18th August 1991
Pathfinder Tours
The Strider
| Locos Used | 47462, 47973, 56022 & 56025 |
Route : 1Z36 throughout
| Loco(s) | Route |
| 47973 | Manchester Piccadilly - Slade Lane Jn - Stockport - Cheadle Hulme - Macclesfield - Kidsgrove - Stoke-on-Trent - Stone - Colwich Jn - (via WCML) - Nuneaton |
| 56022 + 56025 | Nuneaton - (via WCML, Weedon) - Denbigh Hall South Jn - (via Bletchley flyover) - Winslow - Claydon LNE Jn - Bicester Town - Oxford - Kennington Jn - Morris Cowley Branch |
| 56025 + 56022 | Morris Cowley Branch - Kennington Jn - Hinksey Yard |
| 56022 + 56025 | Hinksey Yard - Didcot North Jn - Foxhall Jn - Didcot Power Station loop Dust & Ash Disposal Loop (outer loop, clockwise) - Didcot Parkway - Reading - maidenhead - Slough - Hanwell - Drayton Green Jn - Greenford South Jn - Greenford East Jn - Old Oak Common West Jn - London Paddington (1) |
| 56022 + 56025 | London Paddington - Old Oak Common West Jn - Greenford East Jn - Greenford South Jn - Drayton Green Jn - West Ealing Jn - Acton Main Line - Acton Wells Jn - Acton Canal Wharf Jn - Dudding Hill Jn - Brent Curve Jn - (via MML, Silkstream Jn) - Wigston South Jn - Hinckley - Nuneaton |
| 47462 | Nuneaton - (reverse of outward route) - Colwich Jn - Stafford - Norton Bridge - Stone - (reverse of outward route) - Manchester Piccadilly |
Notes :
(1) The tour was a means of getting people to the Old Oak Common
open day. The two 56's on this tour were a late substitute for another pair
which failed (unknown - anybody able to confirm identities?). As a result the
tour departed late from Nuneaton. Additional information;
After arrival at Paddington, the stock was used for a Paddington - Didcot Power
Station Loop - Paddington mini-tour with 56034 for haulage, called 'The Didcot Lupin', organised by Hertfordshire Rail Tours. Also separately
running were several circular Paddington - Greenford - Ealing - Paddington
trains using 59005 and 60047 top & tail, with the leading engine alternating
on successive runs. These specials ran under the name 'The Greenford
Grinder'.

56022+56025 at Paddington (photo: John Cassey)
Sources : Gary Blyth
(joined/left train at Nuneaton), Richard Rooker, Glenn Ford
& John Cassey (joined/left the train at Tamworth)
![]()
Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Cassey)
| M.C | Location | Booked | Actual | Booked | Actual | M.C | |
| 0.00 | Manchester Piccadilly | 06.28d | ? | 22.42a | ? | 90.30 | |
| 2.25 | Slade Lane Jn | 06/32½ | ? | 22/38 | ? | 88.05 | |
| 5.15 | Heaton Norris Jn | 06/35½ | ? | 22/35 | ? | 85.15 | |
| 5.70 | Stockport | 06.37a ~ 06.39d | ? | 22.32a ~ 22.33d | ? | 84.40 | |
| 6.12 | Edgeley Jn | 06/40½ | ? | 22/29½ | ? | 84.18 | |
| 8.11 | Cheadle Hulme | 06/42½ | ? | 22/25 | ? | 82.19 | |
| 17.67 | Macclesfield | 06.54a ~ 06.56d | ? | 22.09a ~ 22.11d | ? | 72.43 | |
| 25.59 | Congleton | 07/05 | ? | 22/01½ | ? | 64.51 | |
| 31.33 | Kidsgrove | 07/09½ | ? | 21/56½ | ? | 58.77 | |
| ? | Etruria | ? | ? | 21/51 | ? | 53.62 | |
| 37.64 | Stoke-on-Trent | 07.17a ~ 07.19d | ? | 21.47a ~ 21.49d | ? | 52.46 | |
