A very personal selection of some of my greatest Railtour moments down the years, hopefully a few readers will also have been there to savour them too…..
For a full tour description with phots find them all here
The Pennine Summits Railtour, Sep 29th 1984
Category: great loco n driver performance….
At Rugby on the return the tour’s booked AC loco to Euston had vanished, this seemed to happen a lot on 40 tours! Sadly the 40’s didn’t go through, and to a huge round of laughter 31257 appeared to work the tour forward.
The laughter was perhaps on the other foot once past Kilsby summit, with a top driver, and a healthy steed in 31257, load 14 was moved at very respectable speeds South (see log below). A Watford leap and a 310 home to end a wonderful day out..
The flying “ped”, 31257’s finest hour!
Sched Actual Var Av Speed
Rugby 2137 2155 +18 ……….
Weedon 2146 2212 +26 45
Hanslope 2154 2222 +28 80
Bletchley 2205 2232 +37 58.5
Leighton 2237 75
Tring 2215 2246 +31 56.6
Berko 2249 80
Hemel 2252 54.3
Apsley 2253 60.1
Kings L 2255 56.6
Watford Jn 2225 2259 +34 54
The Merry Wives, May 15th 1993
Category: making a tight plus/minus
A half hour break at Windsor saw tense scenes on the returning tour as we departed 30 down from Windsor with 31302/31304 powering once more. This meant we were on a minus 20 onto the Hertfortshire Railtours “Cattle Grid” tour with 56059 at Clapham Jn. Steve tried to make out “he wasnt that bothered” to the flapping states opposite, oh yer Steve a winning grid about to be missed.
Well we didnt pass the tour en route to Clapham and a good 150-200 bailed off the Peds at Clapham Jn. Then one of those moments those present will never forget as 2 minutes later 56059 rounded the corner and after a minor flap that she wasnt going to stop, the 150-200 desperados all boarded the grid tour! The “Cattle Grid” tour seemed pretty empty as we all found seats (reasonable £10 excess) and enjoyed the huge sense of relief we had made the minus 20 “connection”. We were routed via Kew East, Acton Wells and Cricklewood East curve back to St Pancras for a quick grid phot on arrival.
The Sutherland Highlander, May 4th 1985
Category: the sheer comedy on show at Georgemas Jn
The tour was advertised at Inverness with “front porton for Thurso”rather than the usual rear portion which we thought was a wind up. On arrival South of Georgemas jn the train was split with the rear portion being left just outside the station. On realising that boilered ex Stratford 37262 was going to haul our front portion to Thurso one of the most comical Georgemas Jn scenes ever followed.
A large number of the rear portions tour participants bailed onto the ballast. Some tripped over the signal wires, the Georgemas Jn signalman must have been roaring with laughter.
RESL tours and depot visits were notoriously heavily stewarded so to see the RESL big chief in flailing kilt leap from the rear portion was not a graceful scene!!
Eventually and now running hours late we arrived at Thurso behind 37262.
The Christmas Cracker, December 17th 1983
Category: being part of an iconic atmosphere, Jingle Bells at Shrub Hill
Just after three o’clock 40028 reappeared from Canton and departed on what was to be a memorable journey for many of us. 4 minutes of a wall of sound followed through the Severn Tunnel then Swindon and Didcot West Jn for a crew change at Oxford where we were still just about right time. A saunter through Evesham followed to arrive at Worcester Shrub Hill. Here the quoted Salvation Army band produced for some noisy Christmas Carol renditions. “Jingle Bells” will never sound the same anywhere else! Here also the guy who carried a Christmas tree round with him all day was still much in evidence.
The Last Chance,April 8th 2023
Category Getting off was the highlight of this tour!!!!
After a short wait we returned to Sheffield Victoria then East of Worksop station where we crossed over to then join the Maltby colliery route linking Worksop and Doncaster with 66004 now powering. A boring 50 minute booked fester at Doncaster Mail Terminal from where the 90 returned us South. A photo stop at Retford allowed a desperately needed leg stretch after being trapped on the train for over 6 hours, far too long!
I took advantage of Guy’s fast car from Retford rather than a loop infested stagger back down the ECML. At Rugby the WCML was in a farce, a suicide on the Trent Valley the culprit. 350246 and 350122 took me from Rugby to Milton Keynes from where the WCML was blockaded for just 4 days over Easter!
Leaving on the coach to Leighton running 8 early the joke of the day was spotted in the Network Rail HQ at the Keynes with a “putting passengers first” banner in the stairwell!
Personally a rather dull far too long tour, yes some rare freight mileage and power but not a classic by a long way…..
The Eden Serpent, November 8th 1986
Category Making the tour after an unexpected diversion!
The 3 of us (Tony Ewer, the Buzzard and myself) along with a good few other cranks joined the 0619 to Horsham at Victoria, Clapham Jn where the tour commenced from was shown as an en route stop on the Victoria solari screen.
