34067 - Tangmere - Golden Arrow Statsman

[AJMC]

Hello All

The Golden arrow statsman will be running from Derby to Cant West on Sat 1st June
1Z87
Derby - 06:04 Diesel & Coaching Stock
Spondon Pass 06:10
Long Eaton 06:16 06:18
Sheet Stores Junction Pass 06:20
Trent Stores Junction Pass 06:24
Radcliffe Junction Pass 06:26
East Midlands Parkway 06:28 06:30
Loughbourgh 06:40 06:42
Sileby Junction Pass 06:49
Syston South Junction Pass 06:49
Leicester 07:01 07:04
Wigston North Junction Pass 07:10
Market Harborough 07:23 07:26
Kettering 07:37 07:40
Harrowden Junction Pass 07:45
Wellingborough 07:48 07:51
Sharnbrook Junction Pass 08:02
Beford North Junction Pass 08:19
Beford 08:22 08:25
Bedford South Junction Pass 08:29
Flitwick Pass 08:39
Leagrave Junction Pass 08:46
Luton 08:51 08:54
Harpenden Junction Pass 09:01
St Albans 09:05 09:08
Radlett Junction Pass 09:14
Silkstream Junction Pass 09:20
Hendon Pass 09:25
Brent Curve Junction Pass 09:29
Dudding Hill Junction Pass 09:32
Acton Canal Whaf Pass 09:38
Acton Wells Junction Pass 09:40
Acton Main Line Pass 09:43
Acton West Pass 09:45
Hanwell Pass 09:49
Hanwell Bridge Loop 09:53 10:19 Steam Train + Coaching Stock + Class 57
Hanwell Pass 10:21
West Ealing Pass 10:23
Acton West Pass 10:26
Acton Main Line Pass 10:28
Acton Wells Junction Pass 10:31
Willesden S.W.S Pass 10:33
Mitre Bridge Junction Pass 10:38
North Pole Junction Pass 10:40
Kensington Olympia Pass 10:44
Latchmere Junction Pass 10:51
Longhedge Junction Pass 10:54
Factory Junction Pass 10:56
Voltaire Road Junction Pass 10:57
Denmark Hill Pass 11:01
Crofton Road Junction Pass 11:02
Nunhead Pass 11:04
Bellingham Pass 11:09
Shortlands Junction Pass 11:13
Bickley Junction Pass 11:21
Petts Wood Junction Pass 11:23
Orpington Pass 11:26
Sevenoaks Pass 11:36
Tonbridge Pass 11:46
Paddock Wood Pass 11:54
Cranmore Down Loop 12:04 12:14 Allows Other Trains to pass
Headcorn 12:17 12:32 Water - (Bells and Two Tones)
Ashford International Pass 12:48
Wye Pass 12:57
Canterbury West 13:08 - Shunt into Sidings


The journey from Derby to Cant West is as following
1Z88
Canterbury West - 15:54 Steam Train & Coaching Stock & Class 57
Minster Pass 16:14
Minster South Junction Pass 16:15
Sandwich Pass 16:23
Deal Pass 16:30
Buckland Junction Pass 16:46
Dover Priory Pass 16:48
Folkestone Central Pass 17:03
Saltwood Junction Pass 17:08
Ashford International Pass 17:19
Headcorn Pass 17:30
Paddock Wood 17:41 17:56 Water (Bells and Two Tones)
Tonbridge Up Loop 18:06 18:12 (Allows other trains to Pass)
Tonbridge Pass 18:14
Sevenoaks Pass 18:25
Orpington Pass 18:35
Petts Wood Junction Pass 18:38
Bickley Junction Pass 18:40
Shortlands Junction Pass 18:45
Bellingham Pass 18:48
Nunhead Pass 18:52
Crofton Road Junction Pass 18:55
Denmark Hill Pass 18:57
Voltaire Road Junction Pass 19:02
Factory Junction Pass 19:04
Longheadge Junction Pass 19:07
Latchmere Junction Pass 19:10
Kensington Olympia Pass 19:21
North Pole Junction Pass 19:25
Mitre Bridge Junction Pass 19:26
Willesden S.W.S Pass 19:30
Acton Wells Junction Pass 19:32
Acton Main Line Pass 19:41
Acton West Pass 19:44
Hanwell Pass 19:48
Hanwell Bridge Loop 19:50 20:17 Steam Train Off and then 2x57 back to derby
Hanwell Pass 20:19
West Ealing Pass 20:21
Acton West Pass 20:24
Acton Main Line Pass 20:26
Acton Wells Junction Pass 20:28
Dudding Hill Junction Pass 20:37
Brent Curve Junction Pass 20:39
Hendon Pass 20:43
Silkstream Junction Pass 20:48
Radlett Junction Pass 20:56
St Albans 21:02 21:04
Harpenden Junction Pass 21:10
Luton 21:18 21:20
Leagrave Junction Pass 21:24
Flitwick Pass 21:31
Bedford South Junction Pass 21:41
Bedford 21:43 21:45
Beford North Junction Pass 21:47
Sharnbrook Junction Pass 21:54
Wellingbourogh 22:02 22:04
Kettering 22:13 22:15
Market Harbourgh 22:27 22:29
Kilby Bridge Junction Pass 22:41
Wigston North Junction 22:45 22:49 Allows Other Trains to Pass
Leicester 22:55 22:58
Syston South Junction Pass 23:04
Sileby Junction Pass 23:07
Loughborough 23:12 23:14
Loughborough North Junction Pass 23:16
East Midlands Parkway 23:27 23:30
Ratcliffe Junction Pass 23:31
Trent South Junction Pass 23:33
Sheet Stores Junction Pass 23:42
Long Eaton 23:44 23:47
Spondon Pass 23:54
Derby 23:59 -

