15th March 2008

Pathfinder Tours
The Choppington Changer

Locos Used 56303, 60048, 66423, 92022 'Charles Dickens' & 92029 'Dante'
Stock Used 5350+4902+5040+4927+5009+5276+5322+1863+3140+3112+3122+21272+6310

Route:
1Z54 : London Kings Cross to Newcastle (via Morpeth)
1Z55 : Newcastle to York
1Z56 : York to Doncaster RMT
1Z57 : Doncaster RMT to London Kings Cross

Loco(s) Route
92022 London Kings Cross - (via ECML) - Loversall Carr Jn - Doncaster RMT
56303 Doncaster RMT - Doncaster - (via ECML) - Holgate Jn - (via York avoiding line) - Skelton Jn - (via ECML) - Longlands Jn - Boroughbridge Road Jn - Northallerton East Jn - Eaglescliffe - Norton South Jn - Norton West Jn - Tursdale Jn - Durham - Newcastle - Cramlington - Morpeth Jn - Hepscott Jn - Choppington - Bedlington North - Newsham North Jn - Benton Jn - Newcastle
66423 + 56303 (2) Newcastle - (via ECML) - York
60048 York - Colton Jn - Church Fenton - Milford Jn - Ferrybridge Jn - Knottingley West Jn - Shaftholme Jn - Doncaster - Doncaster RMT (3)
92029 Doncaster RMT - Loversall Carr Jn - (via ECML, Carlton UPL) - London Kings Cross

Notes :
(1) Originally booked for a Freightliner 66/5 however Direct Rail Services 66423 was on hire to Freightliner.
(2) A total ban on the passage of locomotives over the High Level Bridge whist repairs were carried out meant that the tour departed Newcastle over the King Edward Bridge and did not, therefore, reverse at Newcastle as originally planned.
(3) Tour was delayed at Doncaster RMT awaiting arrival of 92029.

Sources : Pathfinder Tours, Matthew Cole, David Clark, Nicholas Braddick & Craig Simmons

Photo Review


56303 at Newcastle (photo: Nick Bartlett)


66423+56303 on arrival at York (photo: Nick Bartlett)


60048 waits to leave York (photo: Robert Clark)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Pathfinder Tours, Matthew Cole & David Clark)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 London Kings Cross 07.25d 07.25 [P6]   22.04a 22.12 [P6]
153.60
0.55 Belle Isle 07/27 07/27   22/02 22/10
153.05
- Holloway South Jn ? ?   22/00 ? -
2.41 Finsbury Park 07/30 07/29½ [P3]   21/58 22/07 [P2]
151.19
4.78 Alexandra Palace 07/33 07/23½ [P3]   21/56 22/05 [P2]
148.62
12.57 Potters Bar 07.41a ~ 07.43d 07.38 ~ 07.41 [P3]   21.46a ~ 21.49d 21.55½ ~ 21.57½ [P1] [US-UF]
141.03
20.25 Welwyn Garden City 07/51 07/47½ [P3]   21/38 21/46½ [P2]
133.35
- Digswell Jn ? ?   21/35 ? -
23.68 Woolmer Green Jn 07/54 07/52   21/32 21/43
129.72
27.45 Stevenage 07.58a ~ 08.00d 07.53½ ~ 08.06 [P4]   21.25a ~ 21.28d 21.37 ~ 21.39 [P2] [UF-US]
126.15
31.74 Hitchin 08/06 08/04 [DS]   21/19 21/31
121.66
44.10 Sandy 08/16 08/14½   21/08 21/22
109.50
58.70 Huntingdon 08/29 08/27 [P3]   20/55 21/07 [P2] 94.70
67.30 Connington South Jn ? 08/34½   20/48 20/59 86.30
69.12 Holme LC 08/39 08/36½   ? 20/57 84.48
75.02 Fletton Jn 08/44 08/44 [DS]   ? 20/53 78.58
76.29 Peterborough 08.59a ~ 09.02d 08.57½ ~ 09.02 [P5] [DS-DF]   20.36a ~ 20.38d 20.47 ~ 20.51 [P2] 77.31
85.02 Tallington Jn 09/12 09/09   20/28 20/36 68.58
99.62 Stoke Jn 09/24 09/19½   20/17 20/25 [UF] 54.00
105.38 Grantham 09/29 09/24½ [P2]   20.07a ~ 20.09d 20.17½ ~ 20.20 [P1] 48.22
115.27
 Claypole 09/36 09/31½   19/58 20/07 38.33
120.08
 Newark North Gate 09.40a ~ 09.42d 09.36 ~ 09.43½ [P1]   19.48a ~ 19.50d 20.01½ ~ 20.04 [P2] 33.52
- Newark Crossing 09/43 ?   19/46 20/01 -
126.25
 Carlton Loops ? 09/48 [DM]   19*23 ~ 19*40 19.44 ~ 19.53½ [UPL] 27.35
138.49
 Retford 09.57a ~ 10.03d 09.58 ~ 10.02 [DS]   19.07a ~ 19.09d 19.24½ ~ 19.30 15.11
152.00
 Loversall Carr Jn 10/16 10/14 [UW/DWS]   18/55 19/10 1.60
153.35
 Decoy South Jn 10/18 10/16   18/52 19/08 0.25
153.60
0.00		 Doncaster RMT 10L20 ~ 10L40 10.17½ ~ 10.50½   18L30 ~ 18L50 18.34 ~ 19.07 0.00
36.71
0.33 Decoy North Jn 10/42 10/53 [DF]   18/25 18/32 36.38
2.17 Doncaster 10/45 10/56½ [DF]   18/20 18/25½ [UF-Dn/UpWS1] 34.54
6.36 Shaftholme Jn 10/51 11/01½   18/10 18/16½ 30.35

