A Champion Day Out

The second trip out with D1015 Western Champion took place on Saturday 20th April 2002.

After the unreality that many of us felt with the first trip, when we simply could not believe what was happening, the second trip really brought home to everyone that a "wizzo" really was back on the main line.

The itinerary was very straightforward, Paddington-Paignton and back via the "desert" (Berks & Hants route).  As with the first trip the train was made up of 12 well  loaded Mk 1's, and departed from Paddington at 08.39.  The run to Reading was very slackly timed and was made on the relief line.  From Reading, Champion got into her stride and stormed away down the West of England mainline, calling at Newbury and Westbury.  The running was excellent with speeds of 88-90mph for much of this section, including the fastest non-stop run through Taunton that I have ever had (although I haven't been there for a long time!).

From Exeter, the excitement in the front coach was at fever pitch with a quite superb run along the "sea wall" at Dawlish, the thundering Maybach's sounding magnificent as we passed through the series of short tunnels.  Just when many people put their heads in, as we left the sea wall and entered Teignmouth station, came another memorable moment.  Running through at about 60mph the power handle was pushed to full and a huge cloud of grey-black smoke obscured the station signs followed by a tremendous whistling screaming thundering roar as the revs went to maximum in a nano-second and we hurtled under the roof in the station with all "normal" passengers on the platform covering their ears - absolutely hellfire! 

After the run terminated at Paignton, exactly on time, we spent a quiet afternoon waiting for the return.  The journey back to London was more of the same.  The sea wall again, a storming departure from Exeter, hurtling through Taunton at full power even faster than the down leg (notable for several staff in uniform on the platform "bellowing").  

By now it was getting dark, and in the front coach with every window open, all the senses were overwhelmed as for mile after mile we pounded along at full power, occasionally shutting off as we approached maximum speed, and then a few seconds later full power being reapplied - My Lords!  The sound of 2 x 12 cylinder Maybach's @ 1,500 RPM assailed our ears from every window, the smell and heat of diesel exhaust in the background, and with the lights down low the memories came flooding back to all of us.

We arrived at Newbury early and waited time until off into the night we stormed once more.  Held outside Reading until our booked arrival time, we actually departed a couple of minutes late.  This deficit had been pulled back and we stopped outside Paddington early once more.  After the check we rolled into Paddington at 22.14, exactly "right time".  Without the three lengthy delays the train would have arrived over ten minutes early.

As with the first trip, the locomotive did everything that was asked of it, was driven hard and fast, more than kept time and looked and sounded magnificent.

There were many old hands on the train who were ecstatically happy as old times were relived (including  a gentleman from Berlin who has been over here bashing D1000's in 1973!).  There were also one or two new members of the Class 52 fan club, some of whom were enjoying their first ever diesel-hydraulic haulage. 

The Diesel Traction Group have done an absolutely superb job in restoring this locomotive.  It looks right, it sounds right, and it runs like a Swiss clock (very loud one mind you).  My heartfelt thanks to the DTG for their efforts and hard work over the last 20 plus years.  They are a modest group and pride themselves in doing things right, however long it takes.  "We don't want to be the first, we want to be the best" is one of their maxims.

For anyone reading this that has not yet sampled the delights of D1015 on the mainline, I strongly advise you to get yourself booked on one of the forthcoming tours.  Check out the following two websites for details:-

Pathfinder Railtours - Next tour June 15th - Paddington-Swansea

Past-Time Rail