14th ( - 15th) April 1979

F & W Railtours
Pixieland Express

Locos Used 25058?, 37011, 37084, 37178, 37276 & 37279

Route :

Loco(s) Route
37011 + 37276 Cheltenham Spa (05.25d) - Abbotswood Jn - Norton Jn - Worcester Shrub Hill - Droitwich Spa - Kidderminster - Stourbridge Junction - Smethwick Jn - Galton Jn - Birmingham New Street - St Andrews Jn - Bordesley Jn - King's Norton - Barnt Green - Stoke Works Jn - (via Spetchley) - Abbotswood Jn - Cheltenham Spa - Barnwood Jn - Gloucester
37011 + 37276 Gloucester - Gloucester Yard Jn - Standish Jn - Yate - Westerleigh Jn - Bristol Parkway - Filton Jn - Stapleton Road - Bristol Temple Meads
37178 + 37084 Bristol Temple Meads - North Somerset Jn - Bath Spa - Bathampton Jn - Trowbridge - Westbury - Castle Cary - Cogload Jn - Taunton - Exeter St Davids - Dawlish - Newton Abbot - Totnes - Plymouth - Liskeard - Lostwithiel - Par - Truro - Penzance
37178 + 37084 Penzance - Truro - Par
37279 Par - Newquay
37279 Newquay - Par
37178 + 37084 Par - Lostwithiel - (reverse of outward route) - Cogload Jn - Bridgwater - Uphill Jn - Worle Jn - Bristol Temple Meads - (reverse of outward route) - Gloucester
37178 + 37084 Gloucester - Barnwood Jn - Cheltenham Spa - Abbotswood Jn - (via Spetchley) - Stoke Works Jn - King's Norton - Bordesley Jn - St Andrews Jn  - Birmingham New Street (00.15a on 15/04) - Galton Jn - Smethwick Jn - Stourbridge Junction (00.36a) - Kidderminster - Droitwich Spa - Worcester Shrub Hill

Notes :
(1) This train was reported to have been the first to feature class 37's for haulage into Cornwall. 25058 was also listed as having been used according to a F&W tour list provided to the Webmaster - confirmation is required. Peter Finan adds; With regard to the above railtour on which I participated I certainly can't recall the use of 25058 even if only for a shunt release of the stock at Newquay. At that time 37142, 37267 & 37279 were all based at St Blazey depot for Driver & staff familiarisation purposes & 2 of the 3 were stopped with mechanical issues. The use of a 25 was being mooted for the Newquay section of the tour, however I recall most certainly the use of 37279 was from Par to Newquay & then Newquay to Plymouth. After 37279 was uncoupled & returning Westwards a huge cheer went up from tour participants with Beer glasses & the 2nd man raised his Tea mug in Salute, I am sure this was the 1st time 37's had hauled a passenger train in Cornwall unless of course somebody can tell us differently.


37178+37084 at Trowbridge, on the outward leg (photo: David Bartlett)

Sources : Peter Finan, John Chalcraft, Stephen Chandler & Gary Thornton
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