FIRST RAILTOUR OF THE NEW YEAR -- THE SEVERN AGGREGATOR

The Severn Aggregator

13/01/2018

Saturday 13th January, 2018

A LEISURELY AND INTERESTING RAILTOUR HIGHLIGHTING THREE FREIGHT BRANCHLINES, AND OTHER LOOPS AND SPURS, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SEVERN ESTUARY.

The day starts with pick ups from the South Midlands, through the heart of the West Midlands to Gloucester, from where a circular itinerary commences. With Goods Loops and sidings featuring throughout the day. We have selected three freight branch lines as specific highlights:

    Westerleigh - with its oil terminal nestling against the M4 (ex LMS)
    Machen - another stone quarry railhead (once part of the Brecon & Merthyr)
    Sharpness - retained for nuclear traffic (ex Severn & Wye Joint)

Motive power for the day is based on a DB Cargo class 66 trunking Banbury to Gloucester and back, then a DB Cargo class 60 around Severnside with the 66 assisting.

On board there will be Gricers Grill hot food and buffet service, real ales plus sales stand and charity raffle.

The following routing beyond, and back to, Gloucester has been requested:

Via Gloucester Down Goods Loop - Gloucester (reverse) - Standish Jn - Yate South Jn - Westerleigh Yard (reverse) - Yate South Jn - Yate Middle Jn (reverse) - Bristol Parkway - via Pilning Down Goods Loop - Severn Tunnel Junction - Newport - Park Jn - Machen Quarry (reverse) - Park Jn - Newport - via Up Relief - Severn Tunnel Junction - via Lydney Up Goods Loop - Gloucester via Up Relief - Haresfield Down Goods Loop - Berkeley Road Jn - Sharpness (reverse) - Berkeley Road Jn - Haresfield Up Goods Loop - Gloucester (reverse) - via Up Goods Loop - Barnwood Jn.

 

Estimated Timings
Joining Stations	Depart	Return
Banbury	0700	2040
Leamington Spa	0720	2020
Dorridge	0740	2000
Birmingham Snow Hill	0800	1940
Stourbridge Jn	0825	1915
Kidderminster	0840	1900
Worcester Shrub Hill	0905	1835
Cheltenham Spa	0930	1810
Gloucester	1000	1800

Fares	Adult	Junior	Party of 4
Standard Class	£98.00	£49.00	£372.00
First Class	£139.00	£99.00	£536.00

Private 'Table for Two' seats are available at a supplement of £28 per person in First Class.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 [LET'S MAKE IT A BETTER ONE]

Time to kick off another year, a big welcome to 2018 may it be twelve amazing months for you and yours. 

I know for me it will be a busy one with a change of office location to Central London on the horizon but we'll still have plenty of railway and modelling related events and days out to plan for and enjoy. While this blog has outlived its original remit, focusing on Dad's models, I enjoy it and plan to keep it going for as long as I can with hopefully more news and events throughout the year as well any more days out I can manage. 

As I still have a few of Dads models to display I hope to get these out for a run a few times a year, am also considering getting a few bits of N Gauge again which I used to collect and build layouts, the advantage here being that they do not take up a lot of space, but so far they appear to be very expensive and might limit myself to a few shunters and wagons and make a small shunting yard layout, will see what I can do later in the year with that idea. 

Trips out to Swanage, York or somewhere similar would be great ideas for long weekends away this year. Try and attend a few exhibitions and open days too if we can. Whatever happens make it fun, enjoy life and travels be entertained and indeed entertaining too in all you do. 

 

TRANS PENNINE DELTIC REPRISE - Saturday 30th December 2017

MARK THE LAST DAYS OF THE ‘DELTICS’ ON THE TRANS-PENNINE SCHEDULED SERVICES TO LIVERPOOL. D9009 ‘ALYCIDON’ APPROPRIATELY RE-KINDLES THOSE MEMORIES.

Sunday 27th December 1981 was the last day that the legendary ‘Deltic’ locomotives worked scheduled services across the Pennines to Liverpool, when 55009 (D9009) ‘Alycidon’ worked the 12:05 Newcastle - Liverpool forward from York, later returning on the 19:10 Liverpool - York. A headboard inscribed ‘Trans- Pennine Deltic Lament’ was carried along with a wreath. The westbound routing was via Bradford Exchange, returning direct via Batley.

This special excursion, some 36 years on, re-calls the spirit of that last working. 55009 ‘Alycidon’, courtesy of owners the Deltic Preservation Society, will leave York and Leeds late morning and head westward via Brighouse and the challenging Copy Pit climb into Lancashire, through Blackburn and St. Helens to arrive in Liverpool’s Lime Street station early afternoon.

After a two hour break, and with our trainset turned*, ‘Alycidon’ will return east, taking exactly the same routing as 36 years previous, via Manchester Victoria, over Diggle and through Huddersfield and Batley to set down in Leeds and York early evening to complete its featured haulage of our excursion.

Using Riviera Trains coaching stock based in the Midlands, a range of joining stations are offered as above, with class 68 haulage to, and return from, York.

* To release ‘Alycidon’ from the buffers at Lime Street an optional hours mini tour will run via Earlestown and the Ince Moss Curve, hauled by a class 68.

The on board catering will include a full buffet service and real ale.

 

Estimated Timings
Joining Stations	Depart	Return
Willington	0800	2130
Derby	0810	2115
Chesterfield	0840	2045
Sheffield	0900	2025
Doncaster	0930	1955
York	1100	1825
Leeds	1125	1800

Fares	Adult	Junior	Party of 4
Standard Class	£92.00	£46.00	£348.00
First Class	£129.00	£89.00	£496.00