The Railtour Files

Loco(s)	Route
31123	Leeds - Sheffield - site of Crich Jn (2)
46044 (2)	site of Crich Jn - Ambergate Jn - Chaddeston Jn
31123	Chaddeston Jn - Derby
31145	Derby - Barnwood Jn - Cheltenham Spa - Barnwood Jn - Gloucester avoiding line (3)
47096	Gloucester avoiding line - Gloucester Yard Jn - Standish Jn - Stroud - Kemble - Swindon
08492 (4)	Swindon - Swindon Works (5)
47096	Swindon Works - Swindon - Didcot
47225	(6) Didcot - Didcot West Curve Jn - Didcot North Jn - Oxford - Bordesley Jn - Sheffield

Notes :
(1) Tour was to enable visits to Swindon Works open day and Didcot Railway Centre. There was an alternative optional tour to Blenheim Palace, leaving the train at Swindon and rejoining at Didcot.
(2) Ian Prince comments: 31123 was experiencing difficulties when it turned up at Sheffield. It failed at the site of the former Crich Jn just north of Ambergate Jn and 46044 on the following train assisted by propelling the tour as far as Chaddeston Jn from where 31123 limped into Derby under its own power.
(3) 31145 failed.
(4) 47096 on rear.
(5) To a point on a line adjacent to the Stroud line/stabling point. Ian Prince comments: from here passengers disembarked on the west side of the train within the confines of the works and walked around the corner and then parallel to the GW mainline within the works (a line of bogie flats being strategically positioned next to the internal roadway to separate pedestrians from the line) along which Hymek 7093 was giving rides with the Bulmers Pullmans (should have been steam loco 6000 'King George V' but something had happened and they put better traction on the front, cunningly disguised with 6O00 headcode).
(6) 47096 was replaced during the break at Didcot as it too was experiencing difficulties.

Source : Ian Prince (joined/left the train at Sheffield)

Back to "The Railtour Files"

Locos Used	08492, 31123, 31145, 47096, 47225 & 46044
Stock Used	mark 1's