26th April 2008

Pathfinder Tours
The
Grays Church Elegy

Locos Used 37401 & 37417
Stock Used 5350+4902+5040+5009+1863+3098+3125+3110+21272+6310

Route:
1Z37 : Crewe to London Fenchurch Street
1Z38 : Fenchurch Street to Thames Haven T.C.
1Z39 : Thames Haven T.C. to Crewe

Loco(s) Route
37401 + 37417 Crewe - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Sandwell & Dudley - Soho South Jn - Birmingham New Street - Water Orton - Tamworth High Level - Burton-on-Trent - Stenson Jn - Sheet Stores Jn - Loughborough - Syston North Jn - Syston East Jn - Manton Jn - Peterborough - March - Ely - Cambridge - Bishops Stortford - Cheshunt - Seven Sisters - South Tottenham - Tottenham South Jn - Coppermill Jn - Temple Mills West Jn - Temple Mills Loop
37401 (1) Temple Mills Loop - Ruckholt Road Jn - Temple Mills East Jn - High Meads Jn - Channelsea Jn - Carpenters Road South Jn - Bow Jn - Gas Factory Jn - London Fenchurch Street
37417 (2) London Fenchurch Street - Gas Factory Jn - Barking - Purfleet - Grays - Tilbury Town - Thames Haven Jn - Thames Haven T.C.
37417 + 37401 Thames Haven T.C. - (reverse of outward route) - Barking - Forest Gate Jn - Stratford - Channelsea Jn - Lea Jn - Dalston Kingsland - Canonbury West Jn - Finsbury Park - Alexandra Palace - Gorden Hill - Hertford North - Stevenage - Huntingdon - Peterborough - (reverse of outward route) - Crewe

Notes :
(1) 37417 on rear.
(2) 37401 on rear.
(3) Gordon Jakes comments:
The Grays Church Elergy provided a very successful day out and credit is due to those who made it possible. There were a large number of lines and sections of lines traversed which are seldom if ever available under normal working. Some very difficult movements were achieved with (apparently) little problem viz the crossing of all the main running lines west of Stratford station in order to access the link line to Fenchurch St. Whilst the outward journey provided little of note performance wise, apart from being actually achieved, the return journey showed the capabilities of the elderly class 37s. Despite the late start from Thames Haven and the time lost due to a failed train south of Stevenage the locomotives and train crew put up an excellent performance and continued to chip away at the delay (despite tight timings) until Stafford was actually reached exactly at booked time.

Sources : Pathfinder Tours & Gordon Jakes (joined / left the train at Stafford)

Photo Review


37417 & 37401 pull into Stafford on the outward leg (photo: Gordon Jakes)


The tour passes Manton Jn heading for Peterborough (photo: Andy Hoare)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Pathfinder Tours, Gordon Jakes, Angus Thomson & Matthew Cole)

M.C
Location
Booked
Actual
 
Booked
Actual
M.C
0.00
Crewe
06.00d
06.00
 
22.59a
22.55 [P11]
273.01
1.64
Basford Hall Jn
06/04
?
 
22/56
22/51
271.17
8.06
Madeley
06/09
?
 
22/48
22/46½
264.75
19.08
Norton Bridge
06/20
?
 
22/39
22/38
253.73
24.37
Stafford
06.26a ~ 06.33d
06.26 ~ 06.33 [P4]
 
22.30a ~ 22.32d
22.30 ~ 22.32 [P5] [DF]
248.44
38.14
Bushbury Jn
06/49
06/49
 
22/12
22/17½
234.67
39.68
Wolverhampton
07.04a ~ 07.08d
07.06 ~ 07.09 [P2]
 
22.04a ~ 22.06d
22.13 ~ 22.14½ [P1]
233.13
45.28
Dudley Port
07/17
07/16
 
21/56
22/06
227.53
47.24
Sandwell & Dudley
07.21a ~ 07.23d
07.20 ~ 07.23
 
21.51a ~ 21.53d
22.01 ~ 22.03
225.57
48.73
Galton Jn
07/26
07/26
 
21/48
21/59
224.08
50.51
Soho South Jn
07/28
07/28
 
21/45
21/57
222.30
52.52
Birmingham New Street
07.34a ~ 07.40d
07.33 ~ 07.40 [P1]
 
21.35a ~ 21.40d
21.48 ~ 21.52 [P11]
220.29
53.26
Proof House Jn
07/43
07/43
 
21/32
21/44
219.55
54.17
Landor Street Jn
07/48
07/45
 
21/30
21/42
218.64
60.23
Water Orton
07/54
07/52
 
21/23
21/35 [DS]
212.58
61.60
Coleshill Parkway
07.58a ~ 08.00d
07.56 ~ 08.00
 
21.13a ~ 21.16d
21.30½ ~ 21.32
211.21
63.08
Whitacre Jn
08/03
08/03
 
21/09
21/27½
209.73
65.38
Kingsbury Jn
08/18
08/23
 
21/05
21/23
207.43
71.19
Tamworth High Level
08/24
08/30
 
21/00
21/18
201.62
78.47
Wichnor Jn
08/30
08/35½
 
20/53
21/12
194.34
84.10
Burton-on-Trent
08.37a ~ 08.39d
08.42 ~ 08.43½
 
20.44a ~ 20.46d
21.05 ~ 21.06½
188.71
90.27
Stenson Jn
08/49
08/51½
 
20/36
20/58
182.54
102.61
Sheet Stores Jn
09/07
09/08½
 
20/16
20/40½
170.20
103.23
Trent South Jn
09/08
09/09½ [UF]
 
