Arriving at Hastings, we were greeted by the station staff thinking we were going on our holidays! 'No, just a railtour to Goole'. With the tail end of the previous night's thunderstorm now passed, we waited on P2 for 5Z65, the 05.49 ECS to arrive from St Leonards Depot, hoping that today we would not be doing 'battle' with the elements.

With a dozen or so participants waiting for the tour, an announcement was made that it would depart from P3. The ECS arrived three minutes late (06.02) but there was plenty of time to take a photo from either end of the platforms with the various semaphores at the Ore end still gloomy in the dawn light.

The Hastings unit, looking and sounding splendid, arrived with the stewards eagerly awaiting their first participants of the day. 1Z65, the 06.10 Hastings to Goole Glassworks consisted of cars S60119, S60529, S70262, S69337, S60528 & S60118 'Tunbridge Wells'. The lively departure from Hastings P3 was right on time, the two 500hp English Electric diesel engines sounding fantastic through Hastings and Bo-Peep Tunnels. A fast run was made to Tunbridge Wells, passing Robertsbridge (06.29) and glancing at the Rother Valley Railway infrastructure here, awaiting it joining up with the Kent & East Sussex Railway.






Arrival at Tunbridge Wells was 3 minutes early (06.46) and Tonbridge 2 early (06.57). Sevenoaks was passed by way of P1 (07.13), then onto Petts Wood and the Up Chatham Fast to through Shortlands (07.39). Further participants were picked up at Bromley South (07.35), on time there. Now, having to follow the local services from here, it was a slow run through to Willesden High Level. At Kent House (07.44), the Up Passenger Loop (P1) was taken. At Wandsworth Road (08.01), we passed the first freight of the day, 66795 'Bescot LD' with 6V07, the 06.08 Grain Oil Terminal aviation fuel to Colnbrook BAA.

We were held at Latchmere Jn for 2L10, the 08.04 Clapham Junction to Stratford (London), to clear then Kensington Olympia (08.17) was passed on the middle line. The next pickup was Willesden High Level; the platform looked very crowded with numerous participants joining. Arrival was on time (08.30) but departure was 2 mins late (08.34), as the train crew had to check that the taillights were working.



Our tour had a steady run along the North London Line to Harringay Park Jn (08.51), where we took the curve to Harringay Jn and onto the Down Slow 2. Stabled on Ferme Park was the Network Rail weedkiller train with 66703 and 66778 'top & tailing' it. We now took the Down Hertford and Hertford Loop, with a fast run to Langley Jn. Passing through the 1 mile 924yd long Ponsbourne Tunnel, the Thumper unit sounded brilliant. Hertford North (09.10) was passed 5 minutes early; at Langley Jn (09.18) we then took the Down Slow all the way through to Holme Jn (10.03-10.04), with a one minute stop there.

At Fletton Jn we diverged onto the Down Slow entering Peterborough (10.21-10.28) by way of the Down Slow 2 (P5). The train almost had its full complement of passengers now. There was also a crew change, with the GBRf staff operating the tour having a reunion. It became apparent that whenever the Hastings unit passed a GBRf operated train, a friendly sounding of the horn was given. Passing New England Yard, two barrier vehicles were present for use with the new 2024 Piccadilly line underground stock.

Leaving Peterborough on time, the tour took the electrified Down Slow / Down Stamford to Helpston Jn (10.38), passing there 3 minutes late. Then it was the Down Slow to Stoke Jn (11.04), where we came to a stand, waiting for 1W11, the 10.00 King's Cross to Aberdeen, to pass. Grantham (11.11) was passed 6 minutes late, with the horn blasting as we went through the station on the Down Main. The Down Passenger Loop at Claypole was taken (11.22-11.25), while the 1D09 10.03 King's Cross to Leeds passed, worked by 91111, which we had been holding up. Newark flat crossing (11.31) was reached 5 minutes late. Carlton Down Passenger Loop (11.37) was an 'in and out' quickie which put us back on time. We should have been held there for 1S93, the 10.25 King's Cross to Edinburgh but it had been cancelled!

The Down Fast was taken through Retford (11.51), then the Down Main and Down Fast through Doncaster (12.07), continuing Down Main to Shaftholme Jn (12.12), where the Down Knottingley was taken to Knottingley South Jn (12.29). As we took the bidirectional Down & Up Knottingley Goods (better known as Knottingley Curve), there was a brief stop. 66190 'Martin House' and 66004 had been moved up to the Depot entrance so that they could be seen properly. Martin House was very appropriate as the tour was being run to raise funds for that Children's Hospice. Knottingley was once the epicentre of a tremendous operation that moved vast amounts of coal to local power stations round the clock. Our 'Salt & Pepper Shaker' now passed the former Kellingley Colliery site. The Colliery closed on 18 Dec 2015, marking the end of deep coal mining in the United Kingdom. At Sudforth Lane, we ran through No2 Reception (12.41-12.42), past Drax Branch Jn then onto the single track section, at Gowdall Lane Jn.



