2nd April 1988

Hertfordshire Rail Tours
The Tubular Belle

Locos Used 40122, 47287, 85006 & 85011

Route : 1T12 throughout

Loco Route
85011 London Euston - (via WCML, Weedon & Trent Valley) - Crewe
40122 Crewe - Chester - Prestatyn - Rhyl - Colwyn Bay - Llandudno Junction - Llandudno
47287 Llandudno shunt
40122 Llandudno - Llandudno Junction - North Llanrwst - Betws-y-Coed - Blaenau Ffestiniog
40122 Blaenau Ffestiniog - Betws-y-Coed - North Llanrwst - Llandudno Junction - Bangor - Holyhead
40122 Holyhead - Bangor - Llandudno Junction - Colwyn Bay - Rhyl - Prestatyn - Chester - Crewe
85006 Crewe - (reverse of outward route) - London Euston

Sources : Mark Herriott (on the tour throughout), Nick Ross, Kevin Gaylard & Harry Harper

Tour Review
(by Nick Ross)

After the fiasco of a sick 40122 on the 'Pennine Forty' tour a few weeks before, rumours before this tour even started, were that she was still suffering from field divert problems so what would happen at Crewe. Would some 47/4 deputise? 85011 on a 10 coach NSE liveried Mk 1 cobbler rake put in a lively run to Crewe with a few bouts of 100mph plus running.

The queen of green looked superb in her new museum standard green and our front coach seats soon gave ample evidence she was mechanically sound, as she opened up across the Beeston castle area. Llandudno was reached all to quickly where to escape the rain, a few of us were allowed to stay on for the shunt. Bus stop mileage behind 47287 to the carriage sidings and back was claimed by a few of us more desperate souls.

Being now at the back of the train we wandered up to the brake for the ascent to Blaenau with impressive scenery and loco sounds to match, 'hell' to summarise. Many phots at Blaenau for the run round in the standard grey light there then onwards to Holyhead. The atmosphere throughout the tour was superb everybody happy 40122 was well again and much reminiscing of trips behind long gone machines like 40029, 40104 and 40177 was heard.

A 20 minute run round at Holyhead restricted planned trips to beer/chip houses but once back on the move we were all in for a hell-fire session, thrash, speed, whistling and the odd bellow all gave a fitting farewell to a class on a route that had given us so much fun (and some pain) over the years. The green machine was detached at Crewe with her very last, high ching, yuppy farewell trip a few weeks later before NRM preservation.

A second 100 mph authorised roarer in 85006 provided our power South with an on-time, but unspectacular run. A railtour first in that on leaving Crewe the guard emerged from his rear coach cage and began gripping! On realising it was a charter he stopped and a good route knowledge talk with him followed. Motoring home on a more mundane 310 unit, there was time to reflect on an awesome display by 40122 and her crew for the day, what a beast!


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Mark Herriott)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
0.00 London Euston 07.35d 07.35   21.36a 21.24
5.65 Willesden West London Jn 07/41 07/41   21/28 21/17
17.35 Watford Junction 07.50a ~ 07.51d 07.49 ~ 07.51   21.14a ~ 21.15d 21.07 ~ 21.09
31.53 Tring 08/01 08/01   21/04 20/58
46.46 Bletchley 08/11 08/10   20/54 20/48
56.47 Hanslope Jn 08/18 08/17   20/41 20/41
69.56 Weedon 08/26 08/25   20/32 ?
82.40 Rugby 08.37a ~ 08.39d 08.36 ~ 08.39   20.17a ~ 20.22d 20.17 ~ 20.19
97.10 Nuneaton 08.51a ~ 08.53d 08.51 ~ 08.53   20.02a ~ 20.04d 20.03 ~ 20.04
110.12 Tamworth LL 09/03 09/02   19/53 19/53
116.23 Lichfield Trent Valley 09/07 09/06   19/49 19/49
127.08 Colwich Jn 09/13 09/12   19/42 19/43
133.43 Stafford 09/20 09/18   19/36 19/38
138.72 Norton Bridge 09/25 09/23   19/31 19/32
149.74 Madeley Jn 09/34 09/32   19/22 19/24
158.00 Crewe 09L43a 09.41   19L14d 19.16

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Crewe 09L55d 09.58
1.41 Crewe Steel Works 09/58½ 10/01
10.60 Beeston Castle & Tarporley 10/07 10/09
21.10 Chester 10/19 10/21
23.01 Saltney Jn 10/23 10/25
31.51 Rockcliffe Hall Jn 10/30 10/32
37.76 Holywell Jn 10/39 10/40
51.08 Rhyl 10/56 10/55
61.45 Colwyn Bay 11/08 11/09
65.55 Llandudno Junction 11/16 11/14
68.69 Llandudno 11.24a ~ 12.00d 11.23 ~ 12.02
72.03 Llandudno Junction 12/08 12.07 ~ 12.09
83.11 Llanrwst 12/36 12/29
99.45 Blaenau Ffestiniog 13.05a ~ 14.10d 13.04 ~ 14.14
112.05 Betws-y-Coed 14p40 ~ 14p55 14.39 ~ 14.59
115.79 Llanrwst 15.05 ~ 15.11 15.07 ~ 15.14
127.07 Llandudno Junction 15/30 15/34
142.23 Bangor 15/55 15/56
148.47 Gaerwen Jn 16/06 16/04
167.04 Holyhead 16.24a ~ 16.58d 16.27 ~ 16.58
185.41 Gaerwen Jn 17/16 17/25
191.65 Bangor 17/25 17/32
207.01 Llandudno Junction 17/47 17/48
211.11 Colwyn Bay 17/53 17/53
221.48 Rhyl 18/05 18/05
234.60 Holywell Jn 18/19 18/17
241.05 Rockcliffe Hall Jn 18/24½ 18/22
249.55 Saltney Jn 18/34½ 18/30
251.46 Chester 18/38½ 18/33
261.76 Beeston Castle & Tarporley 18/50 18/48
271.15 Crewe Steel Works 18/58 18/57
272.56 Crewe 19L04a 19.03

Timings continue in first table.

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