1st April 2001

PTG Tours
Entroncamento Rail Day

Locos Used CP 1464, 1510, 1555, 1568, 2501, 2502, 2558 & 2567
Stock Used 10 69 008-4 + 88 40 003-6 + 10 69 014-2 + 10 69 015-9

Route :

Loco(s) Route
1464 Abrantes - Entroncamento
2501 + 2502 Entroncamento - Alfrefarlos - Coimbra-B
2502 + 2501 Coimbra-B - Alfrefarlos - Entroncamento
2567 + 2558 Entroncamento - Lamarosa - Tomar
2558 + 2567 Tomar - Lamarosa - Entroncamento
1555 + 1568 Entroncamento - Abrantes - Mouriscas - EDP Pego (2)
1568 + 1555 EDP Pego - (reverse of outward route) - Entroncamento
1510 Entroncamento - Lamarosa - Tomar

Notes :
(1)
A series of special trains operated around Entroncamento. Regarded as one railtour by myself as all were covered by one ticket.
(2)
power station

Source : Gary Thornton.
(on all trains throughout)

Tour review :

Follow this link for some photos.

When is a railtour not a railtour ...when it's a "rail day". This day was made up of a series of special trains based around Entroncamento using quite varied "freight" motive power. Although each train was "stand alone" one ticket covered the day and most of us never shifted from the same compo all day!

Train one (no. 13836 in CP working instructions) was loco 1464 and was just the relatively short run from Abrantes (where we'd spent the night after Saturdays run over into Spain and back) to Entroncamento.

Train two (13837/8) used a pair of 2501 electrics - the first two of the class in fact, 2501 & 2502. This was a "high speed" run to Coimbra-B but, in reality, it was a slow speed stagger. Freedom of the station and adjacent stabling point netted a few new numbers and photographs before we headed back to Entroncamento with 2501 + 2502.

The loco change was to a pair of 2551 buzz-boxes, 2558 & 2567. Off northwards again, but only as far as Lamarosa. Complete farce here as we shunted about owing to single-line working caused by an engineers possession. That was nothing however compared to the run-round farce at Tomar....

.....after arrival the CP staff split the locos from the train then each other - presumably as the run-round neck couldn't cope with a pair o locos....but then for ages nothing happened. Eventually things moved but not before we'd effortlessly "lost" over an hour to the farce.

Back to Entroncamento and another loco swap - now to something a bit more worthwhile - a pair of MLW 1551's (1555 & 1568). Some decent thrash back to Abrantes then onwards to EDP Pego -a power station at the end of a freight-only line from Mouriscas. Unfortunately we couldn't get off as it was a private site (funny - in the UK it's usually only at such sites that we can bale!!).

Despite the earlier late running, with an hours layover to the last train departure at Entroncamento, we were back "on time" for the second run of the day to Tomar. Traction for this last leg was Alco 1510. What a beast!! Think mega-thrash and add to it a ships air-horn.... Yep - an experience for sure!

Arrival into Tomar wasn't too far off correct. A bit of a hike to the (rather posh) hotel. Time to freshen up then off out to a local bar for a beer (OK, severial beers...hic) and a Bifana (hot pork roll) before retiring again for some well needed zzzz's.

Verdict : another fun day out, with only 1464 and 1510 being "dud" for me. Got plenty of decent photos during the day too.


Timings :
(additional information courtesy of Matt Gaskarth)

Train reporting numbers :
13836 : Abrantes - Entroncamento (28.6km)
13837 : Entroncamento - Coimbra-B (111km)
13838 : Coimbra-B - Entroncamento  (111km)
13839 : Entroncamento - Tomar (23.13km)
13840 : Tomar - Entroncamento (23.13km)
13841 : Entroncamento - EDP Pego (52.79km)
13842 : EDP Pego - Entroncamento (52.79km)
13843 : Entroncamento - Tomar (23.13km)

Location Booked Actual
Abrantes 09.15d 09.16
Tramagal 09.21½a ~ 09.25½d  
Santa Margarida 09.30a ~ 09.38  
Praia do Ribatejo 09/42  
Almourol 09/44  
Barquinha 09/47½  
Entroncamento 09.52a ~ 10.25d ??.?? ~ 10.44
Lamarosa 10/31½  
Paialvo 10/36  
Chao Macas-Fatima 10/42  
Caxarais 10/48½  
Albergaria dos Doze 10/56  
Vermoil 11/03  
Pombal 11/09  
Soure 11/18  
Alfarelos 11.26a ~ 11.43d 11.49 ~ 11.56d
Formoselha 11/46½  
Taviero 11/53  
Coimbra-B 11.58a ~ 12.25d 12.12a ~ 12.40d
Taviero 12/29½  
Formoselha 12/35  
Alfarelos 12/37  
Soure 12/44  
Pombal 12/53  
Vermoil 12/58  
Albergaria dos Doze 13/04½  
Caxarais 13/10½  
Fatima 13/16  
Paialvo 13/20½  
Lamarosa 13/24  
Entroncamento 13.29a ~ 13.56d 14.21 ~ 14.36d
Santa Cita 14.12½a ~ 14.17½d 15.02a ~ 15.05d
Tomar 14.24a ~ 14.39d 15.12a ~ 16.00d
Entroncamento 15.06a ~ 15.29d 16.30a ~ 16.41d
Barquinha 15/33½  
Almourol 15/37  
Praia do Ribatejo 15/38½  
Santa Margarida 15.43½a ~ 15.48½d 16.54a ~ 16.57d
Tramagal 15/52½  
Abrantes 15/56  
Alferrarde 16/01  
Mouriscas 16/06½  
Mouriscas-A 16.10a ~ 16.11d  
EDP Pego 16.28a ~ 16.44d 17.34a ~ 17.51d
Mouriscas-A 17.02a ~ 17.02d  
Mouriscas 17.06a ~ 17.13d  
Alferrarde 17/19  
Abrantes 17.24½a ~ 17.30½d  
Tramagal 17.35½a ~ 17.39½d  
Santa Margarida 17/43½  
Praia do Ribatejo 17.48a ~ 18.14d 18.41a ~ 18.48d
Almourol 18/18  
Barquinha 18/22  
Entroncamento 18.27a ~ 19.21d ??.?? ~ 19.21d
Lamarosa 19.28a ~ 19.33d 19.32 ~ 19.36
Tomar 19.49a 19.55

Key :
a : arrival time
d : departure time
/ : passing time

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