At Rawcliffe (498 passengers in 2023-24), there was a brief stop to pick up half a dozen or so participants. After Potters Grange Jn, the tour was routed through the Up / Down Goods Loop. At Goole, a quick photo stop had been planned but this was curtailed while the 'Normals' on the platform looked bemused at our unusual long thin green train making strange noises as it reversed. The Thumper certainly thumped.

Returning to Potters Grange Jn again, the train crossed over onto the Guardian Glass Branch (13.26). The Highlight of the day was now before us. With a brief pause at a Stop Board - (13.28-13.30), our train went through a security gate and passed the connection back to the new Siemens works. It took the line bypassing the sand discharge facility and entered a building, coming to a stop at the very end of the line at 13.51. This was the first tour over this 1m 57ch branch; attempts to run one many years ago had failed.



It's not every day you can do a freight branch this long. A clue to the success is that the Middleton Towers sand traffic is GBRf operated. After several minutes, at 14.02, we reversed, retracing our route back to Goole via the Goods Loop. Our train now formed 1Z66, the 13.55 Goole Glassworks GBRf to Hastings.

Passing Goole (14.23) 15 mins late, P1 instead of P2, we were on our way to Gilberdyke (14.36-14.43), where our train reversed in P1. This took us over the rare trailing crossover at Gilberdyke Jn, a single slip onto the Up Hull. We passed Selby Freight Terminal ('Potter Space') - the former Selby Sugar Factory site - which we had originally hoped to access but this was not possible. The Up Barlby Loop (14.20-14.21) followed, then over the famous swing bridge and through Selby (15.06) 12 late. Passing Selby Canal Jn (15.06) Selby Brayton Siding was entered, the train reaching the buffer stop on what was once the start of a through line via Drax Hales to … Goole! This Engineer's Siding is used for tamper training. After reversal, it was back to Selby P1 to re-reverse (15.25-33) via the Down Selby, required by the signalling.

We now crossed back onto the Up Selby for a fast run back to Doncaster, passing Temple Hirst Jn (15.47) 10 minutes late. At Marshgate Jn, it was onto the Up Slow to enter Doncaster (16.01-16.03) P3. After a false start, the Up Slow was taken to Loversall Carr Jn (16.09-16.10), where we were held for 1E16, the 13.00 Edinburgh to King's Cross. The Up Main was taken to Retford, where our railtour was held in the Up Passenger Loop (P1) (16.24-16.28) for 1E17, the 13.30 Edinburgh to King's Cross, to pass.



The Thumper now enjoyed a fast run to Peterborough, passing Newark Northgate (16.51) 20 mins late and entered Claypole Up Passenger Loop (16.54-16.55), leaving only 8 mins late as we had been due to wait there for 10 mins. From Stoke Jn (17.09), we took the Up Slow to Peterborough (17.33-17.39) P1 for our second set down, continuing on it to Fletton Jn (17.45). At Connington South Jn (17.53), the Up Slow Loop was taken (as booked) for 1E19, the 14.30 from Edinburgh to King's Cross to pass. At Huntingdon North Jn, it was back onto the Up Slow all the way to Woolmer Green Jn (18.51), now a minute early. Beyond Welwyn North at Digswell Jn (18.54), there was another fast run on the Up Fast to Holloway Jn South (19.12). There, our train crossed onto the Up Slow, climbing over the two fast lines.

The tour was held at Camden Road Central Jn (19.21-19.29), then underway right time. It was a steady run to Willesden High Level along the North London Line, passing Gospel Oak (19.34) 1 minute early. Willesden (19.50-19.52) was our next set down. Kensington Olympia (19.59) was passed a minute early. Now into third rail country, the speed was steady. At Factory Jn (20.10), the bidirectional crossover was taken to the Chatham Lines by way of the Chatham Reversable and Voltaire Road Jn (20.11), 1 min early.

At Herne Hill (20.17) the line through P3 was taken. Then at Kent House (20.24), the requested P4 was used, somewhat of a rare move, with several passengers staying on the train just to do this. Now with a steady run to Shortlands Jn (20.27), the tour took the Down Chatham Fast for the next stop, Bromley South P2 (20.30-20.32). The approach to Petts Wood (20.37-20.38) was slow but, after Orpington (20.42) P3, we had a fast clear run through to Tonbridge, passing Sevenoaks at (20.52) 9 minutes early. Tonbridge (21.04-21.06) was entered by way of P1 via the Up Slow, then it was onto the Down Hastings. We reached (Royal) Tunbridge Wells (21.16-21.18) and West St Leonards (21.55), both 7 minutes early.

We were held here to see if Hastings P2 could be used but no, the booked P3 was routed for us. Arrival at Hastings (22.04) was 1 minute early after nearly 16 hours of railtouring, covering a total of 539 miles, of which 168 miles was on the East Coast Main Line. Our on-train raffle raised almost £1,000 for Martin House Children's Hospice Charity and the on-train Hastings Group in-house food and buffet (particularly the cakes) was superb - and reasonably priced. Many thanks to everyone involved for an excellent tour.