In these unusual times it was reassuring for my alarm to go off so early and actually have a trip to go on, so it was off to Scunthorpe I headed. The drive across the Pennines was uneventful, a bit damp, but leaving the motorway the temperature dropped on cue to the lowest of the day 3oC! [Your Editor's drive was eventful, with a phone call as he was passing Long Eaton on the M1 from a participant who had just missed his train at ........ Long Eaton station by one minute. He was in luck as within 12 minutes he had been picked up, slightly surprised but very grateful. TPE was running an all day hourly Doncaster bay P7 to Cleethorpes shuttle. Having explained to the TPE Conductor, when he checked tickets, why some of us were standing at the far buffer stop end of his lightly loaded train, he then insisted that we sat in (empty) First Class after!]

Arriving with, as ever, little time to spare, our train was already in the Frodingham platform led by the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society's (AFRPS) old stalwart No1 (YE2877/1963) with four brakevans - how many different formations can you make from this combination? I was allocated rear end balcony of Van 'B' which was No7606 in the centre of the train. I count where the train is, not where I am (probably in a minority with this), so was more than happy. With the 60 participants being allocated spaces in advance, this led to a much more relaxed boarding rather than the normal scrum.

[On our website 'Archive', set the left box to 'fixture' and the right one to 'Scunthorpe' to see a marked up map which can be magnified.] Leaving at 09.32 we turned left then left again to head up Basic Hill with its good view of the Heavy Repair Bay (south) Yard to go as far as we could along CEW Dock, four wagons took up the remainder of the track. That completed, our tour returned to Points 503, past the AFRPS shed to the single track junction at Dawes Lane where all lines on the western side meet. Then we went into the windswept Redbourn semi-finished steel stockyard, where once my hat blew off. The sidings seemed full of wagons but no hats were seen; 'B1' and the recently extended 'B2' lines were clear, so the buffer stops were tested. With a dash back to Frodingham platform to collect a late arrival, our tour completed the track there to the buffer stop and also ran through the rounding loop.

The weather now turned a bit grim (even by Scunthorpe standards); with driving rain I was glad of my waterproof coat. I always want to be on the balcony for the full Scunthorpe experience but those of us on the balcony did look enviously into the snug interior as Neil and Archie Lewis got the stove hotter than ever before. If you thought there were four blast furnaces here, this day that stove was glowing so red hot it seemed they were trying to create a fifth. The balcony was certainly well ventilated! Some warmth made its way out to us hardier members as we ran to Points 556 (all marked on the plan) before reversing and carrying out a thorough exploration of the Heavy Repair Bay (north) sidings. Roads 3, 4 & 5 were covered as far as possible; our ever busy member Alan Sheppard (also an AFRPS member/shunter) removed various obstructions but a fork lift truck in Road 2 beat even him.

That completed, we planned to run to Dawes Lane but it was a weekend and 'essential improvement work' was being undertaken, stopping our progress as some disused points to the former Plate Mill were being plain lined in front of us. No exotic railtour replacement bus appeared sadly/happily (delete in your copy as required), so it was back again past the AFRPS shed to the Rail Service Centre. The sidings were full of wagons, we can of course only go where the lines are clear, it's safe and agreed for us to go. This was just into 2 Bay East, weaving out through Siding 7 and back down the slope giving a good view of the track workers below. We were held while Norwegian locos 8702 and 8703 passed; these big machines seem to work most trains now (except ours!). Next, we headed off past the line of stored locos to the High Lines, always popular on our tours; they tower above the blast furnace area. This is a fascinating area that you forget is all manmade. These lines have their own fleet of elusive engines which can be glimpsed scuttling around; we made it just beyond the junction at the top, perhaps a tad further than I'd been before. Not much chance of ever going any further though! High level Loco No1 sat just beyond us, unfortunately not to be on the day bonus haulage.

We then had a good run to Anchor Exchange Sidings where Road 5 was clear and visited up to the NR boundary (any further and we would be on Scunthorpe panel). The tour continued past Brick Shed Jn on the Up perimeter line (the inner one) under the Foreign Ore Branch where 66127 busied itself and tippler wagons were tippling iron ore. Pleasingly, the tour ran to the appropriately named Muck Bank (clipped OOU during previous tours in recent years) with its lunar landscape. Line requests are taken in advance and I had submitted one for this line. All new to me despite being a Scunthorpe regular, as ever a totally unfamiliar discovery was made. At its loop we took the outer line, the inner being full of very elderly looking deformed wagons. [If you said that about a person, you'd be in trouble...] The track seemed to end but soon the operations team mucked out the Muck Bank and on we carried as far as possible. Very good! Gingerly the tour ran back for the obligatory exploration of the extensive and busy Mills Exchange Sidings. Dead end Roads 5 and 6 were completed, 7 had some wagons in, we then ran through Road 9 before two reversals allowed us to visit the headshunt from Points 482. It was once a through line, which a few of us had done, alongside Billet Mill Approach Rd (tarmacked).

