THE GYRE & GIMBLE RAIL TOUR 12th March 1988

Thanks to Dave Spencer for the memories…

This rail tour organised by the Southern Electric Group (SEG) was a precursor to the 21st century “buffer kisser” rail tours organised by other operators.

Whilst mainly visiting passenger branches, some freight lines were included.

This tour was accessible via the 03:05 Manchester-Brighton which made it at Clapham Junction. Going via Euston could result in missing the tour

73138PropelClapham JnChessington Goods08:18 WLOO-Chess
73138HaulChessington GoodsWimbledon09:00 Chess-Wimb
73138PropelWimbledonEpsom Downs09:38 Wimb-EpsmD
73138HaulEpsom DownsNorwood Jn10:03 EpsmD-Nor Jn
73138PropelNorwood JnCaterham10:33 Nor Jn-Catrhm
73138HaulCaterhamPurley11:00 Catrhm-Prly
73138PropelPurleyTattenham Corner11:14 Prly-TattCnr
73138HaulTattenham CornerNorwood Jn11:39 TattCnr-Nor Jn
73138PropelNorwood JnBlackfriars12:19 Nor Jn- B’Friar
73138HaulBlackfriarsBromley North13:27 B’Friar-Brom  N
73138PropelBromley NorthNew Cross14:38 Brom N- NewX
73138HaulNew CrossHayes14:58 NewX-Hayes
73138PropelHayesElmers End15:26 Hayes-Elm End
73138HaulElmers EndAddiscombe15:40 Elm End-Addcm
73138PropelAddiscombeNew Beckenham15:55 Addcm-New Bkm
73138HaulNew BeckenhamBeckenham Jn16:11 New Bkm-Beck J
73138PropelBeckenham JnCrystal Palace16:23 BeckJ- Crys Pal
73138HaulCrystal PalaceWimbledon16:38 Crys Pal-Wimb
73138PropelWimbledonHampton Court17:16 Wimb-Hamp Ct
73138HaulHampton CourtSurbiton17:45 Hamp Ct-Surb
73138PropelSurbitonTwickenham17:56 Surb-Twick
73138HaulTwickenhamShepperton18:49 Twick-Shepp
73138PropelSheppertonWaterloo19:20 Shepp-Wloo

TATTENHAM CORNER (no walking from Epsom Downs today)

SUNDRIDGE PARK (On Bromley North branch)

No dead yanks here at ELMERS END today

HAMPTON COURT (The real reason Henry V111 sired no more children after Edward)

This was an excellent tour with none of that silly “wasting time” to await path nonsense.

The reason was simple it was timed by SEG members who worked for Southern Region to cover as much of the suburban network as possible.

Don’t think there was a “kebab attempt” on the Addiscombe branch today

I have detailed the main itinerary earlier on

However where routes can vary I will elaborate here.

Wimbledon-Epsom Downs..   Via Mitcham Junction & Sutton

Epsom Downs-Norwood Jn    Via West Croydon

Norwood Jn-Blackfriars          Via West Croydon-Mitcham-Streatham S to N Jns Balham            

                                                      Clapham Jn-Factory Jn-Brixton

Blackfriars-Bromley N             Via London Bridge-Lewisham-Charlton-Crayford Spur-Bexley-Lee J

Beckenham Jn-Crystal P        Via Birkbeck

Crystal P-Wimbledon              Via Norwood Jn-Sutton-St Helier (The Wall of death!!!)

