The Buxton Bullet Railtour, Saturday December 1st 1984
Pre Tour moves
2 different 86’0’s on the Evening Cobblers was a good start but it was a bit worrying to see the likes of 81002, 85018 and 85023 all dispatched North. 1A76 the legendary 1730 Birmingham – Euston local shacks turn at least got 85039. After an evening back home it was 310084 North to Rugby picking up Steve Wolverton en route.
At Rugby 58002/58013 on a down Speedlink looked good, the power North to Crewe was dull though. 85031 took us and a good few more tour punters from Crewe to New St on V62 before “bog cart” 51340/59491/51381 took us to the unusual tour pick up station, Stourbridge Jn.
33004 at Crewe with the 0355 vans to Stoke on December 1st 1984
The Tour
consist 9 x Mk I’s
organiser F n W
headcode 1Z40
The tour arrived Stourbridge Jn close to the booked 0814 departure time (15 down). The power was a dull western Region steamer 47121 (2 x 31 had been requested) but we headed straight onto rare track heading through Dudley low level (under Dudley Port), Wednesbury and into Bescot Yard. Here the requested 08 also failed to produce. F n W then advised they couldn’t sit me and Steve Wolverton together , we had booked separately….
Things picked up with 25089 and 25245 chattering away and steaming nicely from Bescot. 82 miles of rat mileage followed taking in Soho W, Wolves, Crewe and Stockport. The requested 40 was waiting here and 40044 was well received. 40044 was soon thrashing away on the long climb from Hazel Grove to Buxton where we had an hour’s break on a grey, misty Pennine afternoon.
Mike Fielding of F n W tours enquires with the driver of 25089 at Stockport, Dec 1st 1984
The laugh of the day came from some “anti Peak” men aboard, they were not happy that 45034 had been attached for the 0.25mile pull back to Buxton Jn. An interesting route then followed through Peak Forest, New Mills, Cheadle Jn, Northenden Jn, Skelton Jn, Altrincham, Northwich, Middlewich and Crewe.
Buxton tour views of 40044 and 47278 on Buxton shed, December 1st 1984
40044 then had a blast of WCML running but we had to bail at Stafford to get home earlier as the tour was routed slowly via Bescot and Stourbridge Jn via Soho. Looking back this tour had a high trapped factor, Watt’s incessant squealing in the buffet didnt impress and the lack of advertised power made this a disappointing tour but with 2 x 25, a 40 and so much freight track you could’t complain really!
Post Tour moves
Some HST to Wolves, “roarer bowler” 86321 Wolves – MK for 310051 getting me home for 2000.
The Gen
30/11/84 Fr no winners! all weekend!
86260 1714Euston-Northampton
86037 1718 Euston-Northampton LB-MK
053 1635 Birmingham-Euston MK-LB
81003 1745 Euston-Northampton
85023 1750 Euston-Preston Addit
81002 1755 Euston-Manchester
85018 1810 Euston-Wolverhampton
86001 1815 Euston-Northampton LB-BY
85039 1730 Birmingham-Euson BY-LB
084 2200 Euston-Rugby LB-RU
1/12/84 Sa
86103 2240 Euston-Inverness
87011 2330 Euston-Glasgow
86212 2320 Euston-Wolverhampton
58002} D.Railfreight
58013}
86231 2330 Euston-Glasgow
86246 2350 Euston-Liverpool RU-CR
45136 2350 Euston-Liverpool
47535 0225 Euston-Holyhead
86209 0352 Crewe-Birmingham
86228 2215 Glasgow-Euston
86258 2310 Glasgow-Euston
47555 0115 Holyhead-Euston
81014 0115 Holyhead-Euston (fail Stafford)
86037 0350 Euston-Bletchley
85031 2355 Glas/Edin-Bristol CR-NS (via BS)
31402 0713 Birmingham-Leicester
51340}
59491} 0730 Birmingham-Hereford NS-SJ
51381}
47121 0410 Plymouth-Buxton Railtour SJ-BS (via Dudley)
25089} 0410 Plymouth-Buxton Railtour BS-STOC
25245}
40044 0410 Plymouth-Buxton Railtour STOC-ST (via Buxton/Crewe)
45034 1255 Buxton-Plymouth Railtour BX-BX H
HST 1642 Manchester-Birmingham ST-WO
85022 1754 Birmingham-Manchester
86321 1827 Wolverhampton-Euston WO-MK
051 1837 Birmingham-Euston MK-LB
end
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