This is part 1 of a ‘Neville Grove’ celebration of an iconic railway location. On 17th December 1846 – one hundred and seventy-five years ago - the most challenging railway line yet built in Britain was formally opened, the Lancaster to Carlisle. Between those two cities lay the Cumbrian mountains – so formidable a barrier that George Stephenson said it would be easier to go all the way round the coast. Others proposed a long tunnel from Longsleddale north of Kendal into the Haweswater valley – a daunting proposition at the time.

Instead, 175 years ago, the engineers made the bold decision to take the line up the valley of the river Lune before climbing to the heights of the fells around Shap, where the name of a tiny village was destined to enter railway folklore.

Yes, the famous Lickey Incline might be steeper. Other summits may be higher, but the five miles at 1-75 from Tebay to Shap summit, on Britain’s busiest main line, the "Premier Line", must surely be the greatest challenge for steam locomotives in the history of our railways. And what a setting! From the water troughs deep in the Lune Gorge valley at Dillicar, and on past Tebay at the foot of the gradient, a great panorama unfolds as the line climbs past the iconic signal box at Scout Green with its wonky chimney, and up to the summit itself. It’s a worthy stage for testing some of Britain’s great loco designs, pulling ever-bigger trains, among some of the wildest countryside in England.

To mark the anniversary, “Neville Grove” has undergone a transformation – honouring just some of those iconic locations, including Carnforth, later the location for ‘Brief Encounter”. For me, Shap is deeply personal. Grandpa took me as a boy to Scout Green to watch AC electrics and fired a love of the real railway that’s stayed with me ever since. My dad came to these hills and stayed in his tent at Greenholme as a young man when still in the Royal Navy, armed with a cine camera capturing the last steam locos to take on Shap in 1967.

I’m delighted to present an array of beautiful models as guest stars – and privileged to be able to showcase the stunning new LNWR Precedent “Lucknow”- a winning joint venture from Rails of Sheffield and Bachmann – seen here in its first big layout film and on its prototype home stomping ground with London North Western Railway bogie coaches behind the drawbar.

PART 1: LNWR LEGENDS

For over 70 years it was the locomotives of the London & North Western Railway – the so-called “Premier Line” – that had to tackle Shap. And one of Crewe’s most famous designs was the 2-4-0 Precent – a tiny loco packed with power and speed. Rails of Sheffield have produced a beautiful model of the class, in its handsome livery of “Blackberry Black” Even when the Precedents ceased to haul expresses themselves, they were called in to pilot their successors up the bank from Tebay, even well into LMS days. Joining this loco we have a lovely selection of vintage models representing LNWR greats: the George V class, a “Claughton”, and a “Precursor” tank.

The George V’s were one of the most successful Edwardian 4-6-0s. This model is “Coronation”, outshopped from Crewe in 1911 to mark the crowning of King George, and the 5,000th loco to emerge from the famous works. It was given a special finish of polished wheels and motion, and copper framed lining on the boiler.

Often ‘Coronation’ would be piloted by a “Precursor”, another successful design, later produced in a tank engine version, as here. Well into LMS days, the Precursor tanks would swap ends and take on banking duties.

The handsome but perhaps less successful ‘Claughton’ class appears with “Sir Ralph Brocklebank” and we have some sturdy LNWR goods engines to add to the roster.

PART 2: LMS GLAMOUR

A host of magnificent Pacifics will lead the party – all of which were designed to take on Shap unaided – and surely there was no better place to see and hear them at their awesome best. Freight locos also had to haul their loads up this challenging line, some serving the quarries at the summit itself.
We'll even recreate the extraordinary moment in 1926 when a GWR Castle stole the show at Shap. Worried that it’s ex Midland, LNWR and L&Y locos were struggling with longer loads, the LMS asked to borrow a Castle from Swindon. Its performance was so impressive that the team at Crewe were convinced the dynamometer car was broken! On reflection they realised a new loco design was needed and, within little more than a year, the hills around Shap echoed to the distinctive three-cylinder bark of the Royal Scots. So, something for GWR fans to savour too.

PART 3: BR END OF DAYS

The years roll by, but Shap remains, and part three will celebrate the last BR steam engines taking up the challenge, before handing over to the diesels, and for me it’s a chance to maximise the weathering as the locos become increasingly run down and grubby.

Many thanks for tuning in, I hope you enjoy the video!