Pathfinder Tours has arranged a terrific day out with Tornado on Bank Holiday Monday, the 31st May. The day begins diesel hauled from pick up stations through to the London area where locomotives are changed to new build Peppercorn A1 Class locomotive No.60163 Tornado. This superb machine, already with a couple of all time steam records to its credit, will then head across the Thames before following one of the traditional 'boat train' routes to the Channel ports of Folkestone and Dover. From Brixton the train takes the alternative 'Catford Loop' to regain the main line at Shortlands Junction, climbing steeply through Bromley South and on through Orpington to a summit at Knockholt. Over ten miles of descent is interrupted by two miles up through Sevenoaks, but Tornado can then get to show its paces to Tonbridge. From there we head almost dead straight across open country via Paddock Wood and Headcorn to Ashford before following the River Great Stour gently downstream to Canterbury.
After the break, the train resumes its journey on the long and gentle descent through open country to the small town of Minster, where it turns south, through Sandwich to Deal and onto the steep climb past Martin Mill, then downhill to Dover, before running west at the foot of the world famous 'White Cliffs of Dover', with views across the English Channel on the climb to Folkestone. Soon coming alongside the Channel Tunnel main line and following it back to Ashford, where the train should pass through at close to maximum permitted speed. At Headcorn there is a stop to enable Tornado to take water, ready for the last leg of the journey back to the London area. Away again and the loco should be quickly back into its stride, through Paddock Wood to Tonbridge, an important railway crossroads, and where some slowing is needed for the curve that leads the main line towards the north. There are now over ten miles of hard climbing ahead, through Hildenborough and Sevenoaks Tunnel, with over a mile of downgrades through Sevenoaks before the remainder of the ascent to Knockholt Summit. It is almost all downhill from here, back through Bromley and the Catford Loop to Brixton and then into London's Victoria station. Here Tornado leaves the train with the it then reversing for the diesel hauled journey back to the joining points.
The steam section timings are as follows:
Willesden - 10.12am
Sevenoaks - 11.29am
Tonbridge - 11.39am
Ashford - 12.21pm
Canterbury - 12.46pm (arrival)
Canterbury - 15.55pm (departure)
Dover - 16.42pm
Ashford - 17.17pm
Tonbridge - 18.04pm
Sevenoaks - 18.15pm
Victoria - 19.05pm
Confirmed Timings | | |
Joining Stations | Depart | Return |
Newport | 0600 | 2359 |
Severn Tunnel Junction | 0610 | 2345 |
Chepstow
| 0620 | 2335 |
Lydney | 0630 | 2325 |
Gloucester | 0650 | 2300 |
Stonehouse | 0715 | 2245 |
Stroud | 0720 | 2240 |
Kemble | 0735 | 2220 |
Swindon | 0755 | 2200 |
Didcot Parkway | 0820 | 2130 |