The Park Royal Parkinson tour, Mon March 9th 2020
This was a one way BLS tour essentially returning the stock to Carnforth after the weekend tours. 33029 looked good at Padd and i was pleased with this loco, my last main line trip with her being Bristol to Bath on the 1510 Bristol – Portsmouth back on December 13th 1985!
47746 was the tour power out of Padd, as a South Wales based D1754 this would have been a Padd regular in the late 60’s.
We took in the Old Oak ECS flyover soon after leaving before a pathing stop just past the former junction of the Wycombe and main lines. My colleague spotted a 37’6 dragging a 745 unit over the NLL here, always something of interest in London it seems
After West Ealing we joined the Greenford branch but on passing Greenford East we kept on going much further than the itinary suggested in fact a few miles down the old Wycombe line to end at the gates of Park Royal’s current aggregate terminal (Siding no 3 apparently). Then our 33 crackled into life and with load 8 and a dead 47 she worked hard storming down the Chiltern main line making light work of the infamous Saunderton Bank, perhaps the highlight of the trip.
A photo stop (remember them) at Bicester North was nicely timed just before the inevitable rains set in. Banbury, Leamington and then at Coventry our 47 fired up to haul us “right to the blocks” of line 4 of Coventry Yard, rare track!
33029 then took us back North through little Bedworth to Nuneaton for another good storm down the Trent Valley. We bailed at a soggy Stafford but the tour continued onto Stoke, Crewe, Preston and Lancaster.
For us a rancid busy 350’2 unit (a bus according my colleague!) South, an interesting tour over.
Phots from the day
Still get used to wires at Eaing Broadway! 33029 storms through with the tour ECS for Padd
Never a common sight back in the day, 33029 at the blocks at what today is squeeky clean Padd
47746 at Padd, the “Big Sulzer” hauling the tour and tailing 33 to Park Royal via Greenford
Park Royal “back road no 3 siding gates” were reached, burnt out brake van alongside the loco
33029 takes a rest from thrashing along the Chiltern main line at Bicester North
At a very wet Stafford, 33029 awaits the road
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