10th February 2018

Pathfinder Tours
The Blue Boys Ribble Rouser

Locos Used 37069, 37609, 57304 'Pride of Cheshire', 66428, 68004 'Rapid' & 88001 'Revolution'
Stock Used 35469+3147+3120+3119+3097+1813+21272+1657+4946+5366+4959+4998+4991

Route :
1Z05 : Eastleigh to Preston Docks
1Z06 : Preston Docks to Eastleigh

Loco(s) Route
37069 + 37609 Eastleigh - Winchester - Worting Jn - Basingstoke - Bramley - Southcote Jn - Reading West Jn - Didcot Parkway - Oxford - Banbury - Leamington Spa - Coventry - Bedworth - Nuneaton
88001 Nuneaton - Colwich - Stone - Stoke-on-Trent - Kidsgrove - Alsager - Crewe (3)
66428 (1) Crewe - Gresty Green Up Loop
57304 (2) Gresty Green Up Loop - Salop Goods Jn - Sydney Bridge Jn - Sandbach - Wilmslow - Heald Green - Slade Lane Jn - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Oxford Road - Deansgate - Ordsall Lane Jn - Eccles - Parkside Jn - Golborne Jn - Wigan North Western - Farington Curve Jn - Ribble Jn - Preston Docks
66428 (1) Preston Docks - Ribble Jn - Farington Curve Jn - Wigan North Western - Bamfurlong Jn - Golborne Jn - Warrington Royal Mail Terminal - Warrington Bank Quay - Acton Grange Jn - Weaver Jn - Acton Bridge - Winsford - Crewe Coal Yard - Salop Goods Jn - Gresty Green Up Loop
57304 (2) Gresty Green Up Loop - Crewe
88001 + 68004 Crewe - (4) - Crewe S.S.N. - Basford Hall Jn - Madeley - Norton Bridge - Stafford - Colwich - Nuneaton
37609 + 37069 Nuneaton - (reverse of outward route) - Eastleigh

Notes :
(1) 57304 on rear.
(2) 66428 on rear.
(3) 88001 ran on diesel power from Kidsgrove to Crewe.
(4) There has been some debate about the actual route taken from Crewe station to Basford Hall Jn. Peter Watts & Paul Warburton have both confirmed that it ran from Crewe platform 12, via the Down Main Salop line, then via the feeder line to Crewe South Yard to the junction with the Up Fast Independent Line at 157.27 by Crewe S.S.N. Signal Box, and then the Up Independent Line to Basford Hall Jn.
(5) On the return leg an additional stop was made at Rugeley Trent Valley to pick up our relief train crew, that had been stranded on a failed service train.

Source : Nick Bartlett (on the tour throughout), Peter Watts, Paul Warburton & Roy Mills.

Photo Review


37069+37609 on arrival at Nuneaton on 1Z05 (photo: Matt Walker)


88001 at Nuneaton on 1Z05 (photo: Matt Walker)


66428+57304 wait to take over the tour at Crewe (photo: Nick Bartlett)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Nick Bartlett & Realtime Trains)

