7th March 2020

Branch Line Society
The Fenny Crompton

Locos Used 33029 & 47746 'Chris Fudge'
Stock Used 4905+99311+4984+4973+99125+99316+99122+99723

Route : 1Z36 throughout

Loco(s) Route
33029 (1) Lancaster - (via WCML) - Crewe - Alsager - Kidsgrove - Stoke-on-Trent - Stone - Colwich - Rugeley Trent Valley - Cannock - Bloxwich - Ryecroft Jn - Walsall - Bescot [U&DG] - Aston - Stechford - Birmingham International - Coventry - Leamington Spa - Banbury - Aynho Jn - Bicester North - Princes Risborough - High Wycombe - Gerrards Cross - South Ruislip - Greenford West Jn - Greenford South Jn - Drayton Green - West Ealing - Acton West - London Paddington

Notes :
(1) 47746 on rear.
(2)
Day 1 of 3 of 'The Parkinson Package' raising funds for Help for Heroes.
(3) John Clifford's comments: This was a positioning move to get the coaches to London for “The Devonian Crompton” on the following day, 8th March 2020. The trip did not get off to a good start. The staff at Carnforth had difficulty in getting 33029 to start, but did so eventually with the train leaving Lancaster nearly an hour late. The train ran on the Slow line from Ribble Jn instead of the Fast to let the 05.50 Glasgow - Euston pass. It was 15 minutes late and checked us before Warrington. Before Weaver Jn we were checked again to let the 08.47 Liverpool - Euston proceed (12 minutes late). There was a speed restriction at Dutton Viaduct caused by an embankment slip and this with the late running of the Liverpool train meant that further time was lost and we were stopped at Crewe North Jn to let the 08.47 carry out its station duties. There was a stop before Kidsgrove to let the 09.27 Manchester - Southampton Central get ahead. The generous time allowance between Stone and Colwich meant that we gained some time making us just over half an hour late. We didn’t stop at Walsall so made up some more time and reached Stechford early only to be stopped to let the 06.25 Edinburgh - Euston (3 minutes late) and the 09.27 Manchester - Southampton Central (2 minutes late) pass. The stop at Coventry allowed the 11.16 Nuneaton - Leamington Spa to go ahead. At Leamington Spa we stopped at the North Jn in order to follow the 07.00 Edinburgh - Reading. We didn’t stop in the Down Goods Loop at Fenny Compton so arriving at Banbury early. We had to wait here for our path, as we were booked to travel over the down line from Aynho Jn to Bicester North. There was then the unusual spectacle of two trains approaching Bicester from the north as we were passed by the 12.12 Birmingham Snow Hill - Marylebone. Approaching Princes Risborough we were checked by the 13.29 Aylesbury - Marylebone and checked again as it made its station calls. We didn’t stop at West Ruislip but did at Ruislip Gardens Jn to let two trains from Marylebone come down (14.10 to Birmingham Moor Street and 14.13 to Aylesbury). By this time we were early again so were held at Greenford West Jn for the 14.34 from West Ealing to come into the Bay platform at Greenford and the 14.49 Greenford - West Ealing to leave. Onward towards West Ealing we stopped at West Ealing Jn to let the 15.04 West Ealing - Greenford to come out of the West Ealing bay platform. A stop was made at Royal Oak Jn but I didn’t find out why and this gave us a 2 min late arrival at Paddington. The trains shown above were on time unless shown otherwise.

