Northwest Rambler No 3.
DAA (“Daft as Arseholes”) Tours
Saturday March 10th 1984
Ching £14-95
Power Route
85039 Euston-Watford-Weedon-Rugby-Coventry
31273} Coventry-New St-Bescot-Stafford-Stoke
31187}
25059} Stoke-Leek Brook Jn-Stoke
25218}
31273} Stoke-Macclesfield-Stockport
31187}
45104 Stockport-Hazel Grove-Buxton-Hazel Grove-Stockport
40082 Stockport-Heaton Norris Jn-Ashton Moss jn-Park (fail)
40155} Park-Ashbuys
40082(d)}
40155 Ashburys-New Mills-Edale-Chesterfield-Derby-Water Orton-New St
86254 New St-Coventry-Weedon-Euston
A right time 0755 departure saw us settling into our 9 coach compo consist with 85039 in scream mode once past Willesden. 85039 lived up to her “Concorde” nickname by holding speeds well in excess of 100 mph from Tring Summit to Hanslope, apart from the 90 mph totter through Linslade tunnel. Once at Hanslope our driver eased off yet we were still 5 early through Rugby.
At Coventry the train filled and our speeds dropped as goyle power in 31273/31187 took us North. Personal jubilation followed at Stoke as 25218 and 25059 backed on. 25059 was my 100th rat for haulage so I was well happy. The rats took an unfamiliar left turn for a trundle to Leek Brook Jn of sand train fame. Here we all leapt off for a half hour photo stop whilst the rats ran round. In open the semi moorland here we could wander to scenic heights to phot our rodents.
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 last tour power in 86254 forward from New St dissapointed us, 85039 no doubt being borrowed for higher priority duties. I leapt at Watford, the tour now 120 down as a virtually empty train headed back to Euston. A cracking tour with that superb atmosphere and occasional unpredictability that came with DAA tours, them were days!
North West Rambler Phot spot..
Pls click on the text for a full size image
25218 and 25059 and tour participants at Leek Brook Jn prior to running round on this long closed branch that once carried much sand traffic. Thanks to 60A for the phot
Neil Evans view of the “large” 40082 prior to taking the tour forward from Stockport
Every picture tells a story! 40155 piloting failed 40082 in the Park Area. Our next visit to this area was 20 odd years later for a 40145 tour out of Vic. We had a long nervy check at Park of all places,making the tour on a plus 7!
Roarer Speed Log
85039 1Z15 Euston-Buxton DAA charter, 9 vb 100384
0 Euston 0755 0756.03 +1 …..
1 0758.37 23
3` 0801.03 50
4 0801.52 73
5 Willesden 0802 0803.12 +1 40
6.25 0805.19 35
7.25 0806.07 75
8 0806.47 90
9 0807.21 95
13 0810 90
15.5 0811.42 88
16.5 0812.03 83
17 0812.57 75
17.5 Watford Jn 0812 0813 0814.05 0814.46 +2/1 50
17.75 0815.48 26
18.25 0816.27 46
18.75 0816.40 74
20 0817.50 90
21 0818.32 90
22 0819.12 95
23 0819.50 93
24 Hemel 0820.28 97
25 0821.05 100
26 0821.42 100
27 0822.23 88
28 Berko 0823.02 92
30 0824.20 98
31 Tring 0824.5 0824.58 94
33 0826.11 100
35 0827.20 100
36 0827.53 102
37 0828.28 102
38 0829.03 102
39 0829.38 102
40 Leighton 0830.15 97
41 0830.55 90
42 0831.32 97
43 0832.09 97
44.25 0832.55` 97
45 0833.21 103
46 Bletchley 0835 0833.57 – 1 100
47 0834.32 102
48 0835.06 105
49 Milton Keynes 0835.50 105
50 0836.15 102
51 0836.50 102
52.25 Wolverton 0837.50 100
53 0838.02 100
54 0838.37 102
55 0839.12 102
56 Hanslope 0842 0839.47 -2 102
57 0840.23 100
58 0840.58 102
59 0841.35 97
60 0842.12 97
61 0842.29 97
62 0843.24 102
63 0844.01 97
64 0844.43 85
66 0846.01 94
67 0846.39 94
68 0847.16 97
69 0847.58 85
70 Weedon 0851 0848.44 -3 78
Then eased….
Leighton Lists 