UKRT The Palatine 24/08/19

Seen first nearing the top of Hoghton summit and then crossing the Rochdale canal at Gauxholme viaduct, Lancashire looking its finest today but a little too warm for steam. Lovely noise from the Brit, she seems a very sorted engine now.


The Palentine at Hoghton Bank by Phoenix Images, on Flickr


Pheonix Images-0142 by Phoenix Images, on Flickr

 

Couple of beauties there Duncan Well done mate

 

On the climb to Copy Pit

Rule Britannia by Matt Spencer, on Flickr

 

70000 at Pleasington and Copy Pit Summit

 

The Brit at Jack Green and Copy Pit

 

70000 seen at Jack Green Crossing and Holme Chapel.

 

I had not realised until the train pulled in that Saphos / Locomotive Services were providing not only the loco but the whole train including the catering staff. Towards the end of the trip I asked one of UKRT's staff about that and he told me was that this was their third such. They are giving it a try. I don't know how the economics for UKRT compare with using the Riviera stock and DBC, but from the customers' point of view it looks good.

Diesels top-and-tail between Euston and Crewe for the sake of the ECS workings but pure steam from Crewe.

I have similar praise for first class dining. I have no complaints about the dining service of any of the railtour operators, but Saphos's seemed that bit superior. Service seemed even more attentive than with the others. They weren't serving any juice with breakfast (only tea and coffee) but when I asked for some juice I got it. I was charged for my cider as expected but not for a large bottle of sparkling water. Dinner was seven courses: hors d'oeuvres (exceptionally tasty), terrine, soup, main course (enough meat but not too much), cheese & biscuits, dessert, and chocolates.

I was in the rearmost coach, so could hear the loco only when it was working hardest, but that was OK. At least that coach (possibly so far only that coach) now has retention toilets, showing that it can be done on a Mark I. The only snag is that the push button to flush the toilet is not very obvious and one person ahead of me had evidently failed to find it.

Generator coach to supply the air-con Mark IIs: I don't whether or when standard class will get coaches from which the loco can be better heard.

Finally, thanks as ever to the dedicated souls who have posted pictures and videos, at least this time not having to endure foul weather.

 

Footage from Accrington yesterday:

 

Superb David, cracking viewpoint on a lovely summer day.

 

As Steve says crackin stuff David.Is that Stanley on the seat at the end?

 

Plus there is DB TOC
MNLPS, A1LST, PRCLT, Bahamas, NELPG etc independent loco owners and in the case of Tornado doing their own marketing in house.
Riviera
UKRT, RTC, Pathfinder, TBEL marketing cos.

The market has moved quite a bit towards the all in one model. Will it go further?

I didn't realise it was a seven course dinner. Maybe they do need four hours, maybe one sitting for Rugby/MK and one