Six Bells Junction

After the Pathfinder "Crompton Collier" tour last week this was to be a little excursion around many of south London's routes utilising a pair of 73's. The route was to be from Victoria to Barnehurst, Crayford, Lewisham, Clapham Jct., Barnes, Richmond, Whitton, Hounslow, B arnes, Clapham Jct., Brixton, Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, Streatham, Wimbledon, Sutton, Streatham, Balham, Clapham Jct., and back to Victoria.

Living in Scunthorpe, the home of grids, I had another early start (not as early as 2.45am last week!) my mate and I took the dud 158 from Scunthorpe to Doncaster from where we caught another dud 225 to Kings Cross.

We decided that before the main tour we would do some travelling around London. So before went on to the main tour we did Wembley Yard, and caught the 09.31 from Euston to Harrow and Wealdstone. Noted at Euston was 90028 and 90026 both coming on overnight sleepers from Scotland. While engineering work out in Camden saw 66049, 66172, 66174, and 66070 all on engineers trains, while 66087 was on a freight while noted on Wembley Yard was 90019, 86401, 37896 (on tanks), 66173, 66147, 66072, 92025, 92044, 92012, 90032, 92045, 08799, 90029, 08872, 92027 while 92031 was noted on a Wembley to Dollands Moor freight.

We got to Victoria at 13.45 after spending a good hour in a local pub. There in platform 2 was 4472 "Flying Scotsman". Many people were taking photos of the kettle, but for quite a lot of the people (me included as Flying Scotsman was not required) there was only one thing on their minds. This being the mini tour around South London with a pair of EDs. In fact the kettle looked quite out of place amongst 4-CEPS and Networkers. However, the quoted traction for the day was more at place in a Southern station. These being Class 73s. The quoted locos according to Rail-Gen was 73110 and 73105.

We departed Victoria at 13.56 on our circular tour. Situated in Coach F we were towards the back of the train and so with a 12 coach rake we could see the front of the train quite easily. The two Dutch EDs and the blue/grey set of Marks 1's looked impressive as we crossed the Thames at Battersea Bridge. Reports from Rail-Gen and UK-Rail suggested that we weren't to be the only pair of EDs operating that day as 73211 and 73213 were seen together on Gatwick Express duties.

After crossing the bridge we left the main running tracks for my first required track of the day. We went towards Stewarts Lane Jct. And on to Factory Jct. We then seemed to cross, go over and go under lots of lines as we went on to Lewisham via Nunhead and Peckham Rye. Soon we were deep in to Class 465/466 territory as we went along two of the lines that lead to Dartford. The first route was via Barnehurst and Bexleyheath. It was quite amusing to see people waiting for their Networkers as we passed through their stations and their faces as something not plastic went through.

The second piece of required track was from Perry St. Fork Jct. To Crayford Creek Jct. We had an uneventful journey along the second of three lines from Dartford (via Sidcup). At Lewisham we took the same route as we took before back as far as Factory Jct.

At Factory Jct., we took the route towards Longhedge Jct. Here we got stuck for at least 40 minutes outside one of Britains busiest junctions as Gatwick Express, Connex and Stagecoach units passed us like nothing else. In fact there was a Juniper but we were unable to see it as we were towards the back of the train. It came over the tannoy that there were driver problems. So we waited at the signal until the driver was at Clapham Junction station. The driver had come all the way from Folkestone to take this tour. So three cheers for him!!

From Longhedge Jct, to Clapham Jct., it was another piece of required track as we arrived at Clapham Jct. People were allowed to leave the train if they wanted as a result of the delay as we started heading out towards Barnes. Noted out at Clapham Jct y ard was 37601, 37602, 37603 and kettle 4472. In an uneventful journey we got to Whitton and headed round towards the loop for Hounslow. My mate was more interested in the aeroplanes than the route, trying to identify the airlines concerned.

We left the main southern route to Reading at Whitton Jct as we curved towards Hounslow Jct and the Hounslow loop. People on this line though were waiting for Class 455s and so the sight of a pair of EDs raised a few eyebrows. Hounslow, Brentford and Ke w was passed as we headed back to Clapham Jct and back to Longhedge Jct.