M.C Location Booked (out) Actual   Booked (rtn) Actual M.C
0.00 Eastleigh 05.27d [P2] [UF] 05.27 [P2]   00.14a [P3] 00.10 [P3] 129.76
? Allbrook Jn 05/29 05.30 ~ 05.33   00/12½ 00/08 [DF-DS] ?
? Shawford / Shawford Jn 05/33 05/37   00/08 [DS] 00/04 [DF] ?
6.76 Winchester 05/37 [P1] 05/40 [P1]   00/05 [P2] 00/02 [P2] 123.00
? Wallers Ash Loop 05/42 05/46   00/01 23/58 ?
? Worting Jn 05/50 [UF] 05/54 [UF]   23/50 23/50 ?
25.54 Basingstoke 05.53a ~ 05.56d [P3] 05.57 ~ 05.58 [P3]   23.42a ~ 23.45d [P1] [DS] 23.44 ~ 23.46 [P4] 104.22
? Bramley 06/04 06/04   23/36 23/37 ?
39.42 Southcote Jn 06/13 06/11   23/29 23/30 90.34
40.37 Oxford Road Jn 06/15 06/13   23/27 23/28 89.39
40.78 Reading West Jn 06/19 [DR] 06/15 [DR]   23/25 23/26 88.78
? Tilehurst East Jn 06/20½ ?   23/21 [UR] 23/23 [UM-UR] ?
48.62 Goring & Streatley 06/26 06/21 [P3] [DR]   23/13 23/14 [P2] [UM] 81.14
? Didcot East Jn 06/34 [DR] 06/29 [DR]   23/07 [UM] 23/03 [UR-UM] ?
57.12 Didcot Parkway 06.36a ~ 06.45d [P3] 06.31 ~ 06.45 [P3]   23.02a ~ 23.05d [P5] [UR] 22.58 ~ 23.02 [P5] [UR] 72.72
? Didcot North Jn 06/47 06/48   23/00 22/51 ?
? Kennington Jn 06/55 06/54   22/48 22/45 ?
67.43 Oxford 06/58 [DT] 06/56 [DT]   22/42 [UT] 22/42 [UT] 62.33
70.34 Wolvercote Jn 07/00 06/59   22/35 22/40 59.42
79.23 Heyford 07/08 07/06   22/21 22/34 50.53
85.14 Aynho Jn 07/12½ 07/11   22/13 22/29 44.62
90.18 Banbury 07.18a ~ 07.21d [P2] 07.15 ~ 07.21 [P2]   22.02a ~ 22.05d [P3] 22.21 ~ 22.24 [P3] 39.58
? Reservoir Jn 07/22 07/24   22/00 22/18 ?
98.78 Fenny Compton 07/28 07/31   21*43 ~ 21*51 [UGL] 22/12 [UM] 30.78
110.09 Leamington Spa 07.39a ~ 07.42d [P2] 07.40 ~ 07.42 [P2]   21.25a ~ 21.28d [P3] 21.58 ~ 22.01 [P3] 19.67
111.08 Milverton Jn 07/46 07/45   21*12 ~ 21*21 21/56 18.68
114.52 Kenilworth Jn 07/56 07/49   21/07 21/52 15.24
? Gibbet Hill Jn 07/59 07/52   21/05 21/50 ?
119.67 Coventry 08.06a ~ 08.15d [P3] 08.09 ~ 08.16 [P3]   20.56a ~ 20.59d [P2] 21.43 ~ 21.46 [P3] 10.15
? Coundon Road LC 08/20 08/19   20/50½ 21/37 ?
123.21 Three Spires Jn 08/23 08/22   20/47 21/33 6.55
? Hawkesbury Lane 08/27 08/24   20/44½ 21/31 ?
? Bedworth 08/31 08/25   20/42½ 21/28 ?
? Chilvers Coton Jn 08/38 08/30   20/38½ 21/20 ?
129.76
0.00		 Nuneaton 08L41a ~ 09L21d [P1] [DS] 08.31 ~ 09.21 [P1] [DS]   20L11a ~ 20L36d [P2] 20.39 ~ 21.18 [P2] 0.00
60.67

 

