© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011 The Cumbrian Coast Express was a popular mid-week trip during the summer in the late 70s - early 80s. In the summer of 1979, we spent three days in the area, using Arnside as a base. The CCE ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays, steam hauled from Carnforth to Sellafield and back. On the Wednesdays, the North Yorkshireman ran steam hauled from Grange-over-Sands to Skipton, then back to Carnforth. We would attempt to get a few photos of the steam specials, and would visit some of the other preserved railway attractions in the area. Tues. 31 July: To Ravenglass. 5690 "Leander" was in action on the outbound trip - seen first at Grange, then on Lindal Bank (the only significant, if somewhat short, climb on the route), and finally at Drigg. Here we would have a pub lunch in the hostelry beside the station - its landlord obligingly offering to look after our lunches and pints when 4498 "Sir Nigel Gresley" paused in the station, on his way to work the return trip. We would snap him on Eskmeals viaduct later in the day - in the meantime, the activity at Ravenglass station provided us with plenty of photographic interest. Weds. 1 August: The North Yorkshireman. We spent some time at "Steamtown", which was then open to the public, before heading eastwards to see Sir Nigel Gresley on the special. The weather was poor on the outward trip, and even worse on the return - so their are no photos of the latter... Thurs. 2 August: Furness. We spent some time waiting for Sir Nigel, this time working the outbound trip - but there was no sign of him - clearly running late. So we abandoned our spot and moved a little further down the line, with the result that we missed the train by little more than a minute. No photos of the special, just a passing class 40 on a Barrow train. We spent the rest of the day somewhat more profitably at the southern end of Windermere, on the ex-Furness Railway's branch, preserved as the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. We had hoped to see one of the ex-LMS 2-6-4Ts, but services were being handled by ex-NCB Austerity "Repulse" (Hunslet 3698 of 1950), resplendent in a red (Furness?) livery. Finally, we ended the day, and the trip, beside the viaduct at Arnside, to photograph Leander returning to Carnforth with the special. Links: • Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway • Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway