Railway Touring Company 2016

I think many are angry at wcrc right now period.


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I can only imagine how angry SD VTL RTC are, twice in a year lol. At least the galas are looking good this year.

 

OOOh the plot thickens, lol. Dunno someone calling themselves No6 got annoyed and left another forum over the subject, could be him lol

 

I fear that the sympathy for RTC may be dissipating. This is not unchartered territory for them. In fact on this occasion RTC had the benefit of time to look at contingency plans in the event of a negative ORR outcome. So the 12th March WCME was cancelled less than two weeks before the tour. Next up is the Midday Scot in less than two weeks.

Reputations are not lost because something goes wrong. Reputations are lost or retained based on the manner problems and resolutions are dealt with. Those resolutions need to be prompt. Maybe in the short term, wisdom would have favoured a general cancellation or postponement of a number of tours whilst operational issues were resolved. As it stands customers have been left with uncertainties around travel plans, hotel bookings as examples which often come at a pre paid advance price that cannot be recovered. Another feature is the customers opportunity cost. If the tours are not to run, customers have lives that they can fill with other activities.

Time for decisive action.

 

It's him alright, he's appeared on UK Rail group (as T Bird Frank) as well. Strange how some people use an alias and think that they're anonymous when they start stirring and making accusations....

 

You are quite right about the anger, not only that of railtour promoters but the thousands of prospective customers and in particular the several hundred booked on tours over the next two to three months. Also I'm not sure I can be as optimistic as you regarding galas. The KWVR event was unable to include 44871 due to the unavailability of a mainline crew to deliver & with the main gala season approaching the problem is likely to get worse. Most railways can put on a decent show with their home fleets, but some rely on the variety of visiting locos (particularly for the diesel fraternity). Given the number of planned visitors I hope the Swanage Railway has plans to use a TOC other than WCRC to resource their diesel event in May.

Quite right, and April 2nd is the tip of the iceberg. I am sure RTC are making every effort they can with DBS (? others) but they would be wise to drop the impracticality of what they are still advertising and concentrate on achieving the possible. VT have won many plaudits for putting customers first whilst in comparison RTC look increasingly foolish.

T Bird Frank does have something of a fractious history with RTC, but I'm not sure that dismissing what he has posted elsewhere makes his point any less relevant. I don't subscribe to UK Rail Group so I don't know how much may be "stirring" or accusation. What I do know is that RTC do seem to be avoiding the facts for as long as possible. They may be doing this in genuine hope and, if so, good luck to them but what in my view would be more sensible would be a healthy dose of both realism & honesty.

The points T Bird Frank (and many others) have made regarding imminent RTC tours seem to me valid & straight answers in very short supply.

 

i do not think mainline steam preservation has been thrown into as much chaos and customer doubt since the end of BR....

the last 3 or 4 seasons have all seen many troubles in one way or another for ML steam (hot summers steam ban, DBS unable to cover rosters/industrial dispute, tour operator trying to run tours that simply were way too ambitious, and now for the 3rd time WCRC has been in the headlines leading to turmoil.
its very sad for the industry

 

There is also Cath Ex to Chester as well, which is a route DBS has resourced in the past. With the CME now a CCE which there is also one on the 9th April (And no other RTC trip on that date, or SD or UKR, There is a Pathfinder trip to Tweedbank hauled by Deltic outward and 67 back).I would have though there was more chance of one on the 9th going ahead.

 

Actually, Franks post was quite moderate (certainly for him), but as you probably know, they haven't been in the past on RTC, and I used to find some of his comments to perfectly non contentious posts, on everyday subjects, rude and even obnoxious. Yet it was so easy to find out who he was, (and even his address) just by Googling T Bird Frank!
When you do find out the identity of certain people (not Frank), you realise they may have personal grievances.....

 

As mentioned previously the RTC/WC relationship is much closer than ones with the other tour operators and WC. This may influence how RTC judges circumstances and acts accordingly. Needing/wanting to remain as loyal as possible to WC won't help RTC to make objective decisions though. As an above averagely well informed customer one certainly wouldn't be making a financial commitment in RTCs direction any time soon. Allowing other less well informed people to do so is just plain wrong when the odds are biased much more towards cancellation than running.

 

Why do we keep seeing posts about other TOCs for steam hauled trains? DB is the only other Steam TOC. Any other approaches can only be for diesel hauled tours.

 

You are T-Bird Frank and I claim my 5 pounds

 

I didn't even get the chance to add "I bet TBf gets banned before WCRC comes back"

 

The couple of weeks before West Ghost come back according to the WCR MD is up this week so will Frank last longer than that






The Scarborough Farmer luvs this NOT

 

But didn't he just say that he left of his own accord.....

 

To be fair, many visiting locos go by low loader. Non rail connected have no other option anyway.