The “Six Five Special” Railtour, Saturday September 13th 1997
Organiser: Hertfordshire
Headcode: 1Z66 (to Bristol), 1Z33 (ex Bristol)
Timekeeping: 10L-15E
Ching: £36-50
Stock: 12 x Mk I – 4938, 4915, 5005, 17015, 4956, 4939, 4949, 4998, 4999, 1658, 3148, 3150
The Moves
321404 0531 M.Keynes – Euston LB-EU
33116 Tour ECS
33051} 0731 Victoria – Exeter SD Railtour (Via Bristol) VI-EX
33030}
33030} 1412 Exeter SD – Victoria Rtn Railtour (via Salis, Soton, Bas, Staines) EX-VI
33051}
33116 2027 Victoria – Finsbury Pk minitour (via KO) VI-FP
321417 2134 Euston – M.Keynes EU-LB
Met up with Steve Wolverton on the 0542 321 off Leighton. Despite the early hour conversation flowed as a sunny day beckoned. Engineering work outside Euston saw 2 x 37 and 2 x 60 on ballast jobs, the days of 25s on such turns a distant memory. 33116 was at the blocks at Victoria with the Tour emcars, 33030 and 33051 at the country end along with the surviving 33019, 33025, 33026, 33046 and 33202 active elsewhere on the day in a once 98 strong fleet.
33116 at the blocks at Victoria with the Six Five Special tour emcars
The good news was that we were in Coach C so well placed for thrash, the bad news was we had rancid narrow door seats.
The atmosphere aboard was lively as we headed through Herne Hill to join the main line at Wimbledon. Guildford, Havant and Eastleigh followed before joining the old Crompton stamping ground of Romsey to Bristol TM via the Avon valley. Some bellowing photographers on a still sunny Salisbury Plain raised a huge cheer but severe gloom during the 20 minute stop at Temple Meads with Bath Road depot now a weed infested “jungle”.
33051 and 33030 with the tour at Westbury, a regular haunt for the class down the years
The weed infested “jungle” covering the once mighty Bristol Bath Road depot
Bouts of fast running in the mid 90s occurred but were never sustained for long. A rather unpleasant welcome at Exeter St Davids where the legitimate adjacent platform photting point had been fenced off, Farcical!
A totally unnecessary temporary fence was put up at Exeter SD to stop photographers on a normally accessible platform. Still a reasonable view of 33051 and 33030 with the tour here
Much noise from up front on the 1 in 37 climb up to Exeter Central where a huge bellow went from us on passing, nostalgia eh! Old mule haunts followed, an out of place 20188 was viewed preserved at Yeovil Jn, leaving Salisbury the reality of perhaps being the last time we leave here behind Cromptons briefly set in before more bellowing from the train as wepassed every shack! Unfortunately we left the main line at Byfleet Jn for the usual railtour totter via Staines and Barnes before Clapham Jn and finally Victoria at 1954 precisely some 15 early. Entering Victoria there were loud hoots from up front and cheers from many aboard, a classic farewell tour was over.
Then came the anti climax 33116 (after 6 attempts) was coupled to the tour stock to work a mini tour via Kensington O to Finsbury Park, obviously a North London Line stagger cannot compare with main line running but as my colleague said “the last rights have to be done!”
A quick farewell glance at the Park the tube and 321417 home ended an enjoyable Crompton farewell.
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