29th December 2001

Past Time Rail
The Cannon of Kent

Locos Used 34027 "Taw Valley", 47787, 73101 & 73131

Route :

Loco(s) Route
34027

Finsbury Park - Freight Terminal Jn - (1) - Camden Road - Hampstead - Willesden Junc. - Kensington Olympia - Longhedge Jn - Factory Jn (via Atlantic Lines) - Catford - Shortlands - Bickley - Orpington

73101 + 73131 (2)

Orpington - Grove Park - Parks Bridge Jn - London Bridge - London Cannon Street

34027 Cannon Street - London Bridge - Parks Bridge Jn - Catford Bridge - Beckenham Junction - Bickley - Orpington - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge - Headcorn - Ashford - Folkestone Central - Dover Priory - Deal - Ramsgate - Margate
34027 Margate - Faversham - Chatham - Sole Street - Swanley - Chislehurst - Lewisham - Nunhead - Factory Jn - (reverse of outward route) - Finsbury Park

Notes:
(1) 34027 stalled on the North London incline & was assisted in rear by 47787.
(2) 34027 on rear.

Source : John Clifford

Tour Review
(by John Clifford)

This was a tour advertised for a run round Kent with Steam covering a few parts over which I had not been steam hauled and a lot which I had not done with steam for 40 years so it was a "must".  It was first advertised as having 34067 "Tangmere", this then became 35005 "Canadian Pacific" and finally 34027 "Taw Valley". The start was at 0810 from Finsbury Park and back there at 1920.

When the tickets came the departure & arrival times had been brought forward by 90 minutes so the departure became 0638; not my idea of fun on a December morning.

I got the 0553 from Hatfield as had a number of others so it was quite busy at Hatfield at that time of the morning. Anyway, on arrival at Finsbury Park I met Terry, a friend of long standing, so at least there was someone to talk to that I knew.

0638 came and went but there was no sign of our train nor were there any announcements. After a while I made two particular comments to Terry as I was getting rather cold "I think I'm getting too old for this" to which he said "Well, John, one day you might not be able to go on these trips and then you can think 'I'm glad this is all finished so I don't have to get up early any more' ". My other comment before we knew what was happening was "This has all the makings of a cock-up".

Read on and see how right I was.

Just before 0700 one of the organisers told us that the train would arrive shortly. The delay has been with the taxi bringing the crew from Hither Green. We set off 25 mins. late and were stopped on the North London incline having covered just over 2 miles. I was by a speed restriction sign which kept appearing and disappearing as we tried to get under way again. Eventually we were told that 34027 could not get going and assistance would have to be provided in the shape of the Kings Cross Thunderbird. This was 47787 named "Victim Support"! We got underway 93 mins. late having seen the sunrise over Kings Cross cement terminal.

After stopping to pick up the Kensington passengers who were probably frozen by this time, we set off for our first water stop at Orpington via Catford. We made up a little time and got there 76 mins late. Here "ED's" 73131 & 73101 were attached and took us up to Cannon Street with 34027 on the rear. We lost those at Cannon Street and set off less than an hour late behind 34027 again for Ramsgate via the Mid Kent line, Tonbridge & Dover. Good progress was made and we passed Paddock Wood only 47 mins. adrift. However there were stops outside Headcorn where we were due to take water to allow service trains to pass and we got away from there 65 mins late (back to RST). A good climb of Guston bank was made but delays in the Ramsgate area made us 85 mins. late into Margate.

There was an announcement that we would leave Margate 1 hour late to allow time for the engine to be serviced. By this time it was raining steadily but I went into the town for food. I settled for the "Wimpy bar". On getting back to the station we learned that the coal lorry had got stuck in traffic so we would now leave 2 hours late!

It was a few minutes more than this when we got away and so we stayed. Water was taken at Newington, left 128 mins. late. We ran via Sole Street, St. Mary Cray, Chislehurst, Lewisham, Nunhead and on to Kensington which we left 130 mins. late.

An easy timing over the North London line got us back to Finsbury Park at 1938: only 108 mins late and a bit later than the originally advertised time of 1920.

An interesting tour and quite enjoyable except for the very early start.

