7th September 2002

Past Time Rail
???

Route :
1Z55 : London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley
1Z56 : Edinburgh Waverley to London Kings Cross

Notes :
(1) Originally booked for haulage by D9000 'Royal Scots Grey to York/back from Newcastle then 60009 to/from Edinburgh Waverley. 55019 substituted 'at last minute' due to problems with D9000 at Tyne Yard the day prior to the tour.
(2) 99405 only on when 60009 was on the train.
(3) 60009 declared a failure in Chevington Loop. Gordon Lacy comments: Very fast timings had been arranged for this tour, on which the load had been kept down to 9 vehicles to York, 10 forward.  Despite not being in the 'best of health', for its part, 55019 did an excellent job on the day!  However, there was to be little improvement on the 35 min deficit by Newark Northgate! The A4 was performing well to start with, until marred by a three minute signal stop at Longlands Jn.  Subsequently stopped before, and diverted through, Darlington station, it became apparent that all was not well, and the train was turned of the mainline at Ferryhill South Jn and came to a halt near the site of Ferryhill station.  Problems with the spark arrestor apparatus was mooted as severely restricting steaming.  Following a hundred minute stop, a ten minute halt for the road at Tursdale Jn put us 2hrs 50min late! A quarter hour was 'saved' at the Tyne Yard waterstop, but the earlier problem manifested itself again by Widdrington and the decision was taken to terminate the train at the next available loop!  At Chevington, 60009 & POB were detached and limped off in a Northerly direction, while 55019 (which had followed to Newcastle for its booked return leg) was despatched to return the train South!  We thus ran to Woodengates Loop, where 55019 ran round. By this time, an 'alternative' schedule had been put into place, as far as York, where the original booked path would be taken up.  The timings below reflect the amended schedule between Woodengates & York.  It should be noted that both the Newcastle-York & York-Newark timings required average start to stop performances in excess of 80mph.

Source : Gordon Lacy (joined/left the train at Newark North Gate)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gordon Lacy)

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