From The Front Coach
Pathfinder has announced one of its popular Friday evening, overnight and Saturday daytime series of ‘Buffer Puffer’ charters using topped-and-tailed Class 37s. This time Colas locos is pencilled in to haul the three trains, which will run on July 30/31. The Friday evening train will be the ‘Kennet Navigator’, which will start at Trowbridge and head to Bristol Parkway, then on to Didcot, avoiding Reading, and then via the Berks and Hants line to Pewsey. It will return via Trowbridge and on to Bristol Parkway where it will terminate. On the way, several goods loops will be featured. Included in the fare is a cottage pie meal.
The overnight trip will be the ‘Taffy Buffer Puffer’, which will start at Bristol Parkway and then head to South Wales to cover several lines that are not accessible to passenger trains during the day. The train will run via Cardiff and Bridgend, first to Maesteg then on to Coryton, Cardiff Bay, Radyr and then Ebbw Vale Town. The train will return to England via Newport and the Filton Chord to Avonmouth and continue to Severn Beach. It will backtrack to Bristol Parkway via Avonmouth, Clifton, the Rhubarb Curve and a reversal at Bristol East. A few ‘non passenger’ loops will be included in the itinerary.
Once back at Bristol Parkway the train will end and the ‘Cotswold Canter’ will start – a day’s ramble around the Cotswold Hills, journeying over both the Golden Valley and North Cotswold routes. It will run via Cheltenham Spa to reverse at Alstone Carriage Sidings and then go back via Stroud to Swindon, on to Oxford and then the MoD line to Kineton. After another reversal it will continue to Oxford and then change direction again and continue to Worcester Shrub Hill. It will visit the Henwick Reversing Siding before venturing back to Cheltenham Spa, Bristol Parkway and, finally, Trowbridge.
The three trains will have limited capacity but can be booked as individual railtours or all together as a combined
rover ticket. Mk 1 coaches will be used. Pathfinder says its planned Class 20/37 tour pencilled in for August 7 will not now be happening. It has moved it to next year to save congestion and everyone’s pockets!
Pathfinder is off to the south east of England with ‘Merchant Navy’ 35028 Clan Line on Saturday July 3 on its ‘Man of Kent’ charter to Margate. The train will start at Newport behind a DB Cargo Class 67 and run via Chepstow, Gloucester, Stroud, Swindon, Reading and Kensington Olympia where the Bulleid Pacific is booked to take over. The outward journey behind 35028 will be via the Medway towns and Faversham to Margate, Kent’s most famous seaside town where there will be a three-hour break. The return will be steam hauled via Sandwich, Dover, Folkestone, Tonbridge and suburbs of London before the traction swap sees the Class 67 return the train to South Wales.
Vintage Trains returns with busy steam programme
Vintage Trains (VT) has announced a varied programme of main line charters for 2021, many steam-hauled. Included in the programme is a train celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Stephenson Locomotive Society’s annual specials from Birmingham to Swindon. The Vintage railtour on September 25 is called the ‘SLS Special’ and it will be hauled by 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. The day will begin at Tyseley Locomotive Works and proceed via Birmingham to Kidderminster and Worcester before continuing through the Golden Valley to Swindon where there will be a break to visit the Steam Museum. The return will be via Didcot and Banbury.
On October 2 there will be a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the return of steam to the main line in the UK. In October 1971, 6000 King George V worked from Hereford to Birmingham, so on this railtour VT will be running a Birmingham to Hereford return leg hauled by 7029 Clun Castle. The train will start at Tyseley Locomotive Works and run via Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury before taking the avoiding line to head south along the Welsh Marches line via Craven Arms to Hereford for a three-hour break. The return will follow the original 1971 tour’s route, continuing south and avoiding Newport to join the South Wales Main Line to Swindon. After a water stop at Didcot it will then return via Banbury.
