I could have spent a little extra time in bed this morning, but old habits die hard and I found myself heading for the 05:48. This, at least, allowed time for breakfast and coffee before picking up today's tour at Bristol Temple Meads. It's rare I manage to do a tour from here at a reasonable hour, and despite the dubious wisdom of not squeezing out every possible mile given the fairly hefty cost, it felt like a nice, relaxing morning - which after the rather messy and difficult week I'd had, was ideal. A few minutes before time, the tell-tale rumble of an unreconstructed Class 37 could be heard, and the tour rounded the corner into platform 6. Boarded and found myself near some familiar faces. Unfortunately ones who won't tolerate open windows which meant I'd likely have a sleepy and quiet day. In any case, concentrated on the journey ahead - pausing to have a few minutes at a drop-light through Highbridge and Bridgwater where a few familiar faces were in evidence. From here, it was a fairly straightforward dash down through Exeter and over the South Devon Banks to Plymouth for a brief leg-stretch before doing the unusual connection from platform 8 southbound, back onto the mainline.

The first object of today's jaunt was Goonbarrow Junction - the complex of china clay sidings just off the Newquay branch. Given that this wasn't a BLS tour and Pathfinder's history of 'paperwork' issues, most of us expected to reach the Network Rail limit and no further. As we creaked and groaned into the yard of Rocks Dries with the concrete pad white with kaolin, I was surprised to note we were continuing into the sidings. We ended up close to the buffer stops, as physically far as the train could reach. Much impressed we awaited the reversal and the run through St. Blazey yard and down to the stub of the Par Harbour branch. As we came to a halt at the road bridge, pretty much where previous tours have reached in fact, I was again rather shocked to find the driver edging forward once again. Passing the Stop Board which marked the start of Imerys territory, we progressed into the complex, coming to a stand well onto the concrete apron near the loading point. Discussed this rather unexpected outcome with my BLS-member table-mate as I spotted a 'Pearns of Par' van in the docks. The pasties had arrived!

After a very long queue for a very good pasty, I settled back in for the next part of the run. A reversal back into St. Blazey, then back onto the mainline to Lostwithiel where we passed slowly through the station and came to a stand in the Up Goods Loop. Once we'd reversed and crossed over the mainline, we began the descent beside the river towards Fowey. Besides being interesting from a railway perspective, this was a stunning run through fine countryside. A boat flying the Saltire kept pace with us as we wound alongside the river through the pretty and tiny village of Golant, which a spellchecker had rendered as 'coolant' in the tour notes! Noted the crowd of drinkers at the Fisherman's Arms out to cheer us on too. Eventually we came to a halt at Carne Point, beyond which passenger trains are forbidden. Once again, we'd gone as far as possible - which was shaping up to be the order of the day. A swift reversal before we headed back to the mainline at Lostwithiel and gathered pace back towards the Royal Albert Bridge and civilisation.

Another brief stop at Plymouth in drizzle and gloom followed, before we set off as far as Lipson Junction where we curved to the right, passing the back of Laira Depot and heading back towards the city. As the tidy but clearly no longer used Turnchapel branch descended to meet us, we realised that once again we were pressing on to the very end of the network. As the former site of Plymouth Friar, the Southern Railway terminus here, opened out, we halted at the buffer stops just short of an impressively proportioned road overbridge. The city centre was a couple of hundred yards beyond - much more convenient that an arrival at distant North Road station! No time to rue the passing of the station though, as we headed back towards Great Western metals and Mount Gould Junction. Here we took the right hand fork onto the 'Speedway Line'. Installed when Laira became a diesel depot, this line divides the main depot from the sidings, and links back to the mainline at Laira Junction. Once back on the mainline we started from a near stand to assault Hemerdon Bank. A noisy, smoky and very satisfying climb indeed.

Once back in the Exeter suburbs we slowed near the rather bleak St. Thomas station to reverse again, this time reversing onto the Alphington Road siding, formerly the line to Heathfield and Newton Abbot avoiding the sea wall section. Dense foliage permitted very little view of our surroundings, but I understand we reached the edge of the scrapyard which this tiny stub now serves, and almost got as far as the large Sainsbury's now built near the trackbed. With the 37s now leading for the ride home, we stopped briefly to set down at Exeter St. Davids before passing through Riverside Yard on the Down Goods line. I readied myself to disembark at Taunton, happy that the day had been a huge success and an enjoyable trip.

