7th April 2011
Steam Dreams
The Cathedrals Express
| Loco Used | steam: 70000 'Britannia' |
| Stock Used | 35465+5216+5171+5200+1860+13440+9104+99125+3093+1961+5237+5236 |
Route :
1Z71 : Oxford to Canterbury West
1Z73 : Canterbury West to Oxford
| Loco | Route |
| 70000 | Oxford - Didcot North Jn - (via station avoiding line) - Didcot East Jn - Reading - Slough - Acton Main Line - Acton Wells Jn - Willesden SWS - Mitre Bridge Jn - Kensington Olympia - Longhedge Jn - Factory Jn - Denmark Hill - Nunhead - Catford - Shortlands Jn - Bromley South - Bickley Jn - St Mary Cray Jn - Swanley - Otford - Kemsing - Maidstone East - Charing - Ashford International - Canterbury West - Minster - Sandwich - Buckland Jn - Dover Priory - Folkestone Central - Ashford International - Paddock Wood - Tonbridge - Sevenoaks - Orpington - Bickley Jn - Bromley South - Shortlands Jn - Sydenham Hill - Herne Hill - Brixton - Factory Jn - (reverse of outward route) - Didcot East Jn - Didcot Parkway - Didcot North Jn - Oxford |
Notes :
(1) 70000's inaugural railtour since returning from overhaul. Originally
advertised from Aylesbury and London Victoria.
(2) John Clifford comments: I understand that the train was delayed in the Acton
area as the wrong route had been set. The train needed to go into Acton Yard for
water & the route had been set up to continue along the Up Relief Line. Time was
being made up until we got on to the Maidstone East line where there was a track
circuit failure. There were stops at the signal controlling the entrance to
Borough Green Loop (sorry I didn't note the signal number) from 12.58 to 13.02 &
again at signal ME165 from 13.12 to 13.15 with slow running in between.
Sources : Nick Wason (on the train throughout) & John
Clifford
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Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Nick Wason & Neil Kearns)
| M.C | Location | Booked | Actual | Booked | Actual | M.C | |
| 0.00 | Oxford | 09.22d [P1] | 09.31 [P1] | 22.45a [P1] | 23.12 [P1] | 174.34 | |
| - | Oxford U&DPL | 22.36 ~ 22.44 [UDP] | 22.59 ~ 23.09½ | 174.04 | |||
| 2.33 | Kennington Jn | 09/30 | 09/36 | 22/29 | 22/53 | 172.01 | |
| 9.47 | Didcot North Jn | 09/38 | 09/43 | 22/20 | 22/43 | 164.67 | |
| - | Didcot Parkway | 22.10a ~ 22.13d [P3] | 22.39 ~ 22.40 [P3] | 164.03 | |||
| 10.46 | Didcot East Jn | 09/39 [RL] | 09/48 | 22/09½ [RL] | 22/36 [DR] | 163.59 | |
| 26.36 | Reading West Jn | 10/04 | 10/13 [UR] | 21/52 | 22/16 [DR] | 147.69 | |
| 27.34 | Reading | 10.06a ~ 10.08d [P9] | 10.16 ~ 10.18 [P9] | 21.47a ~ 21.49d [P4] | 22.10½ ~ 22.13 [P8] | 146.71 | |
| ? | Twyford West Jn | ? | ? | 21/39 [ML] | ? | ? | |
| 32.31 | Twyford | 10/16 [RL] | 10/25 [UR] | 21/37½ | 22/02 [DR] | 141.74 | |
| 39.13 | Maidenhead | 10/25 | 10/32 [UR] | 21/29 | 21/55 [DR] | 135.12 | |
| 44.76 | Slough | 10.34a ~ 10.37d [P5] | 10.40½ ~ 10.42 [P5] | 21.19a ~ 21.21d [P5] [RL] | 21.44 ~ 21.45½ [P4] | 129.29 | |
| 52.18 | Airport Jn | 10/45 | 10/52 [UR] | 21/11 | 21/32 [DM] | 122.07 | |
| 54.26 | Southall | 10/48 | 10/55 [UR] | 21/08 | 21/29 [DM] | 119.79 | |
| ? | West Ealing | 10/51 [RL] | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| 58.32 | Acton West | 10/55 | 11/16½ | 21/01 | 21/23 [DR] | 115.73 | |
| 59.11 | Acton Main Line | 10.56 ~ 11.08 [UG] | 11.20 ~ 11.34 | 20/59 [RL] | 21/21 [DR] | 115.14 | |
| 59.63 | Acton Wells Jn | 11/11 | 11/37 | 20/56 | 21/14 | 114.42 | |
