The Railtour Files

Traction	Route
34015	London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Barnes - Twickenham - Staines - Virginia Water - Ascot - Wokingham - Earley - Reading
35023	Reading - Didcot East Jn - Didcot North Jn - Oxford - Banbury
7029	Banbury - Leamington Spa - Hatton West Jn - Bearley West Jn - Stratford-upon-Avon
70004	Stratford-upon-Avon - Bearley West Jn - Henley-in-Arden - Tylseley - Birmingham Snow Hill - Handsworth Jn - Stourbridge Junction
DMU as listed	Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town
DMU as listed	Stourbridge Town - Stourbridge Junction
7029	Stourbridge Junction - (2) Old Hill - (2) Handsworth Jn - Birmingham Snow Hill - Tyseley - Hatton - Leamington Spa - Banbury
35023	Banbury - Aynho Jn - High Wycombe - Old Oak Common - Kensington Olympia - Longhedge Jn - Stewarts Lane Jn - London Victoria

Notes :
(1) The tour brochure indicated that the leg from Waterloo to Reading was booked to be hauled by 34102 'Lapford' but an addendum confirmed it had been failed and the first leg was then expected to be hauled by 34015. The brochure also detailed the legs that 7029 & 70034 were booked to haul which, from the above information, happened 'as booked'.
(2) Booked route was via Dudley and Swan Village but the London Midland Region operating authority informed the tour operator on the Friday prior to the tour it was not possible to be routed that way due to engine route availability restrictions and track condition and amended timings were issued for Stourbridge Town (departure) and Handsworth Jn.

Sources : Terry Jackson, John Broderick & The Bluebell Railway Museum

Photo Review

7029, probably at Stratford-upon-Avon (photo: Robert W Bridger www.30937.co.uk)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Broderick, The Bluebell Railway Museum & Chris Totty)

M.C	Location	Booked {amended}	Actual
0.00	Waterloo	08.30d	08.31
2.50	Queens Road	??/?? [TL]	08/38
3.71	Clapham Junction	08/37	08/38½
7.04	Barnes	08/43	08/42
11.20	Twickenham	08/52	08/52
13.33	Feltham Jn	08/55	08/56½
19.02	Staines	09/03	09/03½
23.16	Virginia Water	09/11	09/13
29.01	Ascot	09p20a ~ 09p30d	09.20 ~ 09.28
36.50	Wokingham	09/40	09/40
40.45	Earley	09/45	09/44
42.47	Reading Spur Jn	09/52	09/47
43.38	Reading General	09L55a ~ 10L05d	10.02 ~ 10.13
60.28	Didcot East Jn	10/25	10/34
61.18	Didcot North Jn	10/26½	10/35
70.66	Oxford	10/37 [TL]	10/51
73.58	Wolvercot Jn	10/40	10/54
82.47	Heyford	10/50	11/05
88.37	Aynho Jn	10/57	11/10
93.42	Banbury	11L03 ~ 11L11	11.15 ~ 11.27
113.32	Leamington Spa General	11/34	11/49½
119.40	Hatton	11/43	11/57
119.72	Hatton West Jn	11/45	11/58½
125.04	Bearley West Jn	11/55	12/05
128.61	Stratford-upon-Avon	12L02 ~ 12L12	12.10 ~ 12.23
132.38	Bearley West Jn	12/19	12/32
136.65	Henley-in-Arden	12p26a ~ 12p36d	12.38 ~ 12.47
150.36	Tyseley	12/57	13/10
153.62	Birmingham Snow Hill	13/03	13/16
156.78	Handsworth Jn	13/10	15/02
165.71	Stourbridge Junction	13.30a ~ 13.44d	13.44 ~ 13.50
166.50	Stourbridge Town	13.46½a ~ 13.56d	16.52 ~ 14.00
167.29	Stourbridge Junction	13.58½a ~ 14.20d 13.58½a ~ 14.35d	14.03 ~ 14.35
173.20	Dudley	~~14.38 ~ 14.43 [shunt]~~	DIV
176.45	Swan Village	~~14/52~~	DIV
179.12	Handsworth Jn	14/57	15/02
182.28	Birmingham Snow Hill	15/03	15.09 ~ 15.18½
185.54	Tyseley	15/09	15/24
192.64	Knowle & Dorridge	15/15	15/37
199.45	Hatton	15/21	15/43
205.53	Leamington Spa	15/30	15/49
225.43	Banbury	15L56 ~ 16L04	16.13½ ~ 16.26
230.48	Aynho Jn	16/12	16/34
235.65	Ardley	16/18	16/41
248.77	Ashenden Jn	16/29	16/57
258.27	Princes Risborough	16/39	17/09
266.37	High Wycombe	16w50 ~ 16w58	17.25 ~ 17.30½
282.76	Northolt Jn East	17/17	17/52
289.59	Old Oak Common West	17/25 [RL]	18/07
290.16	Old Oak Common East	17c27 ~ 17c29	18.08 ~ 18.26
290.60	North Pole Jn	17/33	18/29
292.50	Kensington Olympia	17c41 ~ 17c43	18.36 ~ 18.38
295.48	Latchmere Jn	17/50	18/46
296.33	Longhedge Jn	17/52	18/48
296.60	Stewarts Lane Jn	17/54	18/50
298.02	Victoria (Eastern)	18.00a	18.55

Locos Used	7029 'Clun Castle', 34015, 35023 & 70004 'William Shakespeare'
DMU's Used	?????
Stock Used	booked for load 9, formed as follows: BSK, 3x SO, RB, 2x SO, BSK