23rd - 25th April 1982

Linkwise Tours
The Highland Adventurer

Locos Used at least 47427, 47468?, 85010, 86038? & 86260
Stock Used ?????

Route :

Date Loco Route
23/04-24/04 85010 London Euston - Watford Junction - Bletchley - Northampton - Rugby - ??? - Birmingham New Street - ??? - Crewe - (via WCML) - Motherwell - Mossend Yard
24/04 47427 Mossend Yard - Perth - Aviemore - Inverness (1)
24/04 ????? Inverness - Dingwall - Achnasheen - Kyle of Lochalsh
24/04 ????? Kyle of Lochalsh - (reverse of outward route) - Inverness
24/04-25/04 47427 Inverness - (reverse of outward route) - Mossend Yard
25/04 ?86038? Mossend Yard - (reverse of outward route) - Carlisle
25/04 ?47468? Carlisle - (via S&C) - Hellifield - Clitheroe - Blackburn - Farington Jn
25/04 86260 Farington Jn - Wigan North Western - Golborn Jn - Newton-le-Willows - Earlestown - Winwick Jn - (reverse of outward route) - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Portobello Jn - Bescot - Perry Barr North Jn - Aston - Stechford - Rugby - ??? - Bletchley - London Euston

Notes :
(1) Alan Osborn comments: I travelled on the tour train from Euston to Inverness and back then travelled onward to Wick using the scheduled service departing at 06.15 (due to the late arrival in Inverness the service train departure was delayed until 06.26 but reached Wick on-time at 11.12). I believe the tour train may have run onto Kyle of Lochalsh - A coach from Wick, supplied by Highland Omnibuses Ltd., was used to visit Caithness Glass, Castle of Mey and John O'Groats before returning to WICK to catch the 17.46 departure for Inverness. 26043 was the motive power from Inverness to Wick and 26035 hauled the service train back from Wick to Inverness. I do recall one tour I did when most of the participants had booked on the Kyle trip and only a handful for the Wick portion, hence the organisers decision not to operate a Wick special. I am assuming this was the tour in question.
(2) On Sunday return a landslip between Hanslope and Denbigh Hall Jn's meant only the Down Main Line was available and hence being operated as a single line. Delays resulted queuing for access to single line section.


From Andew Fairholms ticket collection.

Sources : Andrew Fairholm & Alan Osborn

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Osborn)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Euston 18.55d 18.55   11.28a 12.46
Harrow & Wealdstone ??.??a ~ 19.09d 19.13 ~ 19.16   11.12a ~ ??.??d 12.26 ~ 12.27
Watford Junction ??.??a ~ 19.18d 19.24 ~ 19.25   11.03a ~ ??.??d 12.16 ~ 12.19
Bletchley ??.??a ~ 19.44d 20.10 ~ 20.13   10.34a ~ ??.??d 11.46 ~ 11.48
Northampton ??.??a ~ 20.04d 20.39 ~ 20.41   ? ?
Long Buckby ??.??a ~ 20.15d 20.57 ~ 20.59   ? ?
Rugby ??.??a ~ 20.28d 21.11 ~ 21.12   10.00a ~ ??.??d 10.34 ~ 10.37
Stechford   ? 10/06
Aston   ? 10/02
Birmingham New Street ??.??a ~ 21.07d 21.50 ~ 21.54  
      10/02
Witton   ? 10/01
Perry Barr   ? 10/00
Hamstead   ? 09/55
Bescot   ? 09/51
Darlaston Jn   ? 09/48
Portobello Jn   ? 09/44
Wolverhampton ? ?   09.06a ~ ??.??d 09.37 ~ 09.40
Crewe ? 22.55 ~ 22.57   ? 09.00 ~ 09.03
Warrington Bank Quay   ? 08/34
Winwick Jn   ? 08/28
Earlestown   ? 08/25
Newton-le-Willows   ? 08/22
Lowton Jn   ? 08/20
Golborne Jn   ? 08/19
Wigan North Western   ? 07.58 ~ 08.02
Preston ? 00/45  
Farington Jn   ??L?? ~ ??L?? 07.20 ~ 07.40
Blackburn   ? 07.05 ~ 07.06
Hellifield   ? 06/21
Carlisle ? 01.05 ~ 01.07   ??L?? ~ ??L?? 04.22 ~ 04.25
Mossend Yard ??L?? ~ ??L?? 02.27 ~ 02.37   ??L?? ~ ??L?? 02.30 ~ 02.40
Perth ? 03.43 ~ 03.48   ? 01.10 ~ 01.17
Aviemore ? 05/34   ? ?
Inverness 05.45a ~ ??.??d 06.15 ~ ??.??   ??.??a ~ 22.45d ??.?? ~ 22.45


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