The series of ‘Shakespeare Express’ trains will start on July 17 and run on 13 dates, including nine consecutive summer Sundays from July 18. The trains will offer breakfast, traditional Sunday lunch or pub-style Sunday lunch and afternoon tea. You can also travel without dining for the trip to Stratfordupon-Avon for just £25. The four Saturday trains will run on a different schedule, out and back on the North Warwickshire Line via Henley-in-Arden. Trains will start at Birmingham Snow Hill and call at Moor Street and Tyseley. On Sundays the return journey will be via Solihull and run non-stop to Tyseley. Also on Sundays, a round trip from Stratford-upon-Avon will be available. 5043 should make its return debut on these trains following overhaul.
The ‘Welsh Marches Express’ is due to run on October 9 with 46233 Duchess of Sutherland, from Tyseley to Hereford via Birmingham Snow Hill and Gloucester. After a break the train will continue north via the Shrewsbury avoiding line and back to Tyseley.
Three weeks later, on October 30, is the ‘Midland Bristolian’, which will set off from Derby behind 47773 before giving way to 46233 at Dorridge. This will continue via Oxford and Swindon to Bristol for a three and a half hour break. The return to Derby will be via Cheltenham Spa and the Lickey Incline. At Derby the steam loco will gives way to 47773 for a run back to Tyseley.
Saturday November 20 will see two separate trips with two Castles, both steam banked up the Lickey Incline. The morning run will be behind 4936, while the afternoon run will be with 7029. Both trains will be banked by Pannier tank 9466.
The ‘Melton Mowbray Victorian Christmas Fayre’ is set for December 5 using 4936 and 7029 topping-and-tailing from Tyseley to Melton Mowbray. During the five-hour break in the town, the stock will be used for the ‘Harringworth Viaduct Lunchtime Special’ from Melton to Corby and back.
The following Saturday, December 11, the ‘Merchant Venturer’ will take passengers to the popular Bath Christmas Market and will also continue to Bristol Temple Meads. This train will be worked by 4936 with assistance from 47773. Finally, the ‘White Rose’, for York Christmas Market, will run on December 18 with 7029 and 47773 providing the power. Full details and prices of all Vintage Trains’ excursions can be found at www.VintageTrains.co.uk.
Vintage denies issues over Class 20 hire
Vintage Trains has dismissed suggestions that there are contractual issues with Michael Owen over the hire of two of his Class 20s for a number of excursions this summer and says that any issues have been resolved. There are two trains in the pipeline, both midweek, that are due to be Class 20-hauled throughout – on August 4 from Tyseley to Skegness, and a week later on August 11 to Llandudno.
On Wednesday August 18 the ‘Weston Venturer’ from Tyseley to Weston-SuperMare is planned using 47773 toppingand-tailing with the 20s. The following Wednesday, August 25, there should be a Tyseley to Scarborough trip, again using the Class 47 with the 20s on the rear for assistance and stock shunts.
UK Railtours commemorates John Farrow
For the charter industry the loss of the charismatic John Farrow to COVID-19 last April was a huge shock. Sadly, because of the restrictions, the funeral had limited attendees and no commemoration could be held to pay tribute to one of the giants of the railway. John’s daughter Liz Morris is now running UK Railtours and is looking to get the company back up to full speed with a packed charter programme once social distancing has been dispensed with.
On Wednesday August 18 UK Railtours will be running an incredibly special train to celebrate and remember John’s life. All profits generated by the train will be donated to The Royal Free Charity. The special train will be hauled throughout by Merchant Navy 35028 Clan Line, a steam loco that would have worked through Sherborne on a regular basis in the days of steam. It was one of John’s favourite locos and an image of Clan Line takes pride of place on the memorial plaque where his ashes lie. So it will be a very fitting loco for the train. The special will depart Victoria and proceed via Woking to Salisbury where there will be a water stop before it continues to Sherborne where a memorial service will be held at Sherborne Abbey.
UKR has also confirmed the planned new dates for some of its previously postponed trains. The ‘Aln Valley Venturer’ will now run on August 7, followed a week later by the ‘Tinsley Tugger’. The ‘Merchant of Norfolk’ is set for August 28, the ‘Shrewsbury in Autumn’ for September 25, the ‘Derbyshire Rose’ for October 2 and the Cotswold Lion’ for October 16. Finally, the ‘Doctor Syn’ is now due to run on October 21, while the ‘West Highland and Royal Deeside’ landcruise is set for April 8-11, 2022.