7th August 2021

Pathfinder Railtours
The Blue Boys Merrymixer

Locos Used 37069, 37716, 57002 'Rail Express', 57003, 66431, 68002 'Intrepid' & 88006 'Juno'
Stock Used 4991+4946+4927+4998+3149+3123+1813+1671+3119+3146+3110+3141+35469

Route :
1Z38 : Eastleigh to Bescot [Up & Down Goods Loop]
1Z39 : Bescot [Up & Down Goods Loop] to Crewe
1Z40 : Crewe to Stafford
1Z41 : Stafford to Bescot [Up & Down Goods Loop]
1Z42 : Bescot [Up & Down Goods Loop] to Eastleigh

Loco(s) Route
68002 Eastleigh - Winchester - Worting Jn - Basingstoke - Bramley - Southcote Jn - Reading West - Oxford Road Jn - Reading West Jn - Goring & Streatley - Didcot Parkway - Oxford - Banbury - Leamington Spa - Kenilworth - Coventry - Birmingham International - Stechford - Aston - Perry Barr North Jn - Bescot [U&DGL]
37069 + 37716 (1) Bescot [U&DGL] - Perry Barr North Jn - Perry Barr West Jn - Soho East Jn - Soho South Jn - Birmingham New Street - Proof House Jn - Landor Street Jn - Water Orton - Kingsbury Jn - Tamworth HL - Wichnor Jn - Branston Jn - Birmingham Curve Jn - Moira West Jn - Lounge Jn - Coalville Mantle Lane - Bardon Hill - Bagworth Jn - Knighton Jn - Wigston North Jn [U&DGL] - Hinckley - Nuneaton - Whitacre Jn - Coleshill Parkway - Water Orton - Park Lane Jn - Sutton Park - Ryecroft Jn - Walsall - Pleck Jn - Darlaston Jn - Portobello Jn - Bushbury Jn - Penkridge - Stafford - Norton Bridge - Madeley - Crewe
66431 (2) Crewe - Gresty Green [Through Siding] - Nantwich - Whitchurch - Shrewsbury Crewe Bank [UGL] - Shrewsbury [UM] - Wellington - Telford Central - Cosford [UGL] - Oxley [UGL] - Stafford Road Jn - Bushbury Jn [DGL] - Penkridge - Stafford [U&DGL]
88006 (3) Stafford [U&DGL] - Penkridge - Bushbury Jn - Wolverhampton - Dudley Port - Galton Jn - Soho North Jn - Soho East Jn - Perry Barr West Jn - Perry Barr North Jn - Bescot [U&DGL]
57003 + 57002 Bescot [U&DGL] - (reverse of outward route) - Eastleigh

Notes: 
(1) 68002 on rear.
(2) 88006 on rear.
(3) 66431 on rear.
(4) Tour postponed from 21/03/20, 20/06/20, 15/08/20, 30/01/21, 01/05/21, 15/05/21 & 10/07/21.

Source : Nick Bartlett (on the tour throughout)

Photo Review

 
68002 at the start of the at Eastleigh (photo: Nick Bartlett)


37069+37716 on arrival at Crewe (photo: Nick Bartlett)


66431 waits to leave Crewe on 1Z40 (photo: Nick Bartlett)


88006 on the rear of 1Z40 at Crewe (photo: Nick Bartlett)


57003+57002 on arrival back at Eastleigh (photo: Nick Bartlett)


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Nick Bartlett)

