13th October 1973

B.R.
(Merrymaker Excursion)

Loco Used 1754
Stock Used 11 mark 1 coaches vb90mph

Route : 1Z94 throughout

Loco Route
1754 Cleethorpes - Grimsby Town - Barnetby - Market Rasen - Lincoln St Marks - Newark Castle - Nottingham - Trent - Sheet Stores Jn - Castle Donnington - Stenson Jn - Uttoxeter - Stoke-on-Trent - Kidsgrove - Crewe - Chester - Rhyl - Llandudno Junction - Llandudno
1754 Llandudno - (reverse of outward route) - Cleethorpes

Notes:
(1) The return departure time from Llandudno had been incorrectly advertised to passengers as 18.18 - control was 'not amused' at having to hold the train, or the chaos that ensued at Colwyn Bay & Rhyl with having to get the passengers into the correct section of the train (due to short platforms at Newark Castle etc).

Source : Gordon Lacy (on train Newark Castle to Rhyl & Llandudno to Newark Castle)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gordon Lacy)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Cleethorpes ? ?   ? ?
Grimsby Town ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?   ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?
Barnetby ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?   ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?
Market Rasen ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?   ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?
Lincoln St Marks ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?   ??.??a ~ ??.??d ?
Newark Castle 08.33a ~ 08.35d ??.?? ~ 08.44   22.16a ~ 22.18d 22.11 ~ ??.??
Nottingham ??c?? ~ ??c?? 09.08 ~ 09.10   ??c?? ~ ??c?? 21.46 ~ 21.48
Stenson Jn ? 09/49½   ? 21/05
North Stafford Jn 09/45 09/51   21/07½ 21/03½
Tutbury 10/00 10/00   21/00½ ?
Uttoxeter 10/11 10/09   20/52½ 20/44½
Creswell 10/26 10/22   20/44 20/33½
Stoke Jn 10/40 10/35   20/22 20/22
Stoke-on-Trent 10/42 10/36   20/20 20/21
Etruria 10/44½ 10/38½   20/18½ 20/18½
Kidsgrove 10/53 10/47   20/10 20/09½
Crewe 11c12 ~ 11c14 110.6 ~ 11.10   19c53 ~ 19c55 19.53 ~ 19.55
Tattenhall Road 11/32 11/25   ? 19/34½
Chester 11/39 11/32½   ? 19/26
Connah's Quay 11/50 11/43   ? ?
Holywell Jn 11/59 11/50   ? 19/05
Rhyl 12.10a ~ 12.12d 12.05½ ~ ??.??   18.43a ~ 18.45d 18.48 ~ 18.52
Colwyn Bay 12.25a ~ 12.27d ?   18.26a ~ 18.28d 18.31½ ~ 18.36
Llandudno 12.45a ?   18.10d 18.18


Back to "The Railtour Files - 1973"