10th August 2013

Charity Railtours
The Great Eastern Freighter

Locos Used 37605, 37611 & 60054
Stock Used 5921+5961+5937+6176+6177+6158+1212+3386+3333+3325+3344+5945+35469

Route:
1Z37 : Eastleigh to Wymondham Abbey
1Z39 : (Dereham) Wymondham Abbey to Felixstowe Creek Sidings
1Z43 : Felixstowe Central FLT to Eastleigh

Loco(s) Route
37605 + 37611

Eastleigh - Winchester - Basingstoke - Farnborough - Woking - Addlestone Jn - Virginia Water - Staines - Feltham - Hounslow - Brentford - Kew East Jn - Acton Central - Willesden Junction - Kensal Green Jn - Gospel Oak - Camden Road East Jn - Lea Jn - Channelsea Jn - Stratford - Ilford - Gidea Park - Shenfield - Chelmsford - Colchester - Manningtree - Halifax Jn - Ipswich Griffin Wharf (RR Loop)
37611

Ipswich Griffin Wharf (RR Loop - End of Line)
37605

Ipswich Griffin Wharf (End of Line - RR Loop)
37605 (2)

Ipswich Griffin Wharf (RR Loop - End of Line)
37611 + 37605 Ipswich Griffin Wharf - Halifax Jn - Manningtree - Colchester - Colchester (Up Passenger Loop)
60054 (3) Colchester (Up Passenger Loop) - Colchester - Manningtree - Ipswich - Stowmarket - Haughley Jn - Bury St Edmunds - Chippenham Jn - Soham - Ely - Brandon - Thetford - Wymondham
37611 + 37605 (4) Wymondham - Church Lane L.C. (Wymondham Abbey) (5)(6)
60054 (3)

Church Lane L.C. - Wymondham - Trowse Jn - Trowse Loop (Lafarge Aggregates Siding 1)
37611 + 37605 (4) Trowse Loop - Trowse Jn - Diss - Haughley Jn - Stowmarket - East Suffolk Jn - Ipswich Yard
60054 (3) Ipswich Yard - East Suffolk Jn - Westerfield - Derby Road - Trimley - Felixstowe Beach Jn - Felixstowe Creek Sidings - Felixstowe Central Freightliner Terminal (7) - Trimley - Derby Road - Westerfield - East Suffolk Jn - Ipswich Yard
37605 + 37611 Ipswich Yard - Ipswich - Manningtree - Colchester - Chelmsford - Shenfield - (reverse of outward route) - Eastleigh

Notes :
(1) Charity Tour ran in aid of The Alzheimer's Society, leading the fight against Dementia.
(2) Loco propelling to clear points to allow 37611 to run-round.
(3) 37611& 37605 on rear.
(4) 60054 on rear.
(5) Tour originally booked to travel all the way to Dereham on the Mid-Norfolk Railway, but when the timings were released, insufficient time was available to return the train to Eastleigh before an engineering blockade. This was rectified by the omission of Griffin Wharf, (was to be done after Felixstowe), but after voices were aired on various Internet Sites & intending passengers e-Mailing Charity Railtours, DBS & NR pulled out all the stops to see if it could be added to the start of the tour.
This was achieved with the reduction of the Mid-Norfolk Railway section to just the connection with the train to reversing at Wymondham Abbey instead of the whole length of the line to Dereham.
It would mean no off-train leg-stretching opportunities, but the rare Griffin Wharf branch, (not covered since 1990) would be left as one of the main highlights of the tour, along with the run through cross-docks at Felixstowe. [The original timings had Dereham 13:39~15:29, Griffin Wharf 20:33~20:58 & an Eastleigh arrival time of 01:17].
On the day, however, it had been arranged that during the reversal at Wymondham, (NR station), the door locks could be released & passengers be allowed to spend an hour off the train instead of covering the connection to the Mid-Norfolk railway.
(6) Train had to reverse at Church Lane L.C. instead Wymondham Abbey station due to the late running of the M.N.R. service preventing the tour accessing the single-track station.
(7) Felixstowe North FLT renamed Felixstowe Central FLT this year upon opening of the 'new' North Freightliner Terminal.
(8) Tour postponed from 08/09/2012 due to various operational difficulties.

Source : Alan Sheppard (on the tour from/to Colchester), Nick Bartlett (on the tour throughout)
& Stuart Hicks (joined/left the train at Stratford)


Arriving at arriving at Griffin Wharf, Ipswich (photo: Nick Bartlett)


Nick Bartlett's ticket.


