The Dungeness Pebbledasher Railtour, Sat July 12th 1997
This Hertfordshire tour was routed away from Wembley yard due to a WCML sub station failure 2 days earlier. The class 92 safety case at that time then meant the inagural passenger working for this impressive class would now be Kensington Olympia.
37688 snarled and growled up the Incline and along the NLL to bring us into Kensington just the 50 early due the revised route. I assume the down service trains used the up loop platform to get round us. Then at 1200 precisely 92030 made history in working the inagural passenger train for the class and one of a few using the third rail.
The weather was very hot and sunny and the HSE inflicted only part opening Mk I windows meant our health suffered with nasty heat! Still it was good to see the shingle of Romney marshes and mighty power station after 37688 had worked us (with 37402 tailing) on the 9 mile freight only branch from Appledore.
Attaching 92038 at Ashford was a bit of a farce, Nazi style station announcements re keeping away from the platform ends hardly helped. Despite 2 obvious winners for all aboard, i scored 37688 as well, the sweaty stock perhaps killed any atmosphere on the tour.
I escaped by bailing at Kenny O, missing the first ever 92 into Wembley Yard and the delights of 47761 back to Finsbury Park……
The Moves
321433} 0616 Rugby – Euston LB-WJ
321405}
319006 0805 Watford jn – Gatwick WJ-CJ
from bay platform, platform 10
2254} 0749 Horsham – Victoria CJ-VI
1901}
313056 0926 Kings X – Stevenage KX-FP
37688 1Z92 1014 Finsbury Pk – Dungeness Railtour FP-KO
(via Kings X Goods, Incline, NLL)
92030 1Z92 1014 Finsbury Pk – Dungeness Railtour KO-AS
(via Latchmere Jn, Swanley, Maidstone E) (with 37688 dit)
37688 1Z92 1014 Finsbury Pk – Dungeness Railtour AS-DU
37402 1Z93 1510 Dungeness – Finsbury Pk rtn Railtour DU-AS
92038 1Z93 1510 Dungeness – Finsbury Pk rtn Railtour AS-KO
(via Tonbridge, Sevonoaks, Otford) (with 37402 dit)
Ching -£35
Timekeeping 50E – 8L
Stock BN 90 – 3148, 4998, 4959, 4939, 4956, 1853, 17015, 5005, 4915, 4938
319001 1642 Rugby – Gatwick KO-CJ
313001 1857 Clapham Jn – Willesden CJ-KO
319008 1837 Gatwick – Watford jn KO-WF
321428} 1924 Euston – Northampton WF-LB
321410}
The Phots
A historical moment at Kenny O with 92030 and 37688 dit prior to the inagural passenger working for the then year old class of 92
A busy scene passing Stewarts Lane depot with 33008, 73131 and 73101 looking on
end
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