20th October 2001

Pathfinder Tours
The Merchant Venturer

Locos Used 47798 & steam: 5051 'Earl Bathurst'

Route :
1Z53 : Crewe to Bristol Temple Meads
1Z54 : Bristol Temple Meads to Crewe

Loco Route
47798 Crewe – Madeley – Norton Bridge – Stafford – Wolverhampton - Dudley Port – Soho South Jn – Birmingham New Street – Proof House Jn – St Andrews Jn – Bordesley Jn – Tyseley – Solihull – Dorridge – Leamington Spa – Banbury – Oxford – Didcot North Jn – Foxhall Jn – Swindon Down Goods Loop
5051 Swindon Down Goods Loop – Wootton Bassett Jn – Westerleigh Jn – Bristol Parkway – Filton Jn – Stapleton Road – Bristol Temple Meads
5051 Bristol Temple Meads – North Somerset Jn – Bath Spa – Trowbridge – Heywood Road Jn – Newbury - Southcote Jn – (via Reading West Curve) – Didcot Parkway
47798 Didcot Parkway – Didcot North Jn – (reverse of outward route) – Crewe

Notes :
(1) Train delayed just south of Leamington Spa on the outward leg by about 40 minutes due to a tree on the line.
(2) Gordon Jakes comments: A day plagued by signal checks and incidents outside the control of anyone on the train meant that 5051 was only able to show her paces in fits and starts. A cruise of Bristol Docks was available during the layover in Bristol.

Source : Gordon Jakes (joined/left the train at Stafford)

Photo Review
(all photos: Gordon Jakes)


5051 on arrival at Bristol Temple Meads.


5051 pulls into Temple Meads with the stock for the return journey.


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gordon Jakes)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Crewe 05.55d ?   22.40a ? 129.50
1.64 Basford Hall Jn 06/00 ?   22/36 ? 127.66
8.06 Madeley 06/08 ?   22/29 ? 121.44
19.08 Norton Bridge 06/16 ?   22/17 ? 110.42
24.37 Stafford 06.22a ~ 06.25d ??.?? ~ 06.26   22.07a ~ 22.10d 22.05 ~ ??.?? 105.13
38.14 Bushbury Jn 06/39 06/44   21/56 ? 91.36
39.25 Wolverhampton North Jn 06/41 ?   21/54 ? 90.25
39.68 Wolverhampton 06.43a ~ 06.45d 06.53 ~ 06.56   21.48a ~ 21.51d 21.46½ ~ 21.49 89.62
45.28 Dudley Port 06/52 ?   21/40 ? 84.22
48.73 Galton Jn 06/56 07/07   21/37 ? 80.57
50.51 Soho South Jn 07/00 ?   21/35 ? 78.79
52.52 Birmingham New Street 07.04a ~ 07.10d 07.18 ~ 07.21   21.27a ~ 21.30d 21.25 ~ 21.30 76.78
53.26 Proof House Jn 07/15 ?   21/24 ? 76.24
54.23 St Andrews Jn 07/18 07/26   21/21 21/19 75.27
54.49 Bordesley Jn 07/19 ?   21/18 ? 75.01
56.01 Small Heath South Jn 07/22 07/30   21/16 ? 73.49
56.55 Tyseley 07/24 ?   21/15 ? 72.75
60.35 Solihull ? ?   ? ? 69.15
63.65 Dorridge 07.31a ~ 07.33d 07.39 ~ 07.40 [P3]   21.02a ~ 21.04d 20.58 ~ 20.59 65.65
70.46 Hatton 07/40 07/47   20/55 ? 59.04
76.35 Leamington Spa 07.43a ~ 07.56d 07.59 ~ 08.02   20.45a ~ 20.47d 20.41 ~ 20.42 53.15
87.64 Fenny Compton 08/08 08/55   20/35 ? 41.66
96.44 Banbury 08.16a ~ 08.18d 09.02 ~ 09.04   20.17a ~ 20.27d 20.20 ~ 20.21 33.06
101.48 Aynho Jn 08/24 09/09   20/12 ? 28.02
107.39 Heyford 08/30 ?   20/07 ? 22.11
116.28 Wolvercot Jn 08/37 09/20   20/00 ? 13.22
119.19 Oxford 08.40a ~ 08.43d 09.28 ~ 09.30   19.54a ~ 19.56d 19.58 ~ 20.00 10.31
128.66 Didcot North Jn 08/54 09/40   19/43 ? 0.64

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
129.40 Foxhall Jn 08c58 ~ 09c01 ?
139.65 Challow 09/13 ?
142.24 Uffington 09/15 ?
153.08
0.00		 Swindon DGL 09L26 ~ 10L02 10.10 ~ 10.44
? Swindon ? 10/49
5.64 Wootton Bassett Jn 10/12 10/58
16.67 Hullavington 10/23 ?
29.69 Westerleigh Jn 10/36 11/25
34.39 Bristol Parkway 10/41 11/35
35.58 Filton Jn 10/43 ?
38.58 Stapleton Road 10/45 ?
39.55 Dr Days Jn 10/51 11/46
39.77 Bristol East Jn 10/58 ?
40.21
0.00		 Bristol Temple Meads 11.02a ~ 15.46d 11.50 ~ 15.51
0.24 Bristol East Jn 15/48 ?
0.60 North Somerset Jn 15/49 ?
11.35 Bath Spa 16/02 16/08
13.51 Bathampton Jn 16/07 16/18
22.73 Bradford Jn 16/18 ?
27.52 Hawkeridge Jn 16/27 16/46
28.39 Heywood Road Jn 16/30 ?
44.11 Woodborough Loop 16w51 ~ 17w18 17.10 ~ 17.29
56.45 Bedwyn 17/33 ?
69.68 Newbury 17.48 ~ 18.06 17.58 ~ 18.06
85.12 Southcote Jn 18/26 18/27
85.79 Oxford Road Jn 18/30 ?
86.78 Reading West Jn 18/37 18/35
102.12
0.00		 Didcot Parkway 18L58 ~ 19L40 18.59 ~ 19.45

Timings continue in first table.

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