9th October 2004

Pathfinder Tours
The Cumbrian Mountain Express

Locos Used 33103, 33202 & steam: 71000
Stock Used (2) 21272+1692+3149+3147+3112+3122+3140+3107+3098+1863+4927+4902+5275

Route:
1Z71 : Cardiff Central to Carlisle
1Z72 : Carlisle to Cardiff Central

Loco(s) Route
33103 + 33202 Cardiff Central - Newport - Severn Tunnel Junction - Patchway - Bristol Parkway - Westerleigh Jn - Yate - Gloucester Yard Jn - Cheltenham Spa - Abbotswood Jn - Worcester Shrub Hill - Droitwich Spa - Kidderminster - Stourbridge Junction - Galton Jn - Birmingham New Street - Aston - Perry Barr North Jn - Bescot Stadium - Bushbury Jn - Stafford - Norton Bridge - Crewe
71000 Crewe - (via WCML) - Farington Jn - Lostock Hall Jn - Blackburn - Clitheroe - Helifeld - (via S&C) - Carlisle
33202 + 33103 Carlisle - (via WCML) - Preston (1) - Wigan North Western - Golbourne Jn - Parkside Jn - Eccles - (1) Ordsall Lane Jn - Manchester Piccadilly - Slade Green Jn - Heald Green - Wilmslow - Sandbach - Crewe - (reverse of outward route) - Cardiff Central

Notes :
(1) Booked route was Preston - Euxton Jn - Lostock Jn - Bolton - Salford Crescent - Ordsall Lane Jn but revised due to reasons unconfirmed (a possible fatality on the booked route?).
(2) 21272 was replaced by 71000's support coach (identity required) when 71000 was on the train due to a train length restriction over the S&C for 71000 of 13 carriages.


71000 at Carlisle (photo: Duncan Jennings)


33202 leading 33103 at Preston (photo: Duncan Jennings)

Sources : various including Duncan Jennings

Tour Review
(by Giddy Aunt)

This was advertised as a steam excursion. However, the steam loco only did Crewe - Carlisle via S & C while the train started and finished at Cardiff! Originally, 45112 was to do the Cardiff - Crewe and Carlisle - Cardiff sections but this was unavailable at short notice because of an engine defect. Fragonset rustled up 33103 & 33202 fresh from exam at Derby to take the Peak’s place.

A few of the ‘Peak Army’ had booked on this tour and were happy to sell their Diesel only tickets to any of the ‘Crompton Road show’. With deals duly done, it was the usual railtour early Saturday start. Alarm at 0130, get in car drive to Cardiff, park, pay machine, walk to platform where Pathfinder stewards have congregated and its still only 0330, Nice!

The ECS from Old Oak had been delayed by the empties for Pathfinder’s other tour; Logs from Sheffield to Alton, being put into Kensal Wash Sidings far too early, and blocking the 33s train in the depot. Anyway, the empties arrived at 0405 and the locos ran round fairly promptly. Departing about 25 late.

Then followed the usual pick ups to Worcester where the tour was unusually routed via Kidderminster instead of the Lickey. Apparently Network Rail were digging up vast swathes of their tracks that weekend.

After a crew change at New Street it was onwards to Stafford via the booked route. As we rolled into Stafford some old fossil waiting to join said, "Get rid of these smelly paraffin cans!". He was well and truly put in his place. There had not been much opportunity to make up time so arrival at Crewe was a little late. Here, things get complicated; part of the diesel only deal was the fact that we had to make our own way from Crewe to Carlisle because coach A had been allocated to kettle-heads joining at Crewe, and stand(!) from Carlisle to Crewe on the return.

Not only that, while the kitchen car was being watered, the rear brake vehicle was removed by the Cromptons, which then disappeared into LNWR for fuel. Apparently, Duke of Gloucester brought along TWO support coaches and 14 coaches was thought to be too much. Lightweight!

We watched the 33s take their coach north and waited around while some 37 cranks got very excited about HNRCs 37087 & 37194 being lined up to work 2Z26 1157 Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe which had been upgraded from a 5Z.

Now came the tricky bit, how to get from Crewe to Carlisle without being chung by Richard Turpin’s organisation. 390blahblahblah rolled in and we made ourselves look asleep and managed to avoid being gripped. Just! This was the first time I had been unlucky enough to travel on a Pendolino - they are very plastic!

