28th February 1987

Hertfordshire Rail Tours
The Valleybasher II

Locos Used 33025, 33062 & 37905
Stock Used 12 coaches

Route : 1Z38 throughout

Loco(s) Route
33062 + 33025 Finsbury Park - Gospel Oak - Willesden Junction HL - Clapham Junction - Hounslow - Staines - Reading - Didcot Parkway - Swindon - Chippenham - Melksham - Bath Spa - North Somerset Jn - Dr Days Jn - Pilning - Severn Tunnel Junction - Newport - Cardiff Central - Radyr
33025 + 33062 (1) Radyr - Walnut Tree Jn - Nantgarw
37905 (2) Nantgarw - Walnut Tree Jn - Radyr - Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Bute Road
33025 + 33062 (1) Cardiff Bute Road - Cardiff Queen Street
33025 + 33062 Cardiff Queen Street - Caerphilly - Cwm Bargoed
33025 + 33062 Cwm Bargoed - Heath Jn - Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Central
33025 + 33062 Cardiff Central - Newport - Llanwern Works - (via Bishton flyover) - Severn Tunnel Junction - Pilning - Dr Days Jn - North Somerset Jn - Bath Spa - Chippenham - Swindon - Didcot Parkway - Reading - Staines - Richmond - Clapham Junction - Willesden Junction HL - Alexandra Palace - Bowes Park

  Notes :
(1) 37905 on rear.
(2) 33025 + 33062 on rear.

Sources : Nick Ross (left train at Willesden Junction), Keith Jarrett
& W.R. Lynch (joined/left the train at Clapham Junction)

Photo Review


33062 & 33025 pause at Reading in the morning (photo: Gary Thornton)


33062 leads 33025 at Cwm Bargoed (photo : Martin Pettit)


Tour Review
(by Nick Ross)

Finsbury Park island platform at the early hour of 0740 was the unlikely starting point for 800 plus Crompton miles behind standards 025 and 062. A Staines stagger then A GW mainline thrash to Bath, Cardiff and onwards to Radyr. Here the rumoured very average, dud 37/4 allocated to the tour was stabled but newly railfreight large logo liveried 37905 Vulcan Enterprise was attached to the rear. At least this was required for new number.

The Crompton's thrashed on through Pontypridd and then onto the 2 mile Nantgarw colliery branch. Here we all bailed onto the coal ballast to phot the power and to enjoy chips from a local mobile chip van. 37905 was the first of the sub-class for many of us but on the descending gradient little thrash could be heard. "Sounds like a fridge" was a quote from one Crompton fan. At Cardiff Bute Road we reversed, where we viewed a few very demic looking preserved kettles. The "fridge" was detached at Queen St for much Crompton thrash on the seven mile assault up the Taff Bargoed valley.

We all escaped at Cwm Bargoed to stretch our legs, phot the Cromptons and the bemused train crew of 37800 here with MGR's. A long, subdued 6 hour return journey took us to the unusual loco hauled bailing point of Willesden Jn H/L, then the equally massive Alexandra Palace and Bowes Park.

