26th February 2005

Pathfinder Tours
High Peaks Hustler

Locos Used 37427 & 37669
Stock Used 5341+4927+4902+5009+5322+1863+3140+3112+35469

Route :
1Z36 : Birmingham International to Liverpool Lime Street
1Z37 : Liverpool Lime Street to Buxton
1Z38 : Buxton to Birmingham International

Loco(s) Route
37427 (1)(4)

Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street - Galton Jn - Wolverhampton - Bushbury Jn - Stafford - Crewe - Chester - Chester North Jn
37669 (2) Chester North Jn - Chester South Jn
37427 (1) Chester South Jn - Chester - Helsby - Frodsham Jn - Halton Jn - Runcorn - Edge Hill - Liverpool Lime Street
37669 (2) Liverpool Lime Street - Edge Hill - Huyton - Earlestown - Eccles - Manchester Victoria - Philips Park No.1 - Philips Park No.2 - Ashburys - Reddish North - Romiley - Rose Hill Marple
37427 (1) Rose Hill Marple - Romiley - Woodley - Guide Bridge - Ashburys - Philips Park No.2 - Baguley Fold Jn - Ashton Moss North Jn - Denton Jn - Stockport - Hazel Grove - Disley - Buxton
37669 (2) Buxton - Buxton Up Refuge Sidings
37427 (1) Buxton Up Refuge Sidings - Great Rocks Jn - Chinley South Jn - Chinley North Jn - New Mills South Jn - Hazel Grove High Level Jn - Northenden Jn - Altrincham - Northwich - Middlewich - Sandbach - Crewe
37669 + 37427

Crewe - (reverse of outward route) - Birmingham International

Notes :
(1) 37669 on rear.
(2) 37427 on rear.
(3) Late start due to waiting stock and delayed Crewe on the return running 37669 round.
(4) Locos booked to run in multiple between Birmingham and Crewe.

Source : Alan Sheppard (joined the train at Crewe, left at Buxton)

Tour Review
(from Ralf Edge)


A snowy day out in the Buxton area for the tour participants (photo: 'Wilms')

The day started at stupid 'o' clock in Derby where the first voyager of the day to Birmingham was cancelled so onto the all stations slow bus to Crewe, (we changed into the fast bus at Stoke), we arrived in Crewe in plenty of time, so see 37427 leading the tour and 37669 on the rear. A good day was had with lots of rare curves and reasonably fast timings. Rose Hill Marple was short of photo opportunities, as unusually neither loco was in the platform! A slight hic-cup at Woodley when the driver forgot to stop for the photo stop, - realising once it was too late - we continued to Hyde Central for some reasonable photos.

During the afternoon we climbed through the snow to Buxton with a GREAT performance from 37427 approaching Middlewood. The snow was around 4 inches deep in Buxton (in undisturbed patches). An hour in Buxton provided 'lunch' from 16:00(!) which meant I learnt the difference between Chorley Cakes and Eccles Cakes!

Anyway, back onto the train an enjoyable journey round the snow covered Peak Forest line followed by the run back to Crewe via Altrincham. At Crewe 37669 was run round onto the front of the train despite some late running (after being held at Sydney Bridge), providing a great run home through the night...


Another snowy shot, this one of 37427 at Buxton is from Nick Wason.

Ralf Edge

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Richard Rooker, Ralf Edge, Alan Sheppard & Rob Fraser)

M.C
Location Booked Actual Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Birmingham International 07.16d 08.04 21.04a 21.11 60.70
4.33 Stechford 07/24 08/11 21/00 21/06 56.37
7.44 Proof House Jn 07/29 08/15 20/56 21/02 53.26
8.18 Birmingham New Street 07.32a ~ 07.43d 08.17 ~ 08.20 20.51a ~ 20.54d 20.57 ~ 21.00 52.52
10.19 Soho South Jn 07/48 08/25 20/46 20/53 50.51
11.77 Galton n 07/50 08/28 20/44 20/51 48.73
15.42 Dudley Port 07/55 08/32 20/40 20/48 45.28
21.02 Wolverhampton 08.03a ~ 08.06d 08.39 ~ 08.41 20.30a ~ 20.33d 20.39 ~ 20.41 39.68
22.56 Bushbury Jn 08/10 08/45 20/26 20/37 38.14
36.33 Stafford 08.22a ~ 08.50d 08.57 ~ 08.59 20.10a ~ 20.13d 20.20 ~ 20.23 24.37
41.62 Norton Bridge 08/59 09/06 20/00 20/14 19.08
52.64 Madeley 09/08 09/17 19/47 20/04 8.06
59.06 Basford Hall Jn 09/15 09/23 19/42 19/58 1.64
60.70
0.00		 Crewe 09.19a ~ 09.54d 09.30 ~ 09.54 19.20a ~ 19.36d 19.25 ~ 19.55 0.00
58.05