20/12
20/39
169.58
110.73
Loughborough
09.20a ~ 09.22d
09.19 ~ 09.22 [P2]
 
20.02a ~ 20.04d
20.29 ~ 20.30½ [P1] [DS]
162.08

?

Sileby Jn ? 09/48½ [DF-DS]   ? 20/23½ [DS-DF]

?

118.14
Syston North Jn
09/36
09/33½
 
19/54
20/19 [DS]
154.67
118.31
Syston East Jn
09/37
09/35½
 
19/53
20/17
154.50
128.13
Melton Mowbray
09/47
09/45½
 
19/45
20/07
144.68
143.12
Manton Jn
10/01
09/59
 
19/31
19/54
129.69
153.23
Stamford
10/15
10/08
 
19/20
19/45
119.58
160.03
Helpston Jn
10/23
10/14
 
19/12
19/37½
112.78
165.45
Peterborough
10.31a ~ 10.34d
10.25 ~ 10.34 [P4]
 
18.45a ~ 19.00d
19.29½ ~ 19.31½ [P5]
107.36

 

M.C
Location
Booked
Actual
171.54
Whittlesea
10/45
10/41
180.39
March
10/55
10/50
194.43
Ely North Jn
11/12
11/04
196.05
Ely
11/15
11/07 [P2]
210.63
Cambridge
11/35
11.27 ~ 11.35 [TL]
213.32
Shepreth Branch Jn
11/40
11/39
224.60
Audley End
11/53
11/52
233.07
Stansted Mountfitchet
12/11
12/12
236.08
Bishops Stortford
12/16
12/16½
243.56
Harlow Town
12*27 ~ 12*33
12.28 ~ 12.33½ [UPL]
247.80
Broxbourne Jn
12/40
12/41
252.34
Cheshunt
12/45
12/47
257.52
Bury Street Jn
12/52
12/53½
261.24
Seven Sisters
12.59a ~ 13.01d
13.01 ~ 13.03
261.47
South Tottenham
13/03
13/05
262.13
Tottenham South Jn
13/10
13.07 ~ 13.10½
262.60
Coppermill Jn
13/12
13/14
264.57
0.00
Temple Mills Loop
13.19 ~ 13.46
13.19 ~ 13.45
0.52
Temple Mills East Jn
13/49
13/49½
1.31
Channelsea Jn
13/55
13/53
1.58
Carpenters Road South Jn
13/58
13.57 ~ 13.58
2.40
Bow Jn
14/02
14/00
3.22
Gas Factory Jn
14/06
14.03 ~ 14.05
5.79
0.00
London Fenchurch Street
14.15a ~ 14.53d
14.18 ~ 14.58½ [P1]
2.57
Gas Factory Jn
15/01
15/09
7.42
Barking
15/11
15/18 [P7]
10.45
Dagenham Dock
15/15
15/22½
16.02
Purfleet
15/23
15/31
19.70
Grays
15/28
15/37
21.48
Tilbury Town
15/30
15/39
26.41
Thames Haven Jn
15/38
15/49
30.18
0.00
Thames Haven T.C.
15.48 ~ 16.13
16.05½ ~ 16.25½
3.57
Thames Haven Jn
16/23
16/40
8.50
Tilbury Town
16/31
16/48½
10.28
Grays
16/34
16/52
14.16
Purfleet
16/40
16/57
19.49
Dagenham Dock
16/48
17/06
22.56
Barking
16/52
17/11 [P8]
24.61
Forest Gate Jn
16/57
17/17 [UE-UM]
26.41
Stratford
16/59
17/22½ [P10]
27.04
Channelsea Jn
17/02
17/24½
29.71
Dalston Jn
17/09
17/32
30.71
Canonbury West Jn
17/12
17/33½
32.13
Finsbury Park
17.17a ~ 17.21d
17.38 ~ 17.40 [P6]
34.50
Alexandra Palace
17/27
17/46
49.20
Hertford North
17/45
18/10
57.68
Langley Jn
17/54
18/36 [DS]
58.52
Stevenage
17/56
18/37 [P4]
63.01
Hitchin
18/00
18/41 [P2]
75.17
Sandy
18/12
18/51 [DS]
89.77
Huntingdon
18/25
19/03 [DS]
100.19
Holme Jn
18/34
19/20 [DM]

Timings continue in first table.

Back to "The Railtour Files"