| 60.23 | Willesden SWS | 11/14 [REV] | 11/39 [USW] | 20.38 ~ 20.52 | 20.47 ~ 21.10 [DSW] | 114.02 | |
| 61.48 | Mitre Bridge Jn | 11/19 | 11/42 | 20/34 [REV] | 20/38 | 112.57 | |
| 62.05 | North Pole Jn | 11/21 | 11/45½ | 20/33 | 20/37 | 112.20 | |
| 63.73 | Kensington Olympia | 11.24a ~ 11.26d [P3] | 11.49 ~ 11.53 [P2] | 20.26a ~ 20.30d [P2] | 20.29 ~ 20.32 [P2] | 110.32 | |
| 66.56 | Latchmere Jn | 11/31½ | 12/00 | 20/20 | 20/22 | 107.49 | |
| 67.41 | Longhedge Jn | 11/34½ | 12/02 | 20/17 | 20/19 | 106.64 | |
| 68.00 | Factory Jn | 11/36½ [AL] | 12/03½ [DA] | 20/15 [RVL] | 20/17½ | 106.25 | |
| 68.24 | Voltaire Road Jn | 11/37½ | 12/04½ [DA] | 20/14 | 20/16 [CR] | 106.01 | |
| - | Brixton | 20/12 | 20/13 | 104.72 | |||
| - | Herne Hill | 20/11 | 20/11 [P2] | 104.10 | |||
| - | Beckenham Junction | 20/02 | 20/02 | 99.33 | |||
| 70.34 | Denmark Hill | 11/42½ | 12/08 [DA] | ||||
| 70.70 | Crofton Road Jn | 11/45 | 12/11 [DA] [DCL] | ||||
| 72.03 | Nunhead | 11/47 | 12/13 | ||||
| 74.79 | Bellingham | 11/56 | 12/18 | ||||
| 76.72 | Shortlands Jn | 12/06 [FL] | 12/21 [DRC] | 20/00 | 20/00 [UCF] | 98.29 | |
| 78.06 | Bromley South | 12.09a ~ 12.11d [P2] | 12.25½ ~ 12.27 [P2] | 19.53a ~ 19.57d [P1] | 19.55 ~ 19.57 [P1] | 97.15 | |
| 79.53 | Bickley Jn | 12/14 | 12/32 [DCF] | 19/50 [FL] | 19/50 [UCF] | 95.48 | |
| M.C | Location | Booked | Actual |
| 80.32 | St Mary Cray Jn | 12/16 | 12/33½ [DCF] |
| 84.46 | Swanley | 12/22 | 12/39 [DCF] |
| 91.68 | Otford Jn | 12/31 | 12/49 |
| 107.11 | Maidstone East | 12/53 | 13/26 |
| 120.26 | Charing | 13/13 | 13/44 |
| 126.32 | Ashford International | 13/24 | 13/52 [P6] |
| 130.55 | Wye | 13/34 | 13/57 |
| 140.50 0.00 |
Canterbury West | 13.45a ~ 16.51d [P2] | 14.11 ~ 16.58 [P2] |
| 11.37 | Minster | 17/14 | 17/19½ |
| 16.24 | Sandwich | 17/22½ | 17/27 |
| 20.34 | Deal | 17/28 | 17/31 |
| 28.63 | Buckland Jn | 17/40 | 17/44½ |
| 29.54 | Dover Priory | 17/47 | 17/48 [P1] |
| 37.07 | Folkestone Central | 18/01 | 18/02 |
| 40.42 | Saltwood Jn | 18/06 | 18/07 |
| 50.71 | Ashford International | 18/17 [UML] | 18/18 [UF] |
| 61.20 | Headcorn | 18/28 [UM] | 18/27½ [UF] |
| 72.15 | Paddock Wood | 18.39 ~ 18.54 [P1] | 18.38 ~ 18.54 [UL] |
| 77.05 | Tonbridge Up Loop | 19.04 ~ 19.11 [SL] | 19.04 ~ 19.12 [US] |
| 77.38 | Tonbridge | 19/13 [UF] | 19/13 [UF] |
| 84.71 | Sevenoaks | 19/23 [P1] | 19/25½ [UF] |
| 93.15 | Orpington | 19/35 [FL] | 19/35 [UF] |
| 94.55 | Petts Wood Jn | 19/39 [UFV] | 19/37 |
Timings continue in first table.
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Associated E.C.S. Movements
| Headcode | 5Z71 | 5Z73 |
| Location | Booked (out) | Booked (rtn) |
| Southall FSS | 06.20d [GL] | [00.52a] 05.23a |
| Southall | 06/32 | 05/12 |
| Southall West Jn | 06/35 [RL] | [00/40] 05/10 [ML] |
| Airport Jn | 06/42 | 05/08 |
| West Drayton | ? | 05/05 [RL] |
| West Drayton UGL | - | 00.43 ~ 05.04 [UDG] |
| Iver | ? | 00/37 [GL] |
| Slough | 06/55 [RL] | 00/30 |
| Maidenhead | 07/03 | 00/23 |
| Twyford | 07/12 | 00/16 |
| Reading | 07/18 | 00.01 ~ 00.06 |
| Reading West Jn | 07/20 [GL] | ? |
| Scours Lane | 07.22 ~ 07.34 [URL] | ? |
| Tilehurst East Jn | 07/35 [RL] | ? |
| Didcot East Jn | 07/51 | 23/41 [RL] |
| Didcot Parkway | 07.53 ~ 07.56 | [AL] |
| Didcot North Jn | 07/59 | 23/30 |
| Kennington Jn | 08/07 | 23/22 |
| Hinksey North Jn | 08/12 | ? |
| Oxford | 08/26 | 23/20 |
| Oxford Up Carriage Sidings | 08.28 ~ 09.18 | 22.50 ~ 23.18 |
| Oxford | 09.19a | 22.48d |