2nd March 2002

Steve Dunn Memorial
Pathfinder Tours

A Railtour run in memory of a railwayman and fellow enthusiast who lost his life at Great Heck on 28th February 2001.

Locos Used 47224, 47289, 57005 'Freightliner Excellence', 66526 'Driver Steve Dunn (George)', 66530 & 66601
Stock Used 5029+4963+5040+4927+5009+1863+21272+3098+3140+3112+3122+3125+6310

Route :
1Z57 : Crewe to York
1Z66 : York to Crewe

Locos Route
57005 Crewe - Norton Bridge - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Dudley Port - Soho South Jn - Birmingham New Street - Proof House Jn - Landor Street Jn - Water Orton - Nuneaton - Hinckley - Leicester - Trent - Toton - Chesterfield - Beighton Jn - Woodhouse Jn - Nunnery Main Line Jn - Sheffield
66601 Sheffield - Wincobank Jn - Swinton - Moorthorpe - South Kirkby Jn - Hare Park Jn - Calder Bridge Jn - Wakefield Kirkgate - Wakefield Westgate - Holbeck Jn - Engine Shed Jn - Methley Jn - Casteford - Milford Jn - Church Fenton - Colton Jn - York
66526 + 66530 York - Colton Jn - Hambleton North Jn - Hambleton East Jn - Selby Canal Jn - Temple Hirst Jn - Great Heck (1) - Shaftholme Jn - Doncaster - (via 2 way goods 2, dn/up slow 2, up west reception, Royal Mail through platform) - Decoy South Jn - Bessacarr Jn - Gainsborough Lea Road - Pyewipe Jn - Newark Crossing East Jn - Netherfield Jn - Nottingham - Attenborough Jn - Meadow Lane Jn - Toton Centre
47224 + 47289 Toton Centre - Meadow Lane Jn - Trent - (reverse of outward route) - Landor Street Jn - Lifford East Jn - Lifford West Jn - Selly Oak - Birmingham New Street - Proof House Jn - Aston - Bescot - Wolverhampton - (reverse of outward route) - Crewe

Notes :
(1) Train stopped at Great Heck to observe a two minute silence.

Source : Gary Thornton (joined/left the train at Nuneaton)

Tour review
 (by Gary Thornton)


The tour headboard


66526 & 66530 at York shortly before departure (photo: Gary Thornton)

 How do you write a review of a railtour that was run in memory of someone who lost his life simply doing his job? Such is the position I find myself in a couple of hours after alighting from this particular tour and I just hope this Web page is appropriate on what, for those on board that knew Steve Dunn, was undoubtedly a very sad day out. I've chosen not to make this a long review as that isn't really what is important on this particular occasion.

Steve Dunn, a driver for Freightliner, lost his life in the railway 'accident' at Great Heck near Selby on 28th February 2001 when his freight train collided with a GNER express that had derailed after hitting a Land Rover and trailer that had come off the M62 motorway into its path. The tour brochure records that the idea for this railtour came from some of Freightliner drivers based in Crewe. Proceeds from the day out were being donated to the 'Steve Dunn Memorial Fund'.

The traction on this day was all provided by Freightliner. 57005 'Freightliner Excellence' began the day from Crewe, running via Birmingham & Leicester to Sheffield. At Sheffield 57005 handed the train over to 66601 for the run (via Leeds and Castleford) to York where there a two hour break was taken.

From York haulage was provided by 66526, the loco named in memory of Steve Dunn, and 66530. Our route was down the ECML, diverting at Hambleton North junction to run via Selby Canal junction to rejoin the ECML at Temple Hirst junction. A little further on and the train slowed and stopped at Great Heck where a two minute silence was observed.

At Doncaster the train was routed via the up west reception line (i.e. round the 'back' of Belmont Yard) before heading for Gainsborough - quite rare track and required by quite a few on board I would suspect (me included!).

The pair of 66's made little fuss as we headed on our way, via the Lincoln avoider, Newark Castle and Nottingham. Back at Toton and we 'lost' the 66 pairing in favour of somewhat older motive power in the shape of 47224 & 47289. With the end of freight workings for this class now not very far away this may be one of the last tours ever to use such traction. The 47's powered the train back along the reverse of the route we'd come in the morning with 57005, at least as far as Nuneaton where I left the tour to head home.

My thanks go to all the organisations and individuals involved with the running of this particular railtour, it was an excellent day out and one I think that was fitting in the circumstances.

Gary Thornton.

Nameplate & plaque on 66526 (photos: Gary Thornton)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(by Gary Thornton, David Clark & Brian Ovington)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Crewe 07.30 07.31   22.41a ? 126.09
1.64 Basford Hall Jn 07/33 07/35   22/37 ? 124.25
8.06 Madeley 07/40 07/43   22/28 ? 118.03
19.08 Norton Bridge 07/50 07/51   22/18 ? 107.01
24.37 Stafford 07.59a ~ 08.01d 08.02 ~ 08.04   22.10a ~ 22.12d ? 102.52
38.14 Bushbury Jn 08/14 08/18   21/56 ? 88.75
39.25 Wolverhampton North Jn 08/18 08/21   21/54 ? 87.64
39.68 Wolverhampton 08.21a ~ 08.25d 08.23 ~ 08.28   21.50a ~ 21.52d ? 87.21

