9th September 1956

R.C.T.S. (London Branch)
The Fensman No.2

Locos Used 11102, 42784, 61391, 61743, 61942 & 65562
Stock Used up to 10 corridor coaches (rake's of 4 & 6)
Benwick branch: 15 open wagons top-n-tailed by brake vans
Upwell branch: open wagons plus brake van

Route : (portion 1)

Loco Stock Used Route
42784 4 coaches

Nottingham Midland - Beeston - Trent - Loughborough - Syston North Jn - Syston East Jn - Melton Mowbray - Stamford - Peterborough North

Route : (portion 2)

Loco Stock Used Route
61942 6 coaches

London Kings Cross - (via ECML) - Peterborough North

Route : (trains combined)

Loco(s) Stock Used Route
61391 10 coaches

Peterborough North - Whittlesea
65562 open wagons Whittlesea - Three Horse Shoes - Benwick
65562 open wagons Benwick - Three Horse Shoes - Whittlesea
61391 10 coaches Whittlesea - March West Jn - Whitemoor Jn - Wisbech East
11102 open wagons Wisbech East - Upwell
11102 open wagons Upwell - Wisbech East
61391 10 coaches Wisbech East - Sleaford South Jn - Sleaford North Jn
61743 10 coaches Sleaford North Jn - Sleaford - Bourne - Twenty - Cuckoo Jn - Spalding

Route : (portion 1)

Loco Stock Used Route
42784 4 coaches

Spalding - Boston - Coningsby Jn - Bardney - Lincoln Central
42784 4 coaches

Lincoln Central - Pelham Street
42784 4 coaches

Pelham Street - Lincoln St Marks - Swinderby - Newark Castle - Thurgarton - Netherfield Jn - Nottingham Midland

Route : (portion 2)

Loco Stock Used Route
61942 6 coaches

Spalding - Peterborough North - (via ECML) - London Kings Cross

Notes :
(1) Mike Morant comments : The boy in the shot below at Benwick Goods isn't me but I was in one of the wagons. Somewhere I've got a postcard print of me en route with the lens looking along towards the locomotive. This was the only 'passenger' train ever to work over the line. The other clearly remembered thing from that day was that the Wisbech & Upwell tramway was traversed, again in open wagons, in pouring rain. To alleviate the annoyance a bit of clever scrumping took place with passengers knocking apples off trees overhanging the passing train (they were in back gardens) to be caught in upturned umbrellas.

Sources : David Davis,  Chris Harley, Mike Morant, Andrew Fairholm, Peter Darke
& 'Vintage Railtours (RCTS - 1954-1969)' (by Gavin Morrison, published by Silver Link Publishing)

Photo Review


61391 at Peterborough North (photo: DB Swale/The John Debens Collection)


61391 at an unknown location (photo: R.K.Walton/The John Debens Collection)


65562 at Benwick Goods (photo: Mike Morant collection)


65562 at Benwick (photo: The Mike Morant Collection)


Any vantage point will do! 11102 & 61391 pause side-by-side at Wisbech
East (photo: T.J.Edgington/The John Debens Collection)


On the Upwell branch (photo: The Mike Morant Collection)


11102 at Upwell (photo: The Mike Morant Collection)


61743 at Sleaford (photo: The Mike Morant Collection)


61942 at Peterborough East (photo: The Mike Morant Collection)


Tickets from Mike Morant's collection.


Timings (Booked Only)
(from John Debens)

London Portion

Miles Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn) Miles
0.0 Kings Cross 10.15d 21.18a 93.0
10.1 Wood Green 10/32 ? ?
- Potters Bar ? 20/58 80.3
17.7 Hatfield 10/42 20/52 75.3
- Knebworth ? 20/44 68.0
31.9 Hitchin 10/57 20/37 61.1
58.9 Huntingdon North 11/22 20/09 34.1
76.4 Peterborough 11.46a 19/48 16.6
- Spalding - 19.14d 0.0

Nottingham Portion

Miles Location Booked (out)
0.0 Nottingham Midland 09.40d
3.3 Beeston 09.47a ~ 09.48d
6.7 Trent 09.54a ~ 09.56d
12.1 Hathern 10/04
14.9 Loughborough 10.08a ~ 10.10d
22.2 Syston North Jn 10/22
22.4 Syston East Jn 10/25
31.7 Melton Jn 10/38
32.3 Melton Mowbray 10/39
47.8 Manton 10/58
51.8 Luffenham 11.04a ~ 11.12d
57.8 Stamford Town 11/21
69.1 Wisbech West Jn 11/35
69.9 Peterborough North 11.40a
 
0.0 Spalding 19.22d
14.4 Boston 19.42a ~ 19.44d
28.4 Coningsby Jn 20/03
36.2 Bardney 20/15
45.4 Lincoln Central 20.30a ~ 20.38d
45.7 Pelham Street ??.?? ~ 20.44
46.1 Lincoln St Marks 20.47a ~ 20.49d
61.9 Newark Castle 21/10
65.7 Rolleston Jn 21/15
79.1 Nottingham Midland 21.32a

Combined Train

Miles Location Booked (out)
0.0 Peterborough North 12.00d
0.8 Peterborough East 12/05
6.0 Whittlesea 12.14 ~ 12.25
9.7 Three Horse Shoes 12.45a ~ 12.55
14.2 Benwick 13.20 ~ 13.30
18.7 Three Horse Shoes 13/55
22.4 Whittlesea 14.15 ~ 14.25
31.0 March West Jn 14/35
38.7 Wisbech East 14.49 ~ 15.00
44.6 Upwell 15.30 ~ 15.40
50.5 Wisbech East 16.10 ~ 16.20
58.2 March 16.34 ~ 16.40
77.7 Spalding 17/08
95.7 Sleaford South Jn 17/31
97.1 Sleaford North Jn 17.34 ~ 17.44
99.5 Sleaford 17.49 ~ 17.53
107.6 Billingborough 18/11
117.0 Bourne 18.31 ~ 18.46
120.8 Twenty 18/54
125.2 Cuckoo Jn 19/01
126.8 Spalding 19.04a


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