Railway Herald
Class 55 Deltic No. D9000/55022 'Royal Scots Grey' rests at 22:55 in Platform 2 at Coventry after arrival with 'The York Flyer'. Starting from Didcot, this Pathfinder Tours excursion had travelled to York for Railfest, picking up at Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street and Tame Bridge Parkway. The outward route continued via Stafford, Earlestown, Manchester Victoria, Stalybridge, Huddersfield, Wakefield Kirkgate and Church Fenton. The return began with an exhilarating run on the ECML to Finsbury Park and was then to have continued via the North London Line, Acton Main Line and Reading before setting down at the pick-up stations. However after a delay of some 45 minutes at Camden Road, blockage of the North London Line because of overhead power line problems meant the train was diverted via Primrose Hill and the WCML to Coventry. After another delay, the loco ran round the train and returned to Didcot via Leamington Spa eventually arriving about three hours late and from the opposite direction than it was booked. Passengers for Birmingham and Tame Bridge had continued from Coventry by service trains.
Tim Edmonds
