12th - 14th September 1986

F + W Tours & Hertfordshire Rail Tours
The Eireann Explorer

Locos Used 47524, 47551, 47606 & 47611
I.E. G611, 012, 122, 124, 160 & 186
Stock Used [1] : 4883+4856+4848+5010+7176+35333+4949+4876+1704+5004+5034
[2] : 
1402+2420+1406+1541+1554+1513+1511+1510+3174

Route : 1Z16 throughout (whilst in the UK)

Date Loco(s) Stock Route
12/09 47611 [1] Derby – Burton-on-Trent – Wichnor Jn - Tamworth – Water Orton – Landor Street Jn - Proof House Jn - Birmingham New Street – Galton Jn – Stourbridge Junction – Kidderminster - Droitwich Spa – Worcester Shrub Hill – Abbotswood Jn - Ashchurch - Cheltenham Spa – Gloucester
12/09 47611 [1] Gloucester – Standish Jn - Yate - Westerleigh Jn - Bristol Parkway – Stapleton Road - Bristol Temple Meads
12/09-13/09 47606 [1] Bristol Temple Meads - Stapleton Road - Filton Jn - Patchway - Severn Tunnel Junction - Newport - Cardiff - Pontyclun - Bridgend - Port Talbot - Neath - Landore Jn - Swansea Loop West Jn - Llanelli - Carmarthen Jn - Carmarthen Bridge Jn - Whitland - Clarbeston Road - Haverford West (1)
13/09 MV St Brendan - Fishguard - Rosslare
13/09 012 [2] Rosslare Harbour Pier - Rosslare Strand - Wellington Bridge - Campile - Waterford - Carrick-on-Suir - Tipperary - Keane's Points
13/09 012 [2] Keans Points - Limerick Junction
13/09 012 [2] Limerick Junction - Keane's Points - Killonan Jn - Limerick Check - Limerick
13/09 G611 [2] shunt at Limerick
13/09 122 + 124 [2] Limerick - Limerick Check - Ennis - Athenry - Ballinasloe - Athlone - Moate - Mullingar - Maynooth - Liffey Jn - North Strand Jn - Dublin Connolly
13/09 160 + 186 [2] Dublin Connolly - Bray - Arklow - Rosslare Strand - Rosslare Harbour Mainland
14/09 MV St Inasfallen - Rosslare - Fishguard
14/09 47551 [1] Fishguard Harbour - Clarbeston Road - (reverse of outward route) - Port Talbot - Margam Yard Jn - Margam Abbey Works East Jn - Newlands Jn - Tondu
14/09 47551 [1] Tondu - Bridgend - (reverse of outward route) - Bristol Temple Meads
14/09 47524 [1] Bristol Temple Meads – (reverse of outward route) – Gloucester
14/09 47524 [1] Gloucester – (reverse of outward route) - Droitwich Spa - Stoke Works Jn - Bromsgrove - Kings Norton – St Andrews Jn  – Birmingham New Street
14/09 47524 [1] Birmingham New Street – Proof House Jn - Aston – Four Oaks – Lichfield City – Wichnor Jn - Burton-on-Trent – Derby

Notes :
(1) Passengers were taken by bus from Haverford West to Fishguard Harbour.
(2) Jeremy Hartill comments: The CIE tour was a riot we were booked for an 071 but it had failed so we got 012 instead which was great for me. The set was a coach short so one was nicked off the Dublin train. The breakfast served by CIE was very good. At Limerick G611 was giving rides up and down the bay for all who could get on, that included hanging on the outside. 012 took 29½ min from Limerick Jn to Limerick with a max of 67mph. The little CIE Bo-Bo’s were only 950 hp so with two locos, 9 coaches and about 1400hp at the rail it was not going to be a fast trip but the 35 miles from Athenry to Athlone Midland took 43.5 min with 72mph max after Woodlawn. We then ran on the freight only route, now closed line to Mullingar at around 50mph. The 28 miles took 38 min and the final 51 miles to Connolley 70½ min but there were a lot of checks near Dublin. Back on BR the E.C.S. did not get into Fishguard until 04.31 and then we had to wait until 05.18 for a guard. 47551 ran well from Fishguard when it got away. There were good climbs of the steep banks in West Wales. Later in the day 47524 made a good attempt to regain time with 95mph at Berkley Rd and 91 at Eckington. Rejoining the mainline at Stoke Works Jn from Worcester we stopped to set down at Bromsgrove. From a standing start it took 6m 50sec to Blackwell and reached 23½ mph on the Lickey bank, a proper thrash, sounded great at low speed and full throttle.
(3) UK outward leg originally shown as hauled by 47606 throughout but then corrected by Jeremy Hartill.


From Andrew Fairholms ticket collection.