M.C

 Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual

M.C
0.00 Eastleigh 05.31d [P2] [UF] 05.31 [P2] [UF]   00.21a [P2] 00.12 [P3] 144.39
? Allbrook 05/33 05/34   00/18½ 00/10 [DF-DS] ?
? Shawford 05/39 05/37   00/11½ [DS] 00/05 [DF] ?
6.76 Winchester 05/44 [P1] 05/40 [P1]   00/07 [P2] 00/03 [P2] 137.43
? Wallers Ash Loop 05/53 05/44   00/02 23/58 ?
23.14 Worting Jn 06/05½ [US] 05/52 [US]   23/53 23/49 121.25
25.54 Basingstoke 06.10a ~ 06.13d [P4] 06.08 ~ 06.13 [P4]   23.45a ~ 23.48d [P1] [DS] 23.39 ~ 23.46 [P1] [DS] 118.65
30.63 Bramley 06/18 06/19   23/30 23/32 113.56
39.42 Southcote Jn 06/31½ 06/28   23/20 23/24 104.77
40.29 Reading West 06.33a ~ 06.36d 06.30 ~ 06.36   23.15a ~ 23.18d 23.18 ~ 23.23 104.10
? Oxford Road Jn 06/37 06/37   23/15 23/17 ?
40.78 Reading West Jn 06/38 [DR] 06/38 [DR]   23/11½ 23/15 103.41
48.62 Goring & Streatley 06/44 [P3] [DR] 06/44 [P3] [DR]   23/03 [P4] [UR] 23/06 [UR] 95.57
? Didcot East Jn 06/52 [DR] 06/51 [DR]   22/56½ [UR] 22/59 [UR] ?
57.12 Didcot Parkway 06.54a ~ 06.57d [P3] 06.52 ~ 06.57 [P3]   22.53a ~ 22.55d [P4] [UR] 22.52 ~ 22.58 [P4] [UR] 87.35
? Didcot North Jn 07/00 06/59   22/51 22/49 ?
65.10 Kennington Jn 07/06 07/06   22/43 22/42 79.29
67.43 Oxford 07/09 [TL] [DM] 07/07 [TL] [DM]   22/41 [TL] 22/39 [TL] 76.76
70.34 Wolvercote Jn 07/11 07/11   22/38 [UM] 22/35 74.05
79.23 Heyford 07/17 [P2] 07/17 [P2]   22/27 [P1] 22/27 [P1] 65.16
85.14 Aynho Jn 07/21 07/22   22/21 22/20 59.25
90.18 Banbury 07.27a ~ 07.30d [P2] 07.27 ~ 07.31 [P2]   22.08a ~ 22.11d [P3] 22.11 ~ 22.15 [P3] 54.21
? Reservoir Jn 07/32 07/33   22/06 22/08 ?
98.78 Fenny Compton 07/38 07/40   22/00 22/02 45.41
110.09 Leamington Spa 07.48a ~ 07.52d [P2] 07.50 ~ 07.52   21.44a ~ 21.47d [P3] 21.47 ~ 21.51 [P3] 34.30
? Milverton Jn 07/55½ 07/55   21/41 21/43 ?
114.52 Kenilworth Jns 08*02 ~ 08*24  08.03 ~ 08.25 [U&DL]   21*18 ~ 21*35 21.30 ~ 21.37 [U&DL] 29.67
117.08 Gibbet Hill Jn 08/27 08/29   21/14 21.22 ~ 21.24 27.31
119.67 Coventry 08.32a ~ 08.37d [P4] 08.34 ~ 08.37 [P4] [DUS]   21.06a ~ 21.10d [P2] 21.11 ~ 21.15 [P2] 24.58
125.20 Berkswell 08/44 08/43   20/58 21/05 19.19
130.37 Birmingham International 08.49a ~ 08.52d [P2] 08.49 ~ 08.53 [P2]   20.49a ~ 20.53d [P4] 20.55 ~ 20.59 [P4] 14.02
134.70 Stechford 09/01½ 09/02   20/43 20/48 9.49
137.67 Aston 09/10 [P1] 09/08   20/38 20/42 6.52
140.09 Perry Barr North Jn 09/15 09/12   20/35 20/39 4.30
143.58 Newton Jn 09/22 09/21   20/30 20/33 0.61
144.39 Bescot [Up & Down Goods Loop] 09L25a [U&DGL] 09.31 [U&DGL]   20L27d [U&DGL] 20.31 [U&DGL] 0.00

 