Lunch in ‘The Woodrow Wilson’, Carlisle’s original Wetherspoons, then back to Citadel to find that 71000 had managed to get there. I had a bit of fun with the kettle heads, asking why the train was so cold, had they been sticking their heads out of the windows? There were some grumbles about the lack of heat, so I pointed out that they could have had the 33s throughout and had the benefit of Electric Train Heating.

Coach A was on the rear, and although we did not have allocated seats until Crewe, there were sufficient spare ones. Those passengers who were doing the entire tour had two breaks off the train; 32 minutes at Carlisle while the locos were changed, and 28 at Preston while the stock was watered. Great!

There was a rateable diversion from the booked route, instead of going via Bolton to Man. Pic., the route taken was; WCML, Golborne Jn, Parkside Jn, Patricroft, Ordsall Lane Jn then back on the booked route.

Picture the scene, Manchester Piccadilly through platforms, quarter to 6 Saturday evening, platforms full of shoppers and day trippers returning home. The driver kept the train rolling slowly through the station to stop anyone trying to board, then a signal cleared and the shoppers were treated to the sound of 2 Cromptons at full power! One lady put her fingers in her ears!

There was another diversion after plastic central Longsight, left at Slade Lane Jn via Styal then back on the booked route at Wilmslow. From then on progress was quite rapid, with quite a few 87s being viewed on service trains.

The return was then as the outward route, with the onset of darkness it was time for sleep. Basically on and off until Newport where we saw 37402 haul dead 67016 and its train off to Canton. Something went on there then!

Arrival back at Cardiff was about 5 early, then time to drive home.

Verdict:- I only found out about the 33s doing the important bits the day before the tour, fortunately I had the day free. A fine day out with the Cromptons in fine form on a proper train. All credit to Chris at Pathfinder for offering pay on the day fares for diesel only sections.

Giddy Aunt

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(booked courtesy of Pathfinder Tours)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Cardiff Central 04.00d 04.36   22.53a 22.49 334.16
6.50 Marshfield 04/09 04/46   22/40 22/41 327.46
11.60 Newport 04.15a ~ 04.17d 04.51 ~ 04.55   22.32a ~ 22.34d 22.30 ~ 22.34 322.36
21.49 Severn Tunnel Junction 04/27 05/04   22/22 22/14 312.47
28.45 Pilning 04/33 05/11   22/15 22/08 305.51
32.11 Patchway 04/38 05/14   22/10 22/05 302.05
33.33 Bristol Parkway 04.40a ~ 04.42d 05.17 ~ 05.19   22.04a ~ 22.07d 21.54 ~ 22.03 300.63
(306.40)
38.03 Westerleigh Jn 04/49 05/25   21/56 21/45 296.13
46.16 Charfield 04/58 05/35   21/39 21/41 288.00
59.41 Standish Jn 05/09 05/43   21/27 21/31 274.55
65.51 Gloucester Yard Jn 05/15 ?   21/21 ? 268.45
66.38 Barnwood Jn 05/16 05/49   21/16 21/24 267.58
72.01 Cheltenham Spa 05.23a ~ 05.25d 05.55 ~ 05.58   21.06a ~ 21.09d 21.15 ~ 21.18 262.15
(267.72)
79.12 Ashchurch 05/34 06/06   20/56 21/08 255.04
89.79 Abbotswood Jn 05/43 06/14   20/47 20/57 244.17
90.61 Norton Jn 05/45 ?   20/45 ? 243.35
93.66 Worcester Shrub Hill 05.51a ~ 05.54d 06.36 ~ 06.39   20.39a ~ 20.41d 20.49 ~ 20.54 240.30
(246.07)
99.45 Droitwich Spa 06/05 06/50   20/29 20/42 234.51
109.01 Kidderminster 06/13 07/00   20/20 20/29 225.15
115.60 Stourbridge Jn 06/27 07/10   20/09 20/22 218.36
120.78 Rowley Regis 06/38 07/22   19/54 20/13 213.18
124.04 Galton Jn 06/53 07/29   19/48 20/08 210.12
125.62 Soho South Jn 06/57 07/31   19/46 20/04 208.34
127.63 Birmingham New Street 07.01a ~ 07.26d 07.36 ~ 07.39   19.35a ~ 19.41d 19.56 ~ 19.59 206.33
(212.10)
130.39 Aston 07/34 07/49   19/29 19/46 203.57
132.61 Perry Barr North Jn 07/38 07/51   19/24 19/43 201.35
137.38 Bescot Stadium 07/43 07/56   19/20 19/38 196.78
141.35 Portobello Jn 07/49 07/58   19/16 19/34 192.61
144.03 Bushbury Jn 07/52 08/06   19/10 19/29 190.13
157.60 Stafford 08.02a ~ 08.04d 08.20 ~ 08.22   18.55a ~ 18.57d 19.10 ~ 19.13 176.36
(182.13)
163.09 Norton Bridge 08/10 08/29   18/51 19/01 171.07
174.11 Madeley Jn 08/17 08/38   18/42 18/51 160.05
180.33 Basford Hall Jn 08/24 08/44   18/37 18/45 153.63
182.17
0.00
Crewe 08L28a ~ 09L05d 08.47 ~ 09.32   18.28a ~ 18.31d 18.34 ~ 18.42 151.79
(157.56)

