Six Bells Junction

Route :
1Z40 : Cardiff Central to Stockport (would have been to Manchester Victoria)
1Z41 : Stockport (would have been to Manchester Victoria) to Manchester Victoria
1Z42 : Manchester Victoria to Cardiff Central

Loco	Route (1)
56111	Cardiff Central - Newport - Severn Tunnel - Bristol Parkway - Cheltenham Spa - (via direct route) - Barnt Green - Kings Norton - Selly Oak - Birmingham New Street - Proof House Jn - Aston - Bescot - Portobello Jn - Bushbury Jn - Stafford - Crewe - Sandbach - Wilmslow - Cheadle Hulme - Stockport - Heaton Norris Jn - Denton Jn - Guide Bridge - Stalybridge - Diggle - Huddersfield - Bradley Jn - Milner Royd Jn - Hebden Bridge - Todmorden - Rochdale - Castleton - Thorpes Bridge Jn - Philips Park No.1, Philips Park No.2, Ashburys - Guide Bridge - Guide Bridge Up & Down Loop
56111 (2)	Guide Bridge Up & Down Loop - Hyde North - Woodley - Bredbury Tilcon Stone Terminal (Railtrack limit)
60050 (3)(4)	Bredbury Tilcon Stone Terminal - Woodley - Hyde North - Guide Bridge - Ashburys - Ardwick Jn - Manchester Piccadilly (through platforms) - Deansgate - Ordsall Lane Jn - Eccles Station Jn - Eccles shunt neck
56111 (2)	Eccles shunt neck - Weaste Jn
60050 (3)	Weaste Jn - Eccles shunt neck
56111	Eccles shunt neck - Eccles Station Jn - Ordsall Lane Jn - Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Philips Park No.1 - Ashton Moss North Jn - Denton Jn - Heaton Norris Jn - Stockport - Cheadle Hulme - Wilmslow - Sandbach - Crewe - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Dudley Port - Soho South Jn - Birmingham New St - Proof House Jn - St Andrews Jn - Kings Norton - Barnt Green - (reverse of outward route) - Cardiff Central

Notes :
(1) Original tour route was to have included triangle at Castleton and Heywood but this was dropped due to engineering works on the Heywood branch and the run over the Pennines was substituted instead. A landslide at Kenyon cutting a few days before the tour further changed the route - from Crewe the train was due to go via Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Eccles, Manchester Victoria and Ashton-under-Lyne to Stalybridge. In the event the direct route via Stockport, Denton and Guide Bridge was taken. In order to get passengers to/from the centre of Manchester a DMU shuttle was used, employing two class 101 units! The train between Cardiff and Manchester (and reverse) also ran under the name "The Manchester Excursion" as it was used to convey passengers to Manchester for a days sightseeing.
(2) 60050 on rear.
(3) 56111 on rear.
(4) believed to be the first time ever 60050 had hauled a loaded passenger train (service or railtour).

Source : Gary Thornton (joined and left train at Barnt Green)

Tour Review
(by Gary Thornton)

How much would you pay to travel over about 1.5 miles of required tack? That was the decision I had when booking on this tour. Originally advertised to cover the Heywood, Weaste and Bredbury branches, the first didn't survive owing to engineering works. Weaste is only about 5/8 mile and, depending on which of the two lines at Bredbury were traversed, that branch was about the same.

All in all though, the prospect of a good few miles of "grid" haulage and a £10 discount voucher (from "The Power Porter") swayed me to book on this trip so I happily (!) parted with £35. Gen in the days prior gave 56111 as the main motive power - good, required. The class 60 "assisting engine" gen changed but still kept coming up with winners so I was happy.

A cold frosty morning saw me at Barnt Green with plenty of time to spare so there was ample opportunity to chat to some other friends who had also arrived early. Yes, 56111 was on the train and it was on-time leaving Cheltenham Spa. A while before it arrived and we could clearly hear the grid attacking The Lickey (one disappointment of joining here as that I missed the ascent of The Lickey, but the day would have become very much longer had I gone to Cheltenham to join). 56111 was photographed arriving and we piled on to find our seats. Not the usual front coach for me this time (even though requested) but coach C, but still in the right area to hear 56111 working hard though.

