14th March 2025

Northern Belle
(Cheltenham Festival Horse Racing Special)

Locos Used 57313 'Scarborough Castle' & 57601 'Windsor Castle'
Stock Used Booked for: 11 vehicles (including 2x Mk3 sleepers)

Route : 
1Z53 : London Paddington to Evesham
1Z54 : Evesham to London Paddington

Loco(s) Route
57313 (1) London Paddington - (via GWML) - Didcot Parkway - Didcot North Jn - Oxford - Wolvercote Jn - Moreton-in-Marsh - Evesham (3)
57601 (1) Evesham - (reverse of outward route) - Didcot North Jn - Didcot East Jn - (reverse of outward route) - London Paddington

Notes :
(1) 57601 on rear.
(2) 57313 on rear.
(3) For coach transfer to Cheltenham Racecourse.

Sources : Gary Thornton (from verified Internet sources & Real Time Trains)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Real Time Trains)

M.C Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual M.C
0.00 London Paddington 08.45d [P12] 08/45¼   23.24a [P3] 22.58¼ 106.40
0.41 Royal Oak Jn 08/46 08/47   23/23 22/56 105.79
1.28 Portobello Jn 08/47½ 08/49   23/22 22/54½ 105.12
1.68 Ladbroke Grove 08/49 [P4] [RL] 08/49¾   23/21 22/53½ 104.52
2.55 Old oak Common East 08/51½ 08/50¾   23/20 22/50½ 103.65
3.15 Old Oak Common West 08/53 08/51¾   23/19½ 22/49¾ 103.25
3.48 Friars Jn 08/54 08/52¼   23/18½ ? 102.72
4.16 Acton Main Line 08/56 [P3] 08/53¼   23/18 [P2] 22/49 102.24
4.75 Acton West 08/58 [RL] 08/54½   23/17 22/48 101.45
5.51 Ealing Broadway 09/00 [P3] 08/56   23/16½ [P2] 22/48 100.69
6.41 West Ealing 09/02 [P3] 08/57¾   23/16 22/47¼ 99.79
6.49 West Ealing Jn 09/02 08/58   23/16 22/47 99.71
7.23 Hanwell 09/03 [P2] 09/01¼   23/15½ [P1] 22/46½ 99.17
8.57 Southall East Jn 09/06 09/06¾   23/14 22/45 97.63
9.01 Southall 09/06½ [P3] 09/08   23/14 [P2] 22/44¾ 97.39
9.65 Southall West Jn 09/07½ 09/08¼   23/13½ 22/44 96.55
10.66 Hayes & Harlington 09/09 [P3] 09/09¾   23/12½ [P2] 22/43 95.54
11.09 Heathrow Airport Jn 09/09½ [RL] 09/10¾   23/12½ 22/42¼ 95.31
12.04 Stockley Jn 09/11 09/10¾   23/12 22/37¾ 94.36
12.62 West Drayton East 09/12 09/11¼   23/11 22/36¾ 93.58
13.12 West Drayton 09/12½ [P3] 09/12   23*02 ~ 23*10 22/36½ [P4] 93.28
13.26 West Drayton Jn 09/13 09/12½   23/01½ 22/36 93.14
14.55 Iver 09/15 [P3] 09/13½   22/59½ [P4] 22/34½ 91.65
16.13 Langley 09/17 [P3] 09/15½   22/58 [P4] 22/32¾ 90.27
17.13 Dolphin Jn 09/18½ 09/16½   22/56½ 22/31½ 89.27
18.31 Slough 09/20½ [P4] 09/18¼   22/55 [P5] 22/30 88.09
19.06 Slough West 09/21½ 09/18¾   22/54½ 22/29 87.34
20.72 Burnham 09/24 [P1] 09/22   22/52½ [P2] 22/27 85.48
22.34 Taplow 09/25½ [P3] 09/25   22/51 [P4] 22/25 84.06
23.53 Maidenhead East 09/27½ 09/27¾   22/49½ 22/23¼ 82.67
24.14 Maidenhead 09/28 [P3] 09/28¾   22/49 [P4] 22/23 82.26
29.40 Ruscombe 09/32½ 09/35¼   22/40½ 22/17 77.00
30.76 Twyford 09/34 [P3] 09/37   22/38 [P4] 22/15½ 75.44
31.57 Twyford West 09/35 09/37½   22/37½ 22/14 74.63
35.10 Kennet Bridge Jn 09/40 [DRL] 09/41¼   22/34 22/10¼ 71.30
35.56 Reading Main Line East 09/41½ 09/42   22/32 22/09¾ 70.64
35.75 Reading 09/42 [P12] [RL] 09/42¾   22c28 ~ 22c31 22/09¼ [P10] 70.45
36.12 Reading Main Line West 09/42 [RL] 09/43   22/27½ 22/09 70.28
37.15 Reading West Jn 09/43 09/44¼   22/26½ ? 69.25
37.55 Scours Lane Jn 09/43½ 09/44¾   22/25½ 22/04¾ 68.65
38.29 Tilehurst East Jn 09/44½ 09/46   22/24½ 22/04¼ 68.11
38.47 Tilehurst 09/45 [P3] 09/46   22/24 [P2] 22/03¾ 67.73
41.38 Pangbourne 09/48½ [P1] 09/48¾   22/18½ 22/02½ 65.02
44.55 Goring & Streatley 09/53 [P3] [RL] 09/51¾   22/12 [P2] 21/59¾ 61.65
48.32 Cholsey 09/58 [P3] 09/54½   22/07½ 21/57 58.08
51.32 Moreton Cutting 10/02 09/57¼   22/03½ 21/54 55.08
52.61 Didcot East Jn 10/04 [RL] 10/08¼   22/02 21/51¾ 53.59
53.05 Didcot Parkway 10c06 ~ 10c18 [P3] [DOX] 10.09 ~ 10.17  
53.46 Didcot West Curve Jn 10/19½ 10/18½  
53.72 Didcot North Jn 10/20 10/19½   22/00 21/48¾ 52.55
54.45 Appleford LC 10/20½ 10/19¾   21/59 21/48 52.02
55.08 Appleford 10/21½ [P2] 10/21½   21/58 [P1] 21/47½ 51.39
56.09 Culham 10/22½ [P1] 10/22¾   21/56½ [P2] 21/46¾ 50.38
58.27 Radley 10/25 [P1] 10/25   21/52½ [P2] 21/44¾ 48.20
61.00 Kennington Jn 10/28 10/27¼   21/48 21/42 45.47
61.45 Hinksey South 10/28½ 10/27¾   21/47½ 21/41 45.02
62.42 Hinksey North 10/29 10/29¾   21/47 21/39 44.05
63.33 Oxford 10/31 [TL] 10/33   21/45 [P3] 21/37½ 43.14
64.37 Oxford North Jn 10/31½ 10/36   21/42½ 21/35 42.10
66.24 Wolvercote Jn 10/33 10/38¼   21/39 21/32¾ 40.23
70.31 Hanborough 10/36½ [P1] 10/44   21/35½ [P1] 21/27¼ 36.16
71.36 Combe 10/37½ ?   21/34½ ? 35.11
75.02 Finstock 10/40½ ?   21/31½ ? 31.45
76.52 Charlbury 10/42 [P1] 10/50¼   21/30 [P2] 21/22 29.75
80.25 Ascott-under-Wychwood 10/46 [P1] 10/52   21/27 [P2] 21/17 26.22
81.51 Shipton 10/47½ ?   21/25 ? 24.76
84.51 Kingham 10/50 ?   21/21½ ? 21.76
91.53 Moreton-in-Marsh 10/57 [P1] 11/01   21/12 21/08 14.74
101.52 Honeybourne 11/06 [P1] ?   20/56 [P2] ? 4.75
101.78 Honeybourne North Jn 11/06½ ?   20/55½ ? 4.49
106.47 Evesham 11.11a 11.15   20.46d 20.50 0.00

