33202 and 33209 arrive at Watford with the Conwy Crompton Pullman SEG Tour
Organiser..SEG
Headcode .. 1Z25
Power…33202 and 33209
Load..12 x Mk I Met-Cam Pullmans
Route..o/w ..(Victoria – Clapham Jn – Willesden) – Watford Jn – M.Keynes – Weedon – Coventry – Bescot – Stafford – Crewe Independent – Chester – Colwyn Bay – Llandudno Jn – Llanwrst – Blaneau Festiniog
Route r/t .. Blaneau Festiniog – Llandudno Jn – Prestatyn – Chester – Crewe – Stafford – Lichfield – Rugby – M.Keynes – Watford Jn – (Willesden – Clapham J – Victoria)
Timekeeping – 2 hours plus late
Ching – £24-75
Weather – Fair am, wet pm
Photo stops – Watford, Chester, Llandudno Jn. Blaneau
Thanks to Dave Spencer for this Walsall view of the tour
In typical “Coast” weather 33202 and 33209 are photted at Chester
After the excesses of an office Xmas party the night before, i slept through my 0430 alarm awaking 2 hours later! So a mad dash down Soulbury Rd saw 310’s 077/090 joined on the 0642 Northampton – Euston. A Watford bail then much laughter from my colleagues Tony Ewer and Smudger Smith “The Buzzard” as i joined them somewhat later than planned!
The stock was Met Cam Mk I with “postage stamp” size windows so that great railtour tradition of dossing out followed! I stirred at Walsall then again during a rare trip along Crewe’s Independent lines behind a pair of slims! A Chester photostop then the Coast itself to the Jn where things began to go wrong. The refueling? stop overran and a brake fault saw us leave the Jn an hour plus down from memory.
45148 leaves the Jn with 1M58 0820 Newcastle – Llandudno during a protracted tour refuelling stop
A Canadian film crew who had passed through our coach a few times and was eyed with suspicion from us cranks, bailed at Blaneau enough “slim” mileage for them then. There was little time to stretch our legs at Blaneau due the late running and it was dark anyway. In the 2 mile long Festiniog tunnel our Cromptons ground to a halt with that recurring brake/multi fault.
Here the Tour Organiser went into panic mode, but to their credit our train crew eventually got us on the move once more now in excess of 2 hours plus late. At Crewe Control had a lovely 86’4 lined up to do the tour, our fresh driver was having none of it and the slims stayed on!
We literally stormed South regaining some lost time, the tour atmosphere improved big time and we were in Watford in what seemed no time. 310095 returned us home a little later than planned but with memories of a storming run down the Trent still ringing in our ears….
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