M.C

 Location Booked Actual
0.00 Bescot [Up & Down Goods Loop] 09L55d [U&DGL] 09.52 [U&DGL]
0.61 Newton Jn 09/58 09/55
4.30 Perry Barr North Jn 10/02 10.01 ~ 10.03
? Perry Barr West Jn 10/04 10/06
? Soho East Jn 10/13½ 10/10
7.15 Soho South Jn 10/15½ 10/13
9.12 Birmingham New Street 10.20a ~ 10.24d [P3] [WL] 10.20 ~ 10.24 [P3]
? Proof House Jn 10/27 10.27 ~ 10.29
10.55 Landor Street Jn 10/30 [ML] 10/31 [UDF]
? Castle Bromwich Jn 10/37 10/36
16.63 Water Orton 10/38 [P2] 10/37
20.57 Kingsbury Jn 10/41 10/40
26.38 Tamworth HL 10/45½ [P3] 10/44 [P3]
33.74 Wichnor Jn 10/50½ 10/49
38.01 Branston Jn 10/55½ 10/55 [UTS]
38.60 Birmingham Curve Jn 10/58 10/59
44.33 Moira West Jn 11/12 11/14
48.40 Lounge Jn 11/24 11/24
52.15 Coalville Mantle Lane T.C. 11/36 11/34
53.77 Bardon Hill 11/41 11/37
55.26 Bagworth Jn 11/45 11/41
67.55 Knighton Jn 12/11 12.03 ~ 12.10
69.24 Wigston North Jn 12*15 ~ 12*27 [U&DGL] 12.16 ~ 12.26 [U&DGL]
74.51 Croft 12/36 12/36
80.55 Hinckley 12/44 12/44
84.71 Nuneaton 12/49 [P6] 12/49 [P6]
? Abbey Jn 12/51 12/51
? Whitacre Jn 13/03 13/04
? Coleshill Parkway 13/06 [P1] 13/06 [P1]
98.21 Water Orton 13/07½ [DW] 13/08 [DS]
? Water Orton West Jn 13/08½ 13/09
99.51 Park Lane Jn 13/10½ 13/11
? Sutton Park 13/17 13/17
111.21 Ryecroft Jn 13/30 13/27
111.62 Walsall 13/32 [P2] [SL] 13.29 ~ 13.30 [P2] [US]
112.47 Pleck Jn 13/34 13/33
113.48 Darlaston Jn 13/37½ 13.35 ~ 13.39
116.47 Portobello Jn 13/41 13/44
119.15 Bushbury Jn 13/46½ 13/51
127.15 Penkridge 13/55 13/58
? Trent Valley Jn 14/01½ 14/05
? Stafford South Jn 14/02½ [DF] 14/06 [DS-DF]
132.72 Stafford 14/03 [DF] 14/07 [DF]
138.04 Norton Bridge 14/07½ [DF] 14/11 [DF]
148.54 Madeley 14/16½ [DF] 14/20 [DF]
155.29 Basford Hall Jn 14/21½ [DF] 14/25 [DF]
157.13
0.00		 Crewe 14L25a [P12] ~ 16L28d [P12] 14.30 [P12] ~ 16.32 [P12]
0.53 Crewe Gresty Lane 16/31 16.35 ~ 16.39
1.25 Gresty Green [Through Siding] 16/35 [Thro Sdg] 16/40 [Thro Sdg]
4.34 Nantwich 16/45 16/47
8.68 Wrenbury 16/50 16/52
? Whitchurch 16/54½ 16/57
? Prees 16/59 17/01
21.77 Wem 17/02 17/04
? Harlescott LC 17/10 17/13
32.20 Shrewsbury Crewe Bank 17/14 [UGL] ? ~ 17.26 [UGL]
32.60 Shrewsbury 17/19 [UM] 17/30 [UM]
33.13 Abbey Foregate Jn 17/21 17/32
42.79 Wellington 17/32 [UM] 17.45 ~ 17.48 [UM]
? Telford Central 17/37½ 17/54
48.07 Madeley Jn 17/39 17/55
53.21 Cosford [UGL] 17/47 [UGL] 18/06 [UGL]
? Cosford 17/48½ 18/07
61.02 Oxley [UGL] 18/00 [UGL] 18/22 [UGL]
61.24 Stafford Road Jn 18/03 18/24
? Bushbury Jn 18/08 18/29
62.40 Bushbury Jn [DGL] 18*10 ~ 18*28 [DGL] 18.30 ~ 18.35 [DGL]
70.35 Penkridge 18/36 18/43
? Trent Valley Jn 18/43 [DS] 18/49 [DS]
76.12
0.00		 Stafford 18L45 ~ 19L01 [UDG] 18.52 ~ 19.09 [UDG] [US]
? Trent Valley Jn 19/02½ 19/10
5.57 Penkridge 19/07½ 19/16
13.57 Bushbury Jn 19/14 19/23
? Wolverhampton North Jn 19/15½ 19/25
15.25 Wolverhampton 19.17a ~ 19.19d [P2] 19.27 ~ 19.29 [P2]
20.71 Dudley Port 19/26 19/37
24.36 Galton Jn 19/29 19/44
25.62 Soho North Jn 19/31 19/48
? Soho East Jn 19/32½ 19/50
? Perry Barr West Jn 19/36 19/54
28.32 Perry Barr North Jn 19/37 19/55
32.01 Newton Jn 19/43 20/02
32.62 Bescot [Up & Down Goods Loop] 19L46a [U&DGL] 20.05 [U&DGL]

Timings continued in first table.
Mileages taken from tour brochure.

Back to "The Railtour Files"