1st March 2008

Railway Touring Company
The Cheshireman

Locos Used 67001 & steam: 71000 'Duke of Gloucester'
Stock Used 17041(1)+ 12 coaches

Route:
1Z90 : Mill Hill Broadway to Chester
1Z91 : Chester to Mill Hill Broadway

Loco Route
67001
Mill Hill Broadway - Luton - Bedford - Kettering - Corby - Manton Jn - Oakham - Melton Mowbray - Syston East Jn - Syston South Jn - Leicester
71000
Leicester - Trent South Jn - Sheet Stores Jn - Stenson Jn - North Stafford Jn - Uttoxeter - Stoke-on-Trent - Kidsgrove - Crewe - Chester
71000
Chester - (reverse of outward route) - Sheet Stores Jn - Trent East Jn -Toton Centre
67001
Toton Centre - Trent East Jn - Trent South Jn - Leicester
67001
Leicester - (reverse of outward route) - Mill Hill Broadway

Notes :
(1) 17041 only in consist when 71000 was hauling the train.

Source : Stuart Prentice (joined/left the train at Luton)

Tour Review
(by Stuart Prentice)

We picked up the train at Luton with 67001 and 12 coaches on. Some slack timings via Corby and Melton Mowbray saw us arrive at Leicester facing south a few minutes early. Here we lost the 67 for 71000 Duke of Gloucester, which was put on the north end of our train with its support coach. However the loco was not in behind the signal and had locked the route from the sidings, so before anything else could leave the station the whole train had to be shunted back to get it in clear, and free the route. All this messing about meant a 5 late start from Leicester. A steady run saw us arrive at Sheet Stores Junction only 3 down for the run to Stenson Junction and by Stoke we were back on time. Slack timings gave us a 6 minutes early arrival for water at Crewe. A 4 early departure gave us a 7 early arrival at Chester.

Departure from Chester was booked as 15.13, but that time came and went with the loco still on Chester Depot and the coaches sat in a siding. N.R. had allowed only 2 hours to turn the whole train and then fuel and water the engine, not surprisingly this was not long enough. Finally 71000 came off the shed at 15.28 to join the coaches for the shunt into the platform which was completed by 15.45. Departure was finally achieved at 16.04, but more time was lost by Crewe arriving around an hour late. However with a water stop reduced from 40 minutes down to 24, departure was only 40 minutes late.

More slack timings saw us only 20 minutes late at Sheet Stores Junction before we headed for Toton Centre (Posh name for Toton Yard!) Here we gained 67001 and said good bye to “The Duke”, which had performed brilliantly all day, a credit to all those who look after the engine. Departure from Toton was only 14 minutes down. Somehow though, even omitting the booked stop at Loughborough saw us arrive back at Leicester 20 minutes down. A protracted run round for 67001 saw us leave 35 late, which was never recovered even with the Wellingborough stop omitted, arrival at Luton was at 22.30.

A very enjoyable, if long, day with a couple of bits of unusual track thrown in for good measure, topped off with 3 very nice meals served by the efficient on board staff.

Stuart Prentice

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Stuart Prentice)

Location
Booked
Actual
 
Booked
Actual
Mill Hill Broadway
06.52d
?
 
22.22a
?
St Albans
07.02a ~ 07.04d
?
 
22.09a ~ 22.11d
?
Luton
07.16a ~ 07.18d
07.17 ~ 07.19
 
21.56a ~ 21.58d
22.30 ~ ??.??
Flitwick
07/28
07/29
 
21/45
?
Bedford South Jn
07/41
07/37
 
21/36
22/05
Bedford
07.44a ~ 07.46d
07.40 ~ 07.46
 
21.32a ~ 21.34d
21.59 ~ 22.02
Bedford North Jn
07/48
07/48
 
21/30
21/58
Sharnbrook Jn
07/54
07/54
 
21/25
?
Wellingborough
08.03a ~ 08.05d
08.02 ~ 08.05
 
21.14a ~ 21.16d
21/44
Kettering South Jn
08/11
08/12
 
21/05
21/37
Kettering
08.13a ~ 08.15d
08.16 ~ 08.19
 
21.00a ~ 21.02d
21.32 ~ 21.33
Kettering North Jn
08/17
08/22
 
20/57
?
Corby
08/24
08/29
 
20/50
21/19
Manton Jn
08/50
08/49
 
20/33
21/02
Oakham
08/55
08/54
 
20/29
20/57
Langham Jn
08/58
08/56
 
20/28
20/56
Melton Mowbray
09.09a ~ 09.11d
09.06 ~ 09.10
 
20.13a ~ 20.15d
20.44 ~ 20.45
Syston East Jn
09/32
09/20
 
19/59
?
Syston South Jn
09/34
09/22
 
19/58
20/32
Leicester
09L40a ~ 10L01d
09.36 ~ 10.06
 
19.27a ~ 19.47d
19.48 ~ 20.22
Syston South Jn
10/10
10/17
 
19/21
19/38
Sileby Jn
10/15
?
 
19/18
19/35
Loughborough
10/23
10/26
 
19.11a ~ 19.13d
19/31
Ratcliffe Jn
10/34
10/37
 
?
?
Trent South Jn
10/36
10/39
 
19/04
19/22
Trent  
19/03
19/21
Toton Jn  
19/01
19/15
Toton Centre
 
18L38 ~ 18L58
19.00 ~ 19.12
Toton Jn  
18/35
18/55
Trent  
18/33
18/53
Sheet Stores Jn
10/37
10/41
 
18/31
18/51
Stenson Jn
10/58
11/00
 
18/00
18/25
North Stafford Jn
10/59
11/02
 
17/59
18/24
Tutbury & Hatton
11/07
11/09
 
17/48
18/16
Uttoxeter
11/18
11/18
 
17/38
18/07
Caverswall
11/35
11/35
 
17/23
?
Longton
11/42
11/44
 
17/12
17/47
Stoke Jn
11/49
11/49
 
17/03
17/43
Stoke-on-Trent
11/52
11/50
 
17/02
17/41
Kidsgrove
12/01
11/59
 
16/49
17/30
Alsager
12/08
12/03
 
16/41
17/24
Barthomley Jn
12/15
?
 
16/33
?
Crewe North Stafford Jn
12/18
12/12
 
16/29
17/10
Crewe
12w21a ~ 12w46d
12.14 ~ 12.42
 
15w45a ~ 16w26d
16.42 ~ 17.06
Crewe Steel Works
12/53
?
 
15/39
16/30
Beeston Castle & Tarporley SB
13/03
12/56
 
15/29
16/19
Chester
13.19a
13.12
 
15.13d
16.04


Back to "The Railtour Files"