60103 - now 46100 'The Cotswold Venturer' - 28/10/17

60103 'Flying Scotsman'. Saturday, 28th October, 2017. Railway Touring Company. FULLY BOOKED.

Paddington - Didcot - Oxford - Evesham - Worcester. Return via Stroud, Sapperton and Swindon.

Outward:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54115/2017/10/28/advanced

Return:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54120/2017/10/28/advanced

Light engine movement:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U54116/2017/10/28/advanced

<BJ>

 

Last steam in Worcester this year, and it's 60103 as well, staying here for around 5 hours. I won't be on board but I am hoping to be at Shrub Hill to see the arrival and departure. It'll be the first time I'll have seen 60103 in my hometown.

 

Pretty much dark for the return I suppose....

 

I am on it and agree its a shame that Sapperton wont be in daylight. I am going to fill in some time by going to phot the GWR lower quadrant semaphores at Droitwich

 

It is within a minute of the advertised departure time, and I was going to state the usual time over the last few years, but the last trip to Worcester in August was an hour later see http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t17/t0826b.htm. Hopefully future trips to Worcester can use this later and move civialised path.

 

After the driving wheel axle box failure yesterday reports else where suggest that the A3 won't be available until November. So I wonder what will happen to this RTC trip?

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

Don't quite understand why leaves an hour earlier than the trip did on August 26th.
Do not know if the November comment is due to the loco repair or Steam Dreams/WCRC availabity.

 

RTC have the same choices as SD, though with slightly more time to arrange changes - find a replacement loco and run on the same date or postpone until FS is repaired. Since FS is likely to be a big part of the reason for people buying tickets on this trip, I expect they'd rather postpone. If RTC do go ahead with an alternative loco (70013? 46100?) I expect lots of people will ask for a refund or a transfer to another FS trip.

 

November? Really?

The plan is for the bearing to be repaired in the next few days, run-in at the NVR, thence to London to resume its programme, on Sat 28/10 to Worcester, with the tomorrow's cancelled Norwich/Ipswich trains being re-run on Sat 11/11.

Such is the cult of 'Flying Scotsman' that the passengers will accept no substitute (and we did look at it).

JS

 

Thanks for that. It's good to hear. I am not on the trip but hope that the passengers have a great day with Scotsman. Be good to see how she deals with Sapperton.
I had read a Newspaper report on line which said that Scotsman wouldn't be ready until November. Fake news!

 

I find that the best way to treat newspaper reports is to ignore them.

 

Yes, silly o'clock departure is right. I'm going to Didcot on Saturday, shame the Scotsman will have been long gone before I get there.

 

So whats the problem here? The Show Pony may have been and gone by then (by around two hours before DRC opening time), but surely the fact that the Apple Green Awesome Machine will be in steam at DRC for the day on Saturday will by far outweigh any sense of deprivation? On balance, this must be a net gain to the plan of how you spend the day. One way or another, I hope you have a really enjoyable day at Didcot.

 

Oh, there's no problem, after all I've seen the Scotsman several times in the past few months so I don't feel deprived at not seeing it. But it would have been nice to see the A1 and the A3 on the same day, sort of icing on the cake. But I'm sure I'll have a great day watching, photographing and riding with Tornado, and I think the SRM is in steam too.

 

Always good to hear Mr Shuttleworth posting facts. Many thanks James.

 

There's an excellent clip of the lift on the NVR yesterday on the FS thread in the Steam Traction Forum. Bit worrying the wagon taking the wheelset away....

 

A post in the FS thread reports RTC have confirmed 46100 will haul the Cotswold Venturer.

James

 

http://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-day-trips/the-cotswold-venturer-1