2nd September 1956

Stephenson Locomotive Society / Manchester Locomotive Society
Tees-Tyne Rail Tour

Route : Reporting Code 598 throughout

Notes :
(1) It is reported that 67284 was on the train 'only to assist in the process of reversing the train on the triangle at Bishop Auckland'. Details of the reversing move(s) is required.
(2) Running tender-first.
(3) Original routing from Wellfield to Wellfield was clockwise, but this was changed shortly before the tour ran to be anti-clockwise.
(4) Peter Darke's photographic collection includes a photo he believes to be of 50647 at Wellfield on this tour, however SLS records make no mention of this loco in connection with this tour.
(5) The leg from/to Manchester hauled by 70033 'Charles Dickens', originally uploaded as a part of the tour itself, was in fact a connecting service. In relation to the photo of this service David Beilby adds: I particularly like the lovely matching rake of LMS excursion stock - the brake is a BTO to diagram D1916 or D1946 and the four coaches beyond that are TO coaches to diagram D1915. In those days they would all be third class rather than second, hence the T in the lettering. Relatively unusual coaches with 86 BTOs to that design and 376 of the TOs. The excursion coaches had seven and a half bays and the brakes six with a smaller guards compartment than stock for general traffic.

Connecting Service Route : Reporting Code W598 throughout

Notes :
(A) The train stalled on gradient between Farnley Jn & Spen Valley Jn.
(B) Booked via Micklehurst - confirmation is required if it took the booked route or went via Greenfield?
(C) The Webmaster has seen two different timing sheets with hand-written actual times; one showed 23.59 against Manchester Exchange whereas the other stated 'Stop Victoria 23.58'- does this imply the train did not run through to Exchange, or merely where that participant got off the train?

Sources : David Whittaker, Eric Oates, Peter Darke, John Debens & Ian Clark (SLS)

Photo Review

70033 passing Saddleworth in the mornign on the connecting service, W598
(photo: T.Martin courtesy of David Beilby)

67284 & 61443 departing Darlington (photo: The John Debens Collection)

 
From The John Debens Ticket Collection - three different designs for the same tour!

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from David Whittaker, John Debens & Peter Greenough courtesy of Ian Clark (SLS))

Timings continue in first table.

Back to "The Railtour Files"