8th March 2020

Branch Line Society
The Devonian Crompton

Route :
1Z38 : London Victoria to Coleford Jn
1Z39 : Coleford Jn to London Waterloo

Notes :
(1) D6515 on rear.
(2) 33207 on rear.
(3) Day 2 of 3 of "The Parkinson Package" raising funds for Help for Heroes.
(4) John Clifford comments: When first advertised the tour was to start from platform 2 at Victoria and would, therefore, reach Clapham Junction via Stewarts Lane. Furthermore it was to run via Weston-super-Mare, but this wasn’t possible.
We set off on time, unusually, from platform 7 at Victoria onto the Brighton Slow Line. The stop at Balham (by this time we were on the fast line) was to let the 09.29 Sutton - Victoria via Mitcham Junction come across our path before we crossed to the down slow. At Wimbledon West Jn we waited for the 09.48 Waterloo - Shepperton, it was on time although we should have preceded it. At Surbiton we waited for the 09.40 Waterloo - Guildford via Woking stopper which was 12 minutes late there. Although crossing to the fast line at Hampton Court Jn, we were stopped outside Weybridge to follow the 09.40. We proceeded only slightly late and were held outside Basingstoke to let the 11.16 Basingstoke - Waterloo come out of platform 1. We had seen the 10.15 Waterloo - Exeter St Davids pass us near Winchfield. As it was only just in front, it checked us as it was leaving Andover. Onwards we went. At Gillingham we had to wait for the 11.25 Exeter St Davids - Waterloo. We were booked to pass it here but it was 14 minutes late. Yeovil Junction was reached only a couple of minutes before we were booked to depart. There we ran into platform 3 rather than the main siding. This did give us a chance to make a short visit to the Yeovil Railway Centre. With 33207 having round the train we waited for the 11.15 Waterloo - Exeter St Davids to come down before we could make the move to Yeovil Pen Mill. The 11.15 was also 14 minutes late. After having been to Yeovil Pen Mill and back we waited at Yeovil Junction for the 13.25 Exeter St Davids - Waterloo to come up. It was 9 minutes late and we should have passed it at Chard Junction. This meant a three quarters of an hour late start, but by not stopping at Chard Junction and cutting the Honiton stop to just a minute we were only 8 and bit minutes late leaving Honiton. We passed the 14.25 Exeter St Davids - Waterloo there. It had arrived 13 minutes late and left 17 minutes late. After Exeter St Davids we went into Riverside Yard to wait for the 14.35 Barnstaple - St James Park come off the single line. At Crediton we took the line to Okehampton as far as the boundary with the Dartmoor Railway, which was now in administration. The tour was booked to reverse here. We could not have gone further as there was a sleeper chained to the track to prevent entry onto the Dartmoor Railway.
On the return journey we left Coleford Junction early but had to wait outside Crediton for the 14.35 Barnstaple - St James Park and the 16.12 St James Park - Barnstaple to pass. This gave a short break at Crediton for those wanting to take photos. Arrival back at Exeter St Davids was just 1 minute late. Here we reversed and went into Riverside Yard again for 33207 to run round, also again. We set off gaining a small amount of time. We covered the loop at Yatton (not advertised). There was some slow running after Trowbridge to allow the 17.56 Weymouth - Bristol Temple Meads to clear platform 3 at Westbury which were booked to cover, and did. Arrival at Salisbury was 15 minutes early where we were held to let the 21.21 Salisbury - Waterloo to proceed. It checked us near the former Porton station and at Andover. At Basingstoke the 17.27 Manchester - Southampton central was 4 minutes late so we waited for it to cross our path. Woking was left slightly early behind the 21.24 Guildford - Waterloo but was allowed for in the timings. We were booked on the up fast line from Weybridge to Vauxhall, but crossed to the up slow line near Durnsford Road Staff Halt for reasons that I did not discover. We stopped at Carlisle Lane Jn (West Crossings) to let the 22.20 Waterloo - Hounslow come out of platform 19 at Waterloo. We were due in there at the same time (22.20) so arrived at Waterloo 6 minutes late.

Sources : John Clifford & Alan Sheppard (both on the tour throughout) & Nigel Benning

D6515 at Yeovil Junction. (photo Mark V. Pike)

33207 on the rear of the train at Yeovil Junction. (photo Mark V. Pike)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford & Alan Sheppard)

Mileages taken from tour brochure.

Associated E.C.S. & Light Engine Workings

06/03/20 :
0Z36 : (D6515) : Swanage to Southall

08/03/20 :
5Z38 : (47746 with D6515 + 33207 on rear) : Southall to London Victoria

0Z38 : (47746) : London Victoria to Southall

0Z39 : (47746) : Southall to London Waterloo

5Z39 : (47746 with D6515 + 33207 on rear) : London Waterloo to Southall

09/03/20 :
0Z40 : (D6515) : Southall to Swanage

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