15th March 1986

Locomotive Club of Great Britain / Southern Electric Group
The Vulcan Vantrain

Locos Used 33201, 33206, 50025 & 73003
EMUs Used 68001 & 68005
Stock Used

[1] : 35130+4839+4941+5044+7161
[2] : 1684+7074+5023+4965+4871+35114

Route :
1Z25 : London Paddington to Ashford & Train A
1Z26 : Train B
1Z25 : Ashford to London Paddington

Loco Stock Route
50025 [1] + [2] London Paddington - Greenford East Jn - Greenford South Jn - Drayton Green - Ealing Broadway - Kensington Olympia - Clapham Junction - Beckenham Junction - Swanley - Tonbridge - Wadhurst - Hastings
33206 [1] + [2] Hastings - Rye - Ashford

Trains split (A & B) :

Traction Stock Route
Train A : 33206 [2] Ashford - Folkestone East
Train A : 73003 + 33201 (1) [2] Folkestone East - Folkestone Harbour
Train A : 33201 + 73003 (1) [2] Folkestone Harbour - Folkestone East
Train A : 73003 [2] Folkestone East - Ashford
Train A : 68001 + 68005 [1] Ashford-Sandwich - Dover - Ashford

 

Traction Stock Route
Train B : 68005 + 68001 [1] Ashford - Sandwich - Dover - Ashford
Train B : 73003 [2] Ashford - Folkestone East
Train B : 33201 + 73003 (1) [2] Folkestone East - Folkestone Harbour
Train B : 73003 + 33201 (1) [2] Folkestone Harbour - Folkestone East
Train B : 50025 [2] Folkestone East - Ashford

Trains re-joined :

Loco Stock Route
50025 [1] + [2] Ashford - Maidstone - Swanley - New Beckenham - Lewisham - Brixton - Clapham Junction - Mitcham Junction - West Croydon - Selhurst - Clapham Junction - (reverse of outward route) - London Paddington

Notes :
(1) Ran top-n-tail but which loco led on train A (locos shown in order booked)?
(2) Nick Lawford comments that this train was the very first normal loading gauge Mk.1 stock train to traverse the whole length of the line between Tonbridge and Hastings via Battle. The restrictions on the route were only lifted a matter of days before the train ran ( the route having been cleared to normal gauge as part of the HASMOD electrification scheme). He also adds that the MLV's worked train in rare vacuum braking mode.
(3) Nigel Jordan comments: I viewed the tour at Tunbridge Wells and then caught the next train to Hastings.  Between Crowhurst and West St Leonards we passed 50025 heading northbound light engine at around 11.38 What is memorable is that the 50 caused all sorts of havoc due to single line working between Robertsbridge and Wadhurst, getting it a path by Control ruined the Hastings to London timetable for hours afterwards. So the question that needs answering is why the 50 went light from Hastings to Ashford via Tonbridge rather than 'hitching a lift' with 33206 across the Marshes? LASERman suggests it was probably because of weight restriction or route availability.
(4) Timings in a tour itinerary received by the Webmaster shows the routing from Swanley to Ashford as being via Gillingham, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate, Sandwich, Buckland Jn, Dover Priory & Folkestone Central however an additional loose sheet gave the final routing as above. To reflect the change the original route and timings (and distances post Swanley) are shown struck-through in the timing table below.

Sources : Alan Costello & LASERman

Photo Review


50025 pauses at Bat & Ball station (photo: LASERman)


68005 + 68001 at Sandwich (photo: LASERman)


33201 at Folkestone Harbour with ferry 'Hengist' (photo: LASERman)


John Broderick's Ticket.


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from LASERman & John Broderick)

M.C

Location

Booked

Actual
0.00

London Paddington

07.55d

07.55½ [P2]
3.15

Old Oak Common West Jn

08/00

08/02
7.10

Greenford East Jn

08/05

08/09
7.35

Greenford South Jn

08/06

08/10
9.39

West Ealing

08/14

08/16
10.24

Ealing Broadway

08.16a ~ 08.18d

08.17½ ~ 08.19½
13.16

Old Oak Common East Jn

08/23

?
13.52

North Pole Jn

08/28

08/26½
15.40

Kensington Olympia

08/33

08/29½
18.28

Latchmere Jn

08/40

08/35½
19.01

Clapham Junction

08.44a ~ 08.46d

08.37½ ~ 08.45
21.14

Balham Jn

08/52

08/50½
23.30

West Norwood

08/58

08/55
24.78

Crystal Palace

09/03

08/59½
25.64

Bromley Jn

09/04½

09/01½
28.05

Beckenham Junction

09c08a ~ 09c09d

09.08 ~ 09.08½
29.17

Shortlands Jn

09/12

09/10½
31.71

Bickley Jn

09/15

09/14½
36.64

Swanley

09/24

09/21
46.24 Sole Street 09/44 -
52.33 Rochester Bridge Jn 09/51 -
55.27 Gillingham 09/57 -
60.76 Newington 10/03½ -
64.12 Sittingbourne 10/07 -
71.30 Faversham 10/15 -
32.11 Herne Bay 10p26a ~ 10p36d -
93.22 Margate 10/47 -
98.54 Ramsgate 11/00 -
107.01 Sandwich 11/13 -
111.11 Deal 11/18 -
119.40 Buckland Jn 11/31 -
120.35 Dover Priory 11/33 -
127.68 Folkestone Central 11/44 -
?