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Sheppard & Nick Bartlett)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Eastleigh 05.58d [P1] [UF] 05.58 [P1] [UF]   00.13a [P3] 00.18 [P3]
Shawford 06/03 06/03   00/07 [DF] 00/03 [DS]
Winchester 06.08a ~ 06.09d [P1] 06.07 ~ 06.08 [P1]   00/04 [P2] 23/59 [P2]
Worting Jn 06/25 [US] 06/22 [US]   23/50 [DF] 23/48 [DF]
Basingstoke 06.28a ~ 06.31d [P4] [US] 06.25 ~ 06.31 [P4] [US]   23.43a ~ 23.46d [DF] [P2] 23.42 ~ 23.44 [DF] [P2]
Fleet 06/45 06/44 [P1]   23/35 ?
Farnborough (Main) 06/50 [P1] 06/50 [P1]   23/33 [P2] 23/30 [DF]
Pirbright Jn 06/54 06/54 [US]   23/29 ?
Woking Jn 07/06 07/03 [US]   23/25 23/24 [DF]
Woking 07/07 [P1] 07/05 [P1]   23/24 [P5] 23/23 [P4]
Byfleet & New Haw 07/15 07/12 [P1]   23/16 [DF] 23/18 [DF]
Addlestone Jn 07/18 07/15   23/14 23/14
Virginia Water 07/28 [P3] 07/27 [P3]   23/07 [P4] 23/07 [P4]
Staines 07/42 [P1] 07/40 [P1]   22/57 [P2] 22/57 [P2]
Feltham 07/49 [P1] 07/49 [P1]   22/53 [P2] 22/49 [P2]
Feltham Jn 07/51 07/52   22/51 22/46
Hounslow 07/53 07/54   22/45 22/40
Brentford 07/57 07/57 [P1]   22/39 22/36
Kew East Jn 08/00 08/01   22/34 22/34
South Acton Jn 08/02 08/02   22/31 ?
Acton Central 08.04a ~ 08.06d [E] 08.03 ~ 08.06 [E/P2]   22.26a ~ 22.28d [W] 22.28 ~ 22.29 [W/P1]
Acton Wells Jn 08/08 08/08   22/24 22/25
Willesden Junction HL 08/11 [P4] 08/10 [P4]   22/22 [P5] 22.21 ~ 22.22 [P5]
Kensal Green Jn 08/13 08/11   22/19 22/20
Gospel Oak 08/26 [P2] 08/23 [P2]   22/01 [P1] 21/58 [P1]
Camden Road 08/29 08/28   21/56 21/53
Camden Road East Jn 08/31 [RL] 08/29 [RL]   21/54 21/52
Westbourne Road Jn 08/34 08/33   21/51 [NL] ?
Canonbury West Jn 08/37 08/34   21/48 21/46
Navarino Road Jn 08/41 08/41   21/43 21/43
Lea Jn 08/47 08/47   21/37 21/40
Channelsea Jn 08/50 08/49   21/36 21/39
Stratford 08.52a ~ 08.57d [P10a] [DM] 08.55 ~ 08.57 [P10a] [DM]   21.31a ~ 21.33d [P10] 21.32 ~ 21.36 [P10a]
Maryland 08/59 [P4] 08/59 [P4]   21/29 21/30 [P4]
Forest Gate Jn 09/00 [DM] 09/00 [DM]   21/27 [UM] 21/28
Ilford 09/02 [P2] [DM] 09/02 [P2] [DM]   21/25 [P1] [UM] 21/27 [P1] [UM]
Gidea Park 09/07 [P2] [DM] 09/07 [P2] [DM]   21/19 [P1] [UM] ?
Shenfield 09/15 [P3] 09/15 [P3]   21/12 [P2] [UM] ?
Ingatestone 09*20 ~ 09*40 [DPL] 09.20 ~ 09.38 [DPL]   21/07 [UM] ?
Chelmsford 09/47 [P2] 09/45 [P2]   21/00 [P1] 21/08 [P1]
Witham 09/55 [P3] 09/53 [P3]   20/50 [P2] 21/01 [P2]
Marks Tey 10/01[P2] 10/00 [P2]   20/42 [P1] 20/55 [P1]
Colchester 10.08a ~ 10.11d [P2] 10.09 ~ 10.14 [P2]   20.36a ~ 20.39d [P3] 20.47 ~ 20.49 [P3]
Manningtree 10/18 [P3] 10/22½ [P3]   20/28 [P2] 20/38½ [P2]
Halifax Jn 10*28 ~ 10*34 10.32 ~ 10.36   20/18 20/30

 

