20th August 2016

NENTA Traintours
The Plymouth Invader

Locos Used 47851 & 47854
Stock Used 3326+3431+99679+3395+3350+3392+6724+6103+6000+6115+99680

Route :
1Z68 : Norwich to Plymouth
1Z70 : Plymouth to Norwich

Loco(s) Route
47851 (1) Norwich - Trowse (2)
47854 (3) Trowse - Thetford - Eky - Cambridge - Royston - Hitchin - (via ECML) - Copenhagen Jn - Camden Road Jn - Gospel Oak - Willesden Junction HL - Acton Wells Jn - Acton Main Line - Slough - Maidenhead - Reading - Reading West Jn - Southcote Jn - Bedwyn - (via Westbury & Frome avoiding lines) - Castle Cary - Cogload Jn - Taunton - Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot - Totnes - Plymouth
47854 (3) Plymouth - (reverse of outward route) - Norwich

Notes : 
(1) 47854 dead-on-rear.
(2) 47851 failed before Trowse; 47854 moved to front of train.
(3) Plus 47851 dead-in-tow.
(4) Off train options were a connecting bus to the West Somerset Railway (from Taunton), South Devon Railway (from Totnes) and Plymouth Sound Cruise (from Plymouth).
(5) Alan Chilestone comments; 47851 failed shortly after departure from Norwich. The suggestion was to reverse the train using Wensum curve, but this was not agreed to. 47854 which was DOR was run to the front to lead to Plymouth. Thanks to some spirited running on the Western, missing a planned stop at Towney Loop we were right time at Exeter from a 75 min deficit at Wymondham.

Sources : Alan Chilestone (on the train throughout) & Guy Vinvent

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Chilestone)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Norwich 04.50d 04.56   01.05a 01.03
Trowse Jn 04/53 06/02   01/02 00/58
Wymondham 05.04a ~ 05.06d 06.16 ~ 06.17   00.48a ~ 00.50d 00.43 ~ 0.44
Attleborough 05.14a ~ 05.16d 06.27 ~ 06.29   00.38a ~ 00.40d 00.32 ~ 00.34
Thetford 05.33a ~ 05.36d 06.44 ~ 06.45   00.19a ~ 00.21d 00.16 ~ 00.19
Ely 06.14a ~ 06.17d 07.19 ~ 07.21   23.40a ~ 23.43d 23.37 ~ 23.41
Cambridge 06.35a ~ 06.37d 07.37a ~ 07.21d   23.19a ~ 23.22d 23.21 ~ 23.23
Royston 06.55a ~ 07.03d 08.01 ~ 08.05   22.57a ~ 23.00d 22.54 ~ 22.58
Hitchin 07.20a ~ 07.23d 08.21 ~ 08.23   22.33a ~ 22.41d 22.30 ~ 22.39
Welwyn Garden City 07/36 08/35   22/22 22/19
Potters Bar 07/41 08/40   22/14 22/10
Finsbury Park 07/50 08/48   21/58 21/56
Camden Road 08/00 08/57   21/50 21/49
Gospel Oak 08/05 09/02   21/45 21/43
Willesden Junction HL 08/22 09/18   21/31 21/31
Acton Wells Jn 08/25 09/23   21/29 21/28
Acton Main Line 08/28 09/25   21/26 21/24
Southall 08/33 09/32   21/17 21/17
Heathrow Airport Jn 08/35 09/34   21/12 21/13
Slough 08/45 09/39   20/59 21/00
Maidenhead 08/57 09/43   20/52 20/53
Reading 09.13a ~ 09.16d 09.56 ~ 09.57   20.36a ~ 20.39d 20.37 ~ 20.39
Southcote Jn 09/20 10/00   20/30 20/31
Towney Loop 09.31 ~ 09.45 ??/??  
Newbury 09/56 10/13   20/17 20/15
Cogload Jn 11/06 11/14   19/07 19/07
Taunton 11.11a ~ 11.21d 11.19 ~ 11.23   18.57a ~ 19.01d 18.57 ~ 19.01
Tiverton Parkway 11/36 11/36   18/44 18/44
Exeter St Davids 11.52a ~ 11.54d 11.49 ~ 11.57   18.16a ~ 18.27d 18.14 ~ 18.27
Dawlish Warren 12/05 12/09   18/04 18/03
Totnes 12.28a ~ 12.31d 12.31 ~ 12.35   17.38a ~ 17.41d 17.38 ~ 17.41
Ivybridge 12/48 12/49   17/24 17/24
Plymouth 13.02a 13.03   17.07d 17.07


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