6th November 2010

Spitfire Railtours
The Lowland Growler 2 / The Poppy

Locos Used 37676 'Loch Rannoch', 37685 & 47804
Stock Used 99680+4951+5035+4973+4940+4905+99328+99318+99679+3150+3143+3148

Route :
1Z59 : Birmingham International via Edinburgh Waverley to Shields Jn
1Z60 : Shields Jn via Edinburgh Waverley to Birmingham International

Tour Name Loco(s) Route
Lowland Growler 2 37676 + 37685 (2) Birmingham International - Stechford - Proof House Jn - Birmingham New Street - Soho South Jn - Soho East Jn - Perry Barr North Jn - Tame Bridge Parkway - Bescot Stadium - Portobello Jn - Wolverhampton - Bushbury Jn - Stafford - (via WCML) - Carstairs South Jn - Midcalder Jn - Slateford - Craiglockhart Jn - Niddrie West Jn - Portobello Jn - Abbeyhill Jn - Edinburgh Waverley
Poppy 37676 + 37685 (2) Edinburgh Waverley - Haymarket - Newbridge jn - Bathgate - Airdrie - Coatbridge Sunnyside - Bellgrove - Abbeyhill Jn - Shields Jn
Poppy 47804 (3) Shields Jn - Terminus Jn - Larkfield Jn - Rutherglen East Jn - Carmyle - Whifflet South Jn - Mossend North jn - Mossend East Jn - Shotts - Midcalder Jn -Slateford - Craiglockhart Jn - Niddrie West Jn - Portobello Jn - Abbeyhill Jn - Edinburgh Waverley
Lowland Growler 2 37676 + 37685 (2) Edinburgh Waverley - (reverse of outward route) - Euxton Jn - Chorley - Lostock Jn - Bolton - Salford Crescent - Castleford Jn - Manchester Piccadilly - Slade Lane Jn - Stockport - Cheadle Hulme - Wilmslow - Sandbach - Crewe - (reverse of outward route) - Bushbury Jn - Portobello Jn - Bescot Stadium - Perry Barr North Jn - Aston - Stechford - Birmingham International

Notes :
(1) John Cowlishaw comments: this train was the first to carry fare-paying passengers over the newly re-opened Airdrie to Bathgate line.
(2) 47804 on rear.
(3) 37676 & 37685 on rear.
(4) Train was held at Carlisle on the outward journey to adjust the brakes to prevent dragging.
(5) Howard Parker comments: The Pathfinder tour with 55022 was seen at Bellgrove at 13.13 running 65 late and so was not the first passenger train over the re-opened Bathgate line which it would have been if on time. The stop in Chelford up loop on the return allowed 55022 to overtake this tour, and on arrival at Crewe 55022 and its train were in platform 5 when we drew into platform 1.

Sources : John Cowlishaw (joined/left the train at Crewe) & Howard Parker (on the train throughout)

Photo Review


37676 & 37685 at Edinburgh Waverley (photo: John Cowlishaw)