Otford Jn

09/35

09/32½
?

Bat & Ball

09p38a ~ 09p47d

09.35½ ~ 09.47
?

Sevenoaks

09/50

09/50½
?

Tonbridge

10c01½ ~ 10c02

10.00½ ~ 10.04
?

Wells Tunnel Jn

10/12

10/12 [UL]
?

Tunbridge Wells

10/14

10/13½
?

Wadhurst

10p20a ~ 10p30d [SLW]

10.21½ ~ 10.47
?

Robertsbridge

10.46 ~ 10.47

11/05
?

Battle

10/56

11/13½
?

Bo-Peep Jn

11/04

11/22
?

Hastings

11L08 ~ 11L21

11.27½ ~ 12.22½
?

Ore

11/24

12.26 ~ 12.28
?

Rye

11/39

12/46
?

Appledore

11/52

12.57½ ~ 12.58
141.52

Ashford

12.00a 12.04a

13.12 [P1]

 

M.C

Location

Train A

 

Train B

Booked

Actual

 

Booked

Actual

141.52

Ashford

12.16d

??.??

 

14.16d

15.33½ [P2]

155.36

Folkestone Central

12/30

?

 

14/30

15/48½

156.37

Folkestone East

12.33a ~ 12.45d

??.?? ~ ??.??

 

14.33a ~ 14.45d

15.52 ~ 16.12

157.56

Folkeston Harbour [P3]

12.50a ~ 13.15d

??.?? ~ ??.??

 

14.50a ~ 15.15d

16.19½ ~ 16.34

158.75

Folkestone East

13.20a ~ 12.32d

??.?? ~ ??.??

 

15.20a ~ 15.33d

16.38½ ~ 16.58

159.76

Folkestone Central

13/35

?

 

15/36

17/01½

173.60

Ashford

13.50a

??.??

 

15.50a

17.16

 

M.C

Location

Train A

 

Train B

Booked

Actual

 

Booked

Actual

141.52

Ashford

14.30d

??.??

 

12.20d

13.43½ [P2]

155.70

Canterbury West

14/49

?

 

12/39

14/00½

167.28

Minster

15/05

?

 

12/55

14/14

172.09

Sandwich

15p12a ~ 15p22d

??.?? ~ ??.??

 

13p03a ~ 13p17d

14 20½ ~ 14 30½

176.19

Deal

15/27

?

 

13/22

14/36

184.47

Buckland Jn

15/38

?

 

13/34

14/47

185.43

Dover Priory

15/40

?

 

13/36

14/49

192.76

Folkestone Central

15/52

?

 

13/48

15/00

206.60

Ashford

16.08a

??.??

 

14.05a

15.13½ [P1]

 

M.C

Location

Booked

Actual

238.68

Ashford

16.30d

17.47½ [P2]

258.12

Maidstone East

16/54

18/18

274.45

Otford Jn

17/12

18/36

281.67

Swanley

17/22

18/46

286.60

Bickley Jn

17/28

18/52

?

Bromley South

?

18.54½ ~ 18.57

289.34

Shortlands Jn

17/33

19/00

290.46

Beckenham Junction

17/35

19/02½

291.17

New Beckenham

17/37

19/04½

294.58

Lewisham

17/46

19.10½ ~ 19.12

296.43

Nunhead

17/52

19/17½

298.49

Cambria Jn

17/54½

19/21

299.23

Brixton

17/57½

19/23½

300.52

Factory Jn

18/00

19/27½

301.17

Longhedge Jn

18/03

?

301.50

Pouparts Jn

18/06

19/30½

302.23

Clapham Junction

18.08a ~ 18.09d

19.32½ ~ 19.34

304.36

Balham Jn

18/12

19/39½

306.33

Streatham North Jn

18/14½

19/43½

308.27

Mitcham Jn

18/18½

19/48½

311.40

West Croydon

18/23

19.59 ~ 20.00

?

Gloucester Road Jn

 ?

20/03

312.54

Selhurst

18/30

20/04 [SL]

315.38

Streatham Common

18/35

20/08½

317.17

Balham Jn

18/38

20/12

319.30

Clapham Junction

18.42a ~ 18.44d

20.17½ ~ 20.22½

320.03

Latchmere Jn

18/47

?

322.71

Kensington Olympia

18/52

?

324.59

North Pole Jn

18/55

 

325.15

Old Oak Common East Jn

18/56

?

328.07

Ealing Broadway

19.01a ~ 19.03d

??.?? ~ ??.??

328.72

West Ealing

19/05

?

330.76

Greenford South Jn

19/12

?

331.21

Greenford East Jn

19/13

?

335.16

Old Oak Common West Jn

19/18

?

338.31

London Paddington

19.25a

??.??


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