Turning left past Stewarts Lane saw us quickly go into flap mode, passing Clapham High St non stop worsened matters. We arrived at East Croydon around 0710, the tour was due off Clapham in less than 20 mins. I ran out to the taxi ranks the driver advising a “no way” in getting to Clapham Jn in 20 mins by cab. The Buzzard (aka Smudger Smith”) shouted over “an up was due”, as it was rolling in i went into the trainmen’s office and advised them of our plight, “could the tour be held for us?”
“No chance” was Tony’s response, but as we arrived Clapham around 0731 the tour (due off at 0728) was still in. We ran like deranged idiots across the footbridge (its a long way) , on descending the steps tour organiser John Farrow said “are you from East Croydon?” and we boarded the tour leaving 5 down after waiting for us..
Apparently engineering work had seen our train diverted, so the Victoria departure screen was wrong re the Clapham Jn stop. We had those East Croydon staff to thank. Many others returned to Victoria and were put on a can at Euston to make the tour at New St or Crewe.
The Burntisland Bellower, October 1st 1983
Category: Mass bellowing on a superb tour
A short break saw fodder raked in before departing from Edinburgh round various slow speed MGR haunts our xos 26’s (001 and 006) were familiar with before the whole train ritualistically bellowed as we thrashed through Burntisland. This alarmed an elderly lady on the up platform. Polmont then a main line burst of speed to Moss End where the 26’s were removed. Here green kettle Flying Scotsman was waiting to work North whilst Scottish choppers 20149/20202 provided the power onwards to Ayr. The “Boris the basher” headboard was very nearly put on the front of 4472 to wind up the kettle neds.
The EM2 farewell, June 14th 1986
Category: A classic line up of locos for tour participants
The big kettle took us North East to Utrecht from where 1505 fired up to Boxtel Goods Yard. The name “Boxtel” will remain in enthusiast folklore for ever on the line up of all 4 EM2’s here. The hour here was spent with several miles of film being exposed on the unique line up for the final time. “I love NS” stickers were spotted on several staff cars, well we all did now too!
The North West Rambler no 3, March 10th 1984
Category – Loco failure but the rescue loco is a “good un”
The rats returned us to Stoke, for the goyles onward to Stockport. Here 45104 was onward power to Buxton and back. A photo stop at Chapel-le-Frith on the outward run was spoilt by grey skies. Once back at Stockport hordes of 40 bashers gathered as the rare 40082 replaced the EH peak. A thick black clag hinted all was not well up front and after passing 40063 on chemical tanks near Ashton Moss 40082 finally failed at Park. The whole train was now leaning out of the window in and the atmosphere tensed a bit as rumours of a 47/4, or even the peak 45104 again, to the rescue circulated. Newton Heath, to their credit, kicked out a sound rescue engine in 40155 which took the tour and dead 40082 to Ashburys where 40082 was detached.
Timekeeping by now was also out of the window as we left Ashburys 100 mins down and with a long lost path more time was lost as 40155 slogged over through the Hope valley and back to New St.
The Cheshire Cheeser, November 26th 1983
Category: passing through Birkenhead docks tramway, something very special
On leaving Crewe we stopped abruptly with our tail still platformed, a supervisor shouting “if you don’t keep yr heads in, we’ll cancel yer”…This was pre HSE obsession times so on us setting back we learned the real reason was our driver didn’t know the Middlewich route so a replacement driver was found, seeing us now an hour late.
At Lime St the tour atmosphere picked up, many locals piled on, 25161/25042 thrash on departure echoing off the deep walls of Lime St’s long approach was loud, very loud! 20 miles of rat thrash was our lot and in Arpley yard the quoted 40192 backed on. Some moaned that they’d had this 40 on M40 (1507 Plymouth – Manchester ex Glos) back on 110780, who cares, it’s a big ex Eastern monster!
The 40 once whistling, growling and rumbling like hard working 40’s do, took us on a circuitous route incl Frodsham-Helsby, Mickle Trafford (Chester avoider) , Bidston and the unforgettably atmospheric trundle through Birkenhead Docks incl tramway sections.
The Grampian Highlander, Nov 17th 1984
Category: will the loco make it, slipping and slipping…
Thanks to Ian Saunders for the Dufftown write up , i’d bailed at Kieth for some service trains and watched 27008 slip to a stand on the bank out of Kieth and set back several times…
Stumbling off the train at Edinburgh to be greeted by 26003+26007 was a bit like still being in a dream. This is because there is a chap from Bedford, who at the time was down to two 26’s for haulage. Trouble is, he was still in Bedford!
26003+26007 were superb over the Highland mainline, although I don’t think Inverness appreciated getting a pair of NB 26’s in November. With the return being overnight, Inverness had to supply some power for us.