At Longhedge Jct. we all thought not again as we were stopped for signals. However, this stop was only for a minute as we made our way to Factory Jct and to Brixton and Herne Hill. We were now deep in to Thameslink Territory as we passed through Tulse Hill, Streatham, Wimbledon, West Sutton and Sutton. Passengers again were waiting at Sutton as we passed through. We headed back to Streatham, Balham and back in to Clapham Jct for the third and final time. That is one of the good things about the former Network South East, that there are many routes and different ways to get to towns in the South East. So by the third time we were thinking Oh No Longhedge Jct, again!

The final bit of track was from Pouparts Jct to Longhedge Jct. and again round to Grosvenor Bridge Jct, in to London Victoria via Stewarts Lane Jct. This time we got through Longhedge Jct. with no problems. We arrived in to Victoria at 17:58.

As we arrived in to Victoria the customers were waiting for their Kettle back to Yeovil. Flying Scotsman had been turned around and was put back on tour our train. For them the trip with the kettle had been the highlight but for many of the other people we were only interested in the EDs and the routes covered. We left Victoria to catch our Midland Main Line tram back to Doncaster and the Northern Spirit 153 back to Scunthorpe.

VERDICT: We were left to say that it had been a good mini tour and well worth the cost of £15. A good tour with a mixture of passengers and the few good routes out through Stewarts Lane, and two good pieces of traction.

M	C	Location	Outward	Return
0	00	London Victoria	13.55d	13.56
0	65	Grosvenor Bridge Junction	13/58	13/58
1	36	Stewarts Lane Junction	14/00	14/00
1	68	Factory Junction	14/02	14/02
4	22	Denmark Hill	14/07	14/06
5	77	Nunhead	14/10	14/10
7	63	Lewisham	14/19	14/19
8	54	Blackheath	14/21	14/22
15	50	Barnehurst	14/31	14/33
17	15	Crayford Creek Junction	14/34	14/34
18	31	Crayford	14/38	14/40
21	63	Sidcup	14/43	14/44
25	70	Lee	14/51	14/51
26	40	Hither Green	14/53	14/53
27	59	Lewisham	14/56	15/01
29	45	Nunhead	15/00	15/06
30	59	Brixton	15/07	15/11
32	06	Factory Junction	15/10	15/15
32	45	Longhedge Junction	15/12	15.17a
--	--	-	--/--	15.58d
33	53	Clapham Junction	15/18	16.01a
--	--	-	--/--	16.06d
36	66	Barnes	15/23	16/15
39	36	Richmond	15/28	16/21
41	01	Twickenham	15/33	16/24
42	22	Whitton	15/34	16/27
43	60	Hounslow	15/40	16/32
46	48	Brentford	15/43	16/37
50	13	Barnes	15/49	16/43
53	26	Clapham Junction	15/56	16/48
54	34	Longhedge Junction	15/59	16.52a
--	--	-	--/--	16.53d
54	73	Factory Junction	16/01	16/56
56	20	Brixton	16/04	17/00
57	02	Herne Hill	16/07	17/02
58	08	Tulse Hill	16/12	17/06
59	49	Streatham	16/14	17/09
63	18	Wimbledon	16/26	17/17
67	44	West Sutton	16/33	17/27
71	73	Mitcham Junction	16/45	17/36
74	12	Streatham South Junction	16/48	17/41
74	41	Streatham North Junction	16/51	17/44
76	03	Balham	16/54	17/46
77	78	Clapham Junction	16/57	17/49
78	51	Pouparts Junction	16/59	17/51
79	05	Longhedge Junction	17/01	17/52
79	35	Stewarts Lane Junction	17/05	17/53
80	06	Grosvenor Bridge Junction	17/06	17/54
80	71	London Victoria	17/13	17/58

Key;
a : arrival time
d : departure time
/ : passing time

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Locos	Route
73105 + 73110	Victoria - Wandsworth Rd - Nunhead - Blackheath - Slade Green - Crayford - Lewisham - Brixton - Longhedge Jct - Clapham Junction - Whitton - Brentford - Clapham Junction - Brixton - Streatham - Wimbledon - Sutton - Clapham Junction - Victoria