4th January 1997

Pathfinder Tours
The G.M. Gyrator

Loco Used 59103, 59201 & 59206
Stock Used 5007+4956+5023+5037+4925+4939+17023+4998+4999+3133+3150+6311

Route : 1Z59 throughout

Loco Route
59103 Bristol Temple Meads - Severn Tunnel - Newport
59103 Newport - Chepstow - Cheltenham Spa - Bromsgrove - Selly Oak - Birmingham New Street - Aston - Bescot - Walsall - Ryecroft Jn - Park Lane Jn - Water Orton - Tamworth - Stenson Jn - Sheet Stores Jn - Trent - Toton Centre
59201 Toton Centre - Pye Bridge Jn - Kirkby Summit - Woodend Jn - Shireoaks West Jn - Brancliffe East Jn - Firbeck West Jn - St. Catherines Jn - Decoy North Jn - Doncaster - Shaftholme Jn - Knottingley South Jn - Knottingley East Jn - Sudforth Lane Departure Siding (was booked 'Down Siding')
59206 Sudforth Lane Departure Siding - Knottingley - Crofton West Jn - Wakefield Kirkgate - Wakefield Westgate - Whitehall Jn - Engine Shed Jn - Woodlesford - Normanton - Turners Lane Jn - Hare Park Jn - South Kirkby Jn - Moorthorpe - Masborough - Sheffield
59103 Sheffield - Woodhouse Jn - Beighton Jn - Chesterfield - Derby Up Goods Line - Derby LNW Jn - Burton-on-Trent - Tamworth - Birmingham New Street - Selly Oak - Bromsgrove - Cheltenham Spa - Chepstow - Newport - Cardiff Central
59103 Cardiff Central - Newport - Severn Tunnel - Bristol Temple Meads

Sources : Richard Hughes (Boarded at Wakefield Kirkgate, left at Cheltenham Spa)
& Alan Sheppard

Tour Review
(by Ian Jessop)

Being a Yorkshireman I, quite naturally, enjoy tours 'round Yorkshire, especially North Yorkshire ("the mother county", "the bigger, the better" etc, etc.) However, having to get up at half-past four in the morning, to travel to Staffordshire in order to get on the thing doesn't go down so well... Plus, if I could have, I would have joined the tour at the same place as the first 59/2 was coupled on. Toton yard is, sadly, lacking in passenger facilities like platforms so I had to travel to Burton-on-Trent, but at least I managed to get a "breakfast" at McDoobreys. Just in case you're interested, I've had all of the 59/1s so I couldn't have cared less when 59103 rolled in (late) with the tour (it's third passenger working unless I'm mistaken.) The genny van of Notre Dame was working alright, so we warmly sloped off to our date with a 'Yorkshire engine'.

Toton yard is pretty damn straight. As the engines were changed we amused ourselves as best we could without having the foggiest idea about what was, in fact, been attached to the front of the train. Once we got moving though, those of us at the back of the train could see the engine as we sped (?) around curves. It was a blue 59 alright, but which one? A steward came through the coach, so we asked him. After all, 'headboard man' must have leaped out to do his stuff back there, so the gen must be out... He didn't know, but "someone said it's got a bell on it." So it must be 201, or the other one. (joke - bell, other one... oh, never mind!) The sun was switched on, so sleep was not allowed, but the heating was also switched on... It was hot enough to hatch eggs, so that kind of cancelled-out the sun thing, and we slept...

As we did so, the train travelled from Pye Bridge Junction to Doncaster via Mansfield and the South Yorkshire Joint Line. I was awake by Donny. Not that there was much to be awake for, mind you. We were originally to have taken the second chord off the Joint Line, which would have brought us into Decoy Up Yard. Indeed, this bit of rare red stuff was a highlight of the tour (a sure-fire sign that you're on a hiding to nothing destination wise), however, it was decided by EWS (or was it EW&S back then?) who own the yard that the track in it was in a sorry state, so we had to settle for Decoy Down Yard, which is still red but not very rare. We rolled into Donny station and stopped. A perfect chance to see for myself if we had 201. But I couldn't be bothered. Once we got going we went via Knottingley East Curve (once rare...) and stopped in Sudforth Lane Sidings. For all I know, this location could be in North Yorkshire, if it's not then it's pretty close... Wherever it is, this is where 59201 was taken off one end of the train and 206 was put on the other.