Sources : Richard Szwejkowski (joined/left the train at Bristol Temple Meads)
Ian Monkton (joined/left the train at Bristol Parkway) & Paul Green

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Jeremy Hartill)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Derby 18.15d ?   12.43a ?
Burton-on-Trent 18.28a ~ 18.30d ?   12.24a ~ 12.26d ?
Wichnor Jn ? ?   12/08 ?
Lichfield City   11/59 ?
Aston   11/41 ?
Tamworth ??.??a ~ 18.43d ?  
Water Orton ??.??a ~ 18.51d ?  
Birmingham New Street 19.05a ~ 19.09 ??.?? ~ 19.20   11.22a ~ 11.36 ?
Galton Jn 19/17 19/29  
Stourbridge Junction 19.37a ~ 19.40 19.46 ~ 19.47  
Kidderminster 19/52 19/55  
Camp Hill   11/14 ?
Kings Norton   11/09 ?
Bromsgrove   10.49a ~ 10.59d ?
Stoke Works Jn   10/45 ?
Droitwich Spa 20/06 20/05   10/39 ?
Worcester Shrub Hill 20.15a ~ 20.17d 20.12 ~ 20.17   10.30a ~ 10.32d ?
Abbotswood Jn 20/22 20/27   10/24 ?
Ashchurch 20/31 20/35   ? ?
Cheltenham Spa 20.39a ~ 2.41d 20.42 ~ 20.43   10.06a ~ 10.08d ?
Gloucester 20.52a ~ 21.05d 20.52 ~ 21.07   09.45a ~ 09.58d 10.35 ~ ??.??
Standish Jn 21/13 21/16   09/30 ?
Westerleigh Jn 21/30 21/32   09/14 ?
Bristol Parkway 21.34a ~ 21.38d 21.37 ~ 21.39   09.06a ~ 09.08d ?
Bristol Temple Meads 21.50a ~ 22.02d 21.49 ~ 22.08   08.44a ~ 08.56d 09.28 ~ 09.38
Filton Jn 22/10 22/17   ? ?
Severn Tunnel Junction 22/20 22/28   ? ?
Newport 22.29a ~ 22.31d 22.37 ~ 22.38   08.10a ~ 08.12d ?
Cardiff Central 22.48a ~ 22.51d 22.52 ~ 22.54   07.54a ~ 07.57d ?
Bridgend 23/14 23/14   07.22 ~ 07.24 ?
Tondu   06.59a ~ 07.14d ?
Margam Abbey East   06/34 ?
Port Talbot ? ?   06.24 ~ 16.26 ?
Neath 23/32 ?   ? ?
Landore 23/44 ?   ? ?
Llanelli 23/59 ?   ? ?
Carmarthen Jn 00.20 ~ 00.22 ?   ? ?
Whitland 00/38 ?   ? ?
Clarbeston Road 00/49 ?   ? ?
Haverford West 00.55a 00.44  
Fishguard Harbour   04.30d 05.18

 

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Fishguard 03.15d 03.13   ??.??a 03.40
Rosslare ??.??a 06.42   00.00d 00.00

 

Location Booked Actual
Rosslare Harobour 07.33d 07.48
Rosslare Mainland 07.36a ~ 07.38d 07.51 ~ 07.56
Rosslare Strand 07.44a ~ 07.46d 08.17 ~ 08.19
Bridgetown 07.58a ~ 08.06d 08.17 ~ 08.19
Wellington Bridge 08/20 08/32
Ballycullane 08/27 08/39
Campile 08/35 08/45
Waterford 08.48a ~ 08.50d 09.00 ~ 09.09
Carrick-on-Suir 09/11 09/29
Clonmel 09/30 09/47
Cahir 09/47 ?
Tipperary 10/07 10/19
Limerick Junction 10.13a ~ 10.16d 10.31 ~ 10.39
Dromkeen 10/30 10/53
Killonan Jn 10/39 11/01
Limerick 10.45a ~ 11.45d 11.08 ~ 12.08
Ennis 12p35a ~ 12p51d 12.33 ~ 13.11
Gort 13p26a ~ 13p36d 13.41 ~ 13.59
Athenry 14/12 14.31 ~ 14.36
Woodlawn 14/29 14/53
Ballinasloe 14/42 15/03
Athlone Midland 15p00a ~ 15p10d 15.20 ~ 15.30
Moate 15p26a ~ 15p36d 15/45
Mullingar 16p04a ~ 16p30d 16.10 ~ 16.40
Killucan 16/41 16/50
Enfield 17/00 17/07
Maynooth 17/16 17/19
Clonsilla 17/28 17/30
Liffey Jn 17/35 17/39
Dublin Connolly 17.43a ~ 17.52d 17.51 ~ 18.04
Dubline Pearse 17/55 ?
Dun Laoghaire 18/03 ?
Bray 18.25a ~ 18.25d 18.35 ~ 18.36
Greystones 18/35 18/46
Wicklow 18/50 18/59
Rathdrum 19/02 19/11
Arklow 19.18a ~ 19.26d 19.29 ~ 19.41
Gorey 19/39 ?
Enniscourt 19/59 ?
Wexford 20.20a ~ 22.26d ?
Rosslare Strand 22/17 ?
Rosslare Harbour 22.24a ~ 22.26d ?
Rosslare Pier 22.30a ?


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