The Midday Scot 19th March 2016

Stock and locomotive have not been extracted from Carnforth yet.....

 

Back to the issue of pricing and "value", however defined in this context. £99 is highly representative of the entry price for most full-day and non repeat itinerary tours as things stand in 2016. Only one SD posted 2016 tour price manages to get below this figure, and with RTC, although it is true that there were planned to be a handful of tours priced up at £89 in the Spring period, generally their price for travel in steerage will be (or would be) £95 plus.

VT and PMR Tours do (or did) manage lower standard class pricing, which is fine for those who would not incur significant travel costs to get to the (generally ) Midlands-based start points. I don't believe that it is the marginal upwards adjustments of the entry price for these tours, to accommodate the need for "wriggle room" for whatever purpose, that is ultimately likely to deter the family market. Its surely far more likely to be the absolute overall cost of the package for the day when there is a significant add-on for travel to start point and/ or accommodation.

I'm also far from convinced that full-day trips starting before 7am are likely to be the most acceptable or indeed the most effective way to inculcate the sort of "hearts and minds" inspiration in younger family members that is clearly necessary both now and increasingly in the future to sustain heritage railway operations.
I would contend that its much more likely to be the close-at-hand encounter with steam at a heritage centre/ preserved line, or even conventional line-siding where it is possible to view the spectacle of steam, that will grip the imagination and maybe win the deeper long-term engagement of future generations.

No basis of evidence for any of this, just my opinion.......but I am absolutely 101% onside with the "inspire kids for the future" priority, and nothing in the view that I have expressed here is intended to diminish in any way the over-riding importance of this issue

 

Well, whatever the rights and wrongs, I'm sure those who have paid for the pleasure of riding in the train will enjoy it. I'll probably go along to Lancaster/Carlisle to photograph the 'Semi' on her home ground and will no doubt see some of you out there! Enjoy the day...wherever you are

 

Hope that you enjoy seeing and photographing 46233 tomorrow John, just one thing, this particular Princess Coronation was never a "semi" having always been a non-streamlined version of the class.

Cheers,

Alan

 

But 60103 did not have a "tail gunner"for her ECML run. She had a shadow instead.

 

Its booked for tomorrow morning: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50680/2016/03/19/advanced

 

That is technically correct...but back in the day we called them all 'Semi's'...and most, I suspect, didn't even know why!

 

Not sure of the point that you are making as James Shuttleworth stated specifically on here, the tail gunner was requested for the winter CME?

 

Understandable John, in which case there is a good chance that you will see a "semi" roaring along the West Coast Main Line tomorrow morning. I do hope that you catch it during that roaring phase.

Cheers,

Alan

 

Crikey. I hope someone is there to open the gates!

 

Simple as it may seem, this may not have been a straightforward thing to arrange for DBC. It is probable that a SSW for its staff on a depot not normally used will have been necessary including any risk assessments prior to allow both ftr, test moves and shunting. A method of ops may not have existed either for the transfer across NR boundary.
It will all have been dealt with but not as simple as once upon a time.
It does assume extensive co-operation from 10A management too .........

 

Thanks Alan, we can but hope! As an aside, Carnforth men (who used to have one on the 'Ulster Express') referred to them as 'big lizzies.'

 

Yes, behind 73969 / 968. AN

 

Is that an Abelio move using the sleeper locos to Wabtec?

 

It'll be a GBRf move as it's their locos and they now have the Royal Scotsman contract. Just as an aside the sleepers are now a separate franchise run by Serco (with GBRf providing power and drivers).

 

Thanks for putting me straight, interesting times!

 

The winter CME wasn't her run on the ECML and also the CME was WCRC whereas the ECML was under the auspices of DBS.

 

Pic here of the 73s leaving Carnforth with most of the Royal Scotsman ECS. Two more coaches were collected at Kilmarnock:

https://andrewstransport.smugmug.com/Northwesttrains/North-West-trains-2016/i-vDTrj2Z

Cheers

Andrew N

 

As noted :