22nd December 2009

Railway Touring Company
The Sussex Belle

Locos Used 47760 & steam: 34067 'Tangmere'
Stock Used 35518+3093+99352+99316+99122+99121+99128+4973+99304

Route : 1Z82 throughout

Loco(s) Route
34067 (1) London Victoria - Voltaire Road Jn - Brixton - Denmark Hill - Nunhead - Bellingham - Shortlands Jn - Bromley South - Bickley Jn -St Mary Cray Jn - Swanley - Maidstone East - Charing - Ashford International - Appledore - Rye - Hastings - Bopeep Jn - Robertsbridge - Tunbridge Wells - Tonbridge - Sevenoaks - Orpington - Bickley Jn - (reverse of outward route) - Denmark Hill - (2) - Crofton Road Jn - (via Atlantic Line) - Stewarts Lane - (2) London Victoria

Notes :
(1) Banked from Victoria to Grosvenor Bridge by 47760.
(2) Booked route was reverse of outward.

Source : Neil Kearns & John Clifford

Tour Review
(by Gordon Jakes)

The routing of this train was as advertised in the Railway Touring Co. brochure excepting that the return journey was routed via the main route between Sevenoaks and Bromley South (i.e. via Orpington) and not via Bat and Ball. This was a small disappointment as the route through Bat and Ball is seldom if ever traversed by the current menu of steam hauled special trains. However, the loss of this route allowed for a very respectable arrival time in London Victoria – just before the evening peak. A later arrival would have probably been a no go, due to platform utilisation at Victoria – hence the brochure advertised arrival of 18.00hrs.

The choice of 22nd December was very lucky as snow disrupted normal train services on the 21st and again on the 23rd. Indeed the service on the 22nd was advertised as an enhanced Saturday service. Much snow was in evidence particularly on the Downs. The coastal route from Ashford to Hastings was clear of snow but snow was soon much in evidence again as we turned inland from Hastings.

Class 47 number 47760 brought the empty stock into London Victoria with 34067 already attached at the country end. The class 47 also gave banking assistance as the train departed from Victoria but this was the last that was seen of same.

In respect of 34067 and its performance there is little to say. The 9-coach train appeared to be well within Tangmere’s capability and the train was never more than 10 minutes adrift from the schedule on a day when punctuality of normal service trains was very poor due to the adverse weather conditions. I travelled in the seventh coach of the nine coach set and the steam heating was more than adequate to make the journey comfortable throughout. The outside temperature was barely if at all above freezing.


34067 'Tangmere' on arrival back at Victoria station (Gordon Jakes)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Neil Kearns, John Clifford & Gordon Jakes)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Victoria 10.44d [P2] 10.44 [P2]   16.13a [P2] 16.15 [P2] 64.64
0.72 Battersea Pier Jn 10/48 [FL] 10/47½
[Down Chatham Main/Fast]		   16/09 16/08½ [Up Chatham Slow] 63.72
- Stewarts Lane   DIV 16/07 63.37
1.68 Factory Jn ? 10/49   DIV 16/06 62.76
2.05 Voltaire Road Jn 10/50 10/49½   16/06 16/05 [FL] 62.59
3.08 Brixton 10/52 10/53   16/04 DIV 61.56
3.68 Cambria Jn 10/54 10/54½   15/59 DIV 60.76
4.22 Denmark Hill 10/56 10/55½   15/58 15/59½ 60.42
4.67 Crofton Road Jn 10/58 10/56½   15/57 15/58½ 59.77
5.77 Nunhead 11/00½ 11/00   15/54 15/53 58.67
8.73 Bellingham 11/08½ 11/08   15/50 15/46½ 55.71
10.73 Shortlands Jn 11/14 [DF] 11/14 [DF]   15/27 15/44 [Up Catford Loop] 53.71
12.07 Bromley South 11.17½a ~ 11.19d 11.18 ~ 11.21½   15.41a ~ 15.44d 15.40 ~ 15.41½ 52.57
13.54 Bickley Jn 11/21 11/27   15/38 [UF] 15/36 [UF] 51.10

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
14.33 St Mary Cray Jn 11/22 11/28
18.47 Swanley 11/29 11/33 [Down Maidstone]
25.70 Otford Jn 11/41 11/42½
41.12 Maidstone East 11/58 12/00
50.07 Lenham Loop 12w10 ~ 12w25 12.13½ ~ 12.26
50.27 Lenham 12/26 12.27½ ~ 12.28
54.27 Charing 12/34 12/33½
60.34 Ashford International 12/41 12/43 [Down Hastings]
68.73 Appledore 13/06½ 13/12
75.59 Rye 13/17½ 13/21½
65.65 Ore 13/37 13.40 ~ 1340½
86.47
0.00		 Hastings 13.41 ~ 13.54 [P2] 13.45 ~ 14.02 [P2]
1.58 Bopeep Jn 13/59 14/09
10.65 Mountfield Tunnel 14/16 14/22½
12.76 Robertsbridge 14/19 14/27
23.20 Wadhurst 14/40 14/42
27.25 Strawberry Hill Tunnel 14/49 14.48½ ~ 14.53½
28.11 Tunbridge Wells Central 14/54 [P1] 15/00½ [P2]
28.67 Wells Tunnel 14/57 15/02
32.20 Somerhill Tunnel 15/04 15/08
33.01 Tonbridge 15/13 [P2] 15/12 [UF]
40.34 Sevenoaks 15/24 15/24
48.58 Orpington 15/34 [P2] [UF] 15/32 [P2] [UF]
50.19 Petts Wood Jn 15/36 [UFV] 15/34 [UFV]

Timings continue in first table.

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