6th October 1979

L.V.R.C.
The Venerable Bede

Locos Used 25189, 25236, 31156, 31209 (2) & 85040
Stock Used 21246+25712+25597+25894+25759+25829+4976+16118+16188

Route : 1Z89 throughout

Loco(s) Route
25189 + 25236 Watford Junction - (1) - Willesden Junction - Kensal Green Jn - Gospel Oak - Junction Road Jn - Harringay Park Jn - Wood Green - Potters Bar - (via ECML) - Doncaster - Shaftholme Jn - Selby - Holgate - York Yard North - Longlands Jn - Boroughbridge Road Jn - Northallerton East Jn - Eaglescliffe - Stockton - Ferryhill - Washington - Pelaw - King Edward Bridge Jn - Newcastle - Wallsend - Percy Main - Percy Main North - Earsdon - Newsham South - Bedlington North - Hepscott - Morpeth - Newcastle
31156 + 31209 Newcastle - Blaydon - Hexham - Haltwhistle - Carlisle
85040 Carlisle - (via WCML, Trent Valley, Weedon) - London Euston

Notes :
(1) Train was delayed for about an hour awaiting a Guard at Stonebridge Park.
(2) 31209 was originally uploaded as 31201 however LASERman and contemporary sources confirm it was in fact 31209 (with the comment that 31201 was spotted that morning at Ferme Park).

Dave Sheppard comments : The train ran late throughout. The timings over the freight lines seemed to have overlooked the existence of the usual low speed limits. Consequently, on return to Newcastle from Morpeth, passengers were offered the option of returning directly to London via East Coast on a service train. Many people, myself included, took this option. Alan Osborn comments: The return to Kings Cross from Newcastle by service train was aboard the 17.57 'Talisman' HST scheduled into Kings Cross at 21.14, however due to a fault on this HST actual arrival was 86 minutes late. The tour train organisers advised eventual arrival into Euston was estimated at 23.40


The tour at Bedlington (photo: Alan Lewis courttesy of Nick Catford)

Source : Dave Sheppard, Peter Toogood, Andy Pullar, Alan Osborn, Kevin Driscoll & LASERman

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Dave Sheppard, Alan Osborn, Ian Umpleby & LASERman)

Location Booked Actual
Watford Junction 08.30d 08.30
Wembley Central 08.40a ~ 08.41d 08.46 ~ 08.47
Willesden Junction 08*44 ~ 08*45 09.46 ~ 09.47
Kensal Green Jn 08/49 09.49 ~ 09.52
West Hampstead ??.??a ~ 08.55d 09.56 ~ 09.57
Gospel Oak 09/00 10/02
Junction Road Jn 09/03 10/05
Upper Holloway 09/04 10/06
Harringay Park Jn 09/08 10/09
Ferme Park sig. K431 09c14 ~ 09c16 10.11 ~ 10.15
Wood Green ??.??a ~ 09.20d 10.19 ~ 10.21
Potters Bar 09/30 10/30
Welwyn Garden City 09/37 10/36
Hitchin 09/46 10/47
Sandy 09/55 10/57
Huntingdon 10/06 11/11
Holme LC 10/20 11/21
Peterborough 10/28 11/26
Tallington Jn 10/35 11/32
Stoke 10/49 11/42
Grantham 10/53 11/46
Barkston South Jn 10/56 11/49
Claypole Loop 11*01 ~ 11*07 11/53
Newark Northgate 11/13 11/56
Retford 11/28 12/09
Doncaster 11*52 ~ 11*53 12.28 ~ 12.31
Shaftholme Jn 11/59 12/37
Selby 12/11 12/51
Holgate 12/26 13/26
York Yard North 12c30 ~ 12c36 13.26 ~ 13.29
Skelton Jn 12/40 13/34
Thirsk 13/00 14/00
Boroughbridge Road Jn 13/10 14/17
Eaglescliffe 13/26 14/36
Stockton 13*31 ~ 13*33 14.44 ~ 14.45
Stillington 13/43 14/57
Ferryhill 13/53 15/17
Washington 14/14 15/54
Pelaw 14/29 16/04
King Edward Bridge Jn 14/37 16/14
Newcastle 14*39 ~ 14*41 16.18 ~ 16.33
Wallsend 14/54 16/39
Percy Main 14/58 16/44
Percy Main North 14/59 16/47
Blue Bell 15/07 16/53
Earsdon 15/09 16/54
Newsham South 15/24 17/04
Bedlington North 15/32 17/11
Chopington 15/37 17/19
Hepscott 15/43 17/19
Morpeth 15/48 17/22
Newcastle 16.08a ~ 16.18d 17.44 ~ 18.10
Blaydon 16/25 18/17
Hexham 16/58 18/39
Haltwhistle 17/19 19/06½
Brampton Jn 17/34 19/20½
Petteril Bridge Jn 17/49 ?
Carlisle 17.52a ~ 18.15d 19.36 ~ 19.44½
Penrith 18/31½ 19/59
Tebay 18/46 20/17
Oxenholme 18/55½ 20/25½
Carnforth 19/04 20/35½
Lancaster 19/08½ 20/40½
Preston 19/27 20/57½
Euxton Jn 19/32 21/01
Balshaw Lane Jn 19/33½ 21/03
Wigan North Western 19/39 21/12½
Springs Branch Jn 19/40 21/13½
Winwick Jn 19/45 ?
Warrington Bank Quay 19/47½ 21/27½
Acton Grange Jn 19/49 21/29
Weaver Jn 19/53 21/32½
Winsford 19/58 21/39
Crewe Coal Yard SB 20/06½ 21/44
Crewe 20*09 ~ 20*11 21.47 ~ 21.48½
Madeley 20/20 ?
Norton Bridge 20/28 22/05
Stafford 20/33 22/09
Whitehouse Jn 20/38 22/13½
Colwich 20/40½ ?
Armitage 20/44 22/17½
Lichfield TV 20/48 22/20½
Tamworth LL 20/53 22/24½
Nuneaton 21/03 22/33
Rugby 21/13 22/47½
Weedon 21/22 22/56½
Hanslope 21/29 ?
Bletchley 21.36a ~ 21.37d 23.13½ ~ 23.14
Tring 21/47 ?
Watford Junction 21/57 23.44½ ~ 23.45½
Willesden Junction 22/09 23/54½
Euston 22.15a 00.02


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