18th September 2004

Pathfinder Tours
The Royal Edinburgh

Loco Used 45112
Stock Used 17056+3069+3068+3066+3148+1842+5292+5366+5276

Route:
1Z45 : Newtown to Edinburgh Waverley
1Z21 : Edinburgh Waverley to Newtown

Loco Route
45112 Newtown - Shrewsbury - Gobowen - Wrexham General - Chester - Frodsham - Acton Grange Jn - (via WCML) - Carstairs South Jn - Midcalder Jn - Haymarket - Edinburgh Waverley
45112 Edinburgh Waverley - (reverse of outward route) - Newtown

Sources : various

Tour Review
(by Dan Augood)

Chaps,

        Two words - 'Not Required!' Duly Nailed for, oh I don't know, a few hundred miles I suppose, on Saturday. Two more words 'Fire' and 'Hell' - not necessarily in that order! They gave it plenty, and then they gave it some more. Due to a booking foul up, our coach (J) was first class, and at the front for the outbound trip, Shap and Beatock despatched at a screaming, bellowing fifty mph. The looks on the faces of the party of Japanese golfers we passed at the lineside as we screamed away from Carstairs will live in the memory for a long time! The stuff of legend.

        A few things I'd forgotten in my wilderness years:

Some numbers for you
0 - The number of times I found myself in Carlisle in the period 1988 - 2003
5 - The number of Times I've found myself there in the year since coming out of retirement last year.
50 - Our speed over Beatock in miles per hour
29,568,000 - The same in cubits per week
6804 - The number of days since I'd last had a peak before Saturday (45102 Birmingham NS to Burton on Trent, 1st Feb 1986!)
2 - the number of days since I last scored a peak as of now.
449 - The actual mileage - off Six Bells Jcn
45112 - The number of the beast!

        And that's about the size of it really. Would I recommend this experience to you? You bet I would. Given the choice between last Saturday and a selection of Sheds to an obscure freight line in the Midlands, I know which I prefer. Breakfast in Carlisle, lunch in Edinburgh, dinner in Manchester. No guts, no glory, that's what I say. Too good to be true? certainly felt like it. Woke up on Sunday and thought it must all have been a dream. Wonderful.

Dan Augood

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(courtesy of Pathfinder Tours)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Newtown 05.45d 05.57   23.48a 23.39 312.66
13.68 Welshpool 06.05a ~ 06.08d 06.13 ~ 06.15   23.26a ~ 23.28d 23.13 ~ 23.20 298.78
32.58 Sutton Bridge Jn 06*28a ~ 06*30d ?   23*05a ~ 23*06d ? 280.08
33.42 Shrewsbury 06.36a ~ 06.43d 06.42 ~ 06.45   22.57a ~ 23.00d 22.40 ~ 22.45 279.24
51.46 Gobowen 07.07a ~ 07.10d 07.05 ~ 07.10   22.28a ~ 22.30d 22.17 ~ 22.18 261.20
58.71 Ruabon 07.22a ~ 07.25d ?   22.16a ~ 22.18d ? 253.75
63.62 Wrexham General 07.32a ~ 07.36d 07.32 ~ 07.36   22.06a ~ 22.08d 21.57 ~ 21.59 249.04
74.06 Saltney Jn 07/52 07/49   21/52 21/44 238.60
75.77 Chester 07.57a ~ 08.00d 07.56 ~ 08.01   21.46a ~ 21.49d 21.38 ~ 21.41 236.69
78.50 Mickle Trafford 08/10 ?   21/36 ? 234.16
83.27 Helsby 08/14 08/12   21/31 21/29 229.39
85.61 Frodsham 08.18a ~ 08.21d ?   21.24a ~ 21.26d ? 227.05
92.12 Acton Grange Jn 08/29 08/27   21/15 21/15 220.54
93.79 Warrington Bank Quay 08.31a ~ 08.34d 08.30 ~ 08.34   21.08a ~ 21.10d 21.10 ~ 21.12 218.67
97.35 Winwick Jn 08/39 08/38   21/03 21/06 215.31
105.59 Wigan North Western 08/46 08/45   20/55 20/58 207.07
115.33 Euxton Jn 08/55 08/53   20/46 20/46 197.33
120.69 Preston 09/05 09/05   20/38 20/39 191.77
141.67 Lancaster 09/25 09/23   20/18 20/19 170.79
147.75 Carnforth North Jn 09/33 09/27   20/12 20/12 164.71
160.75 Oxenholme 09/44 09/36   20/03 20/01 151.71
173.44 Tebay 09/57 09/47   19/53 19/20 139.22
193.07 Penrith 10/15 10/02   19/35 19/02 119.59
210.76 Carlisle 10.31a ~ 11.10d 10.17 ~ 11.10   19c04a ~ 19c14d 18.44 ~ 18.45 101.70
219.53 Gretna Jn 11/20 11/18   18/55 18/36 93.13
236.62 Lockerbie 11*38a ~ 11*47d ?   18/37 18/25 76.04
250.36 Beattock 12/01 11/44   18/27 18/15 62.30
260.60 Beattock Summit 12/18 11/54   18/20 18/09 52.06
268.66 Abington 12*28a ~ 12*36d ?   18/13 18/03 44.00
284.09 Carstairs South Jn 12/56 12/20   18/00 17/49 28.57
300.72 Midcalder Jn 13/15 12/37   17/30 17/32 11.74
301.66 Kirknewton 13.17a ~ 13.18d 12.38 ~ 12.40   ? ? ?
310.21 Slateford Jn 13/30 12/49   17/18 17/23 2.45
311.47 Haymarket 13/33 13/07   17/15 17/21 1.19
312.66 Edinburgh Waverley 13.39a 13.11   17.11d 17.16 0.00


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