23rd September 2000

Pathfinder Tours
The Calder Revolver

Locos Used 47799, 56120, 58002, 60097, 66008 & 92032

Route :
1Z47 : Preston to Derby
1Z58 : Derby to Bradford Interchange
1Z36 : Bradford Interchange to Birmingham New Street

Loco(s) Route
47799 Preston - (via WCML) - Crewe - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Dudley Port - Birmingham New Street - Proof House Jn - Water Orton - Nuneaton - Hinckley - Leicester - Loughborough - Long Eaton - Derby
58002 (1) Derby - Long Eaton - Toton - Clay Cross Jn - Chesterfield - Beighton Jn - Woodburn Jn - Deepcar
66008 (2) Deepcar - Woodburn Jn - Broughton Lane Jn - Tinsley Sorting Sidings
60097 Tinsley Sorting Sidings - Tinsley South Jn - Aldwarke Jn - Swinton - Moorthorpe - Hare Park Jn - Turners Lane Jn - Engine Shed Jn - Bradford Interchange
56120 Bradford Interchange - Halifax - Greetland Jn - Bradley Jn - Marsden (loop) - Stalybridge - Miles Platting - Manchester Victoria - Salford Cresent - Bolton - Euxton Jn - Preston
92032 + 56120 Preston - (via ECML) - Crewe
92032 (3) Crewe - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Dudley Port - Birmingham New Street

Notes :
(1) 66008 on rear.
(2) 58002 on rear.
(3) 56120 as "barrier" between 92032 and train, not powering.

Source : Gary Thornton (joined/left train at Stafford)

Tour Review
 (by Gary Thornton)

Given the recent experiences on railtours I was fully expecting this tour to be postponed, changed beyond recognition or even cancelled altogether. Having been out of the country in the week or so immediately prior to the tour I was almost surprised to arrive home late on the Friday evening to a message from a friend that the tour was on and we were sat in coach A. Stafford - 08.31 depart.

Hmmm.... Early start required, and no suitable food to take with me. No problems, my local Sainsburys supermarket is open all night on a Friday.

Saturday, 05.15, local Sainsburys, empty car park, sign on door :

"Sainsburys wishes to inform its customers that, from Friday 22nd September, this store will no longer remain open all Friday night"

Great! How does the advert go ~ "Sainsburys - everyone's favourite ingredient"...?
I think not!

The Esso petrol station on the entry to Stafford was however open so suitable supplies were obtained there. Met up with some other colleagues at the station and they confirmed the booked Freightliner 47 was in fact EWS "royal spoon" 47799 - Freightliner having had a number of failures of their 47 fleet and couldn't supply a loco for the tour! Oh well, first dud loco haulage of the day.

A slack schedule had 47799 in a couple of minutes early and away on time. Found our seats in the leading coach, joining some friends who were already there. We staggered our way to Wolverhampton thence directly to Birmingham New Street, gathering up more punters at each location. Passing Saltley there were a few sheds on, 66035, 85, 198, 235 & 238 being noted. One score for me, 66198. Washwood Heath yard contained a new Gatwick Airport EMU and 66001 plus one other unidentified 66. We passed non-stop through Nuneaton and onwards to Leicester, our next pick-up point. 66037, 66195 & 58046 were on Leicester stabling point.

We were held on the approach to Derby station and finally made our approach at 11.12, almost 20 minutes behind schedule. Although it was an advertised pick-up point, Derby panel chose to put us into the sidings alongside the station! As we ran into the station area we passed 58002 & 66008, our next two locos.

58002 was put onto the "south end" of the train and 66008 the other (our end). Before we departed in rolled 66082 on a Hertfordshire Rail Tours charter. Our joining passengers were told to catch a service train to Long Eaton where we'd make an extra stop to collect them (so they hoped...).

We departed about 20 late (58002 powering) and did make the pick-up at Long Eaton. We then headed north through Toton (just 56018 and 66005 noted) and onwards to Chesterfield. Here we branched off towards Beighton Junction and from there we took the freight branch to Deepcar. Not a very exciting branch once you leave the Sheffield suburbs behind - it all seems to be in a tree lined cutting!

66008 returned us down the branch and on into Tinsley Yard. Here we dropped the bone and shed in favour of 60097. I was happy as, other than the 47, I'd scored all the locos for haulage. Ever northwards the 60 took us via Swinton, Moorthorpe, Normanton and Engine Shed Junction to Bradford Interchange and an hours leg-stretch.

Highlight of the day now - 56120 (another required haulage) on our end of the train.

It was loud!

After Halifax we took the "new" passenger route (two reinstated curves) to Huddersfield (both curves being required track for me) then we headed over the Pennines to Manchester Victoria. 56120 continued screaming away via Bolton to Preston. A lot of happy faces in the front coach!

At Preston the grid ran-round and 92032 (another score) was added "on top". An early arrival into Preston was matched by an early departure (did we leave anyone in the pub I wonder...). Even from the rear coach we could tell that the 56 was "assisting" the 92! The pair continued to speed us southwards as far as Crewe. Here we lost the train crew from the 56 so 92032 became the sole motive power. We left the train at Stafford where we arrived about 20 minutes early.

Verdict : A tour proving that some can and do run (almost) as advertised! OK, we "lost" the advertised Freightliner 47/0, but otherwise this tour was successful and even managed to run early on the way home!!

Gary Thornton.

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gary Thornton & Phil Pearson)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Preston 06.26d -
7.39 Balshaw Lane 06/35 -
15.10 Wigan North Western 06.44a ~ 06.46d ??.?? ~ 06.51
23.34 Winwick Jn 06/59 07/08
26.70 Warrington Bank Quay 07.04a ~ 07.07d 07.15 ~ 07.16
28.57 Acton Grange Jn 07/17 07/20
34.59 Weaver Jn 07/22 07/31
43.39 Winsford Signal Box 07/29 -
51.00 Crewe 07.41a ~ 07.44d 07.39 ~ 07.44
59.06 Madeley Jn 08/03 07/54
70.08 Norton Bridge 08/21 08/03
75.37 Stafford 08.28a ~ 08.31d 08.26 ~ 08.31
89.14 Bushbury Jn 08/45 08/44
90.68 Wolverhampton 08.53a ~ 08.56d 08.52 ~ 08.56
96.28 Dudley Port 09/06 09/05
99.73 Galton Jn 09/11 09/12
101.51 Soho South Jn 09/14 09/15
103.52 Birmingham New Street 09.18a ~ 09.21d 09.22 ~ 09.26
111.23 Water Orton 09/32 09/36
114.08 Whitacre Jn 09/36 09/40
124.52 Nuneaton 09/50 09/58
128.71 Hinckley 09/59 10/04
140.22 Wigston North Jn 10/10 10/16
143.38 Leicester 10.17a ~ 10.19d 10.20 ~ 10.26
148.29 Syston South Jn 10/26 10/31
155.77 Loughborough 10/32 10/37
164.09 Sheet Stores Jn 10/41 10/44
170.18 Spondon 10/46 10/51
172.68
0.00		 Derby 10L53a ~ 11L30d 11.12 ~ 11.51
2.50 Spondon 11/36 11/57
8.09 Long Eaton ? 12.03a ~ 12.05d
8.59 Sheet Stores Jn 11/44 12/08
9.22 Trent 11/46 12/09
11.17 Toton Centre 11/48 12/12
14.42 Trowell Jn 11/51 12/15
? Pye Bridge Jn 12/00 12/22
34.39 Clay Cross South Jn 12/08 12/31
35.53 Chesterfield 12/12 12/36
45.01 Beighton Jn 12/35 12.48a ~ 12.51d
46.35 Woodhouse Jn 12/40 12/54
50.62 Woodburn Jn 12/45 13/02
59.56
0.00		 Deepcar 13.15a ~ 13.30d 13.21 ~ 13.27
8.74 Woodburn Jn 14/00 13/48
10.32 Broughton Lane Jn 14/03 13/53
12.19
0.00		 Tinsley Sorting Sidings 14L10a ~ 14L30d 14.07 ~ 14.37
1.61 Tinsley South Jn 14/37 14/46
6.39 Aldwarke Jn 14/46 14/55
8.50 Swinton 14/48 14/59
16.41 Moorthorpe 14/58 15/08
17.18 South Kirkby Jn 15/08 15/09
23.17 Hare Park Jn 15/14 15/17
25.58 Calder Bridge Jn 15/20 15/24
26.28 Turners Lane Jn 15/22 15/26
29.50 Altofts Jn 15/28 15/30
31.07 Methley Jn 15/30 15/32
38.70 Engine Shed Jn 15/44 15/42
39.22 Whitehall Jn 15/46 15/43
47.64 Mill Lane Jn 16/03 16.00a ~ 16.06d
48.08
0.00		 Bradford Interchange 16L05a ~ 17L05d 16.09 ~ 17.06
7.79 Halifax 17/19 17/18
8.71 Dryclough Jn 17/24 17/21
10.02 Greetland Jn 17/27 17/24
14.64 Bradley Wood Jn 17/33 17/31
16.01 Bradley Jn 17/35 17.35a ~ 17.38d
18.60 Huddersfield 17/39 17/42
25.66 Marsden Loop 17.50a ~ 18.00d 17.53 ~ 18.02
29.61 Diggle Jn 18/06 18/07
31.74 Greenfield 18/08 18/09
36.68 Stalybridge 18/14 18/15
38.79 Ashton Moss North Jn 18/18 18/19
43.10 Miles Platting 18/30 18/24
44.40 Manchester Victoria 18/33 18.34a ~ 18.35d
46.21 Salford Cresent 18/44 18/40
55.10 Bolton 18/55 18/52
57.79 Lostock Jn 19/00 18/56
66.56 Chorley 19/08 19/03
69.70 Euxton Jn 19/15 19/07
75.26
0.00		 Preston 19L24a ~ 19L58d 19.13 ~ 19.42
7.39 Balsahaw Lane Jn 20/07 19/52
15.10 Wigan North Western 20.14a ~ 20.17d 20.01 ~ 20.03
23.34 Winwick Jn 20/25 20/13
26.70 Warrington Bank Quay 20.28a ~ 20.31d 20.19 ~ 20.25
28.57 Acton Grange Jn 20/35 20/29
34.59 Weaver Jn 20/46 20/34
43.39 Winsford SB 20/54 20/40
51.00 Crewe 21.08a ~ 21.11d 20.50 ~ 20.55
59.06 Madeley Jn 21/20 21/03
70.08 Norton Bridge 21/33 21/11
75.37 Stafford 21.41a ~ 21.43d 21.22 ~ ??.??
89.14 Bushbury Jn 21/59 ?
90.68 Wolverhampton 22.04a ~ 22.06d ?
96.28 Dudley Port 22/14 ?
99.73 Galton Jn 22/18 ?
101.51 Soho South Jn 22/20 ?
103.52 Birmingham New Street 22.23a ?


Back to "The Railtour Files"