Location Booked Actual
Ipswich Griffin Wharf (RR Loop) ? 10.44½ ~ 10.54
Ipswich Griffin Wharf (End of Line) 10.50 ~ ??.?? 10.58 ~ 11.05½
Ipswich Griffin Wharf (RR Loop) ? 11.11½ ~ 11.13
Ipswich Griffin Wharf (End of Line) ??.?? ~ 11.15 11.16½ ~ 11.27
Halifax Jn 11*33 ~ 11*35 11/41
Manningtree 11/49 [P2] 11/50½ [P2]
Colchester 11/58 [P3] 11/57½ [P3]
Colchester (Up Passenger Loop) 12L00 ~ 12L34 [UPL] 12L00½ ~ 12L39 [UPL]
Colchester 12/36 [P3] 12/41½ [P3]
Manningtree 12/45 [P3] 12/51½ [P3]
Halifax Jn 12/56 [DL] 12/59
Ipswich 12/58 [P3] 13/02½ [P3]
East Suffolk Jn 13/00 13/03
Stowmarket 13/12 [P2] 13/15½ [P2]
Haughley Jn 13/15 13/20
Bury St Edmunds 13/36 [P1] 13/35
Kennett 13/48 13/47 [P2]
Chippenham Jn 13/53 13/51
Soham 14/06 13/59½
Ely Dock Jn 14/30 [DL] 14.06½ ~ 14.29
Ely 14/31 [P1] 14/32½ [P1]
Kiln Lane L.C. ? 14.35½ ~ 14.36½
Ely North Jn 14/40 14/37
Brandon 14/52 14/57½ [P1]
Thetford 15/00 15/07 [P1]
Attleborough 15/15 15/23
Wymondham 15.24 ~ 15.34 15.31 ~ 15.49½ [P1]
Church Lane L.C. ? 15.59 ~ 
Wymondham Abbey 15.50a ~ DIV
Dereham (15.44a ~ 15.29d) (5) CANX
Wymondham Abbey ~ ??.??d DIV
Church Lane L.C. ?  ~ 16.23
Wymondham South Jn ? 16.26 ~ 16.31½
Wymondham 16.27 ~ 16.29 16.35½ ~ 16.37½ [P1]
Trowse Jn 16/38 16/51
Trowse Loop (Lafarge Aggregates) 16.39 ~ 16.46 16.54 ~ 17.04 (Siding 1)
Trowse Jn 16/47 17/06
Diss 17/04 17/27½
Haughley Jn 17/15 17/39
Stowmarket 17.18a ~ 17.20d [P1] 17.42½a ~ 17.43½ [P1]
East Suffolk Jn 17/31 17/57½
Ipswich Yard 17.34 ~ 17.42 17.58½ ~ 18.05 [Dn & Up Goods]
East Suffolk Jn 17/46 18/07½
Westerfield 17/50 18/14½ [P1]
Derby Road 17/55 18/19½ [P2]
Levington Sig. CO.617 18/00 18/23½
Trimley 18/06 18/29
Felixstowe Beach Jn 18/08 18/32½
Felixstowe Beach L.C. 18.13 ~ 18.15 18.37½ ~ 18.38½
Felixstowe Creek Sidings 18.21a 18/41 [Line.4]
Felixstowe Central 18.48d 18.58 ~ 18.58½ [Line 5]
Trimley 18/56 19/06
Levington Sig. CO.622 19/01 19/10½
Derby Road 19*07 ~ 19*18 19/16½ [P1]
Westerfield 19/23 19/20½ [P1]
East Suffolk Jn 19/29 19.28 ~ 19.29½
Ipswich Yard 19L34 ~ 20L09 19L32 ~ 20L18 [Upper Yard 6]
Ipswich 20.13a ~ 20.16d [P2] 20.25a ~ 20.27½d [P2]

Timings continue in first table.

Associated E.C.S. Workings

09/08/13 : 5Z38 : (37605 + 37611) : Crewe H.S. to Eastleigh
11/08/13 : 5Z40 : (37611 + 37605) : Eastleigh to Crewe H.S.

Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn)
Crewe H.S. 22.00d 18.49a
Gresty Lane 22/46 18/18
Basford Hall Jn 22/55 18/09
Stafford 23/20 17/47
Bushbury Jn 23/37 17/31
Portobello Jn 23/42 17/28
Bescot Stadium 23.48 ~ 23.50 17.22 ~ 17.23
Perry Barr North Jn 23/57 17/15
Aston 00/03 17/09
Birmingham International 00/12 16/59
Coventry 00/24 16/50
Leamington Spa 00/41 16/34
Banbury 01/30 15/41
Oxford 01/53 15/18
Didcot Parkway 02.09 ~ 02.11 15.04 ~ 15.06
Reading West Jn 02/34 14/49
Oxford Road Jn 02/35 14/47
Basingstoke 02/53 14/23
Andover 03/11 -
Laverstock North Jn 03/25 -
Laverstock South Jn 03/27 -
Romsey 03/42 -
Redbridge 03/49 -
Southampton Central 03/53 -
St Denys 03.58 ~ 05.45 -
Winchester - 14/06
Eastleigh 05.54a 13/58
Eastleigh T&RSMD - 13.48d

11/08/13 : 5Z44 : (37605 + 37611) : Eastleigh to Eastleigh T&RSMD

Location Booked
Eastleigh 00.17d
Eastleigh T&RSMD 00.27a


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