Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express 2016

We're booked on the 27th and checked which engine was on and was told Galatea. We'll be watching Saturday's train with interest to see how Galatea performs single headed on Shap this year. Should get a good performance with 10, coal permitting.

 

It will be 9 + POB as they never include the Kitchen Car in the letter as it's not passenger carrying.

 

The run up Shap today by 45699 should give an indication as to what will happen speed wise on Saturday as it's a similar load . Video to follow later .

 

Not quite WCME but it's linked to SGT's comment above. According to RTT, train took 21 minutes to cover the 13 miles to Oxenholme and must have been looped at Grayrigg. No reports then until Tebay. Must have flown over Shap as it only took 21 mins for the 18 miles or so from Tebay over Shap to Penrith.

 

Not the right thread I know but with West coast on suspension this is what might have been this Saturday .

 

I do find it mildly amusing that I can still book tickets for Saturday's WCME if I wanted to......

Or are we to presume it will operate with DB?

 

No it won't be DBS haven't got the resources to run a series of trains like this, it's cancelled like all WC runs until the latest crisis is resolved.

 

Has anyone been informed of this by RTC? Or of cancellations to other tours that now cannot go ahead?

 

The web site is showing this weekends as cancelled:
http://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-day-trips/winter-cumbrian-mountain-express-4

 

Indeed. Thank you. It's the only tour so far. Will DBS ride to the rescue?

 

Got my money back within 20 mins so i booked on Tornado on April 4th (DB) with UK

 

I had tickets booked for this Saturday. RTC emailed me at 11:00am today saying the train was cancelled. Shame but not unexpected and I feel they let me know early enough.

 

I wonder how many drivers will have been made redundant (or soon will be), with the loss of all the coal traffic, and if any of them are steam crew?

 

Steam Dreams says ' we have spoken to another operator about the Flying Scotsman trips and they have agreed to operate the trips with Flying Scotsman as planned.' So someone clearly has staff availible to take on 7 different trips at relatively short notice.

 

This is good news that DBS is rising to the challenge. I am sure they will run the loco in a very professional manner.

 

Yes unlike West Ghost Railway

 

Is there hope then that DBS will take on tours using locos that are not owned by WCRC? It's in the interest of the tour operators and the loco owners for those tours to run. With no WCRC loco to consider then the number of tours falls in number and thus the potential for DBS to step in.

 

46100 is the only loco I can think of that would be able to go round the Cumbrian Coast that is currently available that DBS could operate. Maybe 44871 if the load is 9, but hasn't been operated by DBS for some time?

If returning via Shap, DBS have operated 46233 in the past.