23rd May 2006

Steam Dreams
The Cathedrals Express

Locos Used 47709 & 47712 (1)
Stock Used 9513+3350+3392+1961+3313+3278+3385+3352+1657+3431

Route:
1Z84 : London Victoria to Portsmouth Harbour
1Z85 : Portsmouth Harbour to Clapham Junction

Loco(s) Route
47712 (2) London Victoria - Stewarts Lane - Clapham Junction - Balham (4) - Tooting - Wimbledon - Epsom - Leatherhead - Dorking North - Horsham - Pulborough - Arundel - Barnham - Chichester - Havant - Cosham - Fareham - Fareham North Jn
47709 (3) Fareham North Jn - Fareham - Cosham - Fratton - Portsmouth Harbour
47712 (2) Portsmouth Harbour - Fratton - Havant - (5) (reverse of outward route) - Wimbledon - Earlsfield - Clapham Junction (6)

Notes :
(1) The train should have been hauled by steam loco 45231, but there were problems in getting a vacuum braked set of stock so the "Blue Pullman" set was used instead.
(2) 47709 on rear.
(3) 47712 on rear.
(4) Booked route between Balham & Epsom was Balham - Mitcham Junc - Sutton - Epsom.
(5) Booked route on return was Havant - Chichester - Barnham - Worthing Central - Hove - Preston Park - Haywards Heath - Three Bridges - Earlswood - Quarry line - Purley - East Croydon - Selhurst - Balham - Clapham Junction - Stewarts Lane - Victoria.
(6) It was planned that the train would return to Victoria by the outward route but could not do so as the cross-over at Wimbledon was out of use for movements to go from the SW main line to the Thameslink route. Also it was then planned to go to Waterloo but the driver for the Empty Coaching Stock move did not know the road out of Waterloo.
(5) & (6) diversions due to driver's lack of route knowledge.

To sum up: "it didn't quite do what it said on the tin".

Source : John Clifford

Timings (Booked & Actual)
 (from John Clifford)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
London Victoria 10.12d 10.11d   21.00a DIV
Battersea Pier Jn 10/15 10/15   20/54 DIV
Stewarts Lane 10/20 10/17   20/49 DIV
Longhedge Jn 10/26 10/19   20/46 DIV
Pouparts Jn 10/28 10.20 ~ 10.32   20/43 DIV
Clapham Junction 10/31 10/34   20/41 20.47a
Balham 10/36 10/37   20/37 DIV
Streatham North Jn 10/38 10/40  
Streatham South Jn 10/54 10.41 ~ 10.45  
Mitcham Junction 10/59 DIV  
Sutton 11/09 DIV  
Wimbledon DIV 10/57   DIV 20.29 ~ 20.39
Wimbledon West Jn DIV 10/58   ? ?
Raynes Park DIV 11/01   DIV 20/24
Motspur Park DIV 11/03   DIV 20/15
Epsom 11/21 11/19   DIV 20/07
Leatherhead 11/28 11/27   DIV 19/56
Dorking North 11/33 11/34   DIV 19/48
Ockley 11/44 11/43   DIV 19/38
Warnham 11.51 ~ 12.08 11/48   DIV 19/33
Horsham 12/15 12/07   DIV 19/29
Pulborough 12/32 12.32 ~ 12.33   DIV 19/12
Selhurst   20/32 DIV
Windmill Bridge Jn   20/30 DIV
East Croydon   20/29 DIV
Purley   20/26 DIV
Stoats Nest Jn   20/25 DIV
Earlswood   20/18 DIV
Gatwick Airport   20/12 DIV
Three Bridges   20/07 DIV
Balcombe Tunnel Jn   20/02 DIV
Haywards Heath   19.40 ~ 19.43 DIV
Keymer Jn   19/36 DIV
Preston Park   19/28 DIV
Hove   19/24 DIV
Shoreham   19/16 DIV
Worthing Central   19/08 DIV
West Worthing   19/06 DIV
Arundel Jn 12/49 12/52   18/53 18/51
Ford 12/51 12/53   18/51 18/50
Barnham 12/54 12/57   18/47 18/47
Chichester 13.02 ~ 13.04 13.06 ~ 13.09   18.34 ~ 18.40 18.27 ~ 18.39
Havant 13/30 13.24 ~ 13.33   18/16 18/14
Farlington Jn 13/37 13.41 ~ 13.43   18/11 18/09
Cosham Jn 13/42 13/45  
Cosham 13/44 13/46  
Fareham 13/52 13.55 ~ 14.00  
Fareham North Jn 13.53 ~ 13.58 14.02 ~ 14.07  
Fareham 14/00 14/09  
Cosham 14/08 14/16  
Portcreek Jn 14/12 14/19   18/10 18/08
Hilsea Halt ? ?   18/09 18/07
Fratton East Jn 14/18 14/23   ? ?
Fratton 14/19 14/24   18/04 18/02
Portsmouth & Southsea (HL) 14/24 14/27   18/00 17/58
Portsmouth Harbour 14.30a 14.31a   17.54d 17.54d


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