The 'Jurassic' part of the name does not refer to the advanced age of your reporter but derives from 'Jurassic Coast', often used to describe the fossil rich coast of the Purbecks, the destination of our tour. It took advantage of the need to move the Class 438 4TC (4-car Trailer Control) unit, Class 33 33012 (in the guise of D6515) and a Class 69 to Swanage for the weekend Diesel Gala. Arriving at Eastleigh (my local station) a few minutes before the 08.50 departure, I was dismayed to see the booked interesting motive power, 69007, languishing, silent, in Eastleigh Holding Sidings following a failure on its way to the charter the previous day.

The next surprise was when the stock arrived, apparently the wrong way round, with substitute 69002 at the London end and late addition, 73109, at the country end, due to a technical issue during train preparation. This was a last-minute arrangement to provide Electric Train Heat to the 4TC while 'on the juice', so the buffet facilities in the brake, the door locking and lighting could operate. This was due to a fault with the Electric Train Supply generator on D6515, early on during the previous week's railtours.

Participants boarded quickly and we were heading towards Portsmouth a little under five mins late, 73109 being driven in a spirited fashion. I wondered if we would be diverted to Fratton to reverse and correct the orientation but that wasn't to be. Eastleigh Works had some interesting stock, including a Class 73 largely stripped of paint being patched up and a much smarter looking HST Power Car among other older generation stock. We slowed down to pass the site of the troublesome landslip between Fareham Tunnel No2 and Fareham North Jn, which closed the line for a week earlier in the year with an hourly rare move at St Denys Signal E704 to reverse on the Up Fast for five days in each direction.

Our train slowed again for Cosham Jn, then accelerated away towards Farlington Jn, noting 1P28 (09.15 Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo) waiting to follow us, which meant we clearly had a degree of priority, the importance of delivering the train to the Swanage Railway on time had been realised. No chance of a 'weave' at Havant but at least we didn't stop. The next significant speed reduction was to negotiate Haslemere P3 nonstop, as booked, and then on to Guildford where we were routed via P8 to pick up participants, not the most common routing for a train on the Pompey Direct. The other item of potential interest was the appearance of almost freshly painted Class 455 EMU 455868 in a version of the old BR blue and grey at Guildford. We had lost time slightly as the schedule was quite tight but from Woking Jn had the road for the Fast Line all the way to Waterloo and took advantage of it, picking up some lost minutes. Perhaps the only thing of interest was passing the two remaining SWR Class 707s, 707024+707030, in use on 2F24 (the 10.03 Woking to Waterloo) at Surbiton.

Waterloo arrival at 10.43 was four mins down, a straightforward route into P10. There was plenty of interest shown in this strange Jurassic train here, while more passengers joined. There were a flurry of phones taking pictures and video, mostly young people, most certainly not looking like your average railway enthusiast! Departing Waterloo at 10.58, just two mins down, 69002 had the chance to show its paces as we gradually gained time on the Fast Line. Our train slowed right down at Hampton Court Jn, crossing to the Down Slow via the second crossover and then to Woking P5. More joined and a few alighted but many of us gravitated to the front of the train to watch D6515, looking resplendent in old British Rail green livery, shunted from P6 bay on to the front of the tour. 69002 was not in multiple with D6515, so those of us reliving our younger days with Crompton and a TC were in our element.

Considering how long it normally takes to do anything such as shunting and attaching a loco these days, the fact that we only lost a minute at Woking on the 12 minute allowance is quite creditable. A Waterloo to Alton service due to use P5 had to be re-platformed to P4 but we departed as it arrived, not losing our path thankfully. Continuing down the Slow Line to the Basingstoke P1 pickup and on to Worting Jn, still a couple of minutes down, a spirited assault on the bank by D6515 saw us traverse Wallers Ash Down Loop (as booked) a couple of minutes early. This was just as well really, as the three minutes allowed to reach Winchester from there was never going to be possible, given the restricted speed to traverse the loop and connections. So far so good on the beautiful warm sunny day but virtual black clouds were on the horizon. Despite running Fast Line from Shawford Jn we slowed right down at Allbrook; I did wonder if the very rare first crossover to the Slow Line had been requested by Kev.

