8th January 2000

Hertfordshire Rail Tours
The Avon Lady
(Merrymaker Series)

Loco Used 66030

Route:
1Z91 : Finsbury Park to Bristol Temple Meads
1Z92 : Bristol Temple Meads to Finsbury Park

Loco Route
66030 Finsbury Park - Goods & Mineral Jn - Camden Road East Jn - Gospel Oak - Willesden Junction HL - Acton Wells Jn - Acton main Line - (via GWML) - Reading - Southcote Jn - Bramley - Basingstoke - Worting Jn - Andover - Salisbury - Warminster - Westbury - Hawkeridge Jn -Bradford Jn - Bath Spa (1) - North Somerset Jn - Bristol Temple Meads
66030 Bristol Temple Meads - (reverse of outward route) - Hawkeridge Jn - Heywood Road Jnh - Bedwyn - Newbury - Southcote Jn - (reverse of outward route) - Finsbury Park

Notes:
(1) Road transfer option was available from Bath to the Avon Valley Railway or passengers could chose to spend time in Bath Spa or Bristol. 80098 was expected to be in use on a five coach formation and passengers could take more than one round trip if they so wished. Photographic evidence confirms 80098 was in use on this date and John Broderick's written notes show 'Army 610 + 80078' on at least one of the trains he travelled on (was this top-n-tail or double-headed?). This photo was taken by John Broderick on the day, showing '80098 at Oldland M.R.' on what appears to be it running round, suggesting locos may have been double-heading. Later it appears one or other loco was hauling hence may have then been top-n-tail?
(2) Confirmation required that 66030 was the only loco used throughout on the mainline.

Sources : John Broderick & Charlie Baldwin

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Broderick)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Finsbury Park 08.42d 08.46   19.25a 19.23½ 273.29
1.57 Goods & Mineral Jn 08/48 ?   19/18 ? 271.52
2.11 Camden Road East Jn 08/56 ?   19/11 ? 271.18
2.28 Camden Road 08/59 08.54 ~ 08.55   19/08 19/08 271.01
3.47 Gospel Oak 09/03 08/58½   19/01 19/04 269.62
7.54 Kensal Green Jn 09/13 ?   18/50 ? 265.55
7.76 Willesden Junction HL 09/15 09/04   18/49 18/51 265.33
8.61 Acton Wells Jn 09/17 09/16   18/47 18/49 264.48
9.33 Acton Main Line 09/23 09/23   18/44 18/45 263.76
10.68 Ealing Broadway 09.27a ~ 09.30d 09.26 ~ 09.30   18.37a ~ 18.38d 18.37½ ~ 18.39 262.41
14.18 Southall 09/35 09/35½   18/29 ? 259.11
16.37 Heathrow Airport Jn 09/37 ?   18/24 ? 256.72
22.52 Dolphin Jn 09/49 ?   ? ? ?
23.48 Slough 09/50 09/50   18/14 18/14½ 249.61
29.31 Maidenhead 10/00 09/55½   18/08 18/09 243.78
36.13 Twyford 10/08 10/01   18/03 18/04 237.16
41.10 Reading 10*16 ~ 10*29 10.12 ~ 10.25   17*49 ~ 17*57 17.52½ ~ 17.58½ 232.19

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
42.74 Southcote Jn 10/37 10/29
52.33 Bramley 10/47 10/39½
56.51 Basingstoke 10/54 10/58½
59.11 Worting Jn 11/00 11/02½
75.09 Andover 11/26 11/25
91.26 Tunnel Jn 11/41 ?
92.33 Salisbury 11c44 ~ 11c48 11/48
94.27 Wilton Jn 11/51 11/51½
112.23 Warminster 12/10 12/09
116.76 Westbury 12/19 12.16 ~ 12.19½
122.20 Bradford Jn 12/29 ?
131.42 Bathampton Jn 12/43 ?
133.58 Bath Spa 12.47a ~ 12.49d 12.53 ~ ??.??
144.37 North Somerset Jn 13/01 ?
145.13 Bristol Temple Meads 13.08a ~ 16.03d ??.?? ~ ??.??
145.69 North Somerset Jn 16/05 ?
156.48 Bath Spa 16.17a ~ 16.20d ??.?? ~ 18.21½
158.64 Bathampton Jn 16/24 ?
168.06 Bradford Jn 16/35 ?
172.65 Hawkeridge Jn 16/42 16/44
173.52 Heywood Road Jn 16/45 16/47
180.11 Lavington 16/51 ?
201.68 Bedwyn 17/09 17/11½
215.11 Newbury 17/24 17/23

Timings continue in first table.

Actual Timings on AVR;

Location Actual John Broderick Notes
Bitton Avon Valley 13.33d Army 610 + 80078 ->
end-of-line 13.38 ~ 13.44  
Bitton Avon Valley 13/47  
Oldland 13.50½a ~ 14.04d 80078 photographed
Bitton Avon Valley 14.08a ~ 14.31d 610 ->
end-of-line 14.36 ~ 14.41 80078 ->
Bitton Avon Valley 14.44½ ~ 14.48  
Oldland 14.52a ~ 15.05d  
Bitton Avon Valley 15.09a  


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