15th June 2017

Branch Line Society
The Cat and Dock

Locos Used 66432 & 68026
Stock Used 35469+3390+3345+3356+3397+1200+80042+3314+3364+3333+3386

Route :
1Z48 : Stafford to Ormskirk
1Z49 : Ormskirk to Liverpool Lime Street

Loco(s) Route
66432 (1) Stafford - Norton Bridge East Chord - Stone - Stoke-on-Trent - Stoke North Jn Up Goods - Cliffe Vale Down Goods - Kidsgrove - Alsager Up & Down Goods Loop - Barthomley Jn - Crewe
68026 (2) Crewe - Gresty Lane - Down Salop Siding - Gresty Lane Down Through Siding
66432 (1) Gresty Lane Down Through Siding - Down Salop Siding - Gresty Lane (Dn Salop Headshunt)
68026 (2) Gresty Lane (Dn Salop Headshunt) - Gresty Lane Down Siding Arrival (Former Reception Line) (5)
66432 (1) Gresty Lane Down Siding Arrival - Gresty Lane - Down Salop Independent - Down Manchester Independent - Sandbach - Middlewich - Hartford CLC Jn - Hartford L.N.W. Jn - Acton Grange - Warrington Bank Quay - Earlestown - Wigan North Western - Skew Bridge Down Goods - Preston Parcel Platform - Preston Shunting Line
68026 (2) Preston Shunting Line - (Shunting Line to Down Slow @ 0m33ch to Up Goods @ 0m08ch) - Preston Up Goods - Farington Curve Jn - Ormskirk
66432 (1) Ormskirk - Farington Curve Jn - Skew Bridge - Ribble Jn - Preston Dock
68026 (2) Preston Dock - Ribble Jn - Farington Curve Jn - Balshaw Lane - Wigan North Western - St Helens Central - Ravenhead Down Goods Loop - Thatto Heath - Huyton - Edge Hill - Liverpool Lime Street (6)

Notes: 
(1) 68026 on rear.
(2) 66432 on rear.
(3) A joint venture between DRS and The Branch Line Society raising funds for the Railway Children charity.
(4) Tour using what would otherwise have been the E.C.S. to form the annual 'Three Peaks Challenge' charity train.
(5) Although booked to reverse on Sdg 2 of the Crewe Pre-Assembly Depot, this was blocked by a Track Machine, so reversal was made on the Gresty Lane Down Through Siding, (formerly the Reception Line), instead.
(6) From Liverpool the train ran without passengers to Crewe while being prepared for the annual 'Three Peaks Challenge' charity train.

Sources : Alan Sheppard (on the tour throughout) & Mick Parker

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Sheppard & Mick Parker)

