Train Excursions

A number of rail tours of interest to me will take place over the next few weeks.

On Sunday 27th May THE PEAK FORRESTER will run from London to Rowlsey pulled by 70013 Oliver Cromwell. The route will take it via Peterborough and Oakham which means it will pass Rutland Water so a chance to do a bit of birding and train spotting at the same time. No times published yet

I’m not a big lover of diesel locomotives but one exception is the Deltic Class 55 built to work the high speed express passenger services on the east coast and pure beasts. Having come in to service in the early sixties by the late 70s they began to be replaced by the Class 43 High Speed Trains (HST) Only 22 were built and I’ve seen most of them before I discovered drink, drugs, girls, rock and roll.

On the 2nd June D9000 (55022) Royal Scots Grey will be in charge of a Didcot Parkway to York excursion to Railfest 2012 leaving at 6:30am and will pick up passengers from Oxford O6:45, Banbury 07:10, Leamington Spa 07:35, Coventry 07:55, Birmingham International 08:15 and Birmingham New Street 08:35 on its way north.


Back to steam on the 3rd June THE THAMES DIAMOND JUBILEE PAGEANT Solihull to Kensington Olympia will be pulled by 46201 The Princess Elizabeth. No times or route confirmed yet but she should go past Wormleighton, Banbury and Oxford as she heads south.

Saturday 9th June will see THE MANCUNIAN London Euston-Manchester hauled by 70000 or 70013: Again route and times not published but advertised as Euston-Nuneaton-Stoke-Manchester so should come through Rugby. Unfortunately I will be York with the Gang visiting Railfest 2012