59206 took us past Knottingley depot into the station. At one time it looked like that was all we were going to get. I can't remember the reason (although point failure springs to mind), but we sat for 'a while', waiting patiently (as you do...) When we got going, we rolled along to Wakefield Kirkgate where we had a photo stop. Hmmm. Worth it! The train was on the 'outside' platform which made the stop useless for photographing it, but the leg-stretch was nice. The incline to Wakefield Westgate seemed none-existent, thereafter the route was via the Leeds station avoiding line, and Normanton to Fitzwilliam, then Moorthorpe to Sheffield. Some of this was in the dark, all of it was slightly tedious, mostly because of fatigue and the fact that my destination loomed large. It was at Sheffield that I left the tour and joined a hideous 156 (Hull-bound) as my starter for ten on my journey home. At Sheffield 59206 was taken off the train, and sent off, no doubt out of breath, back to it's bed at Ferrybridge. 59103 was put back on to take the tour back to Bristol (via Cardiff!) It was booked to leave Sheffield via the 'old road' to Chesterfield (that is via Beighton), but whether or not it did I don't know [it did]... I was on my way back to my bed by then...

Ian Jessop

Additional notes from Alan Sheppard, who also travelled from Burton-on-Trent to Sheffield. The reason for the journey into South Wales was engineering work all day at Westerleigh Jn. Another change to the advertised route was the refusal by EW&S to traverse the Decoy Up Sidings, as they are "declared unsuitable". The Low Ellers Curve could not therefore be done.
Pathfinder were advised of this change on 22/12/96.

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Sheppard & Alan Vickers)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Bristol Temple Meads 05.27d ?   23.09 ? 228.24
0.46 Dr. Days Jn 05/29 ?   23/04 ? 227.58
4.43 Filton Jn 05/33 ?   22/58 ? 223.61
5.70 Patchway 05/35 ?   22/56 ? 222.34
9.36 Pilning 05/38 ?   22/52 ? 218.68
16.32 Severn Tunnel Junction 05/44 ?   22/46 ? 211.72
- Newport   22/32 ? 202.03
 - Marshfield   22/25 ? 196.73
 - Cardiff Central   22.02 ~ 22.17 ? 190.23
 - Marshfield   21/52 ? 183.53
26.21 Newport 05.54a ~ 06.09d 05.58 ~ 06.19   21.43 ~ 21.45 21.49 ~ ??.?? 178.43
36.10 Severn Tunnel Junction 06/18 ?   21/30 21/38 168.54
43.38 Chepstow 06/25 06/38   21/23 21/30 161.26
51.34 Lydney 06/33 ?   21/15 21/21 153.30
56.49 Awre 06/38 ?   21/10 21/16 148.15
70.67 Gloucester 06/52 07/06   20/58 20/59 133.77
71.64 Barnwood Jn 06/54 ?   20/56 ? 133.00
77.27 Cheltenham Spa 07.00a ~ 07.03d 07.15 ~ 07.19   20.47 ~ 20.50 20.47 ~ 20.50 127.37
84.38 Ashchurch 07/10 ?   20/33 ? 120.26
95.25 Abbotswood Jn 07/18 ?   20/25 ? 109.39
106.42 Stoke Works Jn 07/26 ?   20/16 ? 98.22
108.55 Bromsgrove 07/28 ?   20/14 20/13 96.09
112.18 Barnt Green 07/32 07/54   20/11 20/09 92.46
117.26 Kings Norton 07/43 ?   20/02 20/03 87.38
119.40 Selly Oak 07/48 ?   19/59 ? 85.24
122.71 Birmingham New Street 07.57a ~ 08.12d 08.10 ~ 08.14   19.50 ~ 19.52 19.50 ~ 19.53 81.73
125.47 Aston 08/19 ?  
127.69 Perry Barr North Jn 08/22 ?  
132.26 Bescot Stadium 08/26 08/32  
134.00 Walsall 08/30 08/37  
134.42 Ryecroft Jn 08/32 ?  
146.11 Park Lane Jn 08/55 09/02  
147.41 Water Orton 08/58 09/03   19/33 19/38 74.22
151.36 Kingsbury Jn 09/02 09/17   19/30 ? 70.27
157.17 Tamworth High Level 09.08a ~ 09.10d 09.25 ~ 09.30   19.21 ~ 19.23 19.26 ~ 19.28 64.46
164.45 Wichnor Jn 09/20 ?   19/14 ? 57.18
170.08 Burton-on-Trent 09.26a ~ 09.28d 09.45a ~ 09.47d   19.05 ~ 19.07 19.06 ~ 19.08 51.55
176.25 Stenson Jn 09/39 09/56   18/58 ? 45.38

