Sunday 14th April 2024

London Paddington - Reading - Banbury to Tame Bridge Parkway

D1015 Western Champion returned to the mainline on the 14th April with its first mainline rail tour for several years.

The tour started at London Paddington on Sunday 14th April at 2pm, the route was via Reading, Banbury, Coventry and ending at Tame Bridge Parkway where a GBRf class 57 returned the tour to Birmingham New Street.

Following the tour no major technical issues were found therefore D1015 will now participate in a program of rail tours this year, please see Pathfinders and UK Railtours websites for details.

With many thanks to GBRf, Pathfinders and UK Railtours for a successful day resulting in D1015 back where she belongs.

Sunday 1st June 2024

Tame Bridge Parkway - Oxford - Swindon - Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads - Taunton -Paignton - Taunton - Westbury - Melksham - Swindon - Oxford - Tame Bridge Parkway

Outward 1Z50; Return 1Z52

The tour started at Tame Bridge Parkway at 06.20, arriving in Paignton at 13.00, about 25 minutes late. Most of the time was lost following a late-running stopping train along the coast from Exeter. The outward route was via Birmingham New Street, Dorridge, Oxford, Swindon, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton and Exeter.

Participants then had just under five hours to enjoy the English Riviera at its warm and sunny best. Some people went on to Dartmouth via the steam railway and the ferry for a pleasant pub lunch; others patronised various hostelries in Paignton itself. No-one can have missed the spectacle of classic aircraft, including a Spitfire, a Mustang and the Red Arrows, being put through their paces at the English Riviera Airshow.

The return left Paignton at 17.57 (advertised at 17.45), and ran via Taunton, Westbury, Melksham and Swindon then as outward, arriving back at Tame Bridge Parkway at 23.56; a round trip of 500 miles. A long and hugely enjoyable day - but spare a thought for our engineers and technical riders Chris Hatton, Steve Vial, Richard Williams, Paul Walker and Dave Mogg who between them were on duty ensuring all was well with the loco for 24 hours on the Saturday plus six and a half hours for the return of the empty stock to Burton-on-Trent the following day. Our thanks to them, staff at Pathfinder, GBRf and all who contributed to making it possible.

Saturday 6th July 2024

East Midlands Parkway - Bedford - Bletchley - Watford Junction - Reading - Westbury - Cranmore-
Westbury - Melksham - Swindon - Oxford - Beaconsfield - Acton Main Line - Willesden Junction - Watford Junction - Bletchley - Bedford - East Midlands Parkway

Outward 1Z77; Return 1Z79

After an early start from East Midlands Parkway at 06.02, the tour followed an interesting and, for a Class 52, unusual route. We continued up (that is, towards London) the Midland Main Line to Bedford, then diverted off to follow the Marston Vale line through Bedford St Johns via Aspley Guise to Bletchley. From Bletchley we continued along the West Coast Main Line via the last pick-up point at Watford Junction to Willesden Sudbury Junction, then proceeded via Acton Canal Wharf Junction and Acton Wells Junction to pick up the Great Western Main Line at Acton East Junction. From Acton Main Line D1015 was back on home turf through Reading to Westbury, where some passengers disembarked to visit Longleat House or simply savour the delights of, er, Westbury. D1015 continued west along the Berks and Hants to Witham East Somerset Junction, turning off to reach Cranmore, almost 235 miles from East Midlands Parkway, at 13.12. There was then an opportunity to travel a behind a steam locomotive to the end of the East Somerset Railway at Mendip Vale. Or go to the Strode Arms for lunch, until it became overwhelmed and stopped taking orders. Fortunately, a barbeque organised by the East Somerset Railway was there to fill the breach, and an enjoyable time was had by all. .

At 15.15 we set off back to East Midlands Parkway by a slightly more circuitous route; Westbury, Melksham, Swindon, Oxford, Bicester Village, Beaconsfield, Castle Bar Park, Acton Main Line and then as outward. Arrival back at East Midlands Parkway was at 22.46, with D1015 having performed faultlessly throughout the 507 miles. Another long day for the travelling technical team, and our thanks go to them and the staff at UK Railtours, GBRf and the East Somerset Railway for another excellent day out. Throughout the tour, D1015 carried a wreath on the front and photographs in the cab in memory of long-standing member and shareholder Andy Venn (aka "Sledge"), who sadly passed away at the beginning of July.

Sunday 21st July 2024

Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street - Kidderminster - Worcester Shrub Hill - Oxford - Swindon - Stroud - Cheltenham Spa -Bromsgrove - Birmingham New Street - Birmingham International

This was a circular railtour organised by the Branch Line Society in support of the Great Ormond Street children's hospital. All accommodation was first class, and an excellent dinner was served to the majority of passengers on the tour. A 12.57 timetabled departure from Birmingham International was not as leisurely as it might have been for those travelling from the south, as the line between Oxford and Leamington Spa was closed for engineering works, adding an hour to the journey time (and making the last train back effectively an hour earlier than usual) because of the dreaded rail replacement bus. In the event, the stock was late arriving from Barry Tourist Railway and we finally left Birmingham International 45 minutes late Hills.

The outward route to Swindon was via Birmingham New Street, Kidderminster, Worcester Shrub Hill and Oxford. Foregoing the photo stop at Worcester meant we had made up much of the deficit by Charlbury, but waiting for a late-running northbound IET meant we lost time again so were still 22 minutes late at Swindon. Return from Swindon was via Stroud, Cheltenham Spa, Bromsgrove, the 1 in 37.7 Lickey incline and Birmingham New Street.

A Climbing Lickey with 11 coaches and a Class 57 locomotive in tow was always going to be a challenge, and would probably not have been attempted "in the old days" without banking assistance. (The 16-coach 21.00 Bristol to Glasgow and Edinburgh often went via Kidderminster, but if it was routed via Lickey it always stopped for banking assistance). We had not been able to take much of a run at the bank because of the requested routing through the up loop and Platform 1 at Bromsgrove, and our climb started at just 26 mph. Nonetheless, D1015 was making steady progress when one engine shut down owing to a high-temperature alert in one transmission. Because of this, and a TPWS brake application just short of the summit that brought the train to a standstill, the Class 57 at the rear was wisely called on to assist for the last half mile or so to the summit. Despite the shutdown, Birmingham New Street was reached on time and Birmingham International just four minutes behind. Whether this had something to do with being pathed as a DMU at 125 mph between the last two station stops, we could not possibly comment.

The Apart, possibly, from the excitement on Lickey, this was relaxing railtour through some really attractive countryside. The highlights identified by the Branch Line Society include

1. Droitwich Up Goods Loop

2. Oxford Up Through Line

3. Foxhall Jn - Rodbourne Jn via Wantage Road UM-DM Crossover, Swindon P1, Up Kemble, Cross to Dn Kemble at Rodbourne Jn

4. Gloucester New Yard Up and Down Goods Loop

5. Eckington Up Goods Loop

6. Up Spetchley Goods Loop

7. Up Bromsgrove Loop and Bromsgrove P1

8. Up Gloucester Slow at Barnt Green.

With regard to the third of these, it was slightly surreal and just a little un-nerving to be undertaken by a Class 8xx IET while travelling "bang road" on Brunel's Great Way West. The total distance covered was 230 miles (not including light engine moves for D1015). Another great day, thanks to our DTG engineers, technical riders and other support volunteers, the Branch Line Society and GBRf.