PRACTICE AND PERFORMANCE
Guinness World Record: Longest-running railway series, established in 1901
THIS month’s Practice and Performance features two separate subjects linked by the train recording records of Noel Proudlock, who has been a regular correspondent and frequent contributor, as well as a friend and source of advice over many years.
The first part takes up the story of the Leeds Northern route from Leeds to Newcastle via Harrogate and the closed line through Ripon to Northallerton, where the route met the East Coast Main Line. Following our steam article charting the performance of the ‘Queen of Scots’ over this route (The RM December 2022), interest has been expressed in the achievements of diesel haulage in the few years that Type 4s hauled Newcastle-Liverpool expresses via Ripon. Many readers will have allegiances to one or other of the classes involved, but Noel’s train running logs put some figures on what otherwise have remained mere impressions.
The second part of the article charts the differences that have occurred on the two routes from Skipton to Leeds since Noel had his first tentative, yet impressive, go at train timing in 1948, and his attempt to reprise that journey under the changed circumstances of 2023. Yes, there had been many major improvements, but his 1948 experiences had not been totally eclipsed.
Leeds Northern diesels
The English Electric Type 4s were a target for abuse when they superseded steam on the Newcastle to Liverpool expresses. They subsequently developed a following of their own, although the ensuing Class 46s final ‘Peak’ products – arguably less charismatic, but