The outward journey was not exactly memorable - our routing took us via Selly Oak and a pick-up at Birmingham New Street thence via Proof House Junction, Aston and Bescot (37798, 92022, 66099. 58042. 66149, 37678. 09011, 58049 & 66165 noted) to Stafford, the next pick-up point. An early arrival here gave an opportunity for an impromptu photo-stop, but being directly into the sun didn't exactly make it worthwhile taking any photos!

Loads of "Freds" seen coming into Crewe - but too far to see the numbers and only 66603 actually recorded. Other stuff noted included :- 47547, 47338, 47188, 37380, 47484, 47519, 47501, 47768, 47326, 37407, 47146, 86430, 90028, 90024 & 66020.

A change now to the planned tour route. After a prolonged stop we set off directly towards Stockport and Manchester - the booked route via Warrington and Newton-le-Willows being abandoned owing to a landslide at Kenyon cutting which had closed the line. Top marks to the organisers as an additional stop was arranged at Stockport to drop off/pick-up the Manchester contingent - and an additional train was laid on to do this - formed of two 2-car Met-Cam 101 DMU's!!

101693 & 101694 (in Strathclyde PTE livery!!) were noted as we pulled into Stockport, the special shuttle arranged to get our passengers from and to Piccadilly station. We lost those passengers who were just having a day in Manchester and we collected as many for the bash over the Pennines and down the two freight branches. Our area of the train filled up as several friends joined us here, including top "101 man" David "dud for the day" Russell who informed us that 101694 was due to be withdrawn on Tuesday (guess which one he'd travelled in then)! He'd also spent the morning bashing 101's around Manchester (sorry David - your secret is out!! I'm sure there is suitable treatment available to get you back to a normal existence like the rest of us....).

A stagger through Denton and Guide Bridge then followed and, after a pause at Stalybridge, the real thrash began. 56111 proved itself to be a real "thumper" when worked hard (some just scream, but others thump well too and this as one of them). We ran through Huddersfield and via the Bradley Chord and Hebden Bridge to head south again into the Manchester suburbs. I kept a good look-out passing Newton heath depot for my last 142 (041) and 153 (332) but no sign of them - mind you a couple of the 153's on depot were so dirty you couldn't read the side numbers!

Back to stagger-mode via Ashburys (where we were passed by 142041 - with thanks to David Russell for spotting it as I was on the wrong side to get its number) to Guide Bridge here we were booked for a crew change. A shot distance then to the Up & Down Goods Loop here we were due to have the assisting engine attached. 60050 was being quoted and sure enough it duly appeared and was attached to the rear of our consist. 56111 was however still in charge as we continued through Hyde ("not the place to call for a doctor" said Tony - this being the former area covered by Harold Shipman, now doing "time" for finishing off many of his patients!). At Woodley we took the freight line towards Bredbury. There had been some discussion about exactly which branch we would traverse - Bredbury is effectively two single line branches, one to a waste terminal and the other to a stone terminal. The former had been done before on railtours but most people I spoke to seemed to need the latter. We were kept in suspense as we stopped at the points where the two lines split. We set off again on the right-hand track which, according to the Quail track diagram books, was that to the waste terminal - not the line most wanted. The Pathfinder steward in our coach got his ear bent about this but suddenly someone on the right side of the train said there was a further line going off to the right - this was actually the line into the waste terminal, so we were indeed heading along the stone terminal line. Seems the track layout has been revised since the Quail was published - apologies to Steve (our coach steward) for bending your ear without good reason!!

We made it to the railtrack limit - which was just short of the rail over-bridge which carried the line from Ashburys to Romiley. A class 101 unit passed in each direction before we left again. We retraced our steps to Ashburys then took the line to Manchester Piccadilly, using the through platforms to get us on our way to Eccles. Until this point we were keeping pretty well to time, but.....

....On the approach to Eccles station we were stopped. Our move was to cross to a shunt neck which gave access to the Weaste branch which curved down and under the route we were on. After a long wait it was announced that we were being held as there was already a train on the branch and we would have to stay put until it came off. 66602 eventually appeared "light engine" and with the branch now vacated we drew forward into the shunt neck, now running half an hour late - effortlessly!! 56111 ran us down the gradient an under the line we'd just been on. This "branch" is quite short and we only made it as far as Weaste Junction, about 5/8 of a mile from Eccles station. After a short pause 60050 dragged us back up the hill.

