clive had some work to do which left our trio (Dawn, Ann and I) to complete the trek and meet Clive for tea and cake at the other end.

Here’s a few pictures from the walk.

We joined the Tarka trail at Bideford station, where the old signalbox museum was open. Here’s a look inside.

The signalling diagram for Bideford station, showing the old track layout.

The railway bridge over the River Torridge is a great place to stop and watch the wildlife on land and sea.

There’s a short tunnel on the section between Torrington and Bideford which is fun to walk through. It’s well lit, so not too spooky!

Inside the tunnel, showing the mixture of construction techniques.

There’s plenty of wildlife en-route, including butterflies like this.

Torrington is the site of the Tarka Valley Railway. They have a couple of old industrial diesel shunters and an ex- GWR Class 143 ‘Pacer’ DMU. This is a Ruston and Hornsby 0-4-0 built in February 1969 as a 192hp diesel electric shunter. Works number 544998, it was last standard gauge locomotive built by the company. It was delivered new to the Nevils Dock and Railway Company in Llanelli where it continued to work until 1990.

Torrington station contains the Puffing Billy cafe which offers a range of snacks, drinks and meals. The station was once an important freight location, sending two daily trains of milk tankers to London Waterloo station.

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days. Part 4…

12 Friday Jun 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Devon, Food and drink, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

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Food and drink, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

The weather finally let us down on Thursday. The rain stayed with us for most of the day with the skies remaining leaden throughout. We even had sea mist nearer the coast, so the plan for a long walk went out of the window. Instead, Clive drove us all to Hartland Quay, a former harbour near the north-western tip of the Devon coast. It’s famous for its rcky outcrops and rough seas, which we had a small taste of. There’s also a hotel and pub, which we took refuge in to enjoy a hot drink and chips after being battered by the wind. The rock formations here are amazing and well worth seeing.

Our next stop was somewhat more eccentric. The Merry Harriers garden centre, which features something I’ve never encountered before. A Gnome garden! No that wasn’t a typo – it really is a garden full of gnomes – of all different shapes, sizes and poses!

Heading back to base afterwards the rest of the team relaxed whilst I went for another wander into Bideford, where I crossed the river and popped in to the old railway station which is the base of the Bideford railway heritage centre. The group have reinstated a short length of track and have a small Planet diesel locomotive and a brake van which they plan to give rides on.

The old signalbox has been restored, along with a old SR parcels van and a Mk1 coach which is used as a cafe.

The day was rounded off with a visit to a restaurant and bar in nearby Northam. The Crow Bar has only been open for 9 weeks. It’s modern feel and variety of seating makes it an interesting venue. The food is tapas based with the beers locally sourced. The owner has installed their own micro-brewery which isn’t in production at the moment but will be opening just as soon as time permits. We really enjoyed our visit. The food was excellent as was the atmosphere.

A view of the main area and bar which has a mezzanine floor above containing comfy seating.

Cheers,

Paul

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