7th February 2015

Pathfinder Tours
The Buffer Puffer 12.0

Route :
1Z20 : Crewe to London Paddington
1Z21 : London Paddington to Windsor & Eton Riverside
1Z22 : Windsor & Eton Riverside to Chessington South
1Z24 : Chessington South to London Waterloo
1Z25 : London Waterloo to Hampton Court
1Z26 : Hampton Court to Shepperton
1Z27 : Shepperton to Crewe

Notes :
(1) 20309 on rear.
(2) 20308 on rear.
(3) John Clifford comments: When this tour was first advertised the route was: Crewe - Stafford - Nuneaton - Coventry - Banbury - High Wycombe - Greenford - Ealing Broadway - Down & Up Flyover - London Paddington (reverse) then as shown above to Hampton Court (reverse) - Surbiton - Wimbledon - Clapham Junction - London Waterloo (reverse) - Clapham Junction - Wimbledon - New Malden - Kingston - Fulwell - Shepperton (reverse) - Strawberry Hill - Twickenham - Barnes - Clapham Junction (reverse) - New Kew Jn - South Acton - Acton Wells Jn - Neasden Curve - South Ruislip - High Wycombe and as outward back to Crewe.  The tickets arrived showing that the reversal between Hampton Court and Shepperton would be at Wimbledon and that the train would reverse at Twickenham instead of Clapham Junction before returning to Crewe. Finally, since there was a landslip at Harbury Tunnel (blocking the line between Banbury and Leamington Spa) about a week before the running date, the tour had to be rerouted via the West Coast Main Line and become that shown above. I left the tour at Twickenham but understand that there was a late arrival at Crewe caused by a fatality near Leighton Buzzard.
(4) Howard Parker (joined/left the train at Rugby) comments: Following the fatality at Leighton Buzzard, all lines were closed. The tour was on the down slow line from Wembley Central and was initially halted south of Bourne End Jn from 18.46 to 19.04. A further stop was north of Cheddington arriving at 19.41. At this point, the fast lines were re-opened and 8 northbound and 5 southbound passed following which the tour crossed to the down fast at Ledburn Jn returning to the down slow at Drayton Road Jn. Although booked to head north via Northampton the tour crossed back to the down fast line at Hanslope Jn to travel via Weedon

Sources : John Clifford (on the tour from London Paddington to Twickenham) & Stuart Hicks

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford, Howard Parker & Realtime Trains)

Timings continue in first table.

Associated Light Engine  & E.C.S. Moves

0Z20? : (20308 & 20309) : Gresty Bridge to Crewe H.S.
0Z27? : (20308 & 20309) : Crewe H.S. to Gresty Bridge

5Z20 : (20308 with 20309 on rear) : Crewe H.S. to Gresty Lane Up Loop
5Z20 : (20309 with 20308 on rear) : Gresty Lane Up Loop to Crewe
5Z27 : (20309 with 20308 on rear) : Crewe to Gresty Lane Up Loop
5Z27 : (20308 with 20309 on rear) : Gresty Lane Up Loop to Crewe H.S.

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