Vintage Trains 2017

Our Blaenau trip is steam only as is Llandudno.
Melton North

 

Anyone able to confirm please if any SC seats left for Saturday evening's tour and if SC at the front or rear please?

 

You could call Vintage Trains and check...?

 

Times are up on RTT for The Red Dragon to Cardiff. Substantial changes from the originally advertised schedule, as there is no stop at Stourbridge Jtn and the return is going via The Welsh Marches line. Half hour break at WOS on the outbound, where I'll be getting on. Looks like a service train back home from BHM for me in the evening.

Outbound - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50617/2017/03/11/advanced
Return - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50621/2017/03/11/advanced

 

First tour of 2017 is complete. No problems at all the speak of. 5043's performance was exemplary.

Looking forward to our trip to Cardiff next Saturday. There are a handful of Standard seats left, and looking at the revised return up the Welsh Marches, I suggest this is not one to be missed.

We will update the website in the next day or so to reflect the changes.

 

A pain in the arse for people booked on at Stourbridge and Worcester, but a return run over the Marches is well worth the added stress of getting a service train from New Street.

 

Indeed. I'm one of those getting on at Worcester but, given how I won't be able to make the Welsh Marches tour on the 25th, this one to Cardiff will be my Welsh Marches trip this year instead. As long as we get back into BHM in time for me to get the 20:59 London Midland service back to Worcester then I'll have no complaints at all.

 

Booked on late too. Will probably join at Worcester. There are a couple of Cross Countries back from New Street to Newport. We should get the 2030 with a bit of luck.

NR haven't been kind with the path out of Cardiff. We have to let the 1555 Manchester, 1609 off Newport through which probably means sitting in the middle road at Newport Station - we're booked through Ebbw Jn at 1558 and Newport station, a mile and a half away, at 1612. We're booked through Maindee North 6 mins behind it, but typically it's the service that stops at both Cwmbran and Pontypool so it might compromise the 1 in 106 climb through Cwmbran and the 1 in 95 to Pontypool and New Inn. It should be 10 ahead of us by Little Mill Junction, and 9 ahead leaving Abergavenny. Hopefully the unit will be on time and we won't be close enough to be checked by Abergavenny Signal 38, the colour light signal just before mp 18 3/4, Llanvihangel Summit. We should then have a clear run through Hereford and up the Marches to the outskirts of Shrewsbury.

 

Does anyone know why we couldn't take the line through Malvern once we get up to Hereford? That way we could have dropped the Worcester lot such as myself off at WOF and then continued on to BHM. I'm assuming it's a gauging issue, the only steam that's been on that line in recent months are the gauge-friendly Black 5s.

 

Bulleids also fit. 34067 went that way in 2013 and 34046 the following year - RTC's "Welsh Borderer" - one train which I am very surprised has not become a regular feature. I think the gauging problem is in the Malvern Link area, but whatever, the route is no go now for outside-cylindered GWR locos. I'm sure our friends at Vintage Trains would use this route with their engines if they could, as it's got everything - challenging gradients, fantastic scenery and (between Worcester Shrub Hill and Malvern Wells) Great Western lower quadrant semaphores in abundance.

 

West Coast have not got many drivers passed for this route, according to a post by Melton North last year.

 

Great news. I for one appreciate these posts.

 

Surely you could get a pilotman in with enough advance warning and fee ?.

 

Thanks to all involved in yesterdays trip to Cardiff a very good day out.

 

A few pictures from yesterday's Cardiff trip which seemed to go like clockwork. Locations, Blakedown near Kidderminster, Defford, Ley Crossing and Ponthir. Unfortunately all in dull March weather

 

Very nice pictures. I thought the Earl looked and sounded wonderful yesterday.

Good to meet you at Ponthir. Did you manage to see Lord Dowding / Braunton on your return home ? <BJ>

 

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Another great performance from the Mighty Earl ! The tour seemed to run like clockwork, until they hit Cosford on the return, even then with running 22L, this deficit was eaten up arriving only six down back at Tyseley. We captured the action at seven locations. Load 11 was the real surprise for yesterday, though I guess those were the extra seats from the cancelled Didcot trip. I hope you enjoy the coverage.