No, we'd caught something up, a train of empty Freightliner flats was the rumour, so we dawdled past the Class 701 waiting on the Down Slow to enter Eastleigh, little knowing we'd see it again in less than an hour and that would not be a good thing! From now on things didn't go so well, congestion, despite it being a reduced service due to ASLEF overtime ban, along with some seemingly questionable regulation decisions were to combine to cause a significant delay and the loss of a crossover.

Such is railtouring life of course; this was very much a budget tour rather than a specialist track bashing tour, and very good value indeed (only £49) so one can't complain. The tour was booked Southampton Central P1, which required crossing the layout twice, and the 1Wxx Up Weymouth train was booked to be re-platformed to P2 to facilitate it. Unfortunately, with the late running, the decision was to hold us in Southampton Tunnel while the 1Wxx came out of the station. This was despite the fact it had been switched to P2, thus inconveniencing many passengers who saw it advertised as P1 until shortly before it arrived, adding to the delays. It would have been better if we'd proceeded into P1 first, then left as booked as soon as the 1Wxx arrived in P2. In the mix, a Freightliner train from Maritime Freightliner Terminal, having run up the Down Loop or Down Fast, slowly crept through P3 blocking the whole layout at both ends of the station! We picked up participants in P1 as booked and were further delayed, causing a Cardiff to Portsmouth service to run via P2 and also a slight delay to a CrossCountry Bournemouth to Manchester service waiting outside the station too.

Eventually away at 13.13, now 13 mins late, we crossed to the Down Slow rather than the booked Down Fast and the Portsmouth to Cardiff was given priority, though that didn't cause significant delay. A Class 701 with a GBRF Class 66 was noted facing east in Totton Goods Loop. A good run through the New Forest saw us slow right down outside Brockenhurst and take the facing crossover into P1 as booked, the photo stop cancelled as we hoped to be away ASAP and pick up most of the lost time.

However, there we sat, as the next Down Weymouth train called at Brockenhurst and set off west, then that Class 701 ECS test run called and set off before we finally followed about 17 mins late. With the long signal sections and congestion, we lost further time, finally passing Bournemouth 25 mins late and normal P3 rather than booked P2, thus missing the crossover. Given how late we were, that was fully understandable, an even longer delay would otherwise have occurred as P2 was occupied.

A pleasant run westwards saw us pass that Class 701 again at Poole to arrive in Wareham P2. We were away 28 mins late and cautiously took the Swanage Branch at Worgret Jn. Arriving outside Norden, we were halted as the train we had been booked to pass at Corfe Castle was occupying Norden platform. A distant sound of the Class 52 'Western' horn indicated it was off and in due course we trundled through Norden slowly, now 42 mins late. We had a chance for a leg stretch at Corfe Castle, while waiting to cross the next Swanage Railway Up train, with 34028 'Eddystone' (a bit of light relief here?) at its head and a Devon Belle Observation Car at the rear. Now away 46 mins late, we made the best headway we could, nonstop to Swanage Home Signal. There our train sat until 15.44; it wasn't until we arrived 52 mins late at Swanage bay P1 that we saw the reason for the stop. D6515 had been detached and was waiting in the loop and 69002 had hauled the train over the last few chains into the bay, our whole train including 73109 on the rear just being accommodated by running to the buffer stops!

Before I could even alight, the Class 52 D1015 departed on its train to Norden; my intended trip there no longer possible. Heading outside, I found long queues for the buses and, as the Wareham bus would probably just miss the dispute affected reduced (hourly) train towards London, I elected to take the Bournemouth bus, with a 47-minute connection into that same train there. An overcrowded but interesting and rather tortuous 105-minute bus journey later, my plus 47 had become plus 7 but at least I made it, unlike those booked on the Manchester train! As always, our BLS Stewards, Buffet service, itinerary writer etc did a great job and thanks must go to all who were involved in running this enjoyable tour one way or another and almost fully booked except for just one or two seats.