13th May 2017

Great Western Railway
The Somerset Explorer

HST Used 43002 & 43093
Stock Used 44040+42301+42299+42351+42579+42300+40715+41146

Route : 
1Z66 : London Paddington to Bishops Lydeard
1Z25 : Bishops Lydeard to Taunton
1Z26 : Taunton to Bishops Lydeard
1Z67 : Bishops Lydeard to London Paddington

Loco (s) Route
43093 + 43002 London Paddington - Ealing Broadway - Southall - Slough - Maidenhead - Reading - Didcot Parkway - Swindon - Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge - Westbury - Fairwood Jn - Clink Road Jn - Frome - Blatchbridge Jn - Castle Cary - Cogload Jn - Taunton - Norton Fitzwarren - Bishops Lydeard
43002 + 43093 Bishops Lydeard - Taunton
43093 + 43002 Taunton - Bishops Lydeard
43002 + 43093 Bishops Lydeard - Norton Fitzwarren - Taunton - Cogload Jn - Bridgwater - Uphill Jn - Weston-super-Mare - Worle Jn - Yatton - Bristol Temple Meads - North Somerset Jn - Bath Spa - Bathampton Jn - Chippenham - (reverse of outward route) - London Paddington

Notes : 
(1) This tour was a charity special HST charter from London Paddington to Bishops Lydeard. Operated by Great Western Railway in partnership with VISIT Somerset, West Somerset Railway and Buses of Somerset (BOS). This was to raise funds for Weston Hospice in memory of the late Bob Smart, the former chairman of VISIT Somerset, who passed away in May 2016. The original designer of the HST, Sir Kenneth Grange, was on board 1Z66 from Paddington to Taunton to meet passengers and sign autographs etc. 
(2) Guy Vincent comments: 1Z66 called at Westbury to enable passengers from Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge who had travelled on GWR's 2M52 0836 Swindon - Westbury service to join. They returned to their starting point by scheduled GWR services from Weston via Bristol / Westbury or from Frome. A stop at Frome was made by 1Z66 to connect with a road coach and an open-top bus that took patrons on a scenic tour of Somerset, including visits to Wells and Cheddar.  These passengers rejoined the returned on 1Z67 at Weston-super-Mare.  Passengers could also join 1Z66 at Frome, travel to Bishops Lydeard / Minehead and then to Weston-super-Mare for the return  bus services to Frome. The train was unable to run through to Minehead as originally planned due to 'gauging issues' at Williton where the passing loop was recently extended and has not yet, according to reports received, been authorised for mainline rolling stock to pass over. Instead D1010 'Western Campaigner' ran a special connecting 9 carriage train formed of WSR stock, titled 'The Somerset Campaigner' from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and back. D1010 carried a headboard; 'The Bristolian' and the headcode was set to 1Z66 out and 1Z67 return. The HST set did an additional trip to Taunton and back, as shown below.

Source : Guy Vincent

Photo Review


43093 leading through Melksham, with 43002 on rear (photo: Guy Vincent)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Realtime Trains)

