28th February 1998

Pathfinder Tours
The Rex Ham

Locos Used 31434, 37896, 47286, 47312, 47375, 58022, 60031, 73005 & 73906
Stock Used 3132+3131+3133+3144+3110+3100+35469+1813+99002+99001+99000+4915

Route :
1Z88 - Reading to Crewe/Chester ?
1Z63 - Chester/Crewe ? to Reading

Loco(s) Route
47312 Reading - Didcot Parkway - Oxford - Leamington Spa - Coventry - Birmingham New Street
58022 Birmingham New Street - Camp Hill - Bromsgrove - Cheltenham Spa - Bristol Parkway - Severn Tunnel Junction - Maindee East Jn - Maindee North Jn - Hereford - Ludlow - Shrewsbury
31434 + 37896 Shrewsbury - Wrexham - Chester - Crewe
73906 + 73005 Crewe - Sandbach - Middlewich - Northwich South Jn - Northwich West Jn - Mouldsworth - Chester
60031 Chester - Crewe - Stafford - Bushbury Jn - Bescot - Perry Barr North
Jn - Soho South Jn - Birmingham New Street
47375 + 47286 Birmingham New Street - Camp Hill - Bromsgrove - Cheltenham Spa - Bristol Parkway - Dr. Days Jn - North Somerset Jn - Bath Spa - Swindon - Didcot Parkway - Reading

Notes :
Birmingham - Shrewsbury was advertised as a 58 + 56 pairing, but 58022 worked alone, after some delay, due to allocated 56060 being overdue for an A-exam, and the refusal of replacement 56033 to work in multiple with 58022. Shrewsbury - Crewe was supposed to be 2 x 37, but 31434 substituted for 37680, which had been commandeered to work a freight.

The route of this tour differed greatly from that originally advertised. The original route included Wrexham Central, and Dee Marsh Area! it was changed to include Bidston, then, finally, to what is given above. It was also originally booked to run on 10th January 1998.