| 44.64 | Stone | 07/29 | ? | ||||
| - | Norton Bridge | 21/30½ | ? | 41.62 | |||
| - | Stafford | 21.24a ~ 21.26d | ? | 36.33 | |||
| 56.45 | Colwich Jn | 07/40 | ? | 21/19 | ? | 29.78 | |
| ? | Armitage | 07/44½ | ? | 21/14½ | ? | ? | |
| 67.30 | Lichfield TV | 07/48 | ? | 21/11 | ? | 19.13 | |
| 73.41 | Tamworth LL | 07.53a ~ 07.55d | ??.?? ~ 07.57 | 20.57a ~ 21.02d | 21.52 ~ ??.?? | 13.02 | |
| 86.43 0.00 |
Nuneaton | 08L14 ~ 08L34 | 08.14 ~ 08.52 | 20L28 ~ 20L45 | 21.28½ ~ 21.38 | 0.00 121.45 |
|
| M.C | Location | Booked | Actual |
| 14.50 | Rugby | 08c49 ~ 08c52 | 09.09 ~ 09.11½ |
| ? | Weedon | 09/02 | 09/24½ |
| 40.43 | Hanslope Jn | 09/20½ | 09/35 |
| 49.38 | Denbigh Hall South Jn | 09/29½ | 09/47½ |
| ? | Bletchley (foot of flyover) | 09c34 ~ 09c36 | 09.50 ~ 09.56 |
| 64.22 | Claydon LNE Jn | 10/03 | 10/28 |
| 70.77 | Bicester London Road L.C. | 10*16 ~ 10*23 | 10.44 ~ 10.47 |
| 81.55 | Oxford North Jn | 10/46 | 11/10 |
| 82.59 | Oxford | 10.48a ~ 10.50d | 11.14 ~ 11.15 |
| 85.19 | Kennington Jn | 10t57 ~ 10t58 | 11.22 ~ 11.23 |
| 87.72 | Morris Cowley | 11.08 ~ 11.23 | 11.38 ~ 12.06½ |
| 90.45 | Kennington Jn | 11t33 ~ 11t34 | 12.22 ~ 12.24 |
| 91.59 | Hinksey Sidings | 11.38 ~ 11.53 | 12.31 ~ 12.55 |
| 100.07 | Didcot North Jn | 12/05 | 13/10 |
| 100.61 | Foxhall Jn | 12c07 ~ 12c09 | 13.12½ ~ 13.14 |
| ? | Didcot Power Station | 12/19 | 13/32½ |
| 102.53 | Foxhall Jn | 12c29 ~ 12c31 | 13/43½ |
| 103.18 | Didcot Parkway | 12*34 ~ 12*38 | 13.47 ~ 13.48½ |
| 118.53 | Scours Lane Jn | 12/59 | 14/10½ |
| 120.30 | Reading Goods Lines | 13/04 | 14/15½ |
| 125.27 | Twyford | 13/08 | 14/23 |
| 132.09 | maidenhead | 13/14 | 14/28½ |
| 137.72 | Slough | 13/19 | 14/33 |
| 147.16 | Southall | 13/27 | 14/40½ |
| 148.74 | Hanwell | 13/30 | 14/43 |
| 149.34 | Drayton Green | 13/31 | 14/45½ |
| 150.72 | Greenford South Jn | 13/37 | 14/51 |
| 151.17 | Greenford East Jn | 13/38 | 14/52 |
| 155.12 | Old Oak Common West | 13/43 | 15/00 |
| 158.32 0.00 |
Paddington [P9] | 13.48a ~ 17.50d | 15.05½ ~ 18.28 |
| 3.20 | Old Oak Common West | 17/55 | 18/33 |
| 7.15 | Greenford East Jn | 18/01 | 18/39 |
| 7.40 | Greenford South Jn | 18/03 | 18/41 |
| 8.78 | Drayton Green | 18/08 | 18/46 |
| 9.49 | West Ealing | 18/09 | 18/47 |
| 10.34 | Ealing Broadway | 18c11 ~ 18c13 | 18.49 ~ 18.53 |
| 11.69 | Acton Main Line | 18/16 | 18/56½ |
| 12.41 | Acton Wells Jn | 18/21 | 18/59 |
| 15.38 | Dudding Hill Jn | 18/28 | 19/07 |
| 16.42 | Brent Curve Jn | 18c33 ~ 18c44 | 19/09½ |
| 17.37 | Hendon | 18/46 | 19/13 |
| 30.29 | St Albans | 18/57 | 19/27 |
| 40.57 | Luton | 19/02 | 19.36 ~ 19.37½ |
| 50.62 | Flitwick | 19/09 | 19/46 |
| 60.36 | Bedford North Jn | 19/15½ | 20/06 |
| 67.03 | Sharnbrook | 19/20 | 20/18½ |
| 75.49 | Wellingborough | 19p25a ~ 19p35d | 20.27 ~ 20.29 |
| ? | Harrowden Jn | 19/42 | 20/34 |
| 82.39 | Kettering | 19/47 | 20/38 |
| 93.32 | Market Harborough | 19/57 | 20/46½ |
| 105.79 | Wigston South Jn | 20/07½ | 20/59½ |
| 120.48 | Nuneaton Midland Jn | 20/23 | 21/25 |
Timings continue in first table.
![]()
Back to "The Railtour Files"