Vintage Trains Bahamas Tours

Not bookable on their website. x In red circle alongside and on tour list.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if the 6th was cancelled. It clashes with Pathfinder's 60163 trip to Kingswear which the usual pool of passengers from Birmingham and Worcester will probably be booked on. I certainly am. I don't think there is a large enough supply of potential passengers to fill both trips. Plus VT are running these Cotswold trips too frequently; there should be one every couple of months instead of one every three weeks.

 

But Bankers did not get dragged along for the rest of the day...

 

Heard from the horse's mouth at Tyseley last weekend that they were unsure how many different routes they would be able to run on this year, they initially put so many of these Oxford circulars in the programme as they knew that was one they knew they could definitely do at the time with the personnel available.

 

It was a different railway then. Remember Dick Hardy’s words back in the 80s. ‘ with a bit of luck we may be able to keep steam running on the main line until around 1995 but I don’t think it’s realistic to expect it to continue after that’, and be thankful.

 

We should all be very thankful. I'm increasingly of the mindset that main line steam will end soon...however soon that may be depends on various factors

The worst of course is the coal. A friend was confidently remarking that all steamers could be converted to burn various eco friendly oils...but I don't think that's the same

 

And to put that in context, this week alone the number of steam hauled trains on the network will likely be more than in the whole of some years before the early 80s.

 

A comparatively small marketplace in the big scheme of things, however an incredibly toxic and unpleasant one.

 

Coal will be a problem, not so much availability but distribution but that’s for another thread. A bigger issue is motive power. We have Bahamas because of an overhaul partly funded by lottery money which won’t happen again and MNLPS had to turn to its members for financial help for its last overhaul and that’s with all the Belmond work. I. Can see the days of the volunteer run preservation society locos running on the main line coming to an end. Thankfully we still have WCRC and The A1 Trust

 

Yes Scott, makes me yearn for the 80s when I didn’t have to make a choice of which of the four running on a particular day I went for! The CME had two locos and to photographic stops with run pasts (What happened to them?).

 

I think VT need to do more to advertise their runs to the general public. Several times now I've watched the Evening Diner pass through Worcester Foregate St or the Cotswold leave Shrub Hill and people on the platform have asked a) whats going on and b) where are these things advertised. Strikes me it would simple to put an advert and a QR code on the coaches. Then of course there is cost - I'd love an evening ride on the Diner as a passenger from Worcester but as far as I am aware it doesn't pick up. Likewise I think the Cotswold Explorer has the same potential as the Scarborough Spa had as a regular reasonably priced experience but it needs promoting and it needs more pick up options that allow the experience but with lower fares - maybe for single legs.

 

I have just had a look on the Vintage Trains online booking office; the Cotswold Venturer on the 6th of July is still on the site, and the "X in Red Circle" just means the tour has limited availability and you should call the booking office on 0121 708 4960 for more details.
Hope this helps,
Adam

 

Thanks for clarifying that. It opened a dialog box on the PC that didn't open up on the mobile.

 

Passing through Bristol Temple Meads on Saturday, the Saphos stock was sat in the centre road, all the tables immaculately made up - the carriages gleaming. Sign written tastefully on each carriage are the words 'Saphos Train Travel', a quick Google search later... No better advertising than that.
I believe Saphos said in an interview with SR they are able to justify their £65 fares as they spend next to nothing on advertising, word of mouth and repeat business fills their trains.

 

No longer listed on the website, maybe it's been cancelled?

 

It is cancelled, see post above

 

Wasn't that a one off request?

As far as I'm aware as a member of the MNLPS, the society is self funded and what Clan Line earns, that money go's directly back into the coffers in readiness for its next heavy maintenance period.

Not sure why you are placing WCRC & the A1 Trust in the same bracket? One is a nation wide TOC which looks after its own assets and operations and the other is an organisation which appears to require a considerable amount of monthly donations to keep going from its covenantors.