Nick Ross

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Howard Harrison & W.R. Lynch)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Finsbury Park 07.40d ?
1.57 Freight Terminal Jn 07/44 ?
2.11 Camden Road East Jn 07/53 ?
3.47 Gospel Oak 07/56 ?
7.76 Willesden Junction HL 08.09a ~ 08.10d ?
8.48 Mitre Bridge Jn 08/12 ?
10.73 Kensington Olympia 08/17 ?
13.56 Latchmere Jn 08/22 ?
14.10 Clapham Junction 08.27a ~ 08.28d ??.?? ~ 08.34 [P6]
17.23 Barnes 08/33 ?
23.56 Hounslow 08/41 ?
24.54 Feltham Jn 08/43 ?
30.21 Staines 08.52a ~ 08.53d ?
34.34 Virginia Water 09/01 ?
40.18 Ascot 09/10 ?
47.70 Wokingham 09/18 ?
51.63 Earley 09/23 ?
53.58 Reading Spur Jn 09/27 ?
54.55 Reading 09.33a ~ 09.35d ?
71.67 Didcot Parkway 09.53a ~ 09.54d ?
96.00 Swindon ??.??a ~ 10.23d ??.?? ~ 10.30
101.64 Wootton Bassett Jn 10/31 ?
112.53 Chippenham 10t40 ?
114.67 Thingley Jn 10/45 ?
122.68 Bradford North Jn 10t56 ?
132.07 Bathampton Jn 11/09 ?
134.23 Bath Spa 11.13a ~ 11.15d 11.21 ~ 11.24
145.02 North Somerset Jn 11/29 ?
145.25 Dr Days Jn 11/31 ?
145.56 Lawrence Hill 11c33 ~ 11c35 11.38 ~ 11.38
149.36 Filton 11/41 ?
150.49 Patchway 11/42 ?
154.15 Pilning 11/45 ?
161.11 Severn Tunnel Junction 11/51 ?
171.00 Newport 12/04 ?
182.60 Cardiff Central 12.21a ~ 12.25d [P7] 12.18 ~ 12.28
183.43 Penarth Curve North Jn 12/30 ?
187.37 Radyr Jn 12L40 ~ 12L54 12.40 ~ 12.54
189.34 Walnut Tree Jn 13t00 ?
191.67 Nantgarw 13.12a ~ 13.25d 13.11 ~ 13.40
194.20 Walnut Tree Jn 13t42 ?
196.08 Radyr 13/47 13/57
197.13 Llandaf 13/49 ?
200.32 Cardiff Queen Street 13/57 14/08
201.38 Bute Road 14.01a ~ 14.11d 14.12 ~ 14.20
202.44 Cardiff Queen Street 14L15 ~ 14L18 14.12 ~ 14.26
204.63 Heath Jn 14/22 ?
209.52 Caerphilly 14/31  
214.72 Ystrad Mynach South Jn 14t44 14/44
216.46 Nelson East GF 14t52 ~ 15t02 ?
224.31 Cwm Bargoed SB 15.22a ~ 15.40d 15.21 ~ 15.42
232.16 Nelson East GF 16t00 ~ 16t10 ?
233.70 Ystrad Mynach South Jn 16t19 16/12
239.10 Caerphilly 16/33 ?
243.79 Heath Jn 16/40 ?
246.18 Cardiff Queen Street 16/50 ?
246.74 Cardiff Central 16.54a ~ 17.02d [P7] 16.55 ~ 17.04
258.54 Newport 17/18 ?
268.43 Severn Tunnel Junction 17/50 18/07
275.39 Pilning 17/56 ?
279.05 Patchway 18/00 ?
280.18 Filton 18/01 ?
283.78 Lawrence Hill 18c13 ~ 18c15 18.32 ~ 18.34
284.29 Dr Days Jn 18/16 ?
284.52 North Somerset Jn 18/18 ?
295.31 Bath Spa 18.33a ~ 18.35d 18.48 ~ 18.51
297.47 Bathampton Jn 18/39 ?
308.26 Chippenham 18/50 ?
324.78 Swindon 19.10a ~ 19.12d 19.18 ~ ??.??
349.11 Didcot Parkway 19.33a ~ 19.34d ?
366.23 Reading 19.50a ~ 19.52d ?
367.20 Reading Spur Jn 19/56 ?
369.15 Earley 20/00 ?
373.08 Wokingham 20/05 ?
380.60 Ascot 20/14 ?
386.44 Virginia Water 20/22 ?
390.57 Staines 20.29a ~ 20.31d ?
396.24 Feltham Jn 20/40 ?
398.37 Twickenham 20/43 ?
402.53 Barnes 20/51 ?
405.66 Clapham Junction 20.55a ~ 20.57d ?
406.20 Latchmere Jn 20/59 ?
409.03 Kensington Olympia 21/04 ?
411.28 Mitre Bridge Jn 21/09 ?
412.00 Willesden Junction HL 21.11a ~ 21.12d ?
412.22 Kensal Green Jn 21/14 ?
416.27 Gospel Oak 21/24 ?
417.40 Upper Holloway 21/28 ?
418.55 harringay Park Jn 21/31 ?
420.46 Alexandra Palace 21.55a ~ 21.57d ?
421.23 Bowes Park 22.03a ?


Back to "The Railtour Files"