25th January 2003

Hertfordshire Rail Tours
The Rutland Horseshoe

Loco Used 66080
Stock Used 17023+3150+1679+3123+3124+4925+1832+5037+5023+4986+5002+4959+5005

Route :
1Z66 : Finsbury Park to Kettering
1Z67 : Kettering to Finsbury Park

Loco Route
66080 Finsbury Park - Freight Terminal Jn - Camden Road - Gospel Oak - Kensal Green Jn - Harlesden Jn - Watford Junction – Bletchley – Bedford – (Slow Line) – Wellingborough – Kettering – Corby -Harringworth Viaduct – Oakham – Leicester – Kettering – Wellingborough – (Main Line) - Bedford – Bletchley – Watford Junction –  Primrose Hill – Camden Rd - Freight Terminal Jn - Finsbury Park

Source : Kevin Prince (Joined at Watford Junction/left at Finsbury Park)

Tour review
(by Kevin Prince)

Excellent – a tour that did exactly what it said on the tin – a shame really that EWS had to run it as a consolation for the cocked up Three Spires (31/8/02 see report) and full marks to HRT for a cracking day out.

I had meant to join the tour at FP to finally pick up KX Incline however SWT’s own little mini tours due to engineering meant that I had no solid way of getting there even for what was a 10AM start hence the Watford start. (I had the joy of single line working from Farnboro’ to Woking out and the Portsmouth direct home to Southampton.)

The expected shed rolled in on time with a mix of green and blue/grey stock but more engineering enabled us to find a fairly steady RST of –20 to –40 for the rest of the day. This was not helped by positively pedestrian running/regulation until the crew change at Kettering. Leaving our stagger along the MML behind we hammered off to Corby and a very pleasant (and deliberate ) 10 minute scenery bash parked on Harringworth Viaduct in the sun.

Cracking running saw us just about on time before the black hole of Leicester power box saw both railtour and, supposedly, preceding HST parked side by side outside an empty Leicester Station. Declining the booked crew change (which happened at Kettering) we left about 20 down and maintained that all the way home.

10/10 for the tour, 5/10 for the buffet being out of butties by Bedford on the OUTWARD journey (Tanglefoot was a suitable substitute however).

A simple itinerary but lots of new stuff (for me anyway) with annoying gaps like Bedford St Johns (Old) to Bedford, KX Incline, Corby and Primrose Hill satisfyingly scratched at last. Nice price too!

Kevin Prince

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Ken Stachan/Daniel Bound)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Finsbury Park 09.58d 09.58   17.31a - 251.06
0.79 Holloway South Jn 10/01 10/01   17/26 - 250.08
1.57 Freight Terminal Jn 10/03 10/03   17/21 - 249.29
2.11 Camden Road East Jn 10/06 10/07   17/16 - 248.75
2.28 Camden Road 10/08 10/08   17/14 - 248.58
3.47 Gospel Oak 10/13 10/12  
7.54 Kensal Green Jn 10/27 10/34  
8.54 Harlesden Jn 10/36 10/34  
  Camden Jn   17/09 - 247.60
  West London Jn   17/03 - 244.11
11.01 Wembley Central 10/38 10/38   17/00 - 241.30
14.27 Harrow & Wealdstone 10/43 10/46   16/55 - 238.04
20.32 Watford Junction 10.51a ~ 10.53d 10.53 ~ 10.57   16.47a ~ 16.48d 17.08 ~ 17.11 231.79
34.50 Tring 11/17 11/12   16/31 16/50 217.61
41.13 Ledburn Jn 11/24 11/16   16/23 16/43 211.18
49.43 Bletchley 11.35a ~ 11.37d 11.41 ~ 11.43   16.07a ~ 16.09d 16.29 ~ 16.31 202.68
50.60 Fenny Stratford 11/40 11/47   16/03 16/25 201.51
65.50 Bedford St Johns 12/06 12/25   15/41 15/58 186.61
66.30 Bedford Midland 12.10a ~ 12.30d 12.29 ~ 12.30   15.35a ~ 15.37d 15.53 ~ 15.54 186.01
66.43 Bedford North Jn 12/15 12/32   15/33 15/51 185.68
73.10 Sharnbrook Jn 12/35 12/41   15/26 15/35 179.21
81.56 Wellingborough 12/37 12/54   15/17 15/25 170.55
83.45 Harrowden Jn 12/43 12/59   - - ???.??
87.25 Kettering South Jn 12/49 13/07   - - ???.??
88.46 Kettering 12.55a ~ 13.10d 13.11 ~ 13.15   15/11 15c16a ~ 15c17d 163.65

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
91.11 Kettering North Jn 13/13 13/18
95.70 Corby 13/23 13/26
106.63 Manton Jn 13/53 13/53
110.21 Oakham 14/00 13/57
121.62 Melton Mowbray 14/14 14/08
131.44 Syston East Jn 14/26 14/19
131.68 Syston South Jn 14/28 14.31a ~ 14.44d
136.59 Leicester 14c37a ~ 14c42d 14.46 ~ 14.47
137.30 Leicester South Jn 14/45 14/50
139.75 Wigston North Jn 14/49 14/53
152.72 Market Harborough 15/01 15/05

Timings continue in first table.

Key;
a : arrival time
c : crew change
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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