12th October 1985

F + W Rail Tours
The East Anglian Limited

Locos Used 25268, 25297, 31144, 33021, 33024, 33054, 37053, 37226, 37239 & 47508

Route : 1Z68 throughout

Loco(s) Route
33021 + 33054 Cardiff - Newport - Severn Tunnel Junction - Pilning - Filton Jn - Bristol Temple Meads
33024 + 37239 Bristol Temple Meads - Filton Jn - Bristol Parkway - Westerleigh Jn - Charfield - Cheltenham Spa - Ashchurch - Abbotswood Jn - Stoke Works Jn - Bromsgrove - King's Norton - Church Road Jn - Birmingham New Street - Proof House Jn - Birmingham International - Coventry
25268 + 25297 Coventry - (WCML via Weedon) - Bletchley - Willesden - Gospel Oak - London Liverpool Street
37053 London Liverpool Street - (via GEML) - Norwich
37226 Norwich - Thetford - Ely - Cambridge - Bishops Stortford - Broxbourne - Copper Mill North Jn - Hackney Downs North Jn - London Liverpool Street
25268 + 31144 London Liverpool Street - Lea Bridge - South Tottenham - Gospel Oak - Willesden - Bletchley - Northampton - Coventry
33024 + 37239 Coventry - (reverse of outward route) - Bristol Temple Meads
47508 Bristol Temple Meads - (reverse of outward route) - Cardiff


From Andrew Fairholms ticket collection.

Sources : Nick Ross & Ian Monkton

Brief review
(by Nick Ross) :

A regulation half-hour down the unusual 37/33 combination arrived at New St for insect mileage to Coventry for a few of us. The rat run that followed was sheer hell! Rugby, sociably gave us the "old Road" via Weedon and a top whack amp driver plus a strong pair saw speeds of 98 mph plus sustained on the descent from Hanslope virtually to Watford. It was rumoured that some can ahead of us were holding the racing rodents back.

Rare, massive, monstrous 37053 was given fast 2h 15m timings non-stop Liverpool St - Norwich but she failed to match the rodents for excitement. Sheffield - Blackpool regular 37226 returned us via the familiar old SF and MR syphon haunts of Cambridge and Audley End back to Liverpool St.

Disaster here in that 25297 had been failed on SF with defective break blocks and 31144 substituted. The goyle did not multi at all well so we staggered home. Rugby routed us via Northampton adding to the totter factor. To add a final withering we lost just enough time to miss the 1927 Wolves-Euston home from Coventry, fate decreed exotic power in 81003 that night.

The 37/33 combination replaced the odd couple at Coventry to end a good tour but a shame about that slow speed fitted goyle!

Nick Ross

Timings (Booked Only)

M.C Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn) M.C
0.00 Cardiff Central 05.50d 23.26a 38.10
11.60 Newport 06.03a ~ 06.05d 23.11a ~ 23.13d 26.30
21.49 Severn Tunnel Junction 06/15 23/02 16.41
28.45 Pilning 06/21 22/56 9.45
32.27 Patchway Jn 06/25 22/53 5.63
33.40 Filton Jn 06/26 22/51 4.50
38.10
0.00
Bristol Temple Meads 06L33a ~ 06L50d 22L31a ~ 22L43d 0.00
108.70
4.50 Filton Jn 06/59 22/21 104.20
5.69 Bristol Parkway 07.01a ~ 07.03d 22.15a ~ 22.17d 103.01
10.39 Westerleigh Jn 07/09 22/09 98.31
18.52 Charfield 07/16 21/58 90.18
31.77 Standish Jn 07/25 21/49 76.73
38.07 Gloucester Yard Jn 07/30 21/44 70.63
44.37 Cheltenham Spa 07.38a ~ 07.40d 21.35a ~ 21.37d 64.33
51.48 Ashchurch 07/48 21/28 57.22
62.35 Abbotswood Jn 07/55 21/21 46.35
73.52 Stoke Works Jn 08/03 21/13 35.18
75.65 Bromsgrove 08.06a ~ 08.08d 21/12 33.05
78.38 Blackwell 08/13 21/10 30.32
79.28 Barnt Green 08/15 21/09 29.42
84.18 Kings Norton Jn 08/20 20/56 24.52
88.39 Church Road Jn 08/27 20/49 20/31
89.76 Birmingham New Street 08.34a ~ 08.37d 20.45a ~ 20.47d 18.74
90.64 Proof House Jn 08/39 20/42 18.06
98.14 Birmingham International 08.49a ~ 09.03d 20/28 10.56
108.70
0.00
Coventry 09L18a ~ 09L28d 20L08a ~ 20L18d 0.00
106.78
11.39 Rugby 09/41 19/58 96.17
20.69 Long Buckby 09/51 19/49 86.67
30.38 Northampton 10/00 19/38 77.18
39.59 Hanslope Jn 10/11 19/30 67.77
49.60 Bletchley 10/23 19/22 57.76
64.53 Tring 10/34 19/10 43.03
71.67 Hemel Hempstead 10/39 19/01 35.69
78.71 Watford Junction 10/44 18/55 28.65
88.22 Wembley Central 10/56 18/50 19.34
90.41 Willesden 10c58a ~ 11c00d 18c43a ~ 18c45d 17.31
91.55 Kensal Green Jn 11/05 18/36 16.38
95.55 Gospel Oak 11/14 18/27 12.31

 

M.C Location Booked (out)
96.66 Camden Road Jn 11/19
99.60 Dalston Western Jn 11/26
102.52 Channelsea South Jn 11/33
103.02 Carpenters Road South Jn 11/35
105.52
0.00
Liverpool Street 11L47a ~ 12L02d
4.03 Stratford 12/09
13.41 Gidea Park 12/21
20.16 Shenfield 12/29
29.65 Chelmsford 12/39
38.48 Witham 12/50
51.52 Colchester 13/04
59.35 Manningtree 13/11
68.59 Ipswich 13/24
82.79 Haughley Jn 13/39
100.60 Tivetshall Jn 13/55
114.77
0.00
Norwich 14L20a ~ 15L10d
10.17 Wymondham 15/29
30.39 Thetford 15/45
37.57 Brandon 15/52
52.17 Ely North Jn 16/12
53.59 Ely 16/15
68.37 Cambridge 16/34
71.05 Shepreth Branch Jn 16/38
82.34 Audley End 16/51
93.62 Bishops Stortford 17/02
106.72 Broxbourne 17/16
110.18 Cheshunt Jn 17/19
119.15 Copper Mill North Jn 17/31
119.51 Clapton Jn 17/32
121.05 Hackney Downs North Jn 17/34
122.69 Bethnal Green Jn 17/38
124.09
0.00
Liverpool Street 17L42a ~ 17L55d
3.75 Stratford Central Jn East 18/03
6.25 Lea Bridge 18/08
7.60 Tottenham South Jn 18/13
8.22 South Tottenham 18/18
11.24 Upper Holloway 18/23
11.53 Junction Road Jn 18/24

Timings continue in first table.

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