 

[Cletus]

Here's a thread from the Dover Forum with some pictures.
http://www.dover.uk.com/forums/dover-forum/golden-arrow-passing-through-dover-1st-june

 

[jnjkerbin]

According to RTT the train was terminated on return at Hanwell due to problems with train communications. Any idea what it was and what was done about the passengers?

 

[Jedipickles]

According to RTT the train was terminated on return at Hanwell due to problems with train communications. Any idea what it was and what was done about the passengers?

Once at Hanwell loop, the 57's GPS failed so the signalman sent the train to Paddington where I believe taxi's where laid on for the passengers as the stock ran empty to Southall

 

[jnjkerbin]

Once at Hanwell loop, the 57's GPS failed so the signalman sent the train to Paddington where I believe taxi's where laid on for the passengers as the stock ran empty to Southall

Thank you
May I ask what the railways use GPS for?

 

[Jedipickles]

May I ask what the railways use GPS for?

I'd like to know that as well! I don't know what it's used for, all I know is that's what happened.

It left Canterbury West 58/59 mins late due to electrical supply problems at Sturry which left 375624 stranded whilst the line was shut until 1645 - Both the Up and Down line was closed to allow the burned out cable to be replaced.

 

[crisbe]

I was on the train yesterday (as a passenger).

The fault was with a GSM-R radio on one of 57s as I understand it. I do not fully claim to understand the system but it seems it is interlocked into the signalling system. Some general background on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM-R

Network Rail it seems were not happy to allow the train over the North London Line from Hanwell Loop without this in place. It took a good 90 minutes to get the train manager to communicate this - there was definitely a lack of information, we were being told we were waiting for a signal to clear for more or less an hour.

After sitting in the loop for about 1hr 15 mins we were told a rescue 47 was to be sent from Southall (I am guessing a WCRC 47 with a working radio). Whether this ever left Southall is unclear. Around 10:45 our train started moving under the power of the 57s only, missed the turning onto the NLL much to the surprise of the more observant people on the train and it was only after we had passed Old Oak Common, crossed over to the Up Fast and passed North Pole Depot that the train manager (apparently a Director of Statesman Rail) bothered to tell us that we were being sent to Paddington and terminated.

It seems, after waiting in the loop for so long at Hanwell, the train ran out of time to clear a planned engineering possession somewhere (though I didn't find out where this was). I got the feeling this was what forced the train ultimately to be dumped at Paddington around 11pm (left in P1, toilets on the train blocked out of water, toilets on the station locked up for the night).

I have to say, the information coming out of the guard/Statesmen Director yesterday was at times completely lacking and more often than not full of false positivity/certainty (statements like "I have no information to give you but we should be on the move in 15 minutes").

After another 30 to 45 minutes we were then told "11 buses are on the way" from First Group.

After another 45 minutes it was announced only two buses were in fact coming and the rest would be taxied home. Later it was announced "70 taxis are here", and everyone was directed to one part of the station where there were no taxis, forced to wait there for 20 minutes before being told this was not the right pick up place. There then followed a trek to the other side of the station where three or four taxi's were waiting. Taxis then pulled up slowly in dribs and drabs.

Our small group finally managed to get away around 2am, after being in the taxi queue for around an hour - dozens and dozens of elderly people still waiting on the street at Paddington for taxis to different destinations.

No sight of the train manager for hours around the taxi queue. I understand that unexpected things happen but the attitude of the train manager in particular yesterday left a distinctly sour taste.

I had also not realised until yesterday that a radio was now viewed as a piece of critically important signalling equipment. Watching so many elderly people left on the street at Paddington at 2am, the thought did occur that surely it must have been possible to navigate the North London Line at reduced speed (let's face it, the NLL is pretty slow anyway for railtours!) using the traditional means of looking at the signals!

I also expect the taxi bill was absolutely astronomical, sending ten rail coach loads of people by taxi half way across the country in the middle of the night.

The thought also occurred that are entering an age where railtours are becoming ever more complex to operate (and ever more annoying / less important from the perspective of Network Rail).

Lots to learn from this debacle for all the parties involved.

I just hope everyone got home safely. Some medics were called to one of the elderly for whom all the standing, queuing and confusion had all become quite distressing. Not at all how a rail tour should be ending

 

[Meridian richard]

I'm rather glad that it was fully booked when I looked at booking for this one now.