Back in the shunt neck and 60050 was unhooked before we set off the short distance to Manchester Victoria where we exchanged passengers again. The thrash from 56111 up the bank from Victoria to Miles Platting was very enjoyable. Slack timing actually meant we had got back quite a bit of the late running and indeed it stayed this way the remainder of the journey back (at least as far as Barnt Green). Indeed, between Crewe and Stafford we were even running a few minutes early!

Not a bad day out, though again perhaps at the higher end of the acceptable price range for what was on offer. Then again, maybe I'm the problem in not needing much in the way of track these days!

Gary Thornton.

Quote of the day (overheard by Andrew Wilson) said by a Pathfinder steward to a passenger :

(the passenger concerned was only asking for a tour brochure!).

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Gary Thornton & Alan Vickers)

All distances, in miles and chains (M & C), are taken from the timing sheet given out on the train. No attempt has been made to verify the mileages given. Mileages for diversion via Stockport have not been determined.

Back to "The Railtour Files"

Locos Used	56111 & 60050
Stock Used	5029+4963+5040+4927+5009+1863+21272+3098+3140+3112+1692+3122+6310
DMU used (1)	51192 + 53266 & 53268 + 51188

M.C	Location	Booked	Actual	Booked	Actual	M.C
0.00	Cardiff Central	06.45d	?	22.43a	?	210.32
6.50	Marshfield	06/54	?	22/32	?	203.62
10.77	Gaer Jn	06/58	?	?	?	199.35
11.60	Newport	07.00a ~ 07.13d	?	22.23a ~ 22.26d	?	198.52
21.49	Severn Tunnel Junction	07/24	?	22/12	?	189.63
28.45	Pilning	07/31	?	22/05	?	182.67
32.11	Patchway	07/36	?	22/02	?	178.21
33.33	Bristol Parkway	07.39a ~ 07.41d	??.?? ~ 07.41	21.56a ~ 21.59d	22.04 ~ ??.??	176.79
38.03	Westerleigh Jn	07/47	07/48	21/49	?	172.29
39.55	Yate	07/50	?	21/47	?	170.57
46.16	Charfield	07/56	?	21/41	?	164.16
59.41	Standish Jn	08/07	08/04	21/30	?	150.71
65.51	Gloucester Yard Jn	08/15	08/10	21/25	?	144.61
66.38	Barnwood Jn	08/17	08/12	21/24	?	143.74
72.01	Cheltenham Spa	08.25a ~ 08.28d	08.18 ~ 08.28	21.14a ~ 21.17d	21.23 ~ 21.26	138.31
79.12	Ashchurch	08/36	08/35	21/07	?	131.20
89.79	Abbotswood Jn	08/46	08/45	20/57	?	120.33
101.16	Stoke Works Jn	08/56	08/54	20/47	?	109.16
103.29	Bromsgrove	08/59	?	20/43	?	107.03
106.72	Barnt Green	09.04a ~ 09.06d	09.03 ~ 09.07	20.36a ~ 20.38d	20.43 ~ 20.45	103.40
109.47	Longbridge	09/13	09/12	20/32	20/39	100.65
112.00	Kings Norton	09/16	09/19	20/29	20/35	98.32
	Bordesley Jn			20/20	20/27	93.17
	St. Andrews Jn			20/19	20/26	92.71
	Proof House Jn			20/16	20/23	91.74
114.14	Selly Oak	09/19	09/22
117.45	Birmingham New Street	09.19a ~ 09.31d	09.31 ~ 09.34	20.07a ~ 20.13d	20.18 ~ 20.20	91.20
118.21	Proof House Jn	09/34	09/36
120.21	Aston	09/41	09/39
122.43	Perry Barr North Jn	09/47	09/42
127.11	Bescot Stadium	09/54	09/46
128.18	Darlaston Jn	09/56	09/48
131.17	Portobello Jn	10/02	09/55
	Soho South Jn			20/02	20/06	89.19
	Galton Jn			19/59	20/04	87.41
	Dudley Port			19/56	20/01	83.76
	Wolverhampton			19/49	19/50	78.36
133.65	Bushbury Jn	10/06	09/58	19/45	19/44	76.62
147.42	Stafford	10.22a ~ 10.25d	10.12 ~ 10.28	19.24a ~ 19.27d	19.25 ~ 19.28	63.05
152.71	Norton Bridge	10/33	10/34	19/14	19/10	57.56
163.73	Madeley	10/46	10/47	19/02	19/01	46.54
170.15	Basford Hall Jn	10/53	10/53	18/56	18/55	40.32
171.79	Crewe	10.56a ~ 10.59d	10.57 ~ 11.17	18.32a ~ 18.50d	18.46 ~ 18.52	38.48
180.65	Winsford S.B.	11/09	DIV
188.21	Weaver Jn	11/17	DIV
194.23	Acton Grange Jn	11/21	DIV
196.10	Warrington Bank Quay	11/25	DIV
199.37	Winwick Jn	11/30	DIV
201.02	Earlestown	11/32	DIV
202.04	Newton-le-Willows	11/33	DIV
208.68	Astley	11/42	DIV
213.73	Eccles	11/46	DIV
216.52	Ordsall Lane Jn	11/54	DIV
217.26	Deal Street	11/57	DIV
?	Crewe Sydney Bridge	DIV	?	18/29	18/42	37.52
?	Sandbach	DIV	11/23	18/21	18/36	33.78
?	Alderley Edge	DIV	?	18/04	18/24	21.27
?	Wilmslow	DIV	11/45	18/01	18/20	19.63
?	Cheadle Hulme	DIV	?	17/56	18/15	15.68
?	Stockport	DIV	11.55a ~ 12.00d	17/50	18/09	13.47
?	Heaton Norris Jn	DIV	12/03	17/47	18/06	12.72
?	Denton Jn	DIV	12/10	17/34	17/48	8.62
?	Guide Bridge	DIV	12/13
?	Stalybridge Jn	DIV	12/19
	Ashton Moss North Jn			17/24	17/41	5.41
	Baguley Fold Jn			17/19	17/34	2.39
	Miles Platting			17/18	17/32	1.38
	Manchester Victoria	12.00a	DIV	17.14d	17.27	0.00

M.C	C	Location	Booked	Actual
0.00	00	Manchester Victoria	12.06d	DIV
1.38	38	Mils Platting	12/10	DIV
2.39	39	Baguley Fold Jn	12/12	DIV
5.41	41	Ashton Moss North Jn	12/16	DIV
7.52	52	Stalybridge	12/20	12.20a ~ 12.22d
12.46	46	Greenfield	12/27	12/30
14.59	59	Diggle Jn	1231a ~ 1239d	12.34 ~ 12.37
18.54	54	Marsden	12/44	12/46
25.60	60	Huddersfield	12/50	12/53
28.39	39	Bradley Jn	12/55	13/00
29.56	56	Bradley Wood Jn	12/57	13/02
36.13	13	Milner Royd Jn	13/14	13/24
41.59	59	Hebden Bridge	13/10	13/31
45.54	54	Hall Royd Jn	13/14	13/35
54.48	48	Littleborough	13/23	13/45
60.51	51	Rochdale East Jn	13/29	13/52
?		Vitriol Works	13/44	13/59
63.12	12	Thorpes Bridge Jn	13/47	14/03
63.56	56	Brewery Jn	13/51	14/05
64.09	09	Philips Park West Jn	13/54	14/07
64.37	37	Philips Park South Jn	13/55	14/08
66.25	25	Ashburys	14/00	14/14
69.60	60	Guide Bridge	14c08a ~ 14c14d	14.21 ~ 14.23
70.16	16	Guide Bridge U & D Loop	14L17a ~ 14L45d	14.28 ~ 14.43
70.78	78	Hyde Jn	14/47	14/46
73.57	57	Woodley Jn	14t54a/d	14/55
74.52 0.00	52	Bredbury (stone terminal RT limit)	15.04a ~ 15.19d	15.15 ~ 15.21
0.75	75	Woodley	15t29a ~ 15t29d	15/26
3.54	54	Hyde Jn	15/38	15/34
4.72	72	Guide Bridge	15/41	15.38a ~ 15.42d
8.27	27	Ashburys	15/46	15/48
9.17	17	Ardwick Jn	15/50	15/52
9.75	75	Manchester Piccadilly	15/55	15/54
10.38	38	Manchester Oxford Road	15/57	15/56
11.38	38	Ordsall Lane Jn	16/00	16/01
14.17 0.00	17	Eccles	16.06a ~ 16.11d	16.35 ~ 16.40
0.54 0.00	54	Weaste	16.21a ~ 16.26d	16.49 ~ 16.49
0.54 0.00	54	Eccles	16L36a ~ 16L46d	16.56 ~ 17.03
2.59	59	Ordsall Lane Jn	16/55	17/10
3.71	71	Manchester Victoria	17.02a	17.17