Saturday 15 September 2012
This article was last modified on Monday 22 October 2012
Above: The Western Forester railtour
shortly after arriving at the picturesque setting of Norchard Low Level
station on the Dean Forest Railway. Photo by Colin Price.
Hastings Diesels Limited’s 55th
public railtour was from Hastings to Gloucester and the Dean Forest
Railway.
This outing called at our usual stations from Hastings to Bromley
South, then Clapham Junction, and following the L&SWR route via Ascot
to our final pick-up point at Reading station, where we joined the GWR
main line. At Swindon we turned right to traverse the Golden Valley
route to Stroud, Gloucester, and ultimately working onto Dean Forest
Railway metals at Lydney Junction for the trip to their terminus at
Parkend. Return was by the same route.
The trip ran almost precisely to time throughout, and was completely
sold out.
Historical data
The train was formed thus: 60118-60501-69337-70262-60529-60116, with motor
coach 60116 Mountfield leading on departure from Hastings.
The publicity leaflet, timings
and map of the railtour route remain
available.
Videos
Various photographers have taken video-footage depicting this railtour
and have uploaded it to YouTube; the following are links to some
starting-points but do not represent a definitive collection:
Photos
Above: The Western Forester railtour
approaches a remodelled Reading station. Photo by Chris Adams.
Above & below: A fine study of our
train, headed by Motor Coach 60116 Mountfield, passing
through the Vale of the White Horse at Uffington. Photos by Robert
Stewart.
Above: A further shot of our train in the
Vale of the White Horse, now receding from Robert Stewart’s
vantage-point at Uffington on its way towards Swindon and the Golden
Valley route.
Above: Kelvin Lumb captured this view of
our train when it had just arrived at Lydney Junction, on the Dean Forest
Railway.
Above: A fine study of our train upon
arrival onto Dean Forest Railway metals at Lydney Junction. Photo by
Colin Price.
Above: 1001 departing Lydney Junction
with the 1250 departure to Norchard Low Level. Our DEMU has just
traversed the level crossing and is passing E6001. Photo by Phil
Barnes.
Above: Upon arrival at Norchard Low Level
station, where our train had a layover for over half an hour before
continuing to Parkend. Photo by Colin Price.
Above: 1001 is seen in Norchard Low Level
station, where the camera of Phil Barnes captured it from the passing
1308 Lydney Junction to Parkend service.
Above: Our train visited Norchard High
Level platform during the day, as seen here through the lens of Simon
Stoddart.
Above: 1001 arrives at Parkend with the
slightly-delayed 1445 shuttle from Norchard High Level. Photo by Phil
Barnes.
Above: A companion image to that above,
taken by Colin Price.
Above & below: Twice during the
afternoon our train visited Parkend, the northern terminus of the Dean
Forest Railway. The picturesque preserved station and setting are much
apparent in these photographs by Andy Armitage.
Above: With the sun low in the west, 1001
races eastward towards Didcot; it has just passed over Steventon level
crossing. Photo by Robert Stewart.
Above: As the evening draws near, 1001
motors through Tilehurst before shutting off on the approach to Reading.
Photo by Chris Adams.
See also Photographs by Jamie Squibbs.