4th June 2008

Steam Dreams
Cathedrals Express

Loco Used steam : 34067 'Tangmere'
Stock Used 35518+5237+1961+5236+3125+9392+13440+5216+1840+5222+4960

Route:
1Z82 : London Victoria to Canterbury West
1Z83 : Canterbury West to London Victoria

Loco Route
34067 London Victoria - (via Down Chatham Main) - Brixton - Catford - Bromley South - Swanley - Otford - Maidstone East - Ashford - Wye - Canterbury West - Minster - Deal - Dover Priory - Folkestone Central - Ashford - Sevenoaks - Orpington - Bromley South - Catford - Crofton Road Jn - (via Up Atlantic Line) - Stewarts Lane - London Victoria

Source : John Clifford (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by John Clifford)

The loco (47245) which was due to bring the stock in failed with flat batteries. The only loco available was 73136 but the only West Coast driver in the area with the required traction knowledge was the one due to take 34067 out. He was dispatched by taxi to Stewarts Lane to bring the ED + stock in. Hence we had a late start ...but the climb out of Victoria was made unassisted. The engine seemed not to be steaming well in parts on the outward journey so we got to Canterbury just under an hour late.

The return was somewhat better. A superb run from Folkestone saw us picking up time until we were held at signals for 5 mins outside Tonbridge to allow a Hastings train to precede us. We recovered to pass Sevenoaks almost on time but a fault in the Automatic Routing System saw the train diverted at Orpington to run from the up line to the down fast platform (no. 3) & back to the up fast after the station. Very strange! Any way arrival at Victoria was 5 min early.

John Clifford

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
London Victoria 11.23d 12.14   21.02a 20.57
Battersea Pier Jn 11/26 12/17   20/59 20/48
Stewarts Lane   20/56 20/47
Factory Jn   20/54 20/45
Voltaire Road Jn 11/29 12/19   20/52 20/44
Brixton 11/31 12/22  
Cambria Jn 11/33 12/24  
Denmark Hill 11/34 12/25   20/47 20/39
Crofton Road Jn 11/36 12/26   20/45 20/38
Nunhead 11/38 12/28   20/42 20/36
Shortlands Jn 11/47 12/36   20/29 20/29
Bromley South 11.50a ~ 11.53d 12.41 ~ 12.45   20.23a ~ 20.26d 20.24 ~ 20.26
Bickley Jn 11/55 12/51   20/19 20/21
St. Mary Cray Jn 11/56 12/52  
Swanley 12/01 12/58  
Otford Jn 12/13 13/08  
Maidstone East 12/30 13/30  
Charing 12/46 13/47  
Petts Wood Jn   20/17 20/19
Orpington   20/14 20/16
Sevenoaks   20/04 20/05
Tonbridge   19/51 19/52
Paddock Wood   19/41 19/38
Headcorn   19/30 19/29
Ashford 13/06 14.02 ~ 14.04   19/19 19/19
Wye 13/16 14/13  
Saltwood Jn   19/07 19/08
Folkestone West   18w50 ~ 19w02 18.50 ~ 19.02
Folkestone Central   18/48 18/48
Dover Priory   18/33 18/34
Buckland Jn   18/31 18/32
Deal   18/19 18/17
Sandwich   18/14 18/13
Minster   18/06 18/04
Canterbury West 13.27a 14.26   17.45d 17.45


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