1st December 2007

Steam Dreams
The Cathedrals Express

Locos Used 50049 'Defiance' & steam: 60009 'Union of South Africa'
Stock Used 35486+5200+5222+1840+5216+13440+9392+99350+5236+1961+5249+5237

Route:
1Z69 : London Victoria to Bristol Temple Meads
1Z96 : Bristol Temple Meads to London Victoria

Loco(s) Route
60009 (1) London Victoria - Stewarts Lane - Clapham Junction - Hounslow - Staines - Ascot - Wokingham - Reading - Newbury - Heywood Road Jn - Hawkeridge Jn - Trowbridge - Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads
60009 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa - Chippenham - Swindon - Didcot - Reading - (reverse of outward route) - London Victoria

Notes :
(1) Banked by 50049 between Victoria & Grosvenor Bridge.
(2) The water stop at Newbury Racecourse was changed to Newbury due to a race meeting taking place.

Sources : John Clifford

Tour Review
(from John Clifford)

This was a straightforward trip to Bristol & back on which we kept roughly to time all day. On the outward journey the timing to Reading was generous so we arrived at Staines & Ascot early. The engine had difficulty keeping its feet leaving Ascot so we lost a bit of time to Reading but this was made up afterwards. The water stop was changed from Newbury Racecourse to Newbury as there was racing at Newbury.

The stock was late arriving back in Bristol so we had a late start. Some energetic running produced an early arrival at the Wantage Road water stop. We left there early but were stopped outside Didcot for 11 mins. Otherwise there was the usual slow run back from Reading but we did get in a few minutes early.

John Clifford
Timings (Booked and Actual)
(from John Clifford)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
London Victoria 09.54d 09.54   22.20a 22.16
Battersea Pier Jn 09/58 09/58   22/16 22/09
Stewarts Lane 10/02 10/00   22/13 22/07
Longhedge Jn 10/06 10/02   22/11 22/06
Clapham Junction 10.11a ~ 10.14d 10.11 ~ 10.13   22.00a ~ 22.03d 22.00 ~ 22.01
Barnes 10/21 10/20   21/54 21/52
Brentford 10/31 10/32   21/43 21/43
Hounslow 10/41 10/39   21/35 21/34
Feltham Jn 10/51 10/46   21/25 21/27
Feltham 10/53 10/49   21/23 21/24
Staines 11.02a ~ 11.06d 10.57 ~ 11.06   21.10a ~ 21.12d 21.13 ~ 21.17
Virginia Water 11/22 11/15   21/01 21/02
Ascot 11.31a ~ 11.33d 11.27 ~ 11.33   20.49a ~ 20.51d 20.51 ~ 20.53
Wokingham 11/46 11/50   20/36 20/38
Earley 11/52 11/56   20/28 20/31
Reading Spur Jn 11/57 12/00   20/25 20/26
Reading New Jn 11/59 12/02   20/18 20/24
Reading 12.01a ~ 12.03d 12.08 ~ 12.11   20.12a ~ 20.16d 20.19 ~ 20.21
Southcote Jn 12/07 12/17  
Newbury Racecourse 12w29 ~ 12w46 12/33  
Newbury 12/49 12w35 ~ 12w49  
Bedwyn 13/04 13/06  
Woodborough 13/15 13/17  
Lavington 13/24 13/24  
Heywood Road Jn 13/33 13/33  
Hawkeridge Jn 13/41 13/37  
Bradford Jn 13/50 13/44  
Reading West Jn   20/09 20/15
Didcot Parkway   19/55 19/58
Wantage Road   19w09 ~ 19w45 19.07 ~ 19.31
Challow   19/03 [RL] 19/00
Uffington   18/58 18/58
Swindon   18/45 18.40 ~ 18.46
Wootton Bassett   18/28 18/32
Chippenham   18/17 18/24
Thingley Jn   18/13 18/22
Bathampton Jn 14/03 14/07   18/03 18/13
Bath Spa 14.08a ~ 14.12d 14.11 ~ 14.20   17.53a ~ 17.57d 18.05 ~ 18.08
North Somerset Jn 14/26 14/34   17/38 17/52
Bristol East Jn ? 14/36   ? 17/51
Bristol Temple Meads 14.29a 14.38   17.35d 17.49


Back to "The Railtour Files"