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
188.59 Sheet Stores Jn 10/00 10/18
189.20 Trent East Jn 10/02 10/21
191.15
0.00
Toton Centre (Down Goods) 10L06 ~ 10L33 10.28 ~ 10.50
3.25 Trowell Jn 10/46 11/01
11.25 Pye Bridge Jn 10/56 11/17
13.10 Pinxton Signal Box 11/02 11.28 ~ 11.29
16.43 Kirkby Summit 11/18 11/40
24.45 Shirebrook 11/33 11/58
28.68 Elmton & Creswell Jn 11/38 12/05
34.26 Shireoaks West Jn 11/49 12/13
35.47 Brancliffe East Jn 11/52 12/18
38.64 Dinnington Colliery Jn 12.06 t 12.08 12.26 ~ 12.28
44.78 Maltby Colliery Signal Box 12.26 t 12.28 12.43 ~ 12.44
46.67 Firbeck West Jn 12/23 ?
50.64 St. Catherines Jn 12/43 12/57
52.08 Decoy North Jn 12/48 13/00
53.72 Doncaster 12.52 cc 12.54 13.10 ~ 13.20
58.11 Shaftholme Jn 13/02 13/28
68.20 Knottingley South Jn 13/15 13/43
68.40 Knottingley East Jn 13/17 13/45
70.70
0.00
Sudforth Lane Dep. Sdg. 13L22 ~ 13L42 13.53 ~ 14.08
2.63 Knottingley 13/47 14.15 ~ 14.45
4.52 Pontefract Monkhill 13/50 14/50
11.60 Crofton West Jn 14/00 15/00
13.38 Wakefield Kirkgate 14p03 ~ 14p33 15.05 ~ 15.17
14.14 Wakefield Westgate 14/37 15/25
23.30 Holbeck East Jn 14/56 15/37
24.00 Engine Shed Jn 14/59 15/40
31.63 Methley Jn 15/09 15/47
33.20 Altofts Jn 15/12 15/50
36.42 Turners Lane Jn 15/16 15/54
39.53 Hare Park Jn 15*26 ~ 15*35 16/02
45.52 South Kirkby Jn 15/43 16/09
46.29 Moorthorpe 15/45 ?
54.20 Swinton Jn 15/54 16/16
56.31 Aldwarke Jn 15/58 ?
59.33 Holmes Jn 16/02 ?
61.24 Wincobank Jn 16/05 16/23
64.36
0.00
Sheffield 16L11a ~ 17L30d 16.28 ~ 17.32
5.61 Woodhouse Jn 17/41 ?
7.15 Beighton Jn 17/50 ?
16.43 Chesterfield 18/07 18/00
20.53 Clay Cross South Jn 18/11 18/05
30.61 Ambergate Jn 18/20 ?
40.54 Derby Up Goods Line 18/32 ?
? Derby LNW Jn 18*38 ~ 18*50 ?

Timings continue in first table.

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