 

M.C
 Location Booked Actual
15.36
 Temple Hirst Jn 11/00 11/06½
21.15
 Hambleton North Jn 11/04 11/12
29.19
 Colton Jn 11/12 11/18½ [DM]
34.49
 York Yard South Jn 11/19 11/25
36.06
 Skelton Jn 11/24 11/28½ [DS]
43.75
 Tollerton 11/36 11/32
56.51
 Thirsk 11/51 11/52
63.26
 Longlands Jn 12/00 11/59 [Dn Long.]
64.27
 Boroughbridge Road LC 12/06 12/00
79.08
 Eaglescliffe 12/22 12/20½
80.38
 Stockton Cut Jn 12/24 12/22½
-
 Hartburn Jn 12/25 ?
83.79
 Norton South Jn 12/30 12/28
84.32
 Norton West Jn 12/31 12/29
94.71
 Ferryhill South Jn 12/47 12/46 [DS]
97.47
 Tursdale Jn 12/50 12.52 ~ 12.55
104.67
 Durham 12/56 13/02 [DF]
114.03
 Birtley Jn 13/02 13/09
118.16
 King Edward Bridge South Jn 13/06 13/14
118.70
 Newcastle Central 13c09 ~ 13c11 13.16 ~ 13.20 [P2]
120.64
 Heaton South Jn 13/14 13/22½
135.40
 Morpeth 13/27 13/42½
136.22
 Hepscott Jn 13/30 13/44½
139.75
 Bedlington North Jn 13/36 13/54½
142.72
 Newsham South Jn 13/40 14/03
151.31
 Benton Jn 13/56 14/24½
153.61
 Heaton South Jn 14/00 14/29½

155.55
0.00

 Newcastle Central 14L07a ~ 14L43d 14.33 ~ 14.58½ [P3]
0.54
 King Edward Bridge South Jn 14/45 15/00 [UM]
4.67
 Birtley Jn 14/49 15/05
14.03
 Durham 14/56 15/12 [UF]
21.23
 Tursdale Jn 15/03 15/19 [UF]
23.79
 Ferryhill South Jn 15/05 15/21
36.06
 Darlington 15/15 15/31 [UM]
50.20
 Northallerton 15/28 15/42½
51.25
 Longlands Jn 15/30 15/44 [US]
58.00
 Thirsk 15/37 15/50 [US]
70.56
 Tollerton 15/48 16/02
78.45
 Skelton Jn 15/56 16/10
80.16
0.00
 York 15L59a ~ 17L25d 16.13½ ~ 17.26 [P10]
5.41
 Colton Jn 17/31 17/34
6.40
 Colton South Jn 17/33 17/35½ [UpL-UpN]
10.58
 Church Fenton 17/38 17/42 [P1]
14.71
 Milford SB 17/43 17/49
19.16
 Ferrybridge North Jn 17/53 17/56½
19.60
 Knottingley West Jn 17/55 17/58½
20.26
 Knottingley South Jn 17/56 18/01½

Timings continue in first table.

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