26th October 2002

Pathfinder Tours
The Western Pilgrim

Locos Used 09017, 47744, 47773 & D1015 'Western Champion'
Stock Used 5365+5307+5364+5029+4963+4902+1863+21272+3122+3112+3140+6310

Route:
1Z52 : Crewe to Plymouth
1Z53 : Plymouth to Crewe

Loco(s) Route
47744 Crewe - Norton Bridge - Stafford - Bushbury Jn - Portobello Jn - Bescot Stadium - Perry Barr North Jn - Aston - Birmingham New Street
D1015 Birmingham New Street - Selly Oak - King's Norton - Barnt Green - Bromsgrove - Droitwich Spa - Worcester Shrub Hill - Norton Jn - Abbotswood Jn - Cheltenham Spa - Standish Jn - Westerleigh Jn - Bristol Parkway - Filton Jn - Stapleton Road - Dr Days Jn - North Somerset Jn - Bath Spa - Bradford Jn - Westbury - (via Frome avoider) - Cogload Jn - Taunton - Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot - Laira Jn - (via up/down goods line) - Mount Gould Jn - Turnchapel Branch Jn
D1015 (1) Turnchapel Branch Jn - Plymouth Friary
09017 (2) Plymouth Friary - Mount Gould Jn - Lipson Jn - Plymouth
D1015 Plymouth - Newton Abbot - Exeter St Davids - Taunton - Bridgwater - Bristol Temple Meads
47773 Bristol Temple Meads - Stapleton Road - Filton Jn - Bristol Parkway - Westerleigh Jn - Standish Jn - Cheltenham Spa - Abbotswood Jn - Stoke Works Jn - Barnt Green - King's Norton - Bordesley Jn - St Andrews Jn - Birmingham New Street - Galton Jn - Dudley Port - Wolverhampton - Bushbury Jn - Stafford - Norton Bridge - Crewe

Notes:
(1) 09017 on rear.
(2) D1015 on rear.

Source : Gary Thornton (joined/left the train at Barnt Green)

Tour Review
(by Gary Thornton)


Gary Thornton's tour ticket.

When was the last time you took a "Wizzo" over the Devon banks? In my case the answer was "never" so this was a tour not to be missed as it would have D1015 "Western Champion" very much back on "home territory" doing what it was built for.

Although a Western out of Birmingham New Street would also be a new experience, I chose to settle on a slightly later start and join at Barnt Green. I'd also tempted my Father out for this trip so it would be his first class 52 on the mainline...possibly ever. Having seats at the front of coach B, the second from the front, was excellent news as we would be this close to "Champion" all the time.

 D1015 made a really nice sight rolling in with the tour. As booked, we were in the second coach, two colleagues already on board having joined at Crewe and Birmingham New Street respectively.

The run south via Worcester Shrub Hill was a bit of a totter, but the driver did manage to open up D1015 through the platform at Shrub hill which was a superb sound. A pathing stop at Abbotswood Junction didn't prevent us arriving 16 minutes early into Cheltenham Spa so there was plenty of time to socialise on the platform.

Onwards & southwards...

Once beyond Bristol Parkway and things livened up a little. The run round by Bath Spa proved entertaining and after Westbury "Champion" was really into top gear with quite a few miles of high speed running which was doubtless enjoyed by all passengers.

I'm sure the train made a fine sight in the sun along the Dawlish sea wall, certainly there were many photographers to record our passing. We fair stormed through Newton Abbot and despatched Dainton bank with little effort. The next stiff climb was Rattery, which starts almost immediately after passing through Totnes.

Rattery...what can I say. It was awesome!! Yes, D1015 was challenged by the steep climb, but never in any obvious danger of not winning the fight. All too soon and we'd breached the summit and began dropping down the other side (Hemerdon) towards Plymouth.

A diversion to Plymouth Friary saw 09017 added to the rear of the train and the gronk then took us round to Plymouth station itself. For some reason the 09 seemed to make very hard work of the task and we held up a FGW HST in the process. Arrival into Plymouth was about 20 minutes late.


09017 pulls into Plymouth station (photo: Roger Geach)


D1015 makes a very fine sight at Plymouth (photo: Gary Thornton)

After an hour or so break D1015 blasted away from Plymouth, down the hill past Laira depot then into the attack on Hemerdon bank. Another awesome feat it was too, plenty of noise and clag yet we topped the summit at a pretty decent speed.


A smoke screen over Plymouth! D1015 departs. (photo: Roger Geach)

A fast run back to Bristol Temple Meads saw us arrive a couple of minutes ahead of plan. Here we said good bye to D1015 in favour of 47773 "The Queen Mother"...it was a somewhat moving experience: as D1015 powered off the stock and into the darkness the assembled crowd applauded the days performance. I think the last time I remember anything like that happening was at Kings Cross on 2nd January 1982 at the end of the "Deltic Scotsman Farewell" tour!

As we sped northwards, gaining time hand-over-fist en-route a rumour began to circulate that D1015 was already back in action, having been sent to rescue a failed FGW HST!!!! At first I thought it was just a wind-up but no it wasn't...who could have believed it, a "Western" out rescuing a failed service train in 2002?!? For the record: 1A77, the 17.10 Bristol to Paddington had failed near Wotton Bassett Junction and D1015 hauled the stricken tram to Swindon where the train was terminated. D1015 then went off light engine to Old Oak Common depot!

We left the train at Barnt Green, the train by now running over half an hour early (another unusual event in the railtour world!) and headed home very happy. Quite simply - what a superb day out it had been!

