PF/UKRT Western Champion 'One Way Wizzo' Railtour 14/4/24

[Ash Bridge]

Thanks for finding that photo again. It still remains the only shot I’ve ever seen of them on aircons. As you say, I bet it was warm!

My pleasure, I did get another more broadside shot as the train departed which showed more of the stock but unfortunately I can’t currently locate it.

 

[Trackman]

What's with the red dot under the numberplate? no.1 end?
Also thanks to all who have posted pics

 

[Sun Chariot]

What's with the red dot under the numberplate? no.1 end?

This:

Great Western Railway Power and Weight Classification - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Great Western Railway & British Railways (Western Region) classifications for route restrictions

Here's an example on a WR Brush Type 4:

Class47.co.uk ~ Photographs

Photograph of Class 47 Brush Sulzer Type 4 D1932 at PADDINGTON STATION, LONDON, ENGLAND on 22/06/1968

class47.co.uk

 

[Harvester]

Thanks for finding that photo again. It still remains the only shot I’ve ever seen of them on aircons. As you say, I bet it was warm!

Purely out of interest, what stock did 1013 (Western Ranger) haul 16 months later, on it’s trek north to Yorkshire with a Swansea-Leeds working on 20th January 1977.

 

[Cowley]

Purely out of interest, what stock did 1013 (Western Ranger) haul 16 months later, on it’s trek north to Yorkshire with a Swansea-Leeds working on 20th January 1977.

I thought that was D1023 on that run (with dot headcodes)?

If that was the one then I think it was early mk2 pressure ventilated stock from memory?

 

[Harvester]

I thought that was D1023 on that run (with dot headcodes)?

If that was the one then I think it was early mk2 pressure ventilated stock from memory?

Definitely 1013 Western Ranger on 20/1/1977. It worked the 07:30 Swansea-Leeds throughout, with a Gloucester driver onwards from Gloucester, plus conductors from Birmingham.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Definitely 1013 Western Ranger on 20/1/1977. It worked the 07:30 Swansea-Leeds throughout, with a Gloucester driver onwards from Gloucester, plus conductors from Birmingham.

From the shots I’ve seen of that working it appears to be a rake of mainly MK1 stock, I think it found its way onto that service as it was the only available loco with a working steam heating boiler at Laira after the original rostered loco had failed.

 

[Cowley]

Definitely 1013 Western Ranger on 20/1/1977. It worked the 07:30 Swansea-Leeds throughout, with a Gloucester driver onwards from Gloucester, plus conductors from Birmingham.

You’re absolutely right of course. I think I was thinking of the Western Talisman railtour with D1023.

Just found this photo of D1013 leaving Rotherham on the way to Leeds on the working you were talking about (I bet the guy at the front droplight couldn’t stop pinching himself ):

D1013 WESTERN RANGER leaving Rotherham for Leeds 20 Jan 1977

Explore terrygl2's 19274 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[Iskra]

You’re absolutely right of course. I think I was thinking of the Western Talisman railtour with D1023.

Just found this photo of D1013 leaving Rotherham on the way to Leeds on the working you were talking about (I bet the guy at the front droplight couldn’t stop pinching himself ):

D1013 WESTERN RANGER leaving Rotherham for Leeds 20 Jan 1977

Explore terrygl2's 19274 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Oh wow, what a find

 

[Ash Bridge]

Interesting, the shots I found showed mk1s behind the 52, can only assume they were taken at the other end of the train. Could it have run around at Birmingham New Street?

*Edit* So it actually also worked the return Leeds - Plymouth and the shots I mentioned were of that, the pair of mk2s would obviously then be at the rear end.

 

[Harvester]

Interesting, the shots I found showed mk1s behind the 52, can only assume they were taken at the other end of the train. Could it have run around at Birmingham New Street?

It was promptly sent back on an earlier than scheduled working, so that the Gloucester driver was still available to drive. Hence it probably hauled a different rake of stock returning south!

 

[D6130]

Definitely 1013 Western Ranger on 20/1/1977. It worked the 07:30 Swansea-Leeds throughout, with a Gloucester driver onwards from Gloucester, plus conductors from Birmingham.

Are you sure that it wasn't worked forward from Birmingham by Saltley Seagulls? At least one link at Saltley signed Westerns for the Birmingham-Paddington services. A friend of mine in Yorkshire - who is a keen railway photographer - was working in Leeds Control that day and managed to slip out of the office in time to photograph the Western running-round and then departing with the return working.

Interesting, the shots I found showed mk1s behind the 52, can only assume they were taken at the other end of the train. Could it have run around at Birmingham New Street?

It shouldn't have done - unless it was routed via the Camp Hill line - but in those days a lot of Cross Country trains ran via Gloucester so, following the closure of Gloucester Eastgate, it may have reversed at Central.

 

[Ash Bridge]

It was promptly sent back on an earlier than scheduled working, so that the Gloucester driver was still available to drive. Hence it probably hauled a different rake of stock returning south!

Ah, didn’t notice this until after I edited my above post.

 

[Ashley Hill]

It was promptly sent back on an earlier than scheduled working, so that the Gloucester driver was still available to drive. Hence it probably hauled a different rake of stock returning south!

I bet he was quids in what with overtime and milage payment!!!

