A fantastic and fascinating day out behind a fine example of British Rail motive power - The Class 52

Saturday 21st October 2023 TBC

D1015 Western Champion is the only example of this much loved class of locomotive that is passed for mainline running and Charity Railtours is honoured to have her haul this train.

 

We begin our day at Coleshill Parkway and head up the West Coast Mainline to Willesden where we branch right, onto the Acton Canal Wharf branch. This takes us onto the Great Western Mainline and a race west to the Severn Tunnel where we dive under Britain's greatest river to reach Wales. After calling at Newport we shall turn our train on the Maindee Triangle and head east, possibly via Llanwern (TBC) then crossing over Severn Tunnel and head north along the Welsh bank of The Severn to Lydney. The rear loco will haul us onto the lovely Dean Forest Railway for a trip over their line to Parkend, before D1015 takes us back to Norchard where we stop for lunch and refuelling. The Dean Forest Railway is a fascinating piece of history and is home to two Class 14s - we hope these might be able to power shuttles from Norchard to Lydney Junction whilst our train stands at Norchard (to be confirmed).

 

Later, D1015 will take us back onto the mainline at Lydney for a sprint over the River Severn, through Gloucester and then the final leg of our journey, through The Golden Valley to Swindon and return to Coleshill Parkway via the outward route.