16th April 1960

B.R.
(Football Special)

Locos Used 2267, 5084 "Reading Abbey" & 5959 "Mawley Hall"

Route :

Loco(s) Route
5959 Birmingham Snow Hill - Tyseley - Henley in Arden - Stratford on Avon - Broadway - Cheltenham Malvern Road - Gloucester Central - Lydney - Severn Tunnel Junction - Newport - Cardiff General
5084 Cardiff General - (reverse of outward route) - Stratford on Avon
2267 + 5084  Stratford on Avon - (reverse of outward route) - Birmingham Snow Hill

Notes :
Brian Basterfield comments: with a full 13 coach train, we left Snow Hill at 10.07, 4 mins late. We called at Stratford on Avon 10.44/10.48 to pick up, then Gloucester Central 10.39/10.45 probably for crew change. Arrival at Cardiff was 1.08pm. With a 470 ton load, the Hall did well. But not so the Castle on the return. 5084 left Cardiff at 6.11pm, called Gloucester 7.45/7.53pm, and arrived Stratford on Avon 8.45pm. Running was poor. At Stratford, 0-6-0 no  2267 was "tucked inside" and we left at 9.03pm. Arrival at Snow Hill was at 9.42pm, 7 mins late. The football match was Cardiff City v Aston Villa, which attracted a crowd of over 50,000.

Source : Brian Basterfield (Locomotive Performance)

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