Six Bells Junction

Locos Used	47776 'Respected' & steam: 6024 'King Edward I'
Stock Used	3124+3150+1696+3127+3123+3114+1671+3131+17023+4925+5023+4986 (1)

Loco	Route
47776	Colchester - (via GEML) - Stratford - Carpenters Road Jn - Channelsea North Jn - Lea Jn - Dalston Kingsland - Camden Road - Gospel Oak - Willesden Junction - Willesden SW Sidings
6024	Willesden SW Sidings - Acton Wells Jn - Acton Main Line - Southall - Maidenhead - Reading - Didcot Parkway - Swindon - Wootton Bassett Jn - Chippenham - Thingley Jn - Bathampton Jn - Bath Spa - North Somerset Jn - Bristol Temple Meads
6024	Bristol Temple Meads - (reverse of outward route) - Didcot Parkway
47776	Didcot Parkway - (reverse of outward route) - Colchester

Notes :
(1) Plus 35333 when 6024 was on the train.
(2) Jonathan Juby comments: The stock arrived from the Ipswich direction behind 47776 Respected in RES red livery at 06.30, 3 minutes after we were scheduled to leave. We followed the North London line from Stratford, and in Willesden South West sidings 47776 came off, to be replaced by 6024 King Edward I with its support coach W35333 in chocolate and cream, which increased the trailing load to 13 Mark 1 coaches, weighing around 450 tons empty. We were 20 minutes late leaving Willesden, at 09.34 and ran on the slow line from Acton to Reading. We took water (from a MilkMarque tanker) at Didcot West Junction – so no opportunity to get out and stretch our legs. It was only after being looped at Wantage Road for a couple of down IC125s to overtake that at last 6024 could really get going, but 32 minutes for 38.5 miles from there to Bathampton Junction was very satisfying, and we were on time from Wantage Road to Bristol. Having been in the 13th coach on the way to Bristol, we were (much) less than impressed when 47776 (again) drew the stock in to platform 11 at Temple Meads, with not just 6024 but the entire train turned round, so we would be in the last coach on the way back as well. Yes, we were in standard class, but this was disappointing. However, even from that far back we could clearly hear 6024’s exhaust as it just about kept the 21 minutes schedule for the 21.5 miles from Bathampton Junction to Chippenham, including the climb through Box Tunnel. 6024 came off at Didcot, as planned, to be replaced by 47776, which had gone on ahead after its top ‘n’ tailing duties in Bristol. (It was definitely not still on the back, as we passed it as we drew in to Didcot). Steamy Affairs had arranged the services of Alan Pegler as the on-board commentator, and he rather relished announcing that we would be making an unscheduled stop at Maidenhead to drop off a passenger who had boarded at Reading by mistake, thinking it was a service train!