Much drier now, a fast run was made round the outer perimeter (essential for our Scunthorpe virgins), dodging various monster trucks, then through the South Melting Shop running road/loop to Appleby platform for lunch at 13.30. Not all the train could be accommodated there at once; I had to wait until it had shunted up before alighting so was one of the last to be served. Thankfully beef and onion sandwiches were still available! Also with a fine slice of cake and a tea, the Mk1 'buffet' coach being full, I returned to the snug interior of my brakevan for lunch and a warm. A hardy few ate al fresco if such a phrase applies here. [There is no such thing as cold weather, only inadequate clothing - Kev Adlam.] Lunch is included in the tour but for a very reasonable £1 a sausage roll could be had as well.

Just under an hour later with PNBs complete, we started the afternoon session. Major remodelling is being undertaken in the southern area around the BOS Yard ('BOS' is Basic Oxygen Steel Making) so we proceeded down Plate Pit Hill through the Mill Shop running road to the end of Road 4. Reversing, we then took the new line next to the Former Soakers building to what used to be the P'way Yard into the loop between Points 322 and 323 where our train attached to wagons 2218, 2216 and 2220 which were propelled as far as possible. This was new track for everyone on board, including all the AFRPS members and driver. Hopefully by our Sun 28 Aug tour (see item 835), work will be complete and we can thoroughly grice the extensive new layout here. Having earlier been blocked by locos seemingly all hiding to avoid work on a Saturday afternoon, Thomas the Tank Engine style, the relatively new link to the Medium Section Mill Furnace Road was visited via its loop line. Heading back via the alternative old line (Points 319 to 310), our final exploration was to the not often visited Scrap Bays. Piles of scrap everywhere for recycling! We passed through the Scrap Loop (fortunately it had not been scrapped as well) to East Bank end of line. Again track clearing was needed, otherwise you'd never know it was there, finally Dead End road was visited (we did escape alive). With fading light track watching and spotting is harder, but it's wonderful at dusk here with colour, steam and flames everywhere, we made our way back past Northants Bridge to Frodingham Platform on time at 16.30. The day's fun was over and as ever I scored some new track and spotted some more wagons. Where were they hiding over the years? A visit to this uniquely accessible and heavy industrialised site is always recommended.

Time to say our grateful thanks, although the winter tours are shorter, we had extensive coverage as the marked up plan shows and were pleased to donate £2,500 to the ARPS. Thanks to everyone involved in the organisation and execution of this excellent day out. There are 24 different ways to marshal four brake vans unless you know otherwise. [Mathematically 4x3x2x1.]

Frodingham platform showing our headboard and Alan Sheppard.
[© Kev Adlam 2022]

The CEW Dock line - clearer than normal.
[© Ian Mortimer 2022]

The new fifth mini-blast furnace was commissioned at Scunthorpe during our tour. Chief Stokers Neil & Archie Lewis got the stove hotter than they had ever done before (the AFRPS guy doing commentary was amazed and said he had never seen one so hot). It was so hot in Van 'B' that even with both end doors open to let in cold fresh air, they were all just in shirts and still had sweat on their foreheads - the wooden interior literally made it look and feel like a sauna. When the door to the stove was opened, as in the photo, the heat was so intense you couldn't stay near it for more than a few seconds. There were comments from those on the cold balconies that they were enjoying the heat coming through the open doors and some were leaning against the wall of the brake van as it felt warm from the outside!
[© Mark Haggas 2022]

Another 'highlight' - the High Lines, the limit reached looking towards end of line - you always get one - in this case it was the Editor.
[© Ian Mortimer 2022]

On the Muck Bank loop passing those decrepit, deformed wagons as iron ore from Immingham arrives on the Foreign Ore Branch.
[© Ian Mortimer 2022]

The 24 different ways of arranging 4 brakevans. - Part 1
[© Mark Haggas 2022]

The 24 different ways of arranging 4 brakevans. - Part 2
[© Mark Haggas 2022]