Six Bells Junction

Loco(s)	Route
?????	London Paddington - Slough - Reading - Didcot Parkway - Swindon - Wootton Bassett Jn - Westerleigh Jn - Bristol Parkway - Pilning - Severn Tunnel Junction - Maindee East Jn - Newport
?????	Newport - Maindee North Jn - Pontypool - Pontrilas - Hereford
6000	Hereford - Leominster - Craven Arms - Shrewsbury (3)
25195+25161	Shrewsbury - Ruabon - Wrexham - Chester
7029 (4)	Chester - (reverse of outward route) - Hereford
?????	Hereford - (reverse of outward route) - Newport
?????	Newport - (reverse of outward route) - London Paddington

Notes :
(1) Tour timing sheet carried a note that the train was 'organised by the 6000 Locomotive Association, in conjunction with Bulmers Cider and the Birmingham Railway Museum, with the support of Spastics Pools - Top Ten Promotions Limited'.
(2) Graham Bendell comments: I don’t have the class or nos. of the locos which took us from Bristol Parkway, in my case, to Hereford or from Hereford to Parkway on the return journey although I have photographs taken on the outward journey at Newport station of a pair of 31s running past our train and a 47, which may have come off. 6000 'King George V' came on a Hereford but was failed at Shrewsbury with, I think a hot box. Two Class 25s, no. 25195 and 25161, came on at Shrewsbury and took us on towards Chester. I seem to recall that one of the 25s was streaked with oil when we got to Ruabon. Whether the 25s lasted to Chester, I can’t recall , but Clun Castle came on at Chester for the return journey. Just after we started the green Class 40, 40106, was seen near Chester DMU depot. The lost time meant that a late departure resulted in part of the trip being made in very poor light. From memory, the loco performed very well and made up some of the lost time.
(3) 6000 was failed at Shrewsbury after running a hot axlebox.
(4) 7029 replaced the class 25s. 7029 was due to haul 'The Fenman' (understood to have also been organised by the 6000 Locomotive Association) from Chester to Hereford, however the same class 25s are reported to have returned south with the Chester to Hereford leg of that tour.

Sources : Graham Bendell (joined/left the train at Bristol Parkway) & Alan Baylis

Photo Review

40106 by Chester depot; was this on another tour? (photo: Graham Bendell)

Miles	Location	Booked (out)	Booked (rtn)	Miles
0.0	Paddington	07.50d	22.57a	270.0
5.7	Ealing Broadway	07/57	22/49	264.3
9.1	Southall	08/01	22/44	260.9
18.4	Slough	08.10a ~ 08.12d	22.29a ~ 22.34d	251.6
24.3	Maidenhead	08/20	22/23	245.7
31.0	Twyford	08/27	22/18	239.0
36.0	Reading	08.32a ~ 08.34d	22.06a ~ 22.10d	234.0
53.1	Didcot	08/58	21/48	216.9
63.4	Challow	09/06	21/39	206.6
77.3	Swindon	09.19a ~ 09.21d	21.23a ~ 21.25d	192.7
83.1	Wootton Bassett Jn	09/28	21/15	186.9
94.2	Hullavington	09/36½	21/07	176.2
107.1	Westerleigh Jn	09/47	20/55	162.9
111.8	Bristol Parkway	09.51a ~ 09.52d	20.47a ~ 20.49d	158.2
116.6	Pilning	09/57½	20/40	153.4
123.6	Severn Tunnel Junction	10/03½	20/33	146.4
132.7	Maindee East Jn	10/13	20/26	137.3
133.4	Newport	10c17 ~ 10c36d	20.07a ~ 20.22d	136.6
134.2	Maindee North Jn	10/40	20/04	135.8
139.3	Llantarnam Jn	10/48	19/56	130.7
143.4	Pontypool	10/56	19/51	126.6
152.8	Abergavenny	11/07	19/41	117.2
164.4	Pontrilas	11/22	19/29	105.6
176.8	Hereford	11L36a ~ 11L50d	19L00a ~ 19L15d	93.2
178.5	Shelwick Jn	12/00	18/52	91.5
189.4	Leomister	12/20	18/37	80.6
195.7	Wofferton	12/31	18/28	74.3
207.9	Craven Arms	12/56	18/02	62.1
215.2	Church Stretton	13/08	17/30	54.8
226.9	Sutton Bridge Jn	13/21	17/25	43.1
227.8	Shrewsbury	13w24 ~ 13w59	16w48 ~ 17w22	42.2
245.7	Gobowen	14/24	16p16a ~ 16p26d	24.3
253.0	Ruabon	14p34a ~ 14p44d	16/07	17.0
257.9	Wrexham	14/54	16/00½	12.1
262.8	Rossett	15/00	15/52	7.4
270.0	Chester	15.12a	15.39d	0.0

Locos Used	at least 25161, 25195 & steam: 6000 'King George V' & 7029 'Clun Castle'
Stock Used	Booked for load 12 (load 13 when steam locos on train)