John Clifford

Timings : Booked & Actual
 (by John Clifford)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Finsbury Park 06.38d 07.03
x.xx Holloway South Jn 06/40 07/08
1.57 Freight Terminal Jn 06/42 07/09
2.11 Camden Road East Jn 06/55 07.11a ~ 08.28d
2.36 Camden Road Jn 06/56 08/31
3.47 Gospel Oak 07/02 08/34
7.54 Kensal Green Jn 07/13 08/44
7.76 Willesden Junction High Level 07/16 08/45
8.48 Mitre Bridge Jn 07/22 08/47
9.05 North Pole Jn 07/23 08.49a/d
10.73 Kensington Olympia 07.28a ~ 07.32d 08.55 ~ 08.56
13.56 Latchmere Jn 07/38 09/03
14.41 Longhedge Jn 07/40 09/05
15.00 Factory Jn 07/42 09/06
15.25 Voltaire Road Jn 07/43 09/07
17.35 Denmark Hill 07/48 09/11
17.71 Crofton Road Jn 07/49 09/13
19.01 Nunhead 07/53 09/15
23.70 Shortlands Jn 08/06 09/23
26.51 Bickley Jn 08/14 09/28
27.44 Petts Wood Jn 08/16 09/30
29.04 Orpington 08.19a ~ 08.50d 09.35 ~ 09.59
30.44 Petts Wood Jn 08/53 10/03
31.50 Chislehurst 08/55 10/04
33.71 Grove Park 08/58 10/07
35.53 Hither Green 09/01 10/09
36.55 Parks Bridge Jn 09/03 10/11
38.01 New Cross 09/06 10/13
38.44 New Kent East Jn 09/11 10/14
39.78 Spa Road Jn 09/13 10/17
40.79 London Bridge 09/17 10.20a ~ 10.21d
41.18 Borough Market Jn 09/18 10/23
41.56
0.00		 Cannon Street 09.21a ~ 09.43d 10.27 ~ 10.39
0.38 Borough Market Jn 09/46 10/43
0.57 London Bridge 09/47 10/44
1.58 Spa Road Jn 09/50 10/47
3.12 North Kent East Jn 09/52 10/49
3.55 New Cross 09/53 10/50
5.01 Parks Bridge Jn 09/56 10.53a ~ 10.54d
5.37 Ladywell 09/58 10/56
8.19 New Beckenham 10/04 11.02a ~ 11.03d
8.71 Beckenham Junction 10/10 11/07
9.75 Shortlands Jn 10/12 11/09
12.56 Bickley Jn 10/16 11/14
13.49 Petts Wood Jn 10/18 11/16
15.09 Orpington 10.21a ~ 10.29d 11.19a/d
23.35 Sevenoaks 10/40 11/30
30.66 Tonbridge 10/50 11/38
36.09 Paddock Wood 10/56 11/43
46.45 Headcorn 11.08a ~ 11.25d 12.10 ~ 12.30
57.34 Ashford 11/38 12/43
71.17 Folkestone Central 11/53 12/58
78.50 Dover Priory 21/08 13/12
79.41 Buckland Jn 12/10 13/15
87.70 Deal 12/25 12/30
92.00 Sandwich 12/31 13/40
96.57 Minster East Jn 12/36 13/49
100.27 Ramsgate 12/42 13.59a ~ 14.03d
105.59
0.00		 Margate 12.50a ~ 14.25d 14.15 ~ 16.29
11.11 Herne Bay 14/39 16/43
21.72 Faversham 14/52 16/57
29.10 Sittingbourne 15/00 17/04
32.25 Newington 15.05a ~ 15.20d 17.11 ~ 17.28
34.75 Rainham 15/28 17/34
37.74 Gillingham 15/33 17/37
40.68 Rochester Bridge Jn 15/41 17/43
56.38 Swanley 16/02 18/05
60.52 St Mary Cray Jn 16/07 18.11a ~ 18.13d
61.43 Chislehurst 16/09 18/18
63.64 Grove Park 16/12 18/24
65.46 Hither Green 16/14 18/28
66.48 Parks Bridge Jn 16/16 18/30
66.67 Lewisham 16/23 18/32
68.53 Nunhead 16/29 18/37
69.63 Crofton Road Jn 16/32 18/40
70.60 Cambria Jn 16/34 18/42
71.36 Brixton 16/37 18/45
72.45 Voltaire Road Jn 16/39 18/46
72.69 Factory Jn 16/41 18/49
73.28 Longhedge Jn 16/43 18/50
74.13 Latchmere Jn 16/45 18/53
76.76 Kensington Olympia 16.51a ~ 16.54d 18.59 ~ 19.04
78.64 North Pole Jn 16/59 19/09
79.21 Mitre Bridge Jn 17/00 19/10
79.73 Willesden Junction High Level 17/06 19/12
80.24 Kensal Green Jn 17/08 19/13
84.31 Gospel Oak 17/23 19/24
85.47 Camden Road Jn 17/26 19/28
85.72 Camden Road East Jn 17/28 19/30
86.26 Freight Terminal Jn 17/44 19/32
xx.xx Holloway South Jn 17/47 19/35
88.03 Finsbury Park 17.50a 19.38

Key;
a : arrival time
d : departure time
/ : passing time

All distances, in miles and chains (M & C), are taken from the timing sheet given out on the train. No attempt has been made to verify the mileages given.

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