The ‘Honeybourne Hoover’ rail tour is being run on Friday, 22nd April to Didcot and Eastleigh, and hopefully will feature several sought-after loops for added interest.

The tour is being run to position the Mk.1 coaching stock for ‘The Ore and More’ rail tour on Saturday, 23rd April.

Instead of running as empty stock, the Branch Line Society is running it as a passenger service to provide an additional attraction to the weekend.

Starting at Burton-on-Trent, the tour will pick up at Tamworth and run via Camp Hill, Bromsgrove, Pershore, and Honeybourne to Didcot, then via Reading and Basingstoke to Eastleigh.

Intending passengers should note that as the coaching stock will not return until Monday, 25th April, the tour is only one way and tickets are only valid for a single journey.

The charter is being operated by SLC Operations and will feature English Electric Class 50 haulage by Hanson & Hall’s 50008 Thunderer. Also requested is one of the Class 50 Alliance locos based at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway so that the two Class 50s can operate in top ‘n tail mode.

Accommodation will be in Standard Class only, and will be limited to a maximum of 128 passengers at a cost of £50 for adults and £25 for accompanied under 18s.

The provisional route and timings are:

• Burton-on-Trent (PU 10.00);
• Elford DGL;
• Tamworth High Level (PU 10.20);
• Kingsbury Junction;
• Whitacre West Junction;
• Water Orton West Junction;
• St Andrews Junction;
• Bordesley Junction;
• Lifford East Junction;
• Kings Norton;
• Longbridge Down Gloucester Goods;
• Cofton Junction;
• Bromsgrove;
• Stoke Works Junction;
• Worcester Shrub Hill;
• Norton Junction;
• Pershore;
• Honeybourne;
• Wolvercote Junction;
• Oxford (Up Oxford);
• Radley;
• Didcot Parkway P5 (SD 14.30);
• Tilehurst;
• Reading West Curve;
• Oxford Road Junction;
• Southcote Junction;
• Basingstoke;
• Worting Junction;
• Wallers Ash Dn Passenger Loop;
• Shawford;
• Eastleigh (SD 16.00).

Full details of the tour and booking details are available online at https://www.branchline.uk