A quick - but painfully expensive - ticket purchase at Taunton, then on to a waiting hired-in London Midland Class 153. A bunch of locals were complaining that the train hadn't left yet - despite it not being time for another 15 minutes or so - and the otherwise very well refurbished unit had obviously taken a battering down here, being strewn with litter and torn seat covers. I missed my comfortable Mark I FO as I trundled home.

Having hardly left home except to work for an entire month, I can hardly describe how much I was looking forward to getting away on this trip. So excited that I didn't even mind the fact it meant an 0500 start and a night in Bristol before the trip! The weather was not expected to be great, and the howling wind and driving rain which greeted me on checking out of the hotel was evidence enough that for once the forecasters seemed to be right. To add to the general feeling of trepidation about the trip, I walked to Temple Meads to find a large crowd of miserable looking cranks locked out of the station. Clearly things don't start this early on Bank Holidays. Once finally in, we watched the stock shunt from the Up Through road into platform three with 59203 at the head of the train. Found my seat in the freezing cold stock and settled in for the run up to New Street - which is always a chance to doze and daydream. The 59 performed rather well, with some impressive starts betraying it's capability to deal with far heavier trains than ours. Informed after Cheltenham of a freebie coffee-trolley deal for genuine first class passengers on the basis that some of the stock in use meant that standard class passengers had first class seats for free. Much advantage was taken of this throughout the day. After sailing uneventfully up the Lickey we arrived at Birmingham New Street with a chance to stretch legs and watch our first locomotive change of the day.

With 60024 attached and the weather looking a little better, we set off towards Derby and our final pick-up of the morning. The final timings showed us taking travelling via Tamworth instead of Lichfield, and the route was further amended at the last minute by an over-eager signaller, as we missed out the section via Whitacre Junction in favour of a dash along the Up Fast. We seemed to be holding to time exceptionally well, and following a couple of minutes in Sheffield, we were soon taking the tight curve at Nunnery Main Line Junction and heading for Worksop. Much confusion about where we would finally stop here, with South Sidings in the timings but fairly obviously not going to happen. We crept along the sidings north of the running lines, finally coming to a halt somewhere on the Up Reception No.1 line by my reckoning. Our next loco was nowhere to be seen, but soon appeared behind the train and may well have been lurking on the South Yorkshire Joint line which was our next destination. A quick loco change saw 56303 on the front - a new one for almost everyone on board I'd guess and a popular choice.

Soon after setting off we turned northwards at Brancliffe East Junction and headed onto the South Yorks Joint Line. This line which provides a freight route bypassing Doncaster was new track to me. The weather being a little better here, and sitting with a fellow traveller who had a good knowledge of the area made for an interesting trip - even if much of the narration seemed to be a tale of colliery closures and declining traffic. Passed the lines into Maltby Colliery which is still open and remains served by rail - something of a pleasant relief after all the tales of closure and cutbacks. After passing over the East Coast Main Line we skirted Hatfield and Stainforth station, preparing for our reversal just short of Thorne Junction.

Here we plunged into the mass of fascinating but (to me at least) confusing lines in West Yorkshire. Firstly we traversed the freight-only line from Stainforth Junction to Applehurst Junction, taking the curve to Joan Croft to very briefly join the ECML as far as Selby Canal Junction where we took the also rather unusual curve to Selby West. Further progress to Gascoigne Wood where we swung left and joined the line to Ferrybridge, where lines converge from almost every direction. After passing the modern but apparently almost abandoned Diesel Depot here, we took the curve to Pontefract Monkhill and rejoined more familiar passenger lines for a run into Leeds via both Wakefield stations.