 

[Harvester]

The Railway Observer reported that 1013 worked the 07:30 Swansea-Leeds and the 14:43 Leeds-Plymouth trains throughout on 20/1/1977, running round at Gloucester on the latter. The rostered crews (north of Birmingham) acted as conductors for the driver.

 

[D6130]

The Railway Observer reported that 1013 worked the 07:30 Swansea-Leeds and the 14:43 Leeds-Plymouth trains throughout on 20/1/1977, running round at Gloucester on the latter. The rostered crews (north of Birmingham) acted as conductors for the driver.

Fair enough. It just sounded like a typical Saltley Seagulls' move.....like going all the way to Brighton when there was a 45 on the Manchester or Derby.

 

[12LDA28C]

From the shots I’ve seen of that working it appears to be a rake of mainly MK1 stock, I think it found its way onto that service as it was the only available loco with a working steam heating boiler at Laira after the original rostered loco had failed.

Laira or Landore?

 

[Magdalia]

The Railway Observer reported that 1013 worked the 07:30 Swansea-Leeds and the 14:43 Leeds-Plymouth trains throughout on 20/1/1977, running round at Gloucester on the latter. The rostered crews (north of Birmingham) acted as conductors for the driver.

Laira or Landore?

Landore. According to Rail Gen Archive D1013 had worked in on the 0050 Paddington-Milford Haven as far as Swansea, a train that was usually a steam heat class 47.

It shouldn't have done - unless it was routed via the Camp Hill line - but in those days a lot of Cross Country trains ran via Gloucester so, following the closure of Gloucester Eastgate, it may have reversed at Central.

There were no reversals on the 0730 Swansea-Leeds, it ran from Newport to Gloucester via Lydney.

It was promptly sent back on an earlier than scheduled working, so that the Gloucester driver was still available to drive. Hence it probably hauled a different rake of stock returning south!

For steam heat trains the locos and the rolling stock rarely did the same thing because of the need to replenish boiler water on the loco. In this case the rolling stock off the 0730 Swansea-Leeds worked back on the 1443 to Plymouth but the loco was booked to return on the 1638 to Swansea.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Laira or Landore?

Oops!

 

[westernpunk]

My pleasure, I did get another more broadside shot as the train departed which showed more of the stock but unfortunately I can’t currently locate it.

this isnt a very good photo but it does show the rake, the chap leaning out the window was i believe richard white he worked in control at paddington, whys he in the back coach

 

[cluncastle7029]

Went on this railtour with my Dad and got to say what a fantastic tour it was. For what was essentially a ticketed ECS move it was good value for money and seemed popular. Made a nice change to not have to be up at crack of dawn to take part in one of these railtours.

Paddington was rather busy and made it hard to get any decent photos of the loco due to the amount of people at loco end. Was nice to have an hour at Banbury to make up for this however where there was a bit more room.

Regarding the coaching according to my Dad he used to see the Westerns with early MK2 coaches which were dual heated but not with air conditioned MK2f.

 

[D6130]

was

Where was that photo taken? I'm struggling to think of anywhere between Paddington and Birmingham that still has semaphore signalling?

 

[12LDA28C]

Where was that photo taken? I'm struggling to think of anywhere between Paddington and Birmingham that still has semaphore signalling?

Clearly that photo is not of Sunday's tour. Semaphores, vintage signage, lack of CDL etc.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Clearly that photo is not of Sunday's tour. Semaphores, vintage signage, lack of CDL etc.

Tantalising 1970s shot, another with aircons.
I cannot for the life of me, work out where it was taken. The sign in the foreground appears to be BR (WR) brown - or is it a very weathered BR (LMR) maroon?

 

[Haywain]

Clearly that photo is not of Sunday's tour. Semaphores, vintage signage, lack of CDL etc.

Full yellow end (just) visible on the loco.

I cannot for the life of me, work out where it was taken. The sign in the foreground appears to be BR (WR) brown - or is it a very weathered BR (LMR) maroon?

More likely to be Western Region as the signals are of the lower quadrant variety. I am tempted to suggest that it was taken at Taunton.

 

[D6130]

Clearly that photo is not of Sunday's tour. Semaphores, vintage signage, lack of CDL etc.

Tantalising 1970s shot, another with aircons.
I cannot for the life of me, work out where it was taken. The sign in the foreground appears to be BR (WR) brown - or is it a very weathered BR (LMR) maroon?

The signals are clearly ex-GWR lower quadrants. The train is pulling out of the platform line onto what looks like a through line....with another platform (or bay?) to the left. Could it be Leamington Spa prior to the experimental SSI resignalling?

 

[Haywain]

Could it be Leamington Spa prior to the experimental SSI resignalling?

There appears to be some yard lighting beyond the loco which would rule out Leamington.

 

[12LDA28C]

There appears to be some yard lighting beyond the loco which would rule out Leamington.

Where was it stated that the photo was taken between Paddington and Birmingham?

 

[Haywain]

Where was it stated that the photo was taken between Paddington and Birmingham?

I don't believe it was but I was replying to a suggestion that it might be Leamington.

 

[D6130]

Where was it stated that the photo was taken between Paddington and Birmingham?

It wasn't.....I was just thinking of a possible location which still had a similar layout and signalling in the early 1970s. However I agree that @Haywain 's suggestion of Taunton is more likely.