Sources : Richard Hughes (joined/left train at Didcot Parkway) & Alan Sheppard

Timings (Booked and Actual)
From Alan Sheppard

M. C
Location Booked Actual
0.00
Reading 05.50d ?
17.12
Didcot Parkway 06*08a ~ 06*18d ?
17.76
Didcot North Jn 06/20 ?
27.43
Oxford 06/32 ?
30.34
Wolvercot Jn 06/35 ?
39.23
Heyford 06/45 ?
45.14
Aynho Jn 06/50 ?
50.18
Banbury 06/54 ?
58.78
Fenny Compton 07/03 ?
70.27
Leamington Spa 07.13a ~ 07.14d ?
75.01
Kenilworth 07/22 ?
79.61
Coventry [P3] 07*29a ~ 07*35d 07.27 ~ 07.35
90.37
Birmingham International [P2] 07.49a ~ 07.50d 07.49 ~ 07.51
94.70
Stechford 07/59 07/57
98.55
0.00
Birmingham New Street [P11] 08L09a ~ 08L31d 08.07 ~ 09.23
3.31
Selly Oak 08/39 DIV
(*)
Camp Hill DIV ?
5.45
Kings Norton 08/45 ?
10.53
Barnt Green 08/54 ?
14.16
Bromsgrove 08/58 ?
16.29
Stoke Works Jn 09/00 ?
27.46
Abbotswood Jn 09/09 ?
38.33
Ashchurch 09/17 ?
45.44
Cheltenham Spa 09.26a ~ 09.30d 10.12 ~ 10.18
51.07
Barnwood Jn 09/36 10/25
51.74
Gloucester Yard Jn 09/37 10/31
58.04
Standish Jn 09/42 ?
71.29
Charfield 09/52 ?
79.42
Westerleigh Jn 10/01 ?
84.12
Bristol Parkway 10.07a ~ 10.12d 11.09 ~ 11.11
85.34
Patchway 10/14 ?
89.00
Pilning 10/17 11.20a ~ 11.21d
95.76
Severn Tunnel Junction 10/23 11/29
105.09
Maindee East Jn 10/35 11/39
105.41
Maindee North Jn 10/38 11/42
114.55
Pontypool & New Inn 10/46 11/53
123.79
Abergavenny 10/56 12/09
135.70
Pontrilas 11/06 12/21
141.47
Tram Inn 11/11 12/27
148.10
Hereford [P3] 11*21a ~ 11*54d 12.35 ~ 12.37
149.57
Shelwick Jn 11/58 12/40
160.57
Leominster 12/11 12/49
167.11
Woofferton 12/19 12/55
171.51
Ludlow 12/23 ?
179.16
Craven Arms 12/30 13/05
186.39
Church Stretton 12/37 13/14
192.68
Dorrington 12/42 ?
198.25
Sutton Bridge Jn 12/46 13.29 ~ 13.33
199.09
0.00
Shrewsbury [P4] 12L49a ~ 13L04d 13.39 ~ 13.59
18.04
Gobowen 13/27 14/24
30.20
Wrexham General 13/47 14/40
40.44
Saltney Jn 14/00 14/53
42.25
Chester (Up & Down Main) 14/05 15.02 ~ 15.03
52.55
Beeston Castle 14/16 ?
61.74
Crewe Steelworks Jn 14/24 ?
63.35
0.00
Crewe [P6] 14L28a ~ 14L48d 15.32 ~ 15.49
0.76
Crewe Sydney Bridge Jn 14/51 15/53
4.62
Sandbach North Jn 15/00 16/03
8.30
Middlewich 15/15 ?
13.20
Northwich South Jn 15/28 16/22
13.49
Northwich West Jn 15/30 16/24
14.74
Greenbank 15/33 16/26
23.58
Mouldsworth 15/46 16/43
28.07
Mickle Trafford Jn 15/54 16/48
30.50
0.00
Chester [P4] 16L00a ~ 16L33d 16.54 ~ 17.09
10.30
Beeston Castle 16/45 ?
19.49
Crewe Steelworks Jn 16/54 ?
21.10
Crewe [P11] 16/59 17.38 ~ 17.40
22.74
Basford Hall Jn 17/06 ?
29.16
Madeley 17/12 ?
40.18
Norton Bridge 17/22 18/01
45.47
Stafford 17/28 18/07
59.24
Bushbury Jn 17/43 18/22
61.72
Portobello Jn 17/47 ?
66.09
Bescot Stadium 17/56 ?
70.46
Perry Barr North Jn 18/02 ?
71.05
Perry Barr West Jn 18/04 ?
73.04
Soho East Jn 18/08 ?
73.37
Soho South Jn 18/09 ?
75.38
0.00
Birmingham New Street [P8] 18L13a ~ 18L28d 18.53 ~ 19.11
1.77
Bordesley Jn 18/35 ?
7.12
Kings Norton 18/45 19/25
12.20
Barnt Green 18/52 19.32a ~ ??d
15.63
Bromsgrove 18/56 ?
17.76
Stoke Works Jn 18/58 ?
29.13
Abbotswood Jn 19/07 ?
40.00
Ashchurch 19/15 ?
47.11
Cheltenham Spa 19.24a ~ 19.27d ?
52.54
Barnwood Jn 19/33 ?
53.41
Gloucester Yard Jn 19/39 ?
59.51
Standish Jn 19/45 ?
72.76
Charfield 19/56 ?
81.09
Westerleigh Jn 20/15 ?
85.59
Bristol Parkway 20.22a ~ 20.24d ?
86.78
Filton Jn 20/26 ?
90.75
Dr. Days Jn 20/32 ?
91.18
North Somerset Jn 20*34a ~ 20*39d ?
101.77
Bath Spa 20.56a ~ 20.58d ?
104.13
Bathampton Jn 21/01 ?
114.72
Chippenham 21/10 ?
125.61
Wootton Bassett Jn 21/19 ?
131.45
Swindon 21.25a ~ 21.27d ?
142.29
Uffington 21/37 ?
-
Challow 21/39 ?
155.58
Didcot Parkway 21.47a ~ 21.49d ?
172.70
Reading 22.08a ?

(*) Train diverted via Camp Hill due to signal failure, so 1m 47ch needs to be added to all points
from Kings Norton (5m 45ch) should be 7m 12ch to Shrewsbury (199m 09ch) should be 200m 56ch.

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