Vintage Trains - First trips with Clun Castle

£90 for just over two hours of steam, and chances are standard will be at the back with the 47 rumbling away behind you all evening. Not for me, ta.

 

I think it's good value for the chance to be with "Clun" on her first runs for so many years. As for the 47, I'm sure the addition will be merely for turning and MS shunting - if she's anything like the "Earl" then the 47' will be trying to keep pace

 

I used the links from the email for the trains for the 28/2 and 7/3, clicked select train, changed the dates for a period between Feb and end of October and the folowing appeared : -

Cotswold Express Birmingham Moor Street - Oxford 06 April 2019
SelectHeritage Rail Tours Chester & Shropshire Explorer from Dorridge to Chester on 28 April 2019 at 09:00 Chester & Shropshire Explorer Dorridge - Chester 28 April 2019

 

Interesting. UK Steam provisionally showing a trip to Oxford on 9th March, so maybe they are a month early?

 

The trip to Chester with the Dorridge start is a strange one, that means their 47 will have to drag it, then all bets are off whether it stays on or not. Or it could go via Leamington Spa and Coventry ? Which would cancel that theory.

 

Pickup points suggest Dorridge, Tyseley Mainline station and Wolverhampton. To go via Leamington and Coventry would require a further diesel drag surely?

 

Yes that's right, I forgot you can't just access that stretch unless you're coming from Banbury. I hope for some of the high stake shareholders that 47 drops off at Tyseley. I still reckon there's a chance VT might run like Saphos did in their first year.

 

Or even better Warwick Parkway with its big car park, not to mention a nice run up Hatton bank. Though no loop to park the train unlike at Dorridge.

 

This is the link. I put in 31st July as the end date and found more trains including a Welsh Marches on 25th May.

http://www.vintagetrainsonline.com/SelectDateTime

 

Here's the choice at the moment:

Dining Train (CBS) from Moor Street to Worcester Shrub Hill on 28 February 2019 at 17:00
Dining Train (CBS2) from Moor Street to Worcester Shrub Hill on 07 March 2019 at 17:00
Cotswold Express from Birmingham Moor Street to Oxford on 09 March 2019 at 09:00
Cotswold Express from Birmingham Moor Street to Oxford on 06 April 2019 at 09:00
Chester & Shropshire Explorer from Dorridge to Chester on 28 April 2019 at 09:00
Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza from Dorridge to Llandudno on 04 May 2019 at 07:00
Cotswold Explorer from Birmingham Moor Street to Oxford on 18 May 2019 at 09:00
Dining Train from Birmingham Moor Street to tbd on 23 May 2019 at 17:30
Welsh Marches from Dorridge to Hereford on 25 May 2019 at 08:00

 

7029 was on the mainline today for her light engine trial, running through to Stratford and back, and by all accounts it went very well indeed. I look forward to seeing her in Worcester next Thursday and travelling behind her to Oxford soon.

 

Not sure the 47 will be tagging along.There are a number ol movements between Moore St and Tysley. need to check the times etc but once it has pulled the stock out of the terminal platform it might return to Tysley. need to colate. What I thought might br LE moves are double entries of the same train. The search was on Moor st and there is a phantom entry for the special non stop through P2 having left P4 via Bodesley to reverse

 

Look at the return timings, the whole train is being turned at Worcester, going through Foregate Street to Henwick and back. They'll need the 47 for that.

 

The Dorridge start is some kind of a joke is it? Just looked at Dorridge Station Car Park on the Google Earth Satellite View and there are all of 80 spaces.

 

Dorridge has been used before as a starting point for trips and not just with Vintage trains if my memory is

correct. Pathfinder have a tour to Cornwall starting from there in April.

Dave B

 

When you try and book Dorridge is not an option, but Solihull is which has carpark with 290 spaces.

 

There are two car parks for Doridge station. The second car park is about 100 yards walk away

 

These trips are now all on the main VT website and bookable as normal

 

Found it. Another 112 spaces.