Surbiton-Twickenham             Via Virginia Water

Shepperton-Waterloo              Via Raynes Park

Such was the good running of the tour, it got back into Waterloo giving sufficient time to make the 20:45 to Wolverhampton at Euston  86427 (YUK) this was a veritable “dustcart” following the “Lord Mayors Show” of a tour

THE GYRE AND GIMBLE SEG TOUR   
12th March 1988    
ED  73138 and TC 8034 & 8104    
     
 SchArrSchPass/Dep
CLAPHAM JN  08:2708:28:40
Wimbledon  08:3308:33:05
Raynes Park  08:3608:34:35
Motspur Park  08:3808:36:50
Chessington Goods08:4808:52:2009:0009:01:15
Motspur Park  09:0709:09:55
Raynes Park  09:1709:13:55
Wimbledon09:2209:17:1509:3809:37:45
Mitcham Jn  09:4509:45:05
Mitcham South  09:45:3009:45:30
Sutton  09:5109:51:15
Epsom Downs09:5809:59:1010:0310:05:30
Sutton  10:1010:12:00
West Croydon  10:1910:19:00
Norwood Jn10:2810:24:1010:3310:32:55
East Croydon  10:3710:36:51
Purley  10:4210:42:10
Caterham10:5510:51:4011:0011:00:10
Purley11:0911:09:0011:1411:16:00
Tattenham Corner11:3111:32:0011:3911:39:30
Purley  11:5611:54:40
East Croydon  12:0112:03:50
Norwood Jn12:0812:07:5012:1912:20:05
West Croydon  12:2412:24:30
Mitcham Jn  12:3512:30:40
Streatham S Jn  12:3912:34:40
Streatham N Jn  12:4112:35:35
Balham (Gateway to the South)  12:43:3012:37:30
CLAPHAM JN12:4612:40:2012:4712:47:01
Longhedge Jn  12:5112:50:30
Factory Jn  12:5912:52:20
Brixton  13:0212:55:25
Loughboro Jn  13:0512:57:10
BLACKFRIARS13:1213:04:1513:2713:26:25
Lewisham  13:4013:43:45
Blackheath  13:4213:45:15
Charlton  13:4513:47:50
Woolwich Arsenal  13:4913:51:45
Abbey Wood  13:5313:54:20
Slade Green  13:5913:58:40
Crayford Spur  14:0214:01:00
Crayford    14:0414:03:20
Lee  14:1214:11:30
Lee Spur Jn  14:1514:12:20
Grove Park  14:2014:18:24
Sundridge Park14:2514:20:0014:3014:33:50
Bromley North14:3314:35:3514:3814:40:30
Grove Park  14:4214:44:10
Hither Green  14:4514:46:50
Parks Bridge  14:4614:48:10
New Cross  14:4914:51:00
Lewisham  15:0115:01:40
New Beckenham  15:0715:06:40
Elmers End  15:1015:09:20
Hayes15:1615:15:2015:2615:25:40
Elmers End15:3315:32:1015:4015:39:05
Addiscombe15:4715:44:2015:5015:55:30
Elmers End  16:0016:00:00
New Beckenham16:0316:03:0016:1116:10:13
Crystal Palace 16:29:2016:3016:34:20
Signal167 16:35:0016:3816:36:00
Bromley Junction  16:4016:39:13
Norwood Jn  16:4216:42:36
West Croydon  16:4616:46:40
Sutton  16:5716:56:40
West Sutton  16:5916:59:00
Wimbledon17:0817:07:0017:1017:14:45
Raynes Park  17:2017:17:50
New Malden  17:2317:19:05
Surbiton  17:2717:21:40
Hampton Court17:3317:27:2017:4517:45:35
Surbiton17:5017:52:3017:5617:57:10
Hampton Court Jn  18:0218:00:10
Weybridge  18:1118:05:10
Addlestone Jn  18:1318:07:45
Virginia Water  18:2018:15:50
Staines  18:2718:22:50
Feltham Jn  18:3518:31:40
Twickenham18:4118:35:1318:4918:45:40
Strawberry Hill  18:5418:49:20
Fulwell 18:52:3118:5718:54:15
Shepperton19:1419:14:1019:2019:22:10
Fulwell  19:3019:30:45
Teddington  19:3719:33:40
New Malden  19:4319:40:10
Raynes Park  19:5219:42:35
Wimbledon19:5519:45:1019:5619:45:55
CLAPHAM JN20:0019:51:5220:0019:52:40
WATERLOO20:08  19:59:45

Thanks again to Dave Spencer for the quality write up..

end