M.C

Location Booked Actual
0.00
Stafford 07.20d [P6] [SL] 07.26d [P6] [SL]
 ?
Stafford Doxey Jn 07/23 [FL] 07/27½ [DS-DF]
5.25
Norton Bridge 07/28 [EC] 07/33 [NBEC]
6.25
Yarnfield Jn 07/30 07/35½
9.07
Stone 07/32 07/40 [P1]
15.58
Stoke Jn 07/39 07/47½
16.16
Stoke-on-Trent 07/40½ [P2] 07.48½ ~ 07.49½ [P2]
16.33
Stoke-on-Trent North Jn 07/44 [UG] 07/50½ [UG]
 ?
Cliffe Vale Jn ? [DG] 07/54 [UG-DG]
17.78
Grange Jn 07*47 ~ 07*53 07/58 [DM]
22.31
Kidsgrove 08/01 [P4] 08/05 [P4]
24.25
(Alsager East) ? [DM-UM] 08/10 [DM-UM]
24.32
Alsager Up & Dn Gds Loop 08*09 ~ 08*31 [UDG] 08.11½ ~ 08.28½ [UDG]
24.73
Alsager 08/32 [P2] [UM-DM] 08/29 [P2] [Up-Dn]
27.27
Barthomley Jn 08/36 08/34
30.12
Crewe North Stafford Jn 08/40 08/38
31.15
Crewe 08.44a ~ 08.52d [P12] 08.41½a ~ 08.52½d [P12]
31.71
Crewe Gresty Lane 08/56 08.54½ ~ 09.00½
32.18
Crewe Gresty Lane Recp. 08.58 ~ 09.08 09.02½ ~ 09.10½ [Dn Thro Sdg]
32.45
Crewe Gresty Lane 09.10 ~ 09.20 09.16 ~ 09.19½ [Headshunt]
add
Crewe P.A.D. 09.23 ~ 09.37 [No.2 Rd] 09.25 ~ 09.34 [Dn Sdg Arr]
32.45
Crewe Gresty Lane 09/39 09/40
33.02
Crewe Salop Goods Jn 09/40½ [IL] 09/42½
34.07
Crewe Sydney Bridge 09/47 [SL] 09/48½
37.61
Sandbach 09/55 [P3] 09/57 [P3]
41.36
Middlewich 10/08 10/08
46.27
Northwich South Jn 10/23 10/25
46.54
Northwich West Jn 10*25 ~ 10*27 10/27½
48.08
Greenbank 10/32 10/32½
48.71
Hartford C.L.C. Jn 10/34 10/36½
49.56
Hartford Jn 10/37 [SL] 10/39
51.38
Acton Bridge 10/38 [FL] 10/42 [P3]
53.70
Weaver Jn 10/40½ [FL] 10/44
59.20
Acton Grange Jn 10/44 [FL] 10/49
61.03
Warrington South Jn ? [DF-DPL] 10/52½
61.18
Warrington Bank Quay 10/47 [P4] [FL] 10/53 [P4]
 ?
Warrington North Jn ? [DPL-DF] 10/53½ [DPL-DF]
62.22
Dallam Jn 10/49 [FL] 10/55 [DF]
64.56
Winwick Jn 10/52 10/59
66.10
Earlestown 10/57 [P4] 11/03 [P4]
67.41
Newton-le-Willows Jn 11/02 11/07
68.14
Golborne Jn 11/04 [FL] 11/10 [DF]
72.66
Springs Branch Jn 11/09 [FL] 11/18
73.73
Wigan South Jn 11/10½ [FL] 11/18½
74.08
Wigan North Western 11/13 [P6] [FL] 11/19 [P5]
81.43
Balshaw Lane 11/20 [SL] 11/25 [DS]
83.63
Euxton Jn 11/25 [SL] 11/27 [DS]
87.49
Farington Curve Jn 11/32 [SL] 11/33½
88.02
Skew Bridge 11/33 [GL] 11/36 [DG]
89.18
Preston 11.37 ~ 11.43 [RES] 11.40½ ~ 11.42 [Parcel Plat]
11.46½ ~ 11.49 [Shunting Line](rev)
11/52½ [UG]
90.67
Farington Curve Jn 11/49 11/58
99.08
Rufford 12x03 12.12 ~ 12.123½
104.42
Ormskirk 12.15a ~ 12.35d 12p23½ ~ 12p35½ [P2]
 ?
Rufford 12x48 ~ 12x53 12.45½ ~ 12.56
118.17
Farington Curve Jn 13/09 [SL] 13/11
 ?
Skew Bridge 13/12 [GL] 13/13½ [DG]
119.48
Ribble Jn 13/14 [GL] 13/20
120.18
Strand Road L.C. ? 13.23 ~ 13.27
 ?
Exchange Sidings ? 13.36 ~ 13.41
123.46
Preston Dock (Riverside) 13.27a ~ 14.40d 13.54 ~ 14.09½
 ?
Exchange Sidings ? 14.21 ~ 14.24
 ?
Ribble Jn 14/43 [GL] 14/30 [UG]
 ?
Skew Bridge 14/46 [SL] 14/35½ [US]
 ?
Farington Curve Jn 14/48 [SL] 14/36½
 ?
Euxton Jn 14/53 [SL] 14/42½ [US]
 ?
Balshaw Lane 14/56 [FL] 14.47 ~ 14.57
 ?
Wigan North Western 15/05½ [P4] [FL] 15.05½ ~ 15.06½ [P4]
 ?
Wigan South Jn 15/06½ [FL] 15/07
139.68
Springs Branch Jn 15/10 15/09½
147.26
St Helens Central 15/25 [P2] 15.25½ ~ 15.27
147.79
Ravenhead DGL 15*30 ~ 15*31 [DGL] 15/34 [DGL]
152.79
Huyton 15/41 [SL] 15/44
153.40
Roby 15/43 15/45
156.00
Olive Mount Jn 15/46 15/50½
156.56
Bootle Branch Jn 15/47 15/53
 ?
Edge Hill S.B. 15/49 [FL] 15/54
157.23
Edge Hill 15/50½ [P4] [FL] 15/55 [P2] [DS]
158.54
Liverpool Lime Street 15.55a [P7] 16.03½ [P7]

Mileages taken from tour brochure.

Associated E.C.S. Workings

5Z48 : Burton-on-Trent Wetmore Sidings to Stafford
(from Realtime Trains)

Location Booked Actual
Burton-on-Trent Wetmore Sidings 05.50d 06.00
Burton Wetmore Jn 05.56 ~ 06.06 ?
Burton-on-Trent 06/09 [P2] 06/23½
Wichnor Jn 06/20 06/31
Alrewas L.C. 06/24 06/34
Lichfield Trent Valley Jn 06/30 06/43½
Lichfield Trent Valley 06/33 06/44
Lichfield North Jn 06/37 06/45
Rugeley North Jn 06/44 06/52
Colwich 06/48 06/54
Milford & Brocton 06/51 06/56
Stafford Trent Valley Jn 06/55 07/01
Stafford 06.58a [P6] 07.03 [P6]

1Z50 : Liverpool Lime Street to Crewe

Location Booked Actual
Liverpool Lime Street 16.19d [P7] 16.20 [P7]
Edge Hill 16/23½ [P3][FL] 16/23½
Edge Hill S.B. 16/24 [FL] 16/24
Wavertree Jn 16/26 [FL] 16/26
Liverpool South Parkway HL 16/29 [P1] [FL] 16/29½ [P1]
Ditton East Jn 16/35 16.36½ ~ 16.39
Runcorn 16/39 [P1] 16.43 ~ 16.44 [P1]
Weaver Jn 16/49 [FL] 16/51
Acton Bridge 16/51 [FL] 16/55
Hartford Jn 16/53 [FL] 16/56½
Winsford 17/00 [SL] 17/01½
Crewe Coal Yard 17/06½ [SL] 17/08
Crewe 17.09a [P12] 17.12 [P12]


Back to "The Railtour Files"