21st June 1997

A1A Charters
The Longest Day

Locos Used 31420, 31434, 31439, 31466, 37419, 37606, 47757, 58015 & 73110

Route :
1Z63 : Preston to London Waterloo
1Z73 : London Waterloo to Alton
1Z37 : Alton to Eastleigh
1Z74 : Eastleigh to Portsmouth Harbour
1Z64 : Portsmouth Harbour to Preston

Loco(s) Route
31420 + 31439 Preston - Bolton - Manchester Piccadilly - Stockport - Crewe
37419 (1) Crewe - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Birmingham New Street - Coventry - Rugby
31420 + 31434 Rugby - Northampton - Watford Junction - Willesden West London Jn - Latchmere Jn - London Waterloo
73110 Waterloo - Woking - Aldershot - Alton
31466 + 37606 Alton - Ash - Guildford - Havant - Fareham - Botley - Eastleigh
58015 Eastleigh - Botley - Fareham - Portsmouth Harbour
31466 + 37606 Portsmouth Harbour - Fareham - St. Denys - Southampton - Romsey - Salisbury - Westbury - Newbury - Reading West Jn - Didcot Parkway
47757 Didcot Parkway - Oxford - Wolvercot Jn (2) - Evesham - Worcester Shrub Hill - Kidderminster - Galton Jn - Birmingham New Street - Water Orton - Nuneaton
47757 Nuneaton - Stafford - Norton Bridge - ??? (3) - Manchester Piccadilly - Bolton - Preston

Notes :
(1) Plus 31420 dead in tow. 31439 was replaced at Crewe by 37419 due to low power, but 37419 and 31420 refused to work in multiple, and consequently 31420 was dragged to Rugby, where an additional stop was made to swap 37419 with 31434. On the return north, 31420 + 31434 should have taken the train on from Didcot, but were reported to have failed, and so 47757 deputised.
(2) Peter Finan comments: I remember on the way back the wrong road had been set at Wolvercot Junction (Down Cherwell Valley instead of Down Cotswold) & we had to wait for the signal to time out & a signaller enabled reset.
(3) Timings show routing via Madeley & Crewe but route info originally provided suggested the train went via Stoke-on-Trent - confirmation please someone?

Source : Richard Hughes & David Bellamy (both on the train throughout)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(From David Bellamy & Peter Finan)

Location

 Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Preston 04.00d ?   02.33a ?
Euxton Jn 04/10 ?   02/28 ?
Chorley ? ?   DIV (pass) ?
Bolton 04/27 ?   DIV (pass) ?
Wigan North Western - ?   (?) (DIV) ?
Salford Crescent 04/39 ?   01/37 ?
Deansgate 04/44 ?   01/34 ?
Manchester Oxford Road 04/45 ?   01/33 ?
Manchester Piccadilly 04/49 ?   01.29a ~ 01.31d ?
Slade Lane Jn 04/53 ?   01/25 ?
Heaton Norris Jn 04/56 ?   01/17 ?
Stockport 04.58a ~ 05.00d ?   01.13a ~ 01.15d ?
Cheadle Hulme 05/03 ?   ? ?
Wilmslow 05/10 ?   01/05 ?
Sandbach 05/23 ?   ? ?
Crewe 05.35a ~ 05.43d (L) ?   00.40a ~ 00.42d ?
Madeley 05/56 ?   00/29 ?
Norton Bridge 06/08 ?   ? ?
Stafford 06.14a ~ 06.20d ?   00.11a ~ 00.14d ?

 

Location

 Booked Actual
Bushbury Jn 06/31 ?
Wolverhampton 06.37a ~ 06.46d ?
Birmingham New Street 07.06a ~ 07.10d ??.?? ~ 07.21
Stechford 07/16 ?
Birmingham International 07.30a ~ 07.32d ?
Coventry
07/46
07/51
Rugby
08/03 (L)
 08.02 ~ 08.31
Northampton
08.25a ~ 08.31d
08/56
Hanslope Jn
08/44
?
Milton Keynes Central
08/48
09/16
Bletchley
08/52
09/19
Tring 09/05 ?
Watford Junction 09/15 09/52
Harrow & Wealdstone 09/24 ?
West London Jn 09/28 ?
Mitre Bridge Jn 09/29 ?
Kensington Olympia 09/38 10.15 ~ 10.17
Latchmere Jn 09/42 ?
London Waterloo 09L51a ~ 10L05d 10.31 ~ 11.01
Clapham Junction 10/15 ?
Wimbledon 10/20 11/33
Woking 10/40 ?
Brookwood 10/46 ?
Aldershot 10/56 11/53
Bentley 11/08 ?
Alton 11L15a ~ 13L11d 12.16 ~ 14.06
Bentley 13/18 ?
Aldershot 13/30 14/25
Ash 13/38 ?
Guildford 13/46 14/42
Haslemere 14/03 14/57
Petersfield 14/13 ?
Havant 14/28 15/18
Farlington Jn 14/32 ?
Cosham 14/34 ?
Fareham 14/41 ?
Botley 14/51 ?
Eastleigh 14L58a ~ 15L25d 15.44 ~ 16.06
Botley 15/32 ?
Fareham 15/38 16/20
Cosham 15/47 ?
Fratton 15/55 16/34
Portsmouth & Southsea 16/01 ?
Portsmouth Harbour 16L04a ~ 16L15d 16.41 ~ 17.01
Portsmouth & Southsea 16/18 ?
Cosham 16/28 17.12 ~ 17.14
Fareham 16/35 17/22
St. Denys 16/52 ?
Southampton Central 16/57 17/44
Redbridge 17/00 ?
Romsey 17/08 17/55
Tunnel Jn 17/23 ?
Salisbury 17/26 ?
Wilton Jn 17/29 18/13
Warminster 17/47 ?
Westbury 17.54a ~ 18.10d 18.40 ~ 18.43
Bedwyn 18/39 ?
Newbury 18/52 19/19
Southcote Jn 19/07 ?
Reading West Jn 19/11 ?
Didcot Parkway 19L29a ~ 20L00d 19.51 ~ 20.11
Oxford 20/14 20/22
Wolvercot Jn 20/17 ?
Moreton-in-Marsh 20/43 20/54
Evesham 21/20 21.09 ~ 21.21
Worcester Shrub Hill 21/46 21/38
Kidderminster 22/05 21/56
Stourbridge Junction 22/13 22/02
Rowley Regis 22/24 ?
Galton Jn 22/29 ?
Birmingham New Street 22.36a ~ 22.44d 22.36 ~ ??.??
Proof House Jn 22/47 ?
Water Orton 22/55 ?
Whitacre Jn 22/59 ?
Nuneaton 23.15a ~ 23.36d ?
Colwich 00/05 ?

Timings continue in first table.

Back to "The Railtour Files"