15th May 1993

A1A Charters
The Merry Wives

Locos Used 31302, 31304, 33023 & 56031

Route : 1Z40 throughout

Loco(s) Route
31302 + 31304 Carnforth - Preston - Wigan North Western - Golborne Jn - Patricroft - Manchester Piccadilly - Stoke - Stafford - Rugby - Northampton - Bletchley Flyover - Oxford - Reading - Ealing Broadway - Acton East - Willesden South Yard
33023 Willsden South Yard - Kensington Olympia - Latchmere Jn - Factory Jn - Denmark Hill - Addiscombe
56031 Addiscombe - Denmark Hill - Brixton - Clapham Junction - Windsor & Eton Riverside
31302 + 31304 Windsor & Eton Riverside - Clapham Junction - Brixton - Streatham - Selhurst - Brixton - Clapham Junction - Wokingham - Reading - (via Didcot avoiding line) - Oxford - Leamington Spa - Coventry - Nuneaton - Stafford - Crewe - (via WCML) - Preston - Carnforth

David Garnett comments ~
1) The train was originally booked to run outward via Aylesbury but was diverted due to engineering works.
2) There was a HRT tour out which people leapt for because of some grid ("Cattle Grid", 56059) but were nearly bowled due to later events.
3) On our last visit to Clapham Junc we should have not done as we were booked back to Kenny O & Slough, however due to a fatality on the GWML the line was closed we eventually left Clapham Junc well over an hour down.
4) We then had to arrived at Reading to meet those people who had been on the HRT tour back to St Pancras.
5) As far as I remember we should have gone back via Stockport and Manchester but ran back mainline due to been so late, and I believe people bused back to Manchester, but as usual I had gone back to sleep mode as I was driving back from Preston (Webmaster note : the timings suggest WCML was the booked route?).

Sources : John Clifford (compiled from contemporary sources), Melvin Teale,
David Garnett (joined/left the train at Preston) & David Bellamy (on the train throughout)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from David Bellamy)

Location Booked Actual
Carnforth 05.00d 05.00
Lancaster 05.06a ~ 05.08d 05.11 ~ 05.12
Preston 05.44a ~ 05.46d 05.44 ~ 05.46
Balshaw Lane Jn 05/55 ?
Wigan North Western 06.02a ~ 06.04d 06.03 ~ 06.05
Golborne Jn 06/12 ?
Eccles 06/26 ?
Deansgate 06/32 ?
Manchester Oxford Road 06/36 06/40
Manchester Piccadilly 06.38a ~ 06.42d 06.43 ~ 06.45
Heaton Norris Jn 06/52 ?
Stockport 06/56 06/56
Cheadle Hulme 06/59 ?
Macclesfield 07/16 ?
Kidsgrove 07/29 ?
Stoke-on-Trent 07.35a ~ 07.38d 07.36 ~ 07.38
Stone 07/47 ?
Norton Bridge 07/52 ?
Stafford 07/56 ?
Colwich Jn 08/03 ?
Lichfield TV LL 08/11 ?
Tamworth 08/16 ?
Nuneaton 08.27a ~ 08.29d 08.42 ~ 08.44
Rugby 08/42 ?
Northampton 09/01 ?
Milton Keynes Central 09/21 09/46
Denbigh Hall South Jn 09/25 ?
Bletchley Flyover Summit 09/28 ?
Claydon LNE Jn 09/54 ?
Bicester London Road LC 10/09 10/55
Oxford North Jn 10/36 ?
Oxford 10.38a ~ 10.39d 11.29 ~ 11.30
Didcot East Jn 10/51 ?
Reading 11/19 ?
Maidenhead 11/31 ?
Slough 11/37 ?
Southall 11/46 ?
Ealing Broadway 11/54 12/38
Acton Wells Jn 11/57 ?
Mitre Bridge Jn 12L04a ~ 12L14d ??.?? ~ 13.10
Kensington Olympia 12/18 ?
Longhedge Jn 12/27 ?
Brixton Jn 12/32 ?
Nunhead 12/38 ?
Lewisham 12/43 ?
Elmers End 12/54 ?
Addiscombe 12.59a ~ 13.29d 14.02 ~ 14.22
Elmers End ??/?? ?
Lewisham 13/47 ?
Nunhead 13/55 ?
Cambria Jn 13/58 ?
Brixton Jn 14/01 ?
Longhedge Jn 14/06 ?
Clapham Junction 14/10 15/07
Barnes 14/17 ?
Twickenham 14/24 ?
Feltham Jn 14/27 ?
Staines 14/39 ?
Windsor & Eaton Riverside 14.49a ~ 15.50d 15.43 ~ 16.20
Staines 16/00 ?
Feltham Jn 16/09 ?
Hounslow 16/11 ?
Barnes 16/30 ?
Clapham Junction 16/39 17/00
Longhedge Jn 16/45 ?
Brixton Jn 16/50 ?
Herne Hill 16/51 17/10
Tulse Hill 16/55 ?
Streatham 16/59 ?
Streatham Common 17/01 ?
Selhurst 17/07 ?
West Croydon 17/11 17/28
Sutton 17/18 ?
Wimbledon 17/32 ?
Streatham 17/38 ?
Tulse Hill 17/45 ?
Herne Hill 17/53 ?
Brixton Jn 17/54 ?
Wokingham DIV ?
Reading 19.07a ~ 19.09d 20.13 ~ 20.15
Didcot East Jn 19/35 ?
Didcot North Jn 19/37 ?
Oxford 19/58 20/40
Heyford 20/12 ?
Banbury 20.26a ~ 20.28d 21.00 ~ 21.02
Fenny Compton 20/39 ?
Leamington Spa 20/46 21/26
Kenilworth 20/52 ?
Coventry 20.58a ~ 21.00d 21.38 ~ 21.40
Nuneaton 21.19a ~ 21.20d 22.00 ~ 22.01
Tamworth 21/30 ?
Lichfield TV LL 21/35 ?
Colwich Jn 21/43 ?
Stafford 21/49 22/45
Norton Bridge 21/54 ?
Crewe 22/15 23/08
Winsford 22/24 ?
Acton Grange Jn 22/34 ?
Warrington Bank Quay 22/35 ?
Winwick Jn 22/38 ?
Wigan North Western 22.46a ~ 22.48d 23.35 ~ 23.37
Euxton Jn 23/01 ?
Preston 23.06a ~ 23.08d 23.50 ~ 23.52
Lancaster 23.29a ~ 23.31d 00.14 ~ 00.16
Carnforth 23.40a ?


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