A PRE-Christmas‘bash’of freight lines and loops on a train hauled by a DB Class 60 has been released by PathfinderTours.
The‘Festive Midland-Ian’is booked to run on December 16, starting at Gloucester (06.30) and picking up at Cheltenham Spa, Worcester Shrub Hill, Stourbridge Junction and Birmingham Snow Hill, having passed through the Stourbridge and Rowley Regis goods loops. The tour takes part of its name from Ian Loveday, who devised the detailed itinerary and also provides assistance with goods line access requests.
From Snow Hill, the route will include the Up & Down Small Health Goods lines, Caledonia Yard,Tyseley UpThrough Siding, Dorridge Up loop, Fenny Compton Up goods loop and the Banbury Down goods loop, before calling at Banbury station for a lunch break.
Returning north, the route will traverse the Hatton goods loop, Bordesley loop, a non-stop pass through New Street station, Wolverhampton Logistics Centre, Dudley Port Up goods, Stafford RMT platform and the seldom used Oxley Chord.
Pathfinder has requested that the train is operated in topand-tail mode by Class 60s, but a Class 66 may be substituted for availability reasons.The train will include the‘Gricers Grill’and a licensed bar selling alcoholic and soft drinks.The fares are £129 adult standard class (£70 junior), with a party of four priced at £496.The first class adult fare is £185, junior £145, and a party of four £720. There is no premier class on this occasion.