Rare chance for DRS Class 37 haulage around Surrey, Kent and Sussex
UPDATE: due to engineering works in the Brighton Mainline area, the Saturday part of the tour has been amended considerably. New itinery below.
Pathfinder Tours are widely recognised for their railtours popular with railway enthusiasts. This February, Pathfinder Tours and are offering an exciting opportunity to travel behind a pair of DRS Class 37 locomotives through Surrey, Sussex and Kent.
The Here, There and Everywhere train starts at Eastleigh on Friday 15th at around 1515 and heads to Ealing Broadway via Basingstoke and Reading. Working the `Surrey Currier` tour, the train leaves Ealing Broadway headed for East Croydon, Redhill, Guildford and back to Reading via several goods loops along the way. Passengers on board this Friday evening tour can enjoy a Chicken or Vegetable curry along with other refreshments from the on board buffet services.
Upon arrival back at London Paddington (around 2230), the train starts its Thames Valley Flyer tour which runs through Friday night into Saturday morning. First, the train heads to Heathrow Express Traincare depot before heading to Heathrow Tunnel Junction and covering four branch lines. Branch lines covered include the freight branch to Brentford, and branches to Bourne End, Henley-On-Thames, and Windsor & Eton Central. Following this rare excursion, the train returns to Paddington for a leg stretch at around 0700.
On Saturday morning, enthusiasts from the Kent and Sussex area will have a day not to be forgotten as the DRS class 37s make their way to Sheerness On Sea, Ramsgate and Ashford, before taking the Marshlink route through to Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes and Brighton – stations which very rarely see DRS class 37 locomotives. Following a reversal at Brighton, the train will likely reverse at Preston Park, before heading to Hove, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. The train will then reverse and return to Clapham Junction for around 2130. The tour finishes at around 2330 at Eastleigh.
Update:
Itinery for the Saturday part of the tour below, now featuring Caterham branch.
Paddington (depart 0820) – Hanwell Bridge Loop (reverse) – Willesden – Kensington Olympia – Denmark Hill – Lewisham – Eltham – Dartford – Strood – Rainham – SHEERNESS-ON-SEA (reverse) – Sittingbourne – Margate – Sturry – Ashford International (reverse) – Rye – Hastings – Battle – Tonbridge – Redhill – South Croydon (reverse) – CATERHAM (reverse) – South Croydon (reverse) – Redhill – HORSHAM (reverse) Ockley – Epsom – Mitcham Junction – Herne Hill – Brixton – Kensington Olympia (set down 2040) – Acton Wells – Ealing Broadway (set down 2100) – Reading (set down 2140) – Basingstoke (set down 2200) – Eastleigh (set down 2255).
The train will be top and tail class 37s throughout due to the numerous reversals throughout the tour. The 3 individual trips can be booked seperately, whilst anyone brave enough to do the whole of the tour can book a rover ticket including all tours. Pricing and bookings can be found on the Pathfinder Tours website at www.pathfindertours.co.uk.
Timings for the Here There and Everywhere railtour, along with confirmed traction, will be posted here and on the live train times page once available closer to the time.
Author: matt
Owner of Rail Record