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
45.28 Dudley Port 08/37 08/38
48.73 Galton Jn 08/42 08/45
50.51 Soho South Jn 08/46 08/47
52.52 Birmingham New Street 08.52a ~ 08.55d 08.54 ~ 08.57
53.26 Proof House Jn 08/57 09/00
54.17 Landor Street Jn 08/59 09/02
60.23 Water Orton 09/05 09/11
63.08 Whitacre Jn 09/09 09/16
73.52 Nuneaton 09.26a ~ 09.39d 09.31 ~ 09.39
77.71 Hinckley 09/48 09/46
89.22 Wigston North Jn 09/58 09/56
92.38 Leicester 10.02a ~ 10.04d 10.02 ~ 10.04
97.29 Syston South Jn 10/20 10/10
100.31 Sileby Jn 10/24 10/12
104.77 Loughborough 10/30 10/16
112.47 Trent Jn 10/38 10/22
113.20 Trent 10/40 10/23
114.57 Toton Jn 10/42 10/24
115.15 Toton Centre 10/43 10/26
118.40 Trowell Jn 10/46 10/30
123.20 Langley Mill 10/51 10/34
127.20 Pye Bridge Jn 10/55 10/37
129.38 Alfreton 10/57 10/40
135.41 Clay Cross South Jn 11/04 10.46a ~ 10.49d
139.51 Chesterfield 11/10 10/56
139.60 Tapton Jn 11/11 10/58
148.79 Beighton Jn 11/21 11/07
150.33 Woodhouse Jn 11/23 11/10
154.60 Woodburn Jn 11/29 11/16
155.57 Nunnery Main Line Jn 11/31 11/18
156.14
0.00		 Sheffield 11L33a ~ 11.53d 11.20 ~ 11.53
0.37 Nunnery Main Line Jn 11/55 11/55
3.12 Wincobank Jn 11/58 11/59
5.03 Holmes Jn 12/00 12/00
8.05 Aldwarke Jn 12/03 12/04
10.16 Swinton 12/05 12/06
18.07 Moorthorpe 12/13 12/13
18.64 South Kirkby Jn 12/14 12/14
24.63 Hare Park Jn 12/20 12/22
26.12 Crofton West Jn 12/24 12/25
27.24 Calder Bridge Jn 12/28 12/30
27.70 Wakefield Kirkgate 12/33 12/31
28.46 Wakefield Westgate 12/38 12/34
37.64 Holbeck Jn 12/54 12/46
38.02 Whitehall Jn 12/55 12/47
38.34 Engine Shed Jn 12/59 12/48
46.17 Methley Jn 13/09 12/58
47.28 Whitwood Jn 13/12 13/01
48.33 Castleford 13/15 13/03
54.25 Milford Jn 13/21 13/12
58.54 Church Fenton 13/29 13/16
63.71 Colton Jn 13/33 13/21
69.32
0.00		 York 13L39a ~ 15L50d 13.28 ~ 15.54
5.41 Colton Jn 16/01 16/00
13.45 Hambleton North Jn 16/08 16/07
14.11 Hambleton East Jn 16/09 16/09
17.09 Selby West Jn 16/13 16/12
17.41 Selby Canal Jn 16/15 16/14
22.04 Temple Hirst Jn 16/20 16/21
24.02 Great Heck 2 minute stop 16.25 ~ 16.27
31.04 Shaftholme Jn 16/36 16/35
35.23 Doncaster 16c43a ~ 16c45d 16.41 ~ 16.50
35.62 Bridge Jn 16/47 16/52
37.62 Decoy South Jn 16/51 17/02
38.61 Bessacarr Jn 16/56 17.05a ~ 17.09d
55.77 Gainsborough Trent Jns 17/15 17/27
56.44 Gainsborough Lea Road 17/17 17.29a ~ 17.31d
70.40 Pyewipe Jn 17/34 17/52
71.25 Boultham Jn 17/37 17/54
85.71 Newark Crossing East Jn 17/56 18/11
85.76 Newark Flat Crossing 17/58 18/12
86.67 Newark Castle 18/0 18/14
101.30 Netherfield Jn 18/19 18/33
104.01 Nottingham 18c25a ~ 18c27d 18.45 ~ 18.47
104.64 Mansfield Jn 18/31 18/52
109.46 Attenborough Jn 18/37 18/59
110.28 Meadow Lane Jn 18/39 19/01
111.09 Toton Jn 18/41 19/05
111.47
0.00		 Toton Centre 18L44a ~ 19L04d 19.09 ~ 19.36
0.38 Toton Jn 19/07 19/38
1.19 Meadow Lane Jn 19/11 19/41
2.58 Trent Jn 19/14 19/46
3.38 Ratcliffe Jn 19/18 19/48
10.28 Loughborough 19/28 19/58
14.74 Sileby Jn 19/34 20/01
17.76 Syston South Jn 19/39 20/05
22.67 Leicester 19.47a ~ 19.49d 20.12 ~ 20.17
26.03 Wigston North Jn 19/56 20/22
37.34 Hinckley 20/07 20/38
41.53 Nuneaton 20.13a ~ 20.15d 20.45 ~ 20.47
52.17 Whitacre Jn 20/32 21/05
55.02 Water Orton 20/38 21/09
61.08 Landor Street Jn 20/45 ?
61.46 St Andrews Jn 20/47 ?
61.72 Bordesley Jn 20/50 ?
66.39 Lifford East Jn 20/55 ?
66.64 Lifford West Jn 20/58 21/30
68.34 Selly Oak 21/02 ?
71.65 Birmingham New Street 21.09a ~ 21.22d ?
72.41 Proof House Jn 21/24 ?
74.41 Aston 21/29 ?
76.63 Perry Barr North Jn 21/34 ?
81.20 Bescot Stadium 21/39 ?
85.37 Portobello Jn 21/45 ?

 Timings continued in first table.

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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