|
Title: The Western Challenger Post by: PhilWakely on February 10, 2016, 15:15:48 This Pathfinder Railtours outing should be interest to certain individuals on this forum............
The Western Challenger (http://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/index.php/tour-calendar-reader/events/the-western-challenger.html) Quote Saturday 7th May, 2016 PADDINGTON TO PLYMOUTH NON-STOP IS THE PRINCIPLE AIM OF THIS LANDMARK EXCURSION, WITH D1015 ^WESTERN CHAMPION^ AS THE STAR. Back in 1966 Ian Allan Ltd sponsored a very special excursion out of London Paddington featuring British Rail Western Region hydraulic diesel locomotives. The aim - a ground breaking non-stop run! D1010 ^Western Campaigner^ departed Paddington at 07:35, with arrival into Penzance at 12:50. The run was logged as non-stop. Success! After a break the excursion returned to Plymouth, where D823 ^Hermes^ backed on for another non-stop run attempt back to London, but this time the Southern way via Okehampton and Yeovil to Waterloo. This was again successful save for a very brief signal stop at Keyham. 50 years on to the day, D1015 ^Western Champion^ is being put in the spotlight to achieve a non-stop run, but over a railway system so much busier and with less flexibility. Therefore, with the support of DB Cargo and Network Rail, we are to attempt London Paddington to Plymouth non-stop. Then, after reversal, we head to Okehampton via Exeter for an afternoon break at the Dartmoor Railway, where Meldon Shuttles may be running. A shuttle bus service will run betweeen the station and town. Leaving around 17:00 D1015 will re-trace the ^Warship^ routing via Yeovil to London Waterloo. Unfortunately a non-stop run is not achievable but the sight and sound of a pair of Maybach engines working hard over ex-LSWR metals is rare enough to relish. MOTIVE POWER IS EXPECTED TO BE D1015 'WESTERN CHAMPION' THROUGHOUT. My only regret with this tour is the inability (through no fault of their own) to be able to replicate the second part of the original special :( Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: JayMac on February 10, 2016, 21:19:28 Oh crikey. I would so love to do that trip. I missed out on a D1015 trip a few years ago after it got cancelled. Sadly I think finances will preclude this one. Just have to get out and see 'Champion' as she arrives in Plymouth.
Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: PhilWakely on February 10, 2016, 22:16:32 My only regret with this tour is the inability (through no fault of their own) to be able to replicate the second part of the original special :( Well, not quite my only regret. I also miss the 'middle road' at Exeter St Davids and watching many a Western on a Summer Saturday relief (https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwakely/16944725422/in/album-72157653685596576/) or special (https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwakely/16223776434/in/album-72157653685596576/) rattling through at speed. It is not quite the same watching non-stoppers crawl through platform 4. Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: Adelante_CCT on February 11, 2016, 08:37:43 Quote PADDINGTON TO PLYMOUTH NON-STOP You mean its not stopping at Westbury? :o Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: grahame on February 11, 2016, 09:20:09 Quote PADDINGTON TO PLYMOUTH NON-STOP You mean its not stopping at Westbury? :o Couldn't achieve Plymouth in 3 hours if it stopped at Westbury ;D Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: Rob on the hill on February 11, 2016, 12:19:52 Vintage Trains is provisionally running a tour with D1015 on 4th June from Tyseley to Kingswear, although as VT's TOC is West Coast Railways they are not currently taking bookings until the situation is clearer.
Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: TaplowGreen on February 11, 2016, 14:16:51 Quote PADDINGTON TO PLYMOUTH NON-STOP You mean its not stopping at Westbury? :o Couldn't achieve Plymouth in 3 hours if it stopped at Westbury ;D .........via Melksham? ;) Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: PhilWakely on March 20, 2016, 18:42:17 Timings now released....
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10522/2016/05/07/advanced (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10522/2016/05/07/advanced) http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10523/2016/05/07/advanced (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10523/2016/05/07/advanced) Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: Western Pathfinder on March 20, 2016, 18:55:50 Timings now released.... I can't get either of these pages to load I'm just getting a 404 error .http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10522/2016/05/07/advanced (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10522/2016/05/07/advanced) http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10523/2016/05/07/advanced (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/^/U10523/2016/05/07/advanced) Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: JayMac on March 20, 2016, 19:00:35 http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10522/2016/05/07/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10523/2016/05/07/advanced Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: trainbuff on March 21, 2016, 15:01:51 Quote PADDINGTON TO PLYMOUTH NON-STOP You mean its not stopping at Westbury? :o Couldn't achieve Plymouth in 3 hours if it stopped at Westbury ;D It is NOT achieving a 3 hour schedule to Plymouth in any case! The times show a journey of around 3 and a half hours Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: Adelante_CCT on May 07, 2016, 08:37:53 Running as Western Nobleman D1058
(http://i68.tinypic.com/2wlzti0.jpg) Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: John R on May 07, 2016, 10:52:59 Arrived 20 early at 1053, so 3 hrs 15 1/2 mins start to stop. :o Good effort all round!
Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: PhilWakely on May 07, 2016, 16:50:26 Running as Western Nobleman D1058 It actually had a split personality and neither was Champion! As well as D1058, the opposite side carried D1010 Western Campaigner to replicate the original run (http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww255/PhilWakely/000_zps8r07rwu5.jpg) Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: JayMac on May 07, 2016, 17:10:42 I've decided to head into Cornwall today to pick up a ride with Sir Kenneth Grange, 43002, rather than hang around in Devon photting the identity crisis Western. :D
Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: grahame on May 07, 2016, 18:29:22 I've decided to head into Cornwall today to pick up a ride with Sir Kenneth Grange, 43002, rather than hang around in Devon photting the identity crisis Western. :D Well - they could have called it Trainy McTrainFace .... on both sides! Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: Billhere on May 07, 2016, 18:59:56 I had forgotten how noisy they were. Came roaring through Kintbury and really rattled the windows!
Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: Western Pathfinder on May 07, 2016, 20:05:20 Yes but what a great noise almost as good as a Castle on full chat .
Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: PhilWakely on May 07, 2016, 23:29:42 Yes but what a great noise almost as good as a Castle on full chat . Not to mention the clag on opening up the throttle :)(http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww255/PhilWakely/000_zpszsfamtsy.jpg) Title: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: SandTEngineer on May 08, 2016, 09:04:31 I had forgotten how noisy they were. Came roaring through Kintbury and really rattled the windows! Yes, and it certainly rattled the windows of the HST I was on going in the other direction when it passed us at South Brent at the top of Rattery Bank :DTitle: Re: The Western Challenger Post by: RichardB on May 08, 2016, 09:39:53 http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10522/2016/05/07/advanced http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U10523/2016/05/07/advanced 3 hrs 16 mins Pad - Ply, 20 min early arrival. Very impressive. It beat the 1966 time of 3 hrs 19 mins. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |