17th December 2016

Steam Dreams
The Cathedrals Express

Locos Used D6575, 47802 & steam: 6960 'Raveningham Hall' & 34046 'Braunton' (3)
Stock Used (4) (35451)+5222+5200+9104+13440+99352+13320+99347+1666+5236+5249

Route : 
1Z34 : London Victoria to Minehead
1Z35 : Minehead to London Paddington

Loco (s) Route
34046 (1) London Victoria - Grosvenor Bridge Jn - Stewarts Lane Jn - Longhedge Jn - Latchmere Jn - Kensington Olympia - North Pole Jn - Mitre Bridge Jn - Willesden SW Sidings - Acton Wells Jn - Acton Main Line - Southall - Slough - Maidenhead - Reading - Southcote Jn - Newbury - Heywood Road Jn - Westbury - Fairwood Jn - Clink Road Jn - Frome - Blatchbridge Jn - Castle Cary - Cogload Jn - Taunton - Norton Fitzwarren W.S.R.
6960 (2) Norton Fitzwarren W.S.R. - Bishops Lydeard - Crowcombe Heathfield - Williton - Blue Anchor - Minehead
6960 (2) Minehead - (reverse of outward route) - Bishops Lydeard
34046 (1) Bishops Lydeard - (reverse of outward route) - Blatchbridge Jn - Clink Road Jn - Fairwood Jn - Heywood Road Jn - (reverse of outward route) - Acton Main Line - London Paddington

Notes : 
(1) 47802 on rear.
(2) D6575 on rear.
(3) 34046 running numbered / named as 34052 'Lord Dowding'.
(4) 35451 was only in the consist when 34046 was on the train.
(5) John Clifford comments: The latest brochure showed the train as being hauled by 6201 'Princess Elizabeth', but as this was unavailable 34046 was substituted. Also the train was due to start from London Paddington, but as there was engineering work the train started from London Victoria. On the day, just as the E.C.S. was leaving Southall, a person was hit by a freight train there. Consequently the railway was temporarily shut while investigations were carried out. The E.C.S. arrived at London Victoria late with the train starting about an hour behind schedule. Some time had been made up when I joined the train at Slough. The Newbury Racecourse stop was shortened which made up much time. Nevertheless we had to wait there for two trains to pass us, one of which was the 09.00 Paddington - Plymouth. By this time we were only 10 minutes late, but there was a signal problem in the Westbury area which further delayed us. The Frome water stop took longer than booked as were held at Frome to let the 10.00 Paddington - Penzance go ahead. At Norton Fitzwarren there was a further delay to let late running trains pass, i.e., 08.44 Penzance - Paddington (63 min late) and 11.49 Bristol Temple Meads - Laira E.C.S. (35 min late). On the West Somerset Railway the loco change was made at their Norton Fitzwarren platform instead of Bishops Lydeard. Arrival at Minehead was 22 minutes late. The locos being used on the W.S.R.’s 'Santa Express' were 44422 and 53808. On the return journey we were keeping roughly to time but there was some slow running after Newbury. I could not see that we were following anything so possibly there was a signal problem. There was some engineering works on the route into London, so we lost time arriving back nearly a quarter of an hour late.

Source : John Clifford (joined the tour at Slough) & Guy Vincent

Photo Review


34046 arriving at Westbury on the outward leg (photo: Guy Vincent)


47802 on the rear at Westbury (photo: Guy Vincent)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford & Realtime Trains)

