5th June 2010

Pathfinder Tours
The Powys Chugger

Locos Used 37423 'Spirit of the Lakes', 37607, 59202 'Vale of White Horse' & 92017 'Bart The Engine'
Stock Used 21245+3141+3147+3121+1699+1863+4998+5292+5322+5276

Route :
1Z59 : Bristol Temple Meads to Newtown
1Z97 : Newtown to Bristol Temple Meads

Loco(s) Route
59202 Bristol Temple Meads - North Somerset Jn - Bath Spa - Bathampton Jn - Thingley East Jn - Chippenham - Wootton Bassett Jn - Swindon - Foxhall Jn - Didcot North Jn - Oxford - Aynho Jn - Banbury - Leamington Spa - Kenilworth - Coventry - Birmingham International
92017 Birmingham International - Stechford - Aston - Perry Barr North Jn - Newton Jn - Bescot Down Side - Bescot Jn - Darlaston Jn - Portobello Jn - Bushbury Jn - Stafford - Norton Bridge - Madeley - Basford Hall Jn - Crewe Sorting Sidings North
37423 + 37607 Crewe Sorting Sidings North - Gresty Lane Jn - Nantwich - Shrewsbury - Sutton Bridge Jn - Welshpool - Newtown
37607 + 37423 Newtown - Welshpool - Sutton Bridge Jn - Abbey Foregate Jn - Cosford - Wolverhampton - Portobello Jn - Darlaston Jn - Bescot Stadium - Bescot U&DGL
59202 Bescot U&DGL - Bescot Jn - Pleck Jn - Walsall - Ryecroft Jn - Park Lane Jn - Water Orton - Nuneaton - Bedworth - Coventry - (reverse of outward route) - Bristol Temple Meads

Notes :
(1) There was an off-train option to visit the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway - by road coach from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinon and from Raven Square back to Welshpool station. Haulage between Llanfair Caereinon and Welshpool Raven Square was provided by steam: 823 'The Countess' on a special service for Pathfinder Tours participants.

Sources : Stuart Smith (joined/left the train at Oxford), Scott Spencer
& Nick Bartlett (on the tour from Chippenham to Welshpool and return)

Photo Review


59202 arrives into Chippenham in the morning (photo: Nick Bartlett)


92017 is readied to leave Birmingham International (photo: Nick Bartlett)


823 at Llanfair Caereinon prior to the run to Welshpool (photo: Nick Bartlett)


The 37's pull into Welshpool on the return leg (photo: Nick Bartlett)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Scott Spencer, Stuart Smith, Nick Bartlett & Martin Diamond)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Bristol Temple Meads 07.12d [P9] [UM] ?   23.03a [P9] ? 165.79
0.24 Bristol East Jn 07/13 [UL] ?   23/01 ? 165.55
0.56 North Somerset Jn 07/14 [UM] ?   22/59 ? 165.23
11.35 Bath Spa 07.25a ~ 07.29d [P2] ?   22.47a ~ 22.49d [P1] ? 154.44
13.51 Bathampton Jn 07/32½ [UM] ?   22/43 ? 152.28
22.16 Thingley Jn ? ?   22/30 ? 143.63
22.71 Thingley East Jn 07/40½ [UL] ?   22/29½ ? 143.08
24.30 Chippenham 07.43a ~ 07.47d [P2] 07.42 ~ 07.47 [P2]   22.23a ~ 22.27d [P1] 22.09 ~ 22.10 [P1] 141.49
35.19 Wootton Bassett Jn 07/59 [UM] ?   22/11 ? 130.60
41.03 Swindon 08.05a ~ 08.13½ [P1] 08.04 ~ 08.14 [UGL] [P1]   21.59a ~ 22.03d [P4] 21.52 ~ 21.53 [P4] 124.76
51.67 Uffington 08/24½ [ML] ?   21/46 ? 114.12
54.26 Challow 08/27 ?   21/43 ? 111.53
58.04 Wantage Road 08/30 08/29   21/39 [ML] 21/35 107.75
? Milton Jn ? ?   21/33 [DL] ? ?
64.51 Foxhall Jn 08.37 ~ 08.39 [DL] 08.37 ~ 08.39 [UR]   21.22 ~ 21.26 [RL] 21/22 [RL] 101.28
65.25 Didcot North Jn 08/42 08/41   21/19 21/17 100.54
72.39 Kennington Jn 08/50 08/49   21/11 21/10 93.40
74.72 Oxford 08.54a ~ 08.56d [P2] [GL] 08.54 ~ 08.56 [P2] [DGL]   21.04a ~ 21.06d [P1] 21.04 ~ 21.06 [P1] 91.07
77.63 Wolvercote Jn 08/59 [DL] 09/02   20/57 20/48 88.16
86.52 Heyford 09/06½ [ML] 09/09   20/46 20/40 79.27
92.43 Aynho Jn 09/13 09/15   20/41 20/35 73.36
97.47 Banbury 09.19a ~ 09.33d [P1] 09.22 ~ 09.33 [P1]   20.32a ~ 20.34d [P3] 20.28 ~ 20.29 [P3] 68.32
106.27 Fenny Compton 09/41 09/42   20/24 20/19 59.52
117.56 Leamington Spa 09.52a ~ 09.54d [P2] 09.53 ~ 09.54 [P2]   20.09a ~ 20.11d [P3] 20.06 ~ 20.08 [P3] 48.23
118.65 Milverton Jn 10/06 09/57   20/06 20/01 47.14
122.19 Kenilworth 10.13 ~ 10.20 ??.?? ~ 10.20 [U&DL]   20/00 19/57 [U&DB] 43.60
125.30 Gibbet Hill Jn 10/25 10/25   19/58 19/55 40.49
127.10 Coventry 10.32a ~ 10.37d [P4] 10.33 ~ 10.36 [P3]   19.46a ~ 19.51d [P2] 19.47 ~ 19.51 [P2] 38.69