Somewhere during our break in Leeds I realised that I felt pretty grim and suspected hayfever. Shopped for lunch and wandered around the immediate environs of the station. Its a while since I've ventured out into the city - a place I liked very much when I first visited some years back. The station itself remains a pleasant spot - a light and airy concourse with an interesting and frequent flow of trains. Found a vantage point and watched events, including a visit by one of Transpennine's 170s which have been strangely painted to resemble their 185s! Back to Platform 11 in time to watch 40145 arrive with the stock, confusing a large crowd of normals awaiting a southbound Virgin service. A bit of an altercation ensued between on-train staff and Network Rail managers, and we lost a few minutes here - but after a storming start and a clear run we were soon making good time.

The routes across the Pennines have always fascinated me, and in my case Copy Pit is the road less travelled. Enjoyed the pleasant scenery and improved weather as we sped west. 40145 made a brave assault on the climb, breasting the summit at a little over 28mph! An exciting performance from a well-maintained locomotive which is a credit to it's owners. This leg of the tour was the highlight for many, and the reason they booked - not perhaps for me, but in the event I thoroughly enjoyed the performance! Downhill into Lancashire from here, passing through the rather gloomy Accrington and Blackburn before our last bit of unusual track of the day - the curve from Lostock Hall to Farrington Junction which took us onto the WCML and a high speed run into Crewe.

A much swifter loco change at Crewe than usual - perhaps because we were blocking platform 1 which is used by terminating Manchester services! Our new traction, 92030 didn't really get a chance to stretch it's legs as we followed a stopping unit (with an enthusiastically gesturing driver!) onto the Stoke-on-Trent line, and as a consequence staggered fairly slowly along much of this leg. We kept time however, and the 92's solid performance meant a timely arrival at New Street. Feeling pretty grim now, I realised I'd picked up a summer cold rather than just a nasty bit of northern pollen! Struggled out to view 59203 rejoining the train before settling in for the run back to Bristol.

No farce with signalling either at Gloucester or Bristol which broke the tradition for railtours, but meant arriving in good time for the train back to Highbridge. Despite ending up feeling pretty sick, an enjoyable and varied day revisiting some old haunts and discovering some new track into the bargain. Looking forward to the next Pathfinder spinner with interest.

It was near impossible to get from Weston to Taunton this morning, due to Wessex Trains somehow messing up the interim Bank Holiday timetable. The mixture of the current Winter timetable, the additional Bank Holiday trains, and the impending Summer timetable obviously proving too much for them, with many services being cancelled. Eventually plumped for a return to Bristol, and a Bristol-Taunton return. Arrived at Taunton in time for 67022 on an Eden Project excursion, and the first of the Virgin operated HSTs. Passed the time chatting until D1015 caught me unawares, flying through on the fast line at full speed.

Waited for the third HST set to pass before heading up to Bristol following a phonecall from Lee. 'Tangmere' had arrived on the empty stock of a Victoria-Bath VSOE and 'Duke of Gloucester' was imminent. Arrived in time for the Duke and the final hired-in HST set of the day. Plenty of people waiting around for the return of 'Tangmere'. Used the time to catch up with the regulars and to sit in the sunshine in my usual spot. 'Tangmere' left in clouds of steam and with a great deal of noise to much appreciation from the assembled spectators.

Waited around in evening sunshine for the departure of 'Duke of Gloucester', which posed briefly with a pair of 66s pottering around from Barton Hill before running around the stock. Temple Meads well and truly steamed up by the Duke, prior to a thundering start. Something of a Steam Gala feel to Temple Meads this afternoon. An interesting and sociable day in the sunshine.

This week has flown by. Work has been hectic, but largely positive. I'm seeing progress on almost all sides right now, and generally the newly reconstituted team seems to be working well together. As appeal season approaches, I think we're doing pretty well in terms of staying on top of things too - a major improvement on last year, when chaos reigned!

After some minor drama and rather unusual (for me) sunburn at the start of the week, I settled into trying get stuff done. Another fruitful and encouraging meeting with colleagues from our software suppliers, and a really positive talk with someone who has pretty much taken back control of some aspects of life on Thursday, which made me feel happier about my lot too as a side-effect!

Today I noted that the programme for the Literary London Conference in July has been published. Lots of interest there. Lots to get through before that of course! So, for this Bank Holiday I'm planning some haulage, and hopefully a chance to see my nephew.