26th May 2001

Cheshire Railtours
The Dartmoor Prince

Loco Used 47778 'Irresistible'

Route :
1Z80 : London Victoria to Meldon Quarry
1Z?? : Meldon Quarry to London Victoria

Loco Route
47778

London Victoria - Stewarts Lane - Clapham Junction - Streatham Jn - Haydons Road -  Wimbledon - Surbiton - Woking - Basingstoke - Andover - Salisbury - Gillingham - Yeovil Junction - Honiton - Exeter St David's - Crediton - Okehampton - Meldon Quarry
47778

Meldon Quarry - (reverse of outward route) - London Victoria

Source : John Clifford (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by John Clifford)

This was originally advertised as leaving Victoria at 0730 & getting back mid-evening. When the ticket arrived it was a 0655 departure & back not mid evening but midnight (almost), actually 2350. I had booked on it as I had never had 47 haulage between Streatham Junction & Wimbledon nor between Cowley Bridge Junction & Meldon Quarry.

Anyway this meant leaving my home station of Hatfield on the first train at 0502 and left Kings Cross on the 0011 which I caught only because it left late. The 0011 terminated at New Barnet with a bus connection onward arriving at Hatfield at about 0130. Now, I know this is not long compared with trips undertaken by some people but as I will soon qualify for a Senior Citizen's Railcard I haven't got the stamina I had in my twenties.

If you think this is a long moan, you'd be right. I feel I've been around long enough to give an opinion.

Back to the trip which ran well and we got back to Victoria 4 minutes early. However I was seated in the front coach with a couple and their uncle who had persuaded them to come along. The coach contained a number of 47 bashers and I have no objection to them, per se, but there was one long-haired individual who seemed to have consumed too much alcohol and who could speak only in a loud voice. About every forth word started with f.... (it wasn't forty seven). Also despite the stewards collecting rubbish regularly, he threw his rubbish out of the window.

The 3 others seated in my bay said that they would not be going on any more Cheshire tours and, so far, I haven't either.


47778 at Exeter St Davids with the outward leg (photo: Keith Mantle)


Timings (Actual with some booked)
(from John Clifford)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Victoria 06.55d 06.55   23.50a 23.46
Battersea Pier Jn - 06/58   - 23/41
Stewarts Lane Jn - 07/00   - 23/40
Longhedge Jn - 07/02   - 23/39
Pouparts Jn - 07.04a ~ 07.05d   - 23/37
Clapham Junction 07.09d 07.08 ~ 07.09   23.32a 23.33 ~ 23.35
Balham Jn - 07/14   - 23/28
Streatham Jn East - 07/16   - 23/27
Steatham Jn North - 07/17   - 23/26
Wimbledon 07.29d 07.27 ~ 07.28   23.15a 23.17 ~ 23.19
Raynes Park - 07/38   - 23/11
Surbiton 07.40d 07.42 ~ 07.43   22.59a 23.03 ~ 23.04
Hampton Court Jn - 07/46   - 23/01
Weybridge 07.51d 07.52 ~ 07.53   22.45a 22.53 ~ 22.54
Byfleet - 07/55   - 22/51
Woking 08.01d 08.01 ~ 08.02   22.35a 22.45 ~ 22.46
Woking Jn - 08/04   - 22/44
Farnborough 08.14d 08.15 ~ 08.16   22.22a 22.32 ~ 22.33
Fleet - 08/21   - 22/27
Basingstoke 08.31d 08.31 ~ 08.32   22.06a 22.14 ~ 22.16
Worting Jn 08/37 -   22/09 -
Andover 08.52d 08.51a ~ 08.53d   21.46a 21.53 ~ 21.54
Tunnel Jn - 09/09   - 21/37
Salisbury 09.12d 09.16 ~ 09.18   21.26a 21.30 ~ 21.34
Wilton Jn - 09/22   - 21/20
Wilton South - 09/23   - 21/19
Tisbury - 09/34   - 21/11
Gillingham - 09/42   - 21/03
Templecombe - 09/48   - 20.45 ~ 20.56
Yeovil Junction - 09.59 ~ 10.00   - 20.26 ~ 20.32
Chard Jn - 10/19   - 20/10
Honiton - 10/40   - 19.22 ~ 19.52
Pinhoe - 10/51   - 19.00 ~ 19.05
Exmouth Jn - 10/53   - 18/58
Exeter Central - 10/55   - 18/56
Exeter St Davids - 10.58 ~ 11.08   - 18.42 ~ 18.53
Cowley Bridge Jn - 11/11   - 18.30 ~ 18.37
Crediton - 11/20   - 18/22
Okehampton 12.05a 11.55 ~ 12.42   17.50d 13.26 ~ 17.48
Meldon Quarry - 12.50a   - 13.15d


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