47804, also at Edinburgh Waverley (photo: John Cowlishaw)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Cowlishaw & Howard Parker)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 Birmingham International 04.53d 04.53d [P1]   23.33a 23.36 [P4] 320.24
4.33 Stechford 04/57½ ?   23/25 23/27 315.71
7.44 Proof House Jn 05/01 ?  
8.18 Birmingham New Street 05.04a ~ 05.07d 05.05 ~ 05.07 [P4]  
10.19 Soho South Jn 05/12 05/13  
10.52 Soho East Jn 05/13 05/14  
12.51 Perry Barr West Jn 05/16½ ?  
- Aston   23/18 23/18 312.74
13.00 Perry Barr North Jn 05/17½ ?   23/15½ ? 310.30
16.38 Tame Bridge Parkway 05.20½a ~ 05.22½d 05.23 ~ 05.24   23.08½a ~ 23.11½d 23.09 ~ 23.11 306.72
17.37 Bescot Stadium 05/25½ 05/27   23/06½ 23/07 305.73
18.55 Darlaston Jn 05/26½ ?   23/03½ ? 304.55
21.54 Portobello Jn 05/29½ 05/32   23/01 ? 301.56
23.44 Wolverhampton 05.34a ~ 05.36d ?  
24.01 Wolverhampton North Jn 05/38 ?  
25.12 Bushbury Jn 05/39½ ?   22/57 22/59 299.08
38.30 Trent Valley Jn 05/51½ ?   22/43½ ? 285.70
38.69 Stafford 05.53a ~ 05.57d 05.55 ~ 05.57 [P5]   22.40½a ~ 22.42½d 22.43 ~ 22.44 [P4] 285.31
44.14 Norton Bridge 06/03½ ?   22/34½ 22/36 280.02
55.20 Madeley 06/15½ ?   22/25½ ? 269.00
61.42 Basford Hall Jn 06/23½ ?   22/17 ? 262.58
63.26 Crewe 06.26a ~ 06.30d 06.30 ~ 06.33 [P6]   22.07a ~ 22.15d 22.12 ~ 22.17 ][P1] 260.74
64.14 Crewe Coal Yard SB 06/31½ 06/33  
70.67 Winsford 06/38 06/41  
75.73 Hartford Jn 06/42 06/45  
77.64 Acton Bridge 06/44½ 06/47  
80.46 Weaver Jn 06/46½ 06/49  
85.46 Acton Grange Jn 06/51½ 06/52½  
87.37 Warrington Bank Quay 06/52½ 06/54  
90.70 Winwick Jn 06/56 06/56  
97.68 Springs Branch Jn 07/03 07/02½  
98.60 Wigan South Jn 07/04 ?  
99.17 Wigan North Western 07/04½ 07/03½  
106.68 Balshaw Lane Jn 07/12 07/12  
- Crewe Sydney Bridge   22/03 ? 260.03
- Sandbach   21/58 22/00½ 256.29
- Chelford   21.42 ~ 21.48 [Loop] 21.45 ~ 21.48 [Loop] 246.62
- Alderley Edge   21/37 21/37 243.58
- Wilmslow   21/35 21/32 242.08
- Cheadle Hulme   21/28½ 21/28 238.27
- Adswood Road Jn   21/26½ 21/27 237.36
- Edgeley No.1 Jn   21/25 21/25½ 236.45
- Stockport   21/23½ 21/24 235.79
- Heaton Norris Jn   21/21 21/23 235.24
- Slade Lane Jn   21/17 21/20 232.34
- Ardwick Jn   21/15½ 21/17 230.72
- Manchester Piccadilly   21/14 21/16 230.15
- Manchester Oxford Road   21/09½ 21/10½ 229.52
- Deansgate   21/08½ 21/09½ 229.23
- Castleford Jn   21/06½ 21/09 229.13
- Ordsall Lane Jn   20/56 20/58 228.52
- Salford Crescent   20/53½ 20/53 227.66
- Burnden Jn   20.31½ ~ 20.40 20.35 ~ 20.41½ 219.41
- Bolton   20/28½ 20/31 218.75
- Lostock Jn   20/24½ 20/26 216.06
- Blackrod   20/20½ 20/17 212.31
- Chorley   20/09 20/10½ 207.25
108.72 Euxton Jn 07/15 ?   20/02 20/07 204.21
114.34 Preston 07.22a ~ 07.24d 07/15   19.54a ~ 19.56d 19.57 ~ 20.00 198.59
135.25 Lancaster 07/44½ 07/43½   19/31½ 19/36 177.68
137.18 Morecambe South Jn 07/47 07/47   19/30 ? 175.75
141.17 Carnforth UPL   19.17 ~ 19.25 19.19 ~ 19.23 171.76
141.33 Carnforth North Jn 07/51 ?   19/16½ 19/18 171.60
154.33 Oxenholme Lake Disrtrict 08/04½ 08/04   19/01 19/05 158.60
168.08 Tebay 08/18 08/17   18/49 18/55 145.05
185.39 Penrith South Jn 08/36½ 08/36   ? ? 127.54
186.45 Penrith North Lakes 08.39½ ~ 08.50½ 08.40½ ~ 08.47½   18/30 18/37 126.48
204.34 Carlisle 09.11a ~ 09.13d 09.07 ~ 09.31   18.11a ~ 18.13d 18.13½ ~ 18.16 108.59
206.37 Kingmoor ? 09/36   18.00 ~ 18.07 [UL] 18.04 ~ 18.07 106.56
213.11 Gretna Jn 09/22½ 09/41½   17/51½ 17/53 100.02
? Kirkpatrick 09/26 [sig MC863] ?   17/48½ [sig MC862] ? ?
230.14 Lockerbie UL   17.27½ ~ 17.35½ 17.25 ~ 17.38 82.79
230.20 Lockerbie 09/39½ 09/54   ? ? 82.73
244.37 Beattock 09/52½ 10/04   17/12 ? 68.56
254.18 Beattock Summit 10/02½ 10/17½   17/02½ 17/00½ 58.75
262.24 Abington 10.12 ~ 10.26 10.26 ~ 10.32   16.45½ ~ 16.53½ 16.43 ~ 16.50 50.69
277.47 Carstairs South Jn 10/42½ 10/46   16/29 16/29 35.46
278.02 Carstairs East Jn 10/46 10/48   16/25 16/24½ 35.11
283.26 Auchengray 10/51½ 10/54   16/18 16/19 29.67
288.74 Torphin 10/57½ ?   16/13 ? 24.19
293.68 Midcalder Jn 11/04½ 11/03   16/08 16/07 19.25
302.73 Slateford Jn 11/14½ 11/12½   15/57½ 15/55 10.20
303.41 Craiglockhart Jn 11/16½ 11/25   15/55 15/53 9.52
308.54 Niddrie West Jn 11/30 11/25   15/39½ 15/43 4.39
309.63 Portobello Jn 11/34½ 11/28   15/34½ 15/40 3.30
310.77 Craigentinny Jn 11/36½ 11/30   15/32 15/37 2.16
312.32 Abbeyhill Jn 11/38 11/33   15/31 ? 0.61
313.13 Edinburgh Waverley 11.40a 11.36 [P11]   15.29d 15.33½ 0.00