 

M.C
Location Booked Actual
1.41 Crewe Steelworks Jn 09/57 09/57
10.60 Beeston Castle 10/06 10/06
21.10 Chester [P3] 10/16 10.17 ~ 10.20
21.49
0.00		 Chester North Jn 10.19a ~ 10.27d 10.24 ~ 10.29
0.23
0.00		 Chester South Jn 10.32a ~ 10.37d 10.34 ~ 10.40
0.38 Chester (Up/Down Main) 10/39 10/43
3.11 Mickle Trafford 10/45 10/48
7.68 Helsby 10/49 10/52
11.39 Frodsham Jn 10/57 10/59
13.13 Halton Jn 11/12 11/03
14.23 Runcorn 11/16 11/05
16.57 Ditton Jn 11/20 11/09
21.67 Allerton 11/26 11/14
25.10 Wavertree Jn 11/30 11/17
26.11 Edge Hill 11/33 11/19
27.42
0.00		 Liverpool Lime Street [P9] 11.39a ~ 12.07d 11.23 ~ 12.07
1.31 Edge Hill 12/19 12.12 ~ 12.20
1.78 Bootle Branch Jn 12/22 12/22
5.50 Huyton 12/28 12/27
8.72 Rainhill 12/33 12/33
11.70 St. Helens Junction 12/40 12/37
14.58 Earlestown 12/43 12/39
15.60 Newton-le-Willows 12/45 12/40
22.54 Astley 12/52 12/47
27.59 Eccles 12/59 12/54
30.38 Ordsall Lane Jn 13/04 12/58
31.50 Manchester Victoria [P4] 13*09a ~ 13*12d 13.05 ~ 13.13
33.00 Miles Platting 13/16 13/17
33.20 Philips Park West Jn 13/17 13/19
33.65 Philips Park South Jn 13/19 13/20
35.45 Ashburys 13/24 13/26
41.55 Romiley 13/33 13/36
42.63 Marple Wharf Jn 13/36 13/40
43.61
0.00		 Rose Hill Marple 13.39a ~ 13.55d 13.43 ~ 13.56
0.78 Marple Wharf Jn 13/58 14/00
2.06 Romiley 14/00 14/03
3.23 Woodley 14p05a ~ 14p23d 14/05 #
4.64 Hyde Central ? 14p16a ~ 14p27d
5.78 Hyde Jn 14/29 14/31
7.16 Guide Bridge 14/32 14/32
10.51 Ashburys 14/37 14/38
12.31 Philips Park South Jn 14/44 14/44
13.04 Baguley Fold Jn 14/48 14.47 ~ 14.54
16.06 Ashton Moss North Jn 14/53 15/03
19.27 Denton Jn 14/59 15/08
22.58 Ash Bridge Jn 15/05 15/13
23.40 Heaton Norris Jn 15/07 15/15
24.15 Stockport [P1] 15/09 15/18
27.00 Hazel Grove 15/15 15/23
33.42 Furness Vale 15/31 15/34
38.49 Chapel-en-le-Frith 15/43 15/41
43.70
0.00		 Buxton [P2] 15.56a ~ 16.56d 15.50 ~ 16.57
0.20
0.00		 Buxton URS 17.03a ~ 17.08d 17.00 ~ 17.04
- Buxton Signal Box 17*10a ~ 17*12d 17.05 ~ 17.06
2.78 Topley Pike Barden Aggregates 17/20 17/13
5.62 Tunstead, Great Rocks Jn 17*28a ~ 17*30d 17/21
6.37 Peak Forest South Sorting Sdgs. 17/35 17/24
10.35 Chinley South Jn 17/43 17/33
11.18 Chinley North Jn 17/44 17/34
14.71 New Mills South Jn 17/48 17/38
20.20 Hazel Grove High Level Jn 17/54 17/45
26.63 Northenden Jn 18/08 17/57
30.56 Deansgate Jn 18/14 18/06
31.00 Navigation Road 18/15 18/07
32.17 Hale 18/18 18/10
35.56 Mobberley 18/23 18/15
40.78 Plumley West Signal Box 18/32 18/24
44.30 Northwich 18/39 18/30
44.65 Northwich South Jn 18/41 18/32
49.55 Middlewich 18/56 18/45
53.35 Sandbach 19/11 18/57
57.09 Crewe Sydney Bridge Jn 19/17 19/16

# stopped north of station 14.06 ~ 14.11

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