2nd August 2003

Worksop Open Day Committee
The Worksop Riviera

Route:
1Z56 : Worksop to Paignton
1Z57 : Paignton to Worksop

56118 + 56107 departing from Paignton (photo: Nathan Williamson)

Source : David Clark (joined/left the train at Bristol Temple Meads)

Tour Review
(by David Clark)

This years worksop tour was to go where no Virgin Voyagers can go during a storm.  Along the Dawlish Coast to Paington.  For the Worksop Committee this was their 2^nd visit to Paignton, but their first Worksop Depot Open Day tour with a pair of 56s.  As previous tours have featured pairs of 58s, although the 2001 tour featured a 56 and a 58.

Due to a change of living circumstances, I am no longer in Scunthorpe due to work and other circumstances, and down in deepest South Wales where coal used to rule.  And getting to / from charters is no longer as easy as it used to be.

However, with the option of a Bristol Temple Meads to Paignton and return behind a pair of grids for £20 it was an opportunity not to be missed!  So with a pair of Black Loadhaul Grids, lots of sun and the Dawlish Coast in prospect, a good day was expected.

I did the 0717 from Dinas Rhonnda to Cardiff Central behind 142073.  Here I was informed the charter was 30 late but not told why.  So I just carried on and took 158748 on the 0830 ex Cardiff Central to Portsmouth to Bristol Temple Meads.  This train was full with holiday makers, and at Severn Tunnel Jn it was full of cyclists heading to France! In fact one had to be left due to the amount of bikes wishing to use the service.  At Newport 37712 / 37668  was seen 6v71 Warrington Arpley to Newport ADJ Jn Yard.

On arrival at Bristol Temple Meads, a work colleague was met, before we transferred from Platform 15 to platform 6.  Here, soon after we got on to the platform, the grids were heard along with screams from the Class 56 brigade.  I found myself a seat near the back, and awaited a lot of thrash for the return.

Due to TPWS problems on 56107 the locos had to be run round, and the tour departed Worksop 40 late.  However, by Bristol Temple Meads the train was on time.  And we departed at 0944 and set off down to Paignton.  No sooner had we departed Bristol, the speeds were impressive through the suburbs and at Yatton the train was doing 70-80mph, as a mate of mine was photting it and said he saw a blur and then nothing! We were held just after Cogload Jn in to the approach for Taunton, and after we past there at 1026 (one late), a Virgin HST past us speeding away on the late running Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay (43084 / 43102).  The last time I was in Taunton was on Pathfinders tour to Minehead with 56119 in December 2001!!

Plenty of people were out in force to see the grids pass through Devon.  Exeter St Davids was past at 1054 (right time) and then the best bit of the journey commenced along a stretch of line which has proved challenging for Virgin Voyagers!  The Dawlish coast was taken with many people with heads slightly out the window along the scenic stretch of line.  Many tourists didn’t know what to expect or do when the train went past!

The weather was great, the water looked blue and the photographers had a great time photographing the 56s.  Was this a first for 56s along the sea wall on a charter?

We past Newton Abbott at 1115, slightly late due to an unsolicited brake application between Teignmouth and Newton Abbott, and took the branch to Paignton stopping at Torquay to set down.  This was my first visit to Paignton in 27 years.  I was just a little boy of 1 when I last went to Paignton!

We arrived at Paignton (1132 two late) noticing hoards of people waiting for a Voyager up to Birmingham.  Ouch!  Paignton was sunny, hot and looked very appetising with a KFC / Woolworths all in a 5” walk from the station.  However, we decided to do the Steam Railway to Kingswear.

Tickets were purchased, and we took our seats in an ex Birmingham DMU coach.  And awaited our 1200 departure with  BR Standard 75014 built at Swindon.  The journey to Kingswear was quite scenic and at a few locations the coast was to be seen along with a lovely water park!  But when we got to Kingswear there was a nice Marina, naval college and the location was quite idyllic.  Here, punters had the opportunity to take the ferry across the Dart River.

We returned to Paignton and got some food, drink and went to the sea front and awaited our train back to Bristol.  Further members of my party stopped on to Sheffield.

Plenty of 159s, voyagers and HST’s were seen in Paignton and most of them were full.  Station staff also did their best to make sure anyone without tickets didn’t board any train at all!  Watch out children if you go to Paignton!

The stock followed in, once the 1610 to Southampton left, and my coach was 2^nd from the front.  So let the noise commence!!!

The tour departed at 1620 and noise was heard instantly as we picked up at Torquay and again headed through Newton Abbott, along the splendid Dawlish Coast and arrived at Exeter St Davids to allow 43084 / 43102 on the Newquay to Manchester Piccadilly to go in front of us from Exeter St Davids.

From then on the Grids opened up, and we were early all the way to Parson Street, where we crawled in to Bristol Temple Meads 9 early.  My dad had hoped to score in Weston Super Mare, as he needed the branch.  And so he was not amused when the tour did not cover it on either leg!!!  It was my unfortunate task to bode farewell to my party and make my way on to the platform to witness the grids depart (and thus missing two services to Cardiff!).  The departure from Bristol was fantastic.  Grids are beasts, and I don’t care what anyone says id much rather have a grid to a tractor.  It has to be said the speeds on the day were very good, and I understand they got even better on the return once they departed Birmingham New Street.

After the two previous trains were missed, I had to wait 20mins for the next train which duly rolled in at 1845 with 158868 / 158747 (158747 required for haulage).  And departed right time at 1850.  This was quite an uneventful journey apart from passing a 37 hauled freight train through the Severn Tunnel.

My train from Cardiff came at 2015 with 150104 (hired in from Central Trains) to Dinas Rhonnda arriving at 2100.

Reflection: A nice relaxing day out with a relatively late start (compared to 3am departures) and a relatively early arrival home (compared to anytime after midnight that day!).  Traction was excellent (what else can be said it was a pair of Loadhaul grids!!!) and timing was good.  And the destination was marvellous!!!  My next tour hopes to take me home to the delights of Scunthorpe in November!!!

David Clark

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from various including David Clark)

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