Six Bells Junction

Loco(s)	Route
6024+34067	Bristol Temple Meads - (via Weston-super-Mare avoiding line) - Bridgwater - Taunton - (via Tiverton Loop) - Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot - Totnes - Plymouth - Liskeard - Par
34067+6024	Par - (reverse of outward route) - Bristol Temple Meads

Notes :
(1) The headboard carried said "The Eden Limited". On one side of the "The", was "6024 King Edward I", & on the other side, "34067 Tangmere", both in smaller print.

Source : John Clifford (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by John Clifford)

This tour had to be done. The use of 2 big engines double heading over the Devon banks & one of them a Bulleid was too good to miss (a total of 15P power at the sharp end).

On the day we made a slightly late start from Bristol but were soon going along in fine style. A signal stop between Highbridge & Bridgwater made us later still but not by much. After picking up at Taunton we were sent along the down & up relief to allow the Voyager on 07.05 Leeds - Plymouth to pass. The stop at Exeter was extended to let another Voyager pass (06.19 Newcastle - Paignton). This latter train should have passed us while we were stopped in the loop at Dawlish Warren but, since it had gone, we omitted the stop & made up some time. Despite a signal check at Totnes we made up more time & would have arrived in Plymouth early had we not been stopped in Mutley tunnel. The speeds over the banks can only be described as "surreal".

The return from Par was delayed. The announcement over the PA was that not enough time had been allowed for servicing & shunting the stock. We should have been in front of the 16.44 Penzance - Exeter (17.47 off Par) but we were held to let it go & to get far enough ahead so that it did not delay us. After a rapid start we suddenly came to a halt on the climb to Teverrin Tunnel, possibly due to a TPWS fault, but then got going again in fine style. Luckily for us the 17.35 Penzance - Paddington was late (19.35 ex Plymouth) was late so we got away from Plymouth at 19.40. Another fast run saw us in Exeter in just over an hour but the problem with coal, which has been evident on other trips this year, forced an extended stop at Exeter while the King's fire was cleaned. The only other event worthy of note on the return was that we started away from Taunton, stopped & set back before getting away again.

Location	Booked	Actual	Booked	Actual
Bristol Temple Meads	09.17d	09.21	22.40a	23.08
Bristol West Jn	09/19	09/23	22/37	23/04
Parson Street	?	?	22/34	23/00
Worle Jn	09/33½	09/38	22/15	22/46
Uphill Jn	09/36½	09/40½	22/10	22/43½
Highbridge & Burnham	09/42½	09/46½	22/00	22/37
Bridgwater	09/48	09/58	21/52	22/32
Cogload Jn	09/55	10/04	21/46	22/26
Taunton	10.01a ~ 10.04d	10.11 ~ 10.13½	21.34a ~ 21.40d	22.13½a ~ 22.20d
Tiverton Parkway	10/20	10/34½	21/18	21/55
Tiverton Loops	10w24 ~ 11w14	10.39 ~ 11.25½	21/16	21/53
Cowley Bridge Jn	11/30	11/43	21/03	21/37½
Exeter St Davids	11.33a ~ 11.36d	11.46 ~ 11.56	20w27 ~ 21w00	20.42½ ~ 21.34
Dawlish Warren	1148 ~ 1158	12/07½	20/14	20/28
Newton Abbot	12/12	12/17	20/01	20/18½
Totnes	12/31	12/29	19/46	20/08
Ivybridge	12/46	12/44	19/31	19/56½
Hemerdon	12/51	12/49	19/22	19/51
Lipson Jn	12/57	12/54½	19/10	19/45
Plymouth	13w00 ~ 13w50	13.00½ ~ 13.50	18w20 ~ 19w05	19.07½ ~ 19.40
St. Budeaux Jn	14/00	13/56	18/12	18/59
Saltash	14/06	14/00	18/08	18/56
St Germans	14/12	14/06½	18/00	18/48½
Liskeard	14/22	14/17	17/50	18/38
St Pinnock Viaduct East	14/30	14/22	17/45	18/31½
Largin	14/31	14/23½	17/42	18/30
Lostwithiel	14/39	14/32½	17/32	18/19½
Par	14.46a	14.42	17.25d	18.05

Locos Used	steam : 6024 'King Edward I' & 34067 'Tangmere'
Stock Used	35318+21245+3144+3141+3146+4998+1813+4949+5008+4986+5023+35333