Location Booked Actual   Booked (Revised) Actual
London Victoria 07.15d [P2] [FL] 08.12 - -
Grosvenor Bridge Jn 07/19 ? - -
Stewarts Lane Jn 07/22 [RVL] ? - -
Longhedge Jn 07/25 ? - -
Latchmere Jn 07/27 08/24 - -
Kensington Olympia 07.35 ~ 07.37 [DM] 08.29 ~ 08.29 - -
North Pole Jn 07/41 08/35 - -
Mitre Bridge Jn 07/42 08/37 - -
Willesden SW Sidings 07/46 ? - -
Acton Wells Jn 07/49 08/44 - -
London Paddington - - 23.16a [P11] 23.28½ [P11]
Ladbroke Grove - - 23/12 [UM] 23/20 [UM]
Acton Main Line 07/52 [DR] 08/47 23/07 [UM] 23/17 [UM]
Acton West 07/54 [DR] 08/52 23/06 [UM] 23/16 [UM]
Southall 08/00 [DR] 08/59 23/01 [UM] 23/11 [P2] [UM]
Southall West Jn 08/01½ 08/59½ 22/59 [UR-UM] 23.03 ~ 23.04 [UR-UM]
Heathrow Airport Jn 08/04 [DR] 09/01 22/55 [UR] 23/00 [UR]
Slough 08.27a ~ 08.29d [P4] [DR] 09.11 ~ 09.12 [P4] [DR] 22.42a ~ 22.45d [P5] [UR] 22.48½ ~ 22.50 [P5] [UR]
Maidenhead 08/37 [P3] [DR] 09/21 [P3] [DR] 22/34 [P4] [UR] 22/41½ [P4] [UR]
Twyford 08.47a ~ 08.49d [P3] 09.30½ ~ 09.33½ [P3] [DR] 22.24a ~ 22.26d [P4] 22.29 ~ 22.31½ [P4] [UR]
Kennet Bridge Jn 08/57 [DR] 09/40 [DR] 22/17 [UR] 22/21 [UR]
Reading 08.59a ~ 09.02d [P12] [DFR] 09.43 ~ 09.45½ [P12] [DFR] 22.11a ~ 22.14d [P15] [UR] 22.15 ~ 22.18 [P15] [UR]
Oxford Road Jn 09/05 09/49 22/08 [DFR] 22/11 [DFR]
Southcote Jn 09/07 09/51 22/06 22/09
Newbury Racecourse 09w26 ~ 10w14 [P3] 10.09½ ~ 10.23 [P3] - -
Newbury 10.19a ~ 10.21d [P1] 10.28 ~ 10.31 [P1] 21.44a ~ 21.47d [P2] 21.42 ~ 21.45 [P2]
Bedwyn 10/39 [P1] 10/49 [P1] 21/28 [P2] 21/24½ [P2]
Woodborough 10/52 11/04 20w56 ~ 21w13 [UGL] 20.57 ~ 21.06½ [UGL]
Lavington 11/02 11/11½ 20/44 20/44
Heywood Road Jn 11/09 11.19½ ~ 11.22½ 20/37 20/36
Westbury 11.14 ~ 11.16 [P1] 11.32 ~ 11.34 [P1] - -
Fairwood Jn 11/20 11/38 20/34 20/30
Clink Road Jn 11/24 11/45 20/27 20/26½
Frome 11w27 ~ 11w39 11w48 ~ 12w04½ - -
Blatchbridge Jn 11/42 12/09 20/25 20/25
East Somerset Jn 11/47 12/15½ 20/20 20/21
Castle Cary 11/59 [P2] 12/24 [P2] 20/11 [P1] 20/11 [P1]
Somerton GF 12/10 12/33 20/00 20/01½
Athelney LC 12/19 12/41 19/51 19/53
Cogload Jn 12/24 12/43½ 19/48 19/50
Taunton 12.30a ~ 12.33d [P2] [RL] 12.50 ~ 12.52 [P2] [RL] 19.31a ~ 19.40d [P2] 19.37 ~ 19.42 [P2]
Norton Fitzwarren Jn 12/39 12.57 ~ 13.03 19/25 [RL] 19.19 ~ 19.26 [RL]
Norton Fitzwarren W.S.R. - 13L09 ~ 13L42 - -
Bishops Lydeard 12L50 ~ 13L20 13/53½ [P1] 18L25a ~ 19L05 18.24 ~ 19.04
Bishops Lydeard Sig. - - - 18.06 ~ 18.21
Crowcombe Heathfield ? 14/05 [ML] ? 18/04 [ML]
Williton ? 14/21 [P1] ? 17/48 [P2]
Blue Anchor ? 14/40 [DL] ? 17/28½ [UL]
Dunster 14.20a ~ 14.25d 14.46 ~ 14.50 17.20a ~ 17.25d 17.19 ~ 17.21½
Minehead 14.35a [P1] 14.57 [P1] 17.10d [P1] 17.12½ [P1]


Associated E.C.S. Workings

5Z34 : (34046 with 47802 on rear) : Southall to Willesden No.7 Jn
5Z34 : (47802 with 34046 on rear) : Willesden No.7 Jn to London Victoria

Location Booked
Southall Depot 05.19d
Southall Yard 05.29 ~ 05.41
Southall East Jn 05/42
West Ealing 05/45
Acton West 05/50
Acton Main Line 05/53
Acton Wells Jn 05/56
Acton Canal Wharf 05/58
Willesden No.7 Jn 06.11 ~ 06.18
Willesden West London Jn 06/22
Mitre Bridge Jn 06/25
North Pole Jn 06/27
Kensington Olympia 06/31
West Brompton 06.34 ~ 06.36
Latchmere Jn 06/41
Longhedge Jn 06/43
Stewarts Lane Jn 06/47
Grosvenor Bridge Jn 06/51
London Victoria 06.55a [P2]

5Z36 : (47802 with 34046 on rear) : London Paddington to Southall

Location Booked
London Paddington 23.35d [P11]
Ladbroke Grove 23/40
Acton West 23/44
West Ealing 23/47
Southall East Jn 23/52
Southall Yard 23.54 ~ 00.04
Southall Depot 00.14a


Back to "The Railtour Files"