Newly-announced Pathfinder trips include rare tracks tour
TWO new tours have been recently announced by Pathfinder Railtours, taking it towards the all-important Christmas period.
The ‘Cotswold Caper’ on October 29 features “three very choice bits of track.” Motive power will be two Class 37 diesels throughout with only seven carriages; the short train is essential for it to fit into the loops and sidings rarely visited by passenger trains.
The train will be top-and-tailed, but double-heading will take place from Gloucester to Burton upon Trent.
The highlight has to be the Honda factory branch that opened in 2008 and closed in 2021. It carried very little traffic at all and no passenger trains.
Starting at Burton at 6.30am, the requested route is Barnt Green, then the Down Bromsgrove Loop, Cheltenham Spa, Stroud, Swindon Reception, Up Swindon Goods Loop, South Marston Euroterminal NR Limit, Challow Up Relief, Foxhall Curve, Down Kennington Goods Loop, Hinksey Yard, Oxford Down Through, Banbury Platform 1, Up Aynho Goods Loop, Oxford (reverse), Wolvercote Jn, Moretonin-Marsh, Moreton-in-Marsh Down Refuge Siding, Norton
Jn, Henwick Turnback Siding (Reverse), Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester (reverse), and then back at 10pm.
The ‘Whistling Geordie’ on November 12 is a very recent addition. Class 40 No. 40145/ D345 returns for an inaugural run with Pathfinders Railtours to Newcastle from Burton. The joining stations are Tamworth, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, and Warrington Bank Quay.
A Class 47 or 57 will haul the Riviera Trains Mk.1 set from Burton to Crewe, where No. 40145 will take over to
Newcastle. The train will then work to York, passing through Hartlepool returning via Hexham and Penrith, down the West Coast Main Line.
The August 6 ‘Dorset Coast Explorer’ with two Class 33s ran fully booked and was considered a very good day out. The attraction here were the 33s and Mk.1 coaches on their old stomping ground between Bournemouth and Weymouth, rekindling memories of 1960s trains prior to electrification. It was Pathfinder’s first tour with the Class 33s since 2008.
Waiting list
On September 3, the‘Cumbrian Fells Express’, behind Bulleid Pacific No. 34067 Tangmere, is fully booked with a waiting list. Times have changed slightly, with an earlier start from Bristol Temple Meads at 5.35am, picking up at Bristol Parkway, Cam and Dursley, Cheltenham Spa, Worcester Parkway, Birmingham New Street, Stafford, Crewe, and Preston behind either a Class 47 or 57. Tangmere takes over at Carnforth for a run northbound over Shap, with the return via Settle to Preston, where steam comes off and a diesel returns the train to Bristol, arriving at 11.25pm.
Limited spaces are available for the ‘Cambrian Coast Express’ on September 9. At the time of going to press, the timings were unchanged, with the tour starting from Cardiff at 7am and running via Newport and Welsh Marches to Shrewsbury behind a DB Cargo diesel locomotive outward and return, picking up en route. From Shrewsbury, two Network Rail Class 97/3s (37s) take over for a run over Talerddig to Machynlleth before crossing the wooden viaduct over the Afon Mawddach estuary into Barmouth. The return journey is via the same outward route. Options are available at Minffordd and Portmeirion, Porthmadog and Pwllheli.
There are no changes at present to the October 15 jaunt behind two West Coast Railways’ Class 37s over the Settle and Carlisle line, returning via Shap. Premier dining has limited seats, and space is still available in first and standard classes. The train starts at Newport at 5.45am, picking up at Bristol Parkway, Cam and Dursley, Cheltenham Spa, Worcester Parkway, Bromsgrove, Birmingham New Street, and Stafford, returning to Newport at 11.30pm.
Across the Thames
An interesting variation to the September 24‘Canterbury Ventura’tour from Burton to Margate will now see two Class 33s double-head the majority of the journey with Mk.1 carriages in tow.
Departure from Burton is at 6am, picking up at Northfield, Worcester Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Stroud, Kemble, Swindon, and Kensington Olympia before running through London and crossing the River Thames towards the destination of Canterbury and Margate.
The return will be via a different route from Ashford, and from the London area a Class 47 will take over, returning the train to Burton at 11.15pm.