The Railtour Files

Loco(s)	Route
33118 + 33059	London Paddington - Reading - Basingstoke - Salisbury - Yeovil Junction - Exeter Central - Exeter St Davids
33059 + 33118	Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot - Paignton
D1013	Paignton - Kingswear
D1062	Kingswear - Paignton
47540 (1)	Paignton - Newton Abbot - Exeter St Davids - Bridgwater - Bristol Temple Meads - North Somerset Jn - Chippenham - Swindon - Didcot - Reading - London Paddington

Notes :
(1) Should have had same 33's on return leg but they were "borrowed" by BR to rescue a failed train. The train ended up with 47540, though attempts were made to get a pair of 50's from Bristol.

Source : Gary Thornton (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by Gary Thornton)

Although this was only my third railtour, it was the second occasion on a tour I was to reach Paignton! The previous time being only a couple of months earlier with a somewhat more rateable form of traction on the front (Deltic 55003 "Meld"). We had been denied "Western" haulage on that visit because the T&DR preserved railway was shut owing to bridge damage caused by thawing snow.

New track a lot of the way for me as we went via Basingstoke & Yeovil to Exeter - I recall standing in the front vestibule with a couple of friends enjoying the thrash from our pair of "shredders".

This visit was more successful and D1013 "Western Ranger" and D1062 "Western Courier" were both sampled for haulage (one out for one back). One of my friends Fathers knew the owner of D1013 and we were armed with a letter permitting us a visit to the cab - no cab ride but we did "cab" D1013 at Paignton.

Our tour stock re-appeared with a 47 on the front - it seems British Rail had taken our 33's to rescue a failed train! Rumours of a loco swap at Bristol to a pair of 50's was promising but in the event we had to make do with the 47 all the way back to London.

Gary Thornton.

Timings : Booked (& Actual)
(by Gary Thornton/John Clifford/Clive Barlow)

Location	Booked	Actual
Paddington	08.03d	08/07
Southall	08/14	08/16
Slough	08/22	08/23
Maidenhead	08/27	08/28
Twyford	08/33	08/34
Reading	08.38a ~ 08.43d	08.40 ~ 08.45
Southcote Jn	08/49	08/49
Basingstoke	09.04a ~ 09.06d	09.04 ~ 09.06
Worting Jn	09/10	09/10
Andover Jn	09/23	09/23
Tunnel Jn	09/36	09/36
Salisbury	09.39a ~ 09.48d	09.39 ~ 09.48
Wilton Jn	09/52	09/52
Wilton South	09/53	09/53½
Gillingham	10/14	10/10
Templecombe	10/23	10/15½
Yeovil Junction	10/35	10/29½
Chard Jn	10.58a ~ 11.03d	10.49 ~ 11.03
Axminster	11.10a ~ 11.20d	11.09½ ~ 11.20
Honiton	11/36	11/32
Pinhoe Crossing	11/48	11/43
Exmouth Jn	11/50	11/44½
Exeter Central	11/52	11/47
Exeter St Davids	11.55a ~ 12.05d	11.50 ~ 12.09
Dawlish Warren	12/17	12/19½
Newton Abbot	12.28a ~ 12.30d	12/30
Aller Jn	12/32	12/32
Paignton	12.45a ~ 18.00d	12.43 ~ 18.00
Aller Jn	18/13	18/11
Newton Abbot	18.15a ~ 18.17d	18/13
Dawlish Warren	18/28	18/23½
Exeter St Davids	18/40	18/34
Cowley Bridge Jn	18/42	18/36
Whiteball Tunnel	19/02	18/53
Taunton	19/15	19/01½
Bridgwater	19/27	19/12½
Uphill Jn	19/38	19/24
Worle Jn	19/40	19/27
Bristol Temple Meads	19.58a ~ 20.00d	19.45 ~ 19.58
North Somerset Jn	20/02	20/01½
Bath Spa	20/12	20/12½
Bathampton Jn	20/15	20/16
Chippenham	20/25	20/25½
Wootton Bassett	20/37	20/34
Swindon	20/42	20/39
Challow	20/53	20/51
Didcot	21/02	20/59
Reading	21.23a ~ 21.25d	21.15 ~ 21.17½
Twyford	21/33	21/28
Maidenhead	21/38	21/33½
Slough	21/42	21/38
Southall	21/49	21/44½
Paddington	22.00a	21.57

	B	A	B	A
Paignton	11.30d	13.00d	14.30d	16.00d
Goodrington	11/33	13/03	14/33	16/.03
Churston	11.43a ~ 11.53d	13.13a ~ 13.23d	14.43a ~ 14.53d	16.13a ~ 1623d
Kingswear	12.05a	13.35a	15.05a	16.35a
	A	B	A	B
Kingswear	12.15d	13.45d	15.15d	16.45d
Churston	12/30	14/00	15/30	17/00
Goodrington	12/40	14/10	15/40	17/10
Paignton	12.45a	14.15a	15.45a	17.15a