14th August 1983

D.A.A. Railtour Society
The Butterley Bulldog

Locos Used 20077, 20153, 20167, 20178, 31101, 31304, 31315, 31320, 37042, 37065, 44004 'Great Gable' & steam: 13809
Stock Used 35322+3117+3133+3134+3108+3115+3111+3107+3119+14018

Route : 1T06 throughout

Loco(s) Route
31101 + 31304 London Euston - (via WCML, Weedon) - Nuneaton
20153 + 20167 Nuneaton - Water Orton - Landor Street Jn - Bordesley Jn - Dorridge - Hatton North Jn - Stratford-on-Avon
20153 + 20167 Stratford-on-Avon - Henley - Shirley - Tyseley - Bordesley Jn - St Andrews Jn - Proof House Jn - Birmingham New Street
20077 + 20178 Birmingham New Street - Proof House Jn - Landor Street Jn - Water Orton - (1) Abbey Jn - Midland Jn - Hinckley - Leicester - Loughborough - (1) Trent - Toton Centre
37042 + 37065 Toton - Codnor Park Jn - Butterley - Ironville
44004 Ironville - Butterley - Hammersmith
13809 Hammersmith - Butterley (2)
13809 Butterley - Ironville
37042 + 37065 Ironville - Codnor Park Jn - Toton - Trent - Loughborough - Leicester
31315 + 31320 Leicester - (via MML) - London St Pancras

Notes :
(1) Page originally listed route as via Castle Donnington but Paul Griffin reports "my notes refer to the train using the Nuneaton avoiding line, and this is also what the itinerary thinks we should have done".
(2) Upon arrival at
Butterley the tour stock formed the 17.00 "service train" for one full round trip of the line (hauled by 13809). This was free to railtour passengers. Upon return to Butterley the stock then reverted for use of the railtour "proper".

Sources : Nick Ross, Paul Griffin & LASERman

Tour Review :
(by Nick Ross)

The only disappointment on getting tickets for the tour was the loss of the advertised pair of rats from Euston with goyles substituting. A sociable 0915 departure time saw 31304/31101 thrashing up Camden bank followed by a good run down the WCML. At the Southern end of the WCML goyles were still not that common, their only regular work being the ECS unit drags from Ilford to Wolverton works. Passenger haulage was rare.

The rumoured reason for the lack of rats was that they were needed for Rugby-Bletchley drags, 25095/25200 dragging the 0800 Wolves-Euston being one example. A photo stop at Rugby saw the Brum boys advising of even more exotic drag power out of Nuneaton. Do you opt for 20153/20167 on the tour or 37274 on the 1000 Euston-Wolves, or 56002 on the 1100 Euston-Wolves?

"The 20's are bound to be withdrawn first" was the claim, we stayed on, many leapt for the grid. 56002 was to offer few other chances.

20 haulage along unfamiliar track to Stratford-u-Avon, then an hour to phot the power and view the tour buses. The 20's returned us to New St where the drag men piled on for a second, less rateable pair in 20077/20178. These were attached for a totter to Toton. Class 15 ADB968002 or D8237 was on display with a snowplough at the North end of the depot as were 37065/37042 which although "massive" offered little mileage for the outward run to near Pye Hill and onto the Midland Railway Centre at Ironville. A through BR train onto preserved metals was a first for many on board.

Immaculate green peak D4/44004 Great Gable backed on for a run down the short branch passing old gronk 12077 on Swanwick depot. With just the front 2 of the lengthy 12 coach consist on the short platform at Hammersmith, we all took a while to pile off and phot the green beast. Steam traction in 13809 then shuttled the stock up and down the branch a few times before working us back to Ironville where the real power was re-attached. 37042/37065 thrashed us onwards to Leicester passing 20141/20163 on the 1800 Skegness-Derby. A bonus in a new pair of big goyles provided the last thrash of the day down the MML for a St. Pancras arrival just after 10 pm.

Nick Ross

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Paul Griffin  & LASERman)

Location

Booked

Actual

Euston

09.20d

09.19½ [SL]

Willesden Junction

09/28½

09/29½

Wembley Central

?

09/33½ [FL]

Watford Junction

09.37a ~ 09.39d

09.43½ ~ 09.44

Tring

10/01

09/58½

Ledburn Jn

?