Gary Thornton.

Timings : Booked & Actual
(by Gary Thornton)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Crewe 06.18d -   22.39a - 144.13
8.06 Madeley 06/29 -   22/26 - 136.07
19.08 Norton Bridge 06/42 -   22/17 - 125.05
24.37 Stafford 06.54a ~ 06.56d - ~ -   22.08a ~ 22.10d - ~ - 119.56
38.14 Bushbury Jn 07/9 -   21/55 - 105.79
40.62 Portobello Jn 07/14 -  
44.79 Bescot Stadium 07/21 -  
49.36 Perry Barr North Jn 07/25 -  
51.58 Aston 07/29 -  
  Wolverhampton   21/50 - 104.25
  Dudley Port   21/40 - 98.65
  Galton Jn   21/33 - 95.20
  Soho South Jn   21/31 - 93.42
54.34
0.00
Birmingham New Street 07L35a ~ 08L20d - ~ -   21.24a ~ 21.26d - ~ - 91.41
3.31 Selly Oak 08/28 -  
  St Andrews Jn       21/17 - 89.70
  Bordesley Jn       21/16 - 89.44
5.45 King's Norton 08/35 -   21/10 - 84.29
7.78 Longbridge 08/39 -   21/06 - 81.76
10.53 Barnt Green 08.42a ~ 08.44d 08.48 ~ 08.51   21.00a ~ 21.02d 20.27 ~ 20.28 79.21
14.16 Bromsgrove 08/49 08/54   20/53 20/21 75.58
16.29 Stoke Works Jn 08/52 08/59   2/51 20/19 73.45
20.44 Droitwich Spa 09/02 09/04  
26.23 Worcester Shrub Hill 09/13 09/13  
29.08 Norton Jn 09/18 09/20  
29.70 Abbotswood Jn 09*20a ~ 09*41d 09.21 ~ 09.28   20/42 (20/11) 62.28
40.57 Ashchurch 09/52 09/38   20/33 20/04 51.41
47.68 Cheltenham Spa 10.01a ~ 10.05d 09.45 ~ 10.06   20.23a ~ 20.25d 19.53 ~ 19.56 44.30
53.31 Barnwood Jn 10/11 10/13   20.06a ~ 20.15d 19.42 ~ 19.44 38.67
54.18 Gloucester Yard Jn 10/12 10/15   20/04 19/39 38.00
60.28 Standish Jn 10/18 10/21   19/58 19/33 31.70
73.53 Charfield 10/28 ??/??   19/47 19/24 18.45
81.66 Westerleigh Jn 10/37 10/38   19/38 19/16 10.32
86.36 Bristol Parkway 10.43a ~ 10.46d 10.44 ~ 10.47   19.31a ~ 19.32d 19.08 ~ 19.10 5.62
87.55 Filton Jn 10/53 10/52   19/28 19/05 4.43
90.55 Stapleton Road 10/58 10/57   19/24 19/02 1.43
91.52 Dr Days Jn 11/0 10/59   19*10a ~ 19*22d 19/01 0.46
91.75 North Somerset Jn 11*02a ~ 11*15d 11/01  
102.54 Bath Spa 11/27 11/13  
104.70 Bathampton Jn 11/30 11.19a ~ 11.21d  
114.12 Bradford Jn 11/41 11/31  
119.36 Westbury 11/51 11/39  
120.70 Fairwood Jn 11/53 11/41  
124.12 Clink Road Jn 11/57 11/44  
126.14 Blatchbridge Jn 11/59 11/47  
139.03 Castle Cary 12/09 11/57  
  Bristol Temple Meads   18L27a ~ 19L07d 18.25 ~ 18.59 127.49
0.00
  Parson Street   18/21 18/20 125.60
  Worle Jn   18/07 18/07 125.60
  Uphill Jn   18/05 18/04 107.71
  Highbridge & Burnham   17/59 17/59 100.50
  Bridgwater   17/54 17/54 94.28
161.43 Cogload Jn 12/26 12/13   17/49 17/50 87.66
166.46 Taunton 12/30 12/19   17/45 17/46 82.63
180.60 Tiverton Parkway 12/43 12/32   17/33 17/35 68.49
196.06 Cowley Bridge Jn 12/56 12/52   17/19 17/22 53.23
197.26 Exeter St Davids 12c59a ~ 13c01d 12.55 ~ 12.58   17/17 17/21 52.03
207.68 Dawlish Warren 13/1 13/10   17/07 17/11 41.41
217.40 Newton Abbot 13/21 13/20   16/58 17/01 31.69
226.17 Totnes 13/33 13/32   16/47 16/51 23.12
238.53 Ivybridge 13/49 13/48   16/34 16/39 10.56
242.44 Hemerdon 13/55 ??/??   16/30 16/33 6.65
247.36 Laira Jn 14/00 14/02   ??/?? ??/?? 1.40
248.79 Mount Gould Jn 14/05 14/05  
???.?? Turnchapel Branch Jn ??/?? 14L11a ~ 14L26d  
249.73
0.00
Plymouth Friary 14L12a ~ 14L32d 14.30 ~ 14.42  
0.74 Mount Gould Jn 14/39 14.46a ~ 14.52d  
1.28 Lipson Jn 14/45 14/58  
2.68 Plymouth 14.53a 15.14   16.20d 16.23  

Key;
a : arrival time
c : crew change
d : departure time
L : loco change
* : operational stop
/ : passing time

All distances, in miles and chains (M & C), are taken from the timing sheet given out on the train. No attempt has been made to verify the mileages given.

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