Location Booked Actual   Revised Actual
London Paddington 08.36d [P11] 08.36 18.57a [P10] 19.01
Ladbroke Grove 08/39½ 08/38 18/53 18/55
Acton West 08/43 [DR] 08/42 18/50½ 18/51
Ealing Broadway 08.44a ~ 08.47d [P3] [DR] 08.43 ~ 08.47 18.46a ~ 18.48d [P2] 18.45 ~ 18.50
West Ealing 08/49 ? 18/45 [UM] ?
Southall 08/52½ [P3] [DR] 08/52 18/43½ [P2] [UM] 18/42
Heathrow Airport Jn 08/56½ [DR] 08/56 18/42½ 18/40
Dolphin Jn 09/02 [DR-DM] ? 18/38½ ?
Slough 09/03½ [P2] [DM] 09/03 18/37½ [P3] [UM] 18/34
Maidenhead 09/06½ [P1] [DM] 09/07 18/33½ [P2] [UM] 18/31
Twyford 09/09½ [P1] [DM] 09/11 18/30 [P2] [UM] 18/28
Kennet Bridge Jn 09/13 [DM] 09/13 18/27 [UM] 18/24
Reading 09.15a ~ 09.18d [P9] 09.16 ~ 09.18 18.18a ~ 18.25d [P10] 18.17 ~ 18.23
Reading High Level Jn 09/19½ 09/19 18/16½ 18/16
Goring & Streatley 09/26 [P1] [DM] 09/25 18/11 [P2] [UM] 18/11
Didcot Parkway 09.33a ~ 09.34d [P1] 09.31 ~ 09.34 18.02a ~ 18.04d [P2] 18.01 ~ 18.04
Foxhall Jn 09/35½ 09/35 18/01½ 18/00
Wantage Road 09/40½ 09/40 17/57 17/57
Challow 09/42½ 09/42 17/55 17/54
Uffington 09/43½ 09/44 17/54 17/53
Swindon 09/50 [P4] 09/50 17/47½ [UM] 17/47
Wootton Bassett Jn 09/54½ 09/53 17/42 17/43
Chippenham 10/00 [P1] 09/59 17/36½ [P2] 17/37
Thingley East Jn 10/01½ 10/01 17/35½ 17/37
Thingley Jn 10/03 10/02 17/35 ?
Melksham 10/07½ ? - -
Bradford Jn 10/12 10/11 - -
Trowbridge 10/14 [P2] 10/13 - -
Hawkeridge Jn 10/18½ 10/18 - -
Westbury 10.20a ~ 10.26d [P2] 10.19 ~ 10.24 - -
Fairwood Jn 10/28½ 10/29 - -
Clink Road Jn 10/30½ 10/35 - -
Frome 10.32a ~ 10.38d 10.38 ~ 10.42 - -
Blatchbridge Jn 10/40½ 10/44 - -
East Somerset Jn 10/44 10/48 - -
Castle Cary 10/50 [P2] 10/54 - -
Somerton GF 10/56½ 11/03 - -
Athelney LC 11/02 11/10 - -
Bathampton Jn - - 17/30 17/31
Bath Spa - - 17/27½ [P2] 17/28
North Somerset Jn - - 17/19½ 17/19
Bristol East Jn - - 17/18½ 17/18
Bristol Temple Meads - - 17/17½ [DT] 17/18
Bristol West Jn - - 17/16 [CL] 17/17
Parson Street - - 17/14 [P2] 17/14
Yatton - - 17/07 17/08
Worle Jn - - 17/04 17/03
Weston-super-Mare - - 16.42a ~ 17.00d [P2] 16.54 ~ 17.00
Uphill Jn - - 16/39½ 16/51
Bridgwater - - 16/30½ 16/31
Cogload Jn 11/05 11/12 16/26½ 16/27
Taunton 11.10a ~ 11.23d [P2]  11.16 ~ 11.51 - -
Norton Fitzwarren 11.28 ~ 11.28 11.54 ~ ? - -
Bishops Lydeard 11.41a ~ 12.10d 12.07 ~ 12.19 - -
Norton Fitzwarren 12.26 ~ 12.29 ? - -
Taunton 12.35a ~ 14.30d [P2] 12.35 ~ 14.29 16.20a ~ 16.22d [P2] 16.11 ~ 16.21
Norton Fitzwarren 14.36 ~ 14.37 14.33 ~ 14.34 16.11 ~ 16.14 ?
Bishops Lydeard 14.51a 14.51 15.55d 15.55


Associated Workings on the West Somerset Railway

'The Somerset Campaigner'
1Z66 : Bishops Lydeard to Minehead
1Z67 : Minehead to Bishops Lydeard
D1010 'Western Campaigner' on load 9 coaches

Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn)
Bishops Lydeard 12,00d 15.37a
Crowcombe Heathfield ? ?
Williton ? ?
Blue Anchor ? ?
Minehead 13.06a 14.30d


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