10/05½ [SL]

Bletchley

10/18

10/17

Denbigh Hall North Jn

?

10/20½ [FL]

Milton Keynes

10.23a ~ 10.25d

10.23 ~ 10.23½

Hanslope Jn

10/35

10/35

Weedon

10/46

10/46½

Rugby

11p00a ~ 11p15d

11.00 ~ 11.10

Nuneaton

11L30a ~ 11L40d

11.24½ ~ 11.35

Abbey Jn

11/43

11/37½

Whitacre Jn

11/55

11/52½

Water Orton

11/59

11/56½

Landor Street Jn

12c08 ~ 12c10

12/06

St Andrews Jn

12/12

12/07½

Bordesley Jn

12/13

12/08½

Tyseley

12/17

12.13½ ~ 12.16½

Dorridge

12/34

12/33½

Hatton North Jn

12/39

12/40

Hatton West Jn

12/40

12/41½

Bearley Jn

12/47

12/48½

Stratford-upon-Avon

12.52a ~ 13.07d

12.55 ~ 13.27

Bearley Jn

13/13

13/33½

Hatton West Jn

13/20

13/42

Hatton North Jn

13/21

13/43

Dorridge

13/27

13/54

Tyseley

13/38

14/03½

Bordesley Jn

13/41

14/06½

St Andrews Jn

13/42

14/07½

Proof House Jn

13/45

14/09

Birmingham New Street

13.48a ~ 13.58d

14.15 ~ 14.28½

Proof House Jn

14/01

14/30½

Landor Street Jn

14/03

14/32½

Water Orton

14/09

14/39

Whitacre Jn

14/13

14/43

Abbey Jn

14/30

15/00

Midland Jn

14/33

15/03

Narborough

14p45a ~ 14p55d

15.15 ~ 15.15

Wigston North Jn

15/04

15/21½

Leicester

15c09 ~ 15c11

15.27 ~ 15.29½

Syston South Jn

15/18

15/39

Loughborough

15/24

15/46

Trent Jn

15/29

15/52½

Trent

15/30

15/54

Toton Centre

15L33 ~ 15L43

15.59 ~ 16.14

Trowell Jn

15/47

16/20½

Codnor Park Jn

15/55

16/32

Ironville

16L05a ~ 16L20d

16.39½ ~ 16.56½

Hammersmith

16L33a ~ 16L48d

17.06 ~ 17.21

Butterley

16.52a ~ 17.00d

17.22½ ~ 17.29

Swanwick

17.04a ~ 17.06d

17/??

Ironville

17.12a ~ 17.22d

17.38 ~ 17.49½

Swanwick

17.28a ~ 17.30d

17/??

Hammersmith

17.37a ~ 17.52d

17.59½ ~ 18.15

Butterley

17.56a ~ 18.20d

18.17 ~ 18.23½

Ironville

18L30a ~ 18L45d

18.32½ ~ 18.42

Codnor Park Jn

18/55 [GL]

18/48 [GL]

Bennerley Jn

19/05 [ML]

?

Trowell Jn

19/09

19/05½

Radford Jn

19/21

19/13

Mansfield Jn

19/24

19/18

Nottingham

19.27a ~ 19.37d

19.35 ~ 19.51½d

Trent

19/46

19/59

Trent Jn

19/47

20/00

Loughborough

19/54

20/06

Syston South Jn

20/00

?

Leicester

20L05a ~ 20L15d

20.19 ~ 20.39½

Wigston North Jn

20/21

20/44½

Kibworth

20/28

20/50½

Market Harborough

20/33

20/55

Kettering

20/44

21/04½

Wellingborough

20/49

21/09

Sharnbrook Jn

20/57

20/57

Bedford North Jn

21/03 [SL]

21/28 [SL]

Bedford

21.04a ~ 21.05d

21.30½ ~ 21.32½ [FL]

Flitwick

21/16

21/44

Leagrave

?

21/50½ [SL]

Luton

21.28a ~ 21.30d

21.55 ~ 21.57

St Albans

21/44

22/08½

Radlett Jn

21/50 [FL]

22/13½

Hendon

21/57

22/21

West Hampstead Midland

22/03

22/24

St Pancras

22.09a

22.31


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