Pathfinder Tours

A guide to all of their charter train services.

March 24

2 X 37 (DRS). 66/4 (DRS). ‘The Coal Grinder’. Crewe-Stafford-Birmingham New Street-Barnt Green-Cheltenham-Bristol Parkway-Newport-Aberbaiden-Genwen-Llandeilo Junc. Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen-Cwmgwrach and return to Crewe.

March 17

STEAM. 6024. ‘The Torbay Limited’. Steam hauled between Bristol Temple Meads via Taunton to Kingswear and back. Train is diesel hauled each way between Shrewsbury-Church Stretton-Craven Arms-Ludlow-Leominster-Hereford-Abergavenny-Cwmbran to Bristol Temple Meads. This is the final trip for the GWR King steam locomotive Number 6024 King Edward 1 before it‘s overhaul.

March 10

STEAM. 70000. ‘The Cumbrian Mountain Express’ Carlisle-Settle-Crewe. Train is diesel hauled between Bristol Temple Meads and Parkway-Cam & Dursley-Cheltenham-Barnt Green-Birmingham New Street-Wolverhampton-Stafford-Crewe to Carlisle and again from Crewe to Bristol as outward.

March 3

STEAM 6024. ‘The Bristolian’. Bristol-Paddington-Bristol. Diesel hauled from Birmingham International and New Street, Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster, Droitwich, Worcester Shrub Hill, Cheltenham, Cam & Dursley to Bristol and back.

February 25

Class 66/0. ‘The Tyne Tees Rambler’. Tame Bridge Parkway, Birmingham New Street, Tamworth, Burton, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, York, Jarrow, Seal Sands Branch & rtn.

January 14

Class 66 (DBs) T&T. ‘The Abercot Generator’ Bristol Parkway-Cheltenham-Barnt Green-Birmingham NS and Intl-Coventry-Leamington-Banbury-Oxford to Didcot and Aberthaw Power station loops and return.

December 17

Classes 08/60/66/92/ ‘Festive Jingle Jangle’ Westbury-Bath-Bristol Parkway-Cheltenham-Barnt Green-Birmingham New Street and International to various freight lines via Crewe, Dallam and Fiddlers Ferry and return

December 3

Class 67. ‘Lincoln Fayre and Coast Explorer’. Eastleigh-Winchester-Basingstoke-Tilehurst-Didcot Pakway-Oxford-Banbury-Leamington Spa-Dorridge-Lincoln-Cleethorpes and return.

November 26

Steam 6024. ‘The Marches Monarch’. Note: Train is diesel hauled Eastleigh-Romsey-Salisbury-Warminster-Westbury-Trowbridge-Bath and Bristol. Steam via Abergavenny to Ludlow and Shrewsbury and return.

October 31

Class 67. ‘The Majestic Snowdonian’. Bristol Temple Meads & Parkway-Cam & Dursley-Cheltenham-Barnt Green-Birmingham New Street-Stafford-Llandudno Jcn-Bangor-Holyhead and return.

October 22

6024. ‘The Cotswold Adventurer’. Worcester-Solihull-Leamington-Stratford on Avon-Birmingham-Worcester-Evesham-Oxford This train is diesel hauled between Oxford-Charlbury-Moreton In Marsh-Worcester.

October 15

Class 66 (DBS), 2 x 37 (DRS) and Classes 60 and 66.‘The Ousing Dove’. Bristol Temple Meads & Parkway-Cheltenham-Barnt Green-Birmingham NS-Stafford-Crewe-Derby-Sheffield- to various Humberside freight lines including Goole-Monk Bretton and Wrenthorpe Sidings).

Saturday 3rd September

Deltic No. 55022. ‘The Dorset Deltic Explorer’. Crewe-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Birmingham New Street-Barnt Green-Worcester S.H.-Cheltenham-Bristol Parkway to Weymouth & rtn.

Monday 29th August

Steam 71000. ‘The Carmarthen Cavalier’. Bristol Temple Meads-Newport to Carmarthen & rtn.

Friday 26th August

Diesel class 20 x 2 (DRS). ‘The Torbay Flyer’. Crewe-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Tame Bridge Parkway-Kidderminster-Droitwich Spa-Worcester Shrub Hill-Cheltenham-Bristol Parkway-Paignton to Kingswear & rtn.

Saturday 13th August

Diesel class 67. ‘The York & Pennine Explorer’. Swindon-Kemble-Stroud-Stonehouse-Cheltenham-Worcester Shrub Hill-Droitwich Spa-Kidderminster-Stourbridge Junction-Birmingham New Street to York & rtn.

Diesel Nos. 20142+20189. ‘The Circular Twenties’. York to York circular tour via Diggle.

Wednesday 27th July

‘The Cumbrian Coaster’. Cardiff-Newport-Bristol Parkway-Cam & Dursley-Cheltenham-Barnt Green-Birmingham New Street-Wolverhampton-Stafford-Workington-Carlisle and return. Diesel class 67.

Saturday 16th July

‘The Lakes & Borders Explorer’. Eastleigh-Winchester-Basingstoke-Tilehurst-Didcot-Oxford-Banbury-Leamington-Coventry-Nuneaton-Oxenholme-Penrith-Carlisle and return. 2 x Class 47 diesels (DRS).

Saturday 9th July

‘The Northumbrian Explorer’. Swindon-Kemble-Stroud-Cheltenham-Barnt Green-Birmingham NS-Tamworth-Burton-Deby-York-Durham-Newcastle-Almouth-Berwick-upon-Tweed and return. Diesel class 67.

Saturday 25th June

2 X Class 31 ‘The Mazey Day Cornishmen’ Tame Bridge Parkway Stourbridge Junction- Kidderminster-Cheltenham-Bristol-Penzance and return.

Saturday 4th June

Class 66 ‘The Peak District Explorer’ Salisbury-Warminster-Westbury-Chippenham-Oxford-Leamington Spa-Buxton-Hindlow and return.

30th May

This brings No. 34046 on its return to the main line heading up the ‘The Pompey Pacific’ running from Bishops Lydiard, Taunton, Weston Super Mare and Bristol to Portsmouth Harbour.

28th May

On May 28, two class 37s will be used plus a class 66 on ‘The Curnow Irrupter’ running from Tame Bridge Parkway, Birmingham New Street, Cheltenham, Bristol, Taunton and Exeter. The train then takes in various freight lines in Devon and Cornwall – hence the need for an assisting engine at the rear of the train so it can traverse the freight branches.

* Please note that this is a guide to main line charter trains in the UK and that these services are liable to be changed at little or no notice. This website cannot accept any liability whatsoever regarding changes to the contents listed here.

17th May

Pathfinder Tours arrange various types of charters and their May program offers trains on 17th May using No. 71000 on ‘The Lothian Tornado’ between York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle to Edinburgh. On May 21, the same engine is used on ‘The Cumbrian Mountain Express’ steam hauled between Carlisle and Crewe via Settle.