M.C Location Booked Actual
12.00 Amington Jn 09/34 [DS] 09/32 [DS]
19.60 Lichfield North Jn 09/41 [DS] 09/38 [DS]
27.29 Rugeley North Jn 09/48 [DS] 09/42 [DS]
29.78 Colwich 09/55 09/45
41.51 Stone 10/04 09/55
? Stoke Jn 10/12 10/03
48.61 Stoke-on-Trent 10/14 [P2] 10/05 [P2]
55.13 Kidsgrove 10/22 10/15 [P4]
57.13 Alsager Goods Loop 10/28 [U&DGL] 10/18 [DM]
? Alsager 10/30 10/19
59.74 Barthomley Jn 10/33 10/24
? North Stafford Jn 10/38 [UDP] 10.28 ~ ? [UDP]
63.58
0.00 		Crewe 10L41a ~ 11L13d [P12] 10.42 ~ 11.30 [P12]
0.53 Crewe Gresty Lane 11/17 11/32
1.25
0.00 		Gresty Green Up Loop 11.21 ~ 11.50 11.36 ~ 11.53 [No.1 Sdg]
0.52 Crewe Gresty Lane 11/54 11/55 [DSI]
1.09 Salop Goods Jn 11/57 [IL]  11/58 [DMI]
2.14 Sydney Bridge Jn 12/02 [DS] 12/05 [DS]
5.68 Sandbach 12/08 [P3] 12/11 [DS] [P3]
? Alderley Edge 12/23 12/23
20.09 Wilmslow 12/25 [P1] 12/25 [P1]
? Heald Green South Jn 12/40 12/28
? Heald Green North Jn ? 12.29 ~ 12.38
23.34 Heald Green 12/41 12/41 [P1]
29.35 Slade Lane Jn 12/46 [DS] 12/49 [DS]
31.02 Ardwick Jn 12/49 12/51 [DS]
31.54 Manchester Piccadilly 12/52 [P14] 12/53 [P14]
32.18 Manchester Oxford Road 12/54 [P2] 12/54 [P2]
32.46 Deansgate 12/55 [P2] 12/55 [P2]
32.74 Water Street Jn 12/56 12/56
33.17 Ordsall Lane Jn 12/57 12/57
36.08 Eccles 13/01 13/01
40.79 Astley 13/06 13/05
46.78 Parkside Jn 13/11½ 13/14
47.56 Golborne Jn 13*16 ~ 13*24 [DF] 13.16 ~ 13.24 [DF]
52.28 Springs Branch Jn 13/30½ 13/33
? Wigan South Jn 13/31½ 13/35
53.50 Wigan North Western 13/32½ [P5] 13/36 [P5]
61.21 Balshaw Lane Jn 13/40½ [DS] 13/45 [DS]
63.25 Euxton Jn 13/46 13/48 [DS]
67.11 Farington Curve Jn 13/54 13/53 [DS]
67.44 Skew Bridge Jn 13/55 [DG] 13/56 [DG]
68.12 Ribble Jn 13/58 13/58 [DG]
70.50
0.00 		Preston Docks 14.30a ~ 16.30d 14.32 ~ 16.30
2.38 Ribble Jn 16/55 [UG] 16/54 [UG]
3.06 Skew Bridge Jn 16/57 [US] 16/57 [US]
3.39 Farington Curve Jn 16/59 16/59 [US]
7.25 Euxton Jn 17/03 17/04 [US]
9.29 Balshaw Lane Jn 17/06 [UF] 17/06 [UF]
17.00 Wigan North Western 17/16 [P1] 17/18 [P1]
? Wigan Station Jn 17/17 [UPL] 17/21 [UPL]
? Wigan South Jn 17/18 [UG] 17/22 [UG]
18.22 Springs Branch Jn 17/19 17/23 [UG]
19.21 Bamfurlong Jn 17/21 [US] 17/26 [UG-US]
22.74 Golborne Jn 17/25 [UF] 17/33 [US-UF]
25.21 Winwick Jn 17/30 [US] 17/37 [US]
27.50 Warrington Royal Mail Terminal 17.35 ~ 17.40 17/44 [US-P1-US]
28.03 Dallam Jn 17/42 [UF] 17/46 [US-UF]
28.59 Warrington Bank Quay 17/44 [P2] 17/47 [P2]
30.54 Acton Grange Jn 17/47 17/49
36.05 Weaver Jn 17/53 17/54
38.32 Acton Bridge 17/55 17/56 [UF]
40.23 Hartford Jn 17/57 17/58
45.29 Winsford 18/02 18/02 [US]
52.02 Crewe Coal Yard 18/11½ [IL] 18/12 [ULI]
52.79 Salop Goods Jn 18/16½ 18/18 [USI]
53.36 Crewe Gresty Lane 18/20 18/21
54.08
0.00 		Gresty Green Up Loop 18.24 ~ 18.34 18.24 ~ 18.36 [No.1 Sdg]
0.52 Crewe Gresty Lane 18/38 18/41
1.25
0.00 		Crewe 18L40a ~ 19L02d [P12] 18.43 ~ 19.10 [P12]
0.40 Crewe South Yard 19/06 ?
0.54 Crewe Basford Hall S.S.N. SB 19/10 19/14 [UI]
1.02 Crewe Sig.NH43/44 19/12 ?
1.61 Basford Hall Jn 19/17 [UF] 19/20 [UI-UF]
8.36 Madeley 19/21 [UF] 19/26 [UF]
19.09 Norton Bridge 19/31½ [UF] 19/34 [UF]
24.34 Stafford 19/35 [UF] 19/42 [UF-US]
? Trent Valley Jn 19/35½ 19/44 [US]
? Whitehouse Jn 19/37½ 19.52 ~ 20.00 [US-UF]
30.69 Colwich 19/40 [US] 20/04
33.38 Rugeley North Jn 19/44 [US] 20/07 [UF]
? Rugeley Trent Valley 19/44 20.09 ~ 20.15 [UF]
41.07 Lichfield North Jn 19/50 [US] 20/21 [UF-US]
48.67 Amington Jn 19/56 [US] 20/26 [US]
? Ashby Jn 20/09 [DS] 20/36 [US-DS]

Timings continue in first table.

Back to "The Railtour Files"