27008 took us from Inverness to Dufftown, Burghead, and Elgin East Goods, and back to Inverness. We lost loads of time on the Dufftown branch as we kept slipping. Back at Inverness, we all headed for the chippy!
The Tubalar Belle, April 2nd 1988
Category: Serious thrash climbing to Blaneau
At Crewe a now immaculate repainted shiny green 40122 was attached and by Beeston Castle we knew her field divert problems or whatever had been cured as she was storming! Along the coast it seemed like old times with memories of many of her long scrapped sisters similarly storming through Abergele and alike. At a wet Llandundo 47287 was used to shunt the stock out to the coach sidings, a good few of us staying on for the riot value. Then came the climb to Blaneau, we walked up to what was now the front coach for a some serious grinding, growling 40 thrash.
The rain with snow on Snowdon had all the rivers and streams in speight increasing the wildness of the lonely landscape 40122 was pounding across.
The Cambrian Coast Express, May 6th 1985
Category: Will she make the summit, 25058 over Taleriddig
25078 and 25058 at Aberystwyth left 2 down with the return 1745 LNER Society Charter to Euston. Once again speeds were reasonable with 64 mph being made at milepost 82 before Dovey Jn. An extended wait for the DMU from Pwhelli then a few miles shortly after leaving Machynlleth 25058 started throwing out a huge column of black smoke! 25058 failed completly at milepost 68 a few miles before the beginning of the 3 mile 1 in 50 climb over Taleriddig. As per the speed log or progress was slow over the climb but we were soon doing 64 mph on the other side.
To quote Steven Clements the second man from his Flickr site ” After departure from Machynlleth, and before reaching Llanbrynmair, where the gradient increases to 1 in 52 on the climb up to Talerddig, 25058 failed by breaking is crankshaft and loosing all power, leaving 25078 to struggle on alone.
Almost stalling completely just below Talerddig due to ‘078s sanders not working, speed had dropped enough that it was possible to sand by hand – luckily the train was double-manned, so the secondman (…me!) could step off and walk alongside sanding until 25078 regained its composure, (…getting back on board before speed increased too much) and made it over the summit.
25078 continued alone to Shrewsbury and managed to not lose any more time”.
The last mile or so “over the top at Taleriddig” will remain in the memory of most aboard for ever, smoke, thrash, slow running and even more thrash, 25078’s gutsy performance was superb, unforgettable….
The Anglo Scottish Freighter, Friday May 4th 1984
Category – Mass bellow of support the miners!
Our compo consist contained a keen track basher and the gentle rolling stagger from Claydon Jn-Bletchley Flyover soon had him well asleep after his early start from Brum. On him waking in the Woburn Sands area he was absolutely withered that we had failed to wake him, as he could not count the Claydon-Bletchley track as scored due his slumberous state. This was dispite our assurances that we had done the route and it was as dull as ever, a loud Sulzer attack on Sharnbrook ended further debate.
Onto the Leicester-Coalville-Burton freight artery one of the few amusing things we were all to see as a result of the miner’s dispute was to see the tour pass alongside a police football match near Drakelow power station on a break between shifts. Much bellowing of “support the Miners” raised laughter on both sides as our rats plodded North
The Whistling Highlander, Feb 24th 2024
Category – Inverness appreciating 40013 had conquered Shap, Beattock, Drumochter and Scholdt
On arrival in Inverness to the charismatic whistle of 40013 warbling under the station roof was superb after the long slog from Crewe conquering Shap, Beattock, Drumochter and Scholdt summits en route, It also stirred memories of other memorable class 40 Highland Line runs in the late 70’s and early 80’s. People than scattered for hotels and pubs in Inverness, we went North on 158711 to Dingwall to do the Wimpys for the riot value. The Wimpy’s was shut however! so the top chippie and the Stag Bar in Dingwall fuelled us up for the next day!.
The Valley Explorer, May 5th 1986
Category – awesome thrash and anti duff men!
The rats were soon chattering away up front Sulzer style building up the mileage. What may well have been the last ever rats to Barry Island were thwarted by a points failure on the start of the causeway to the North of the Island. After a delay of half an hour 47242 was borrowed from Barry depot to haul us back to Cardiff. As 242 was coupled a number of anti 47 men were seen doing desperate ballast leaps , this was to cost them a very enjoyable chunk of the tour.
With 242 quickly detached at Cardiff, the rats headed West to Margam yard where beast 37237 took over to take us onwards to Burrow Sdgns to run round before 45 minutes of awesome thrash on the ascent to Onllwyn. Under sunny skies locals in the pubs waved, traffic stopped ect to watch us pass.
From Chrishttps://www.flickr.com/photos/160975175@N07/49841630912/in/photolist-2iWkoq1-2iknoV1 Brogdale’s excellent Flickr site, heres 37237 arriving at Burrows sidings with the Valley Explorer tour
Anymore great railtour moments out there to share????
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