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
137.66
0.00		 Birmingham International 10L48a ~ 11L24d [P5] 10.50 ~ 11.24 [P5]
4.33 Stechford 11/31½ 11/32
7.22 Aston 11/38 11/37 [P1]
9.44 Perry Barr North Jn 11/42 11/40
13.23 Newton Jn 11/47 11/57
13.64 Bescot Down Side 11.50 ~ 11.50½ 12.00 ~ 12.00 [U&D Through Siding 2]
14.14 Bescot Jn 11/53½ 12/09
15.29 Darlaston Jn 11/54½ 12/10
18.28 Portobello Jn 11/58 12/13
20.76 Bushbury Jn 12/01 12/16
? Trent Valley Jn 12/13½ [SL] ?
34.53 Stafford 12/14½ 12/26 [P5] [DS]
40.02 Norton Bridge 12/19½ 12/31
51.04 Madeley 12/29½ 12/39
57.26 Basford Hall Jn 12/37 [IL] 12/47
58.26
0.00		 Crewe Sorting Sidings North 12L43 ~ 13L12 12.50 ~ 13.12 [DF Independent]
0.46 Gresty Lane Jn 13/17 13/17
4.32 Nantwich 13/22½ 13/25
8.75 Wrenbury 13/27½ 13/32
? Prees 13/36½ ?
21.70 Wem 13/39½ ?
30.42 Harlescott Crossing 13/47½ ?
32.50 Shrewsbury 13.50 ~ 13.50½ [P4] 13/59 [P7]
33.34 Sutton Bridge Jn 13.54 ~ 13.55 14.02 ~ 14.05
52.24 Welshpool 14.15 ~ 14.16 14.28 ~ 14.30 [P2]
66.12
0.00		 Newtown 14.34a ~ 16.15d ??.?? ~ ??.??
13.68 Welshpool 16.35 ~ 16.37 16.32 ~ 16.36 [P1]
32.58 Sutton Bridge Jn 16.57 ~ 16.58 16/57
33.43 Abbey Foregate Jn 17/01 17/00
43.37 Wellington 17/12 17/10 [UM]
48.32 Madeley Jn 17/21 17/17
53.69 Cosford 17/28 17/25
61.44 Oxley SB 17/36½ 17/37
62.29 Wolverhampton North Jn 17/42 17/41
62.72 Wolverhampton 17.44a ~ 17.47d [P3] 17.44 ~ 17.48 [P3]
64.56 Portobello Jn 17/52 17/53
67.55 Darlaston Jn 17/55 17/56
68.70 Bescot Jn 17/57 18/02 [Bescot Yard UG]
69.15
0.00		 Bescot U&DGL 18L00 ~ 18L30 18.06 ~ 18.28 [UGL]
0.25 Bescot Jn 18/33 18/32
0.77 Pleck Jn 18/35 [SL] 18/35
1.64 Walsall 18/37 [P1] 18/39 [P1]
2.26 Ryecroft Jn 18/38 18/40
13.75 Park Lane Jn 18/58 19/08
14.64 Water Orton West Jn 19/04 19/09
15.25 Water Orton 19/06 [DL] 19/10 [P1]
18.10 Whitacre Jn 19/12 [UL] 19/14
27.69 Abbey Jn 19/25 ?
28.54 Nuneaton 19/28 [P2] [SL] 19/28 [P2]
33.58 Hawkesbury Lane 19/35 19/36
35.29 Three Spires Jn 19/37½ 19/38
? Coundon Road LC 19/40½ ?

Timings continued in first table.

Welshpool & Llanfair option;

Location Booked Actual
Llanfair Caereinion 15.10d 15.22
Welshpool Raven Square 16.00a 16.12


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