Sources : John Clifford (on the tour throughout) & Alan Sheppard

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Lancaster 07.10d [P4] 08.04½ [P4]
11.49 Garstang & Catteral 07/24 08/15
20.45 Fylde Jn 07/35 [UF] 08/22 [UF]
20.78 Preston 07.37a ~ 07.39d [P6] [UF] 08.23 ~ 08.26½ [P6]
21.42 Ribble Jn 07/41 [UF] 08/27 [US]
26.33 Euxton Jn 07/47 [UF] 08/33 [US]
27.58 Balshaw Lane 07/50 [UF] 08/35½ [US]
? Balshaw Lane Jn ? 08.36½ ~ 08.38½
36.08 Wigan North Western 07/57 [P4] [UF] 08/48 [P4] [UM]
36.45 Wigan South Jn 07/57½ [UF] 08/49 [UM]
37.24 Springs Branch Jn 07/58 [UF] 08/50 [UF]
42.02 Golborne Jn 08/02 [UF] 08/53½
44.29 Winwick Jn 08/05 [UF] 08/55 [UF]
46.63 Dallam Jn 08/07 [UF] 08/58 [UF]
47.67 Warrington Bank Quay 08/08 [P2] [UF] 08/59 [P2]
49.54 Acton Grange Jn 08/10 [UF] 09/01 [UM]
55.08 Weaver Jn 08/15 09/09
57.40 Acton Bridge 08/18 [UF] 09/13½ [P2] [UF]
59.22 Hartford Jn 08/20 [UF] 09/17
64.37 Winsford 08/25 [UF-US] 09/24 [P1] [US]
71.10 Crewe Coal Yard 08/37 [US] 09/31 [US]
? Crewe North Jn 08/38 09.33 ~ 09.35
71.75 Crewe 08.39a ~ 08.43d [P5] 09.37½ ~ 09.41 [P1]
72.78 North Stafford Jn 08/46 [UDP] 09/43½ [UDP]
? Barthomley Jn 08/50 09/47
78.17 Alsager 08/53 09/52 [P2]
? Alsager [Goods Loop] 08*55 ~ 09*00 [U&DGL] 09/54 [U&DGL]
? Sig.SOT474 ? 09.59½ ~ 10.00
80.45 Kidsgrove 09/08 [P3] 10/01½ [P3]
86.63 Stoke-on-Trent 09/18 [P1] 10/10 [P1]
87.21 Stoke Jn 09/19 10/11
96.62 Stone 09/26 10/17
108.36 Colwich 09/52 [US] 10/26½ [US]
111.05 Rugeley North Jn 09/57 [UDR] 10/30 [UDR]
111.22 Rugeley Trent Valley 09/58 [P1] 10/31 [P1]
112.05 Rugeley Power Station Jn 10/00 10/32
112.47 Rugeley Town 10/02 10/33 [P1]
116.69 Hednesford 10/10 10/38 [P1]
119.44 Mid Cannock Jn 10/14 10/41
123.42 Bloxwich 10/20 10/45½ [P1]
125.74 Ryecroft Jn 10/25 10/48½
126.44 Walsall 10*28 ~ 10*35 [UF] 10/50 [UF]
127.29 Pleck Jn 10/38 10/52
128.10 Bescot Jn 10/40 10/54½
? Bescot [Up & Down Goods] 10*43 ~ 10*50 [U&DG] 10/56 [U&DG]
129.01 Newton Jn 10/55 10/58
132.50 Perry Barr North Jn 11/01 11/02
134.72 Aston 11/08 [P2] 11/05½ [P2]
137.61 Stechford 11/17 11.11½ ~ 11.19 [P3]
142.14 Birmingham International 11/24 [P4] 11/26½ [P4]
147.31 Berkswell 11/29 11/31 [P2]
152.70 Coventry 11.37a ~ 11.43d [P4] 11.37½ ~ 11.42 [P4]
155.28 Gibbet Hill Jn 11/49 11/46½
157.01 Kenilworth Jns 11*53 ~ 11*54 [UDL] 11.51½ ~ 11.53½
161.43 Milverton Jn 12/01 11/59
? Leamington Spa North Jn ? 12.01 ~ 12.06½
162.42 Leamington Spa 12/06 [UM] 12/09 [UM]
173.49 Fenny Compton 12*26 ~ 12*38 [DGL] 12/25 [DGL]
181.24 Reservoir Jn 12/48 [UBL] 12/34½ [UBL]
182.33 Banbury 12*51 ~ 12*58 [UBL] 12.38 ~ 12.59 [UBL]
187.36 Aynho Jn 13/06 [DM] 13/06½ [DM]
? Sig.ME1204 ? 13.18½ ~ 13.19
196.44 Bicester North 13.22a ~ 13.30d [P2] 13.22 ~ 13.30 [P2]
197.45 Bicester South Jn 13/33 13/32
209.35 Haddenham & Thame Parkway 13/46 [P2] 13/43 [P2]
215.20 Princes Risborough 13/53 [UM] 13/49 [UM]
218.33 Saunderton 13/57 13/54 [P1]
223.31 High Wycombe 14/03 [P3] 14/00½ [P3]
232.42 Gerrards Cross 14/14 [P2] 14/14 [P2]
237.72 West Ruislip 14*22 ~ 14*36 [UPL] 14/22 [P4] [UPL]
? Ruislip Gardens Jn ? 14.23 ~ 14.31 [DM]
239.53 South Ruislip 14/40 14/35 [P3]
242.27 Greenford West Jn 14/56 14.40½ ~ 14.56
242.58 Greenford South Jn 14/58 14/59
244.16 Drayton Green 15/04 15/03 [P2]
? West Ealing Jn ? 15.04 ~ 15.06
244.57 West Ealing 15/08 [P4] [UR] 15/07½ [P4] [UR]
246.23 Acton West 15/12 [UR] 15/10½ [UR]
? Ladbroke Grove 15/16 [L5] 15/14 [L5]
249.70 Portobello Jn 15/17 [L5] 15/15 [L5]
250.56 Royal Oak Jn 15/21 [L4] 15.17 ~ 15.20½ [L4]
251.18 London Paddington 15.22a [P9] 15.24 [P9]

Mileages taken from tour brochure.

Associated E.C.S. Workings

5Z36 : (33029 with 47746 on rear) : Carnforth to Lancaster

Location Booked Actual
Carnforth Steamtown 04.55d  
Carnforth Headshunt 05.05 ~ 05.15  
Carnforth 05.20 ~ 06.50  
Carnforth North Jn 06/52  
Morecambe South Jn 06/58  
Lancaster 07.02a [P4] 08.01½ [P4]

5Z37 : (47746 with 33029 on rear) : London Paddington to Greenford East Jn
5Z37 : (33029 with 47746 on rear) : Greenford East Jn to Southall

Location Booked
London Paddington 15.45d [P9]
Royal Oak Jn 15/46
Portobello Jn 15/47
Ladbroke Grove Jn 15/48
Acton West 15/52
West Ealing 15/55
Drayton Green 15/57
Greenford South Jn 16/02
Greenford East Jn 16.05 ~ 16.30
Greenford South Jn 16/33
Drayton Green 16/41
Hanwell 16/50
Hanwell Bridge Loop 16*54 ~ 17*09
Southall East Jn 17/11
Southall 17.13 ~ 17.23
Southall WCR 17.33a


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