    

M.C/ Location Booked Actual
0.58 Crewe Coal Yard SB 09/09 ?
8.66 Winsford SB 09/18 09/45
17.20 Weaver Jn 09/26 09/53
22.24 Acton Grange Jn 09/32 09/56
24.11 Warrington Bank Quay 09/34 09/59
27.47 Winwick Jn 09/41 10/02
35.71 Wigan North Western 09/56 10/12
43.42 Balshaw Lane 10/04 10/20
45.45 Euxton Jn 10/06 10/22
48.21 Farington Jn 10/14 ?
49.18 Lostock Hall Jn 10/24 10/24
56.26 Cherry Tree Jn 10w36a ~ 10w51d ?
58.18 Blackburn 10*55a ~ 11*11d 11.19 ~ 11.20
58.65 Daisyfield Jn 11/16 ?
69.16 Clitheroe 11/36 11/45
69.36 Horrocksford Jn 11/38 ?
82.44 Hellifield 11/59 12/14
83.70 Long Preston 12w02a ~ 12w27d ?
85.69 Settle Jn 12/30 ?
98.49 Ribblehead 12/45 ?
99.68 Blea Moor 12/48 ?
108.04 Garsdale 13/03 ?
117.69 Kirkby Stephen 13/18 13/33
128.51 Appleby 13/31 ?
133.31 Kirby Thore SB 13/39 ?
136.04 Culgaith 13/43 ?
151.04 Low House SB 14/02 ?
158.41 Petteril Bridge Jn 14/15 14/19
159.33
0.00
Carlisle 14L19a ~ 14L51d 14.21 ~ 15.14
17.69 Penrith 15/12 15/34
37.32 Tebay 15/30 15/52
50.01 Oxenholme 15/40 16/01
63.01 Carnforth North Jn 15/49 16/13
67.17 Morecambe South Jn 15/52 16/15
69.09 Lancaster 15/54 16/17
90.07 Preston 16*14a ~ 16*42d 16.36 ~ 17.01
95.43 Euxton Jn 16/50 17/07
98.57 Chorley 16/56 DIV
107.34 Lostock Jn 17/15 DIV
110.23 Bolton 17/21 DIV
119.12 Salford Crescent 17/33 DIV
(95.43) Euxton Jn DIV (16/50) 17/07
? Balshaw Lane Jn DIV (16/52) 17/09
(105.17) Wigan North Western DIV (16/58) 17/15
? Wigan South Jn DIV (16/59) ?
? Springs Branch Jn DIV (16/59) 17/17
(111.11) Golborne Jn DIV (17/04) 17/22
(111.69) Parkside Jn DIV (17/07) ?
? Astley DIV (17/14) 17/32
(122.72) Eccles DIV (17/20) 17/37
119.74
(125.51)
Ordsall Lane Jn 17/40 (17/32) 17/41
120.74 Manchester Oxford Road 17/43 17/48
121.37 Manchester Piccadilly 17/47 17/54
123.62 Slade Lane Jn 17/53 17/59
129.69 Heald Green 17/59 18/06
133.14 Wilmslow 18/03 18/12
147.29 Sandbach 18/15 18/27
151.03 Sydney Bridge 18/20 18/31

Timings continue in first table.

Bracketed Booked Timings are "re-timings". Bracketed mileages are as
re-calculated by Duncan Jennings (5m 57ch added on due to the diversion).

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