   
Associated Light Engine & E.C.S. Workings

3Z53 : Southall WCRC to London Paddington
5Z55 : London Paddington to
Southall WCRC
ECS; Pathed as Diesel Loco, 455 tonnnes trailing, 95mph max
Booked for: Class 47/57 + 11 vehicles (including 2x Mk3 sleepers) + Class 47/57

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Southall WCRC 07.30d 07.30   00.08a 23.57¾
Southall 07R40 ~ 07R50 [GL] 07.32 ~ 07.45   23R56 ~ 00R05 [GL] 23.54 ~ 23.56
Southall East Jn 07/51 [RL] 07/45¼   23/54 [GL] 23/53¼
Hanwell 07/52½ [RL] 07/47¾   23/51 23/48½
West Ealing Jn 07/53½ [RL] 07/48½   23/49½ 23/48
West Ealing 07/53½ [RL] 07/49   23/49½ 23/48
Ealing Broadway 07/55½ [P4] 07/50½   23/47½ 23/47
Acton West 07/57 [RL] 07/51   23/46 [ML] 23/46½
Acton Main Line 07/58 [P4] 07/52¾   23/45 23/45¾
Friars Jn 07/58½ 07/53¼   23/44½ 23/44¾
Old Oak Common West 07/59½ 07/53¾   23/43½ 23/44½
Old Oak Common East 08/00 07/54½   23/43 23/43¾
Ladbroke Grove 08/01 [P4] [4] 07/56¾   23/42 [P1] [ML] 23/41¾
Portobello Jn 08/04 [5] 07/57¾   23/41 [1] 23/36½
Royal Oak Jn 08/05 [5] 07/59   23/40 [1] 23/35¼
London Paddington 08.06a [P12] 08.01½   23.39d [P3] [1] 23.33½

5Z53 : Evesham to Honeybourne Sidings
5Z54 : Honeybourne Sidings to Evesham
ECS; Pathed as Diesel Loco, 455 tonnnes trailing, 95mph max
Booked for: Class 47/57 + 11 vehicles (including 2x Mk3 sleepers) + Class 47/57

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Evesham 11.15d 11.25   20.36a 20.36
Evesham West Jn 11R16 ~ 11R21 ?   20R29 ~ 20R34 ?
Evesham 11/21½ 11/32   10/28½ 20/26
Honeybourne North Jn 11R34 ~ 11R39 ?   20R10 ~ 10R15 ?
Honeybourne Sidings 11.46a 11.55   20.09d 20.09


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