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Edinburgh Waverley 12.03d 12.03
? Princes Street Gardens 12/04½ 12/05½
1.19 Haymarket 12/07½ ?
2.28 Haymarket West Jn 12/09 ?
8.42 Newbridge Jn 12/17 12/17
12.56 Uphall 12/21 12/22
18.58 Bathgate 12/30½ 12/29
31.77 Drumgelloch 12/50½ 12.44 ~ 12.45
33.09 Airdrie 12/52½ 12/47
34.76 Coatbridge Sunnyside 12/56 12/52
40.30 Shettleston 13/06½ 13/03
42.72 Bellgrove 13/13 13/13
43.19 High Street Jn 13/14½ 13/14
44.19
0.00		 Shields Jn 13.24 ~ 13.36 13.25½ ~ 13.29
0.44 Terminus Jn 13/37 ?
1.35 Larkfield Jn 13/40 13/34
3.18 Rutherglen East Jn 13/46 ?
4.64 Carmyle 13/50 ?
9.56 Langloan Jn 14/05½ 13/51
10.55 Whifflet South Jn 14/08 13/53½
? Mossend 14/10 ?
12.77 Mossend North Jn 14/11 13/58½
13.37 Mossend East Jn 14/11½ 14/01
14.24 Holytown Jn 14/12 14/03½
21.27 Shotts 14/19 14/18
24.00 Benhar Jn 14/22 14/23
36.09 Midcalder Jn 14/40½ 14/40
45.14 Slateford Jn 14/51½ 14/51½
45.62 Craiglockhart Jn 14/53½ 14/53
50.75 Niddrie West Jn 15/02 15/05½
52.04 Portobello Jn 15/05½ 15/08½
53.18 Craigentinny Jn 15/07½ 15/09
54.53 Abbeyhill Jn 15/09 ?
55.34 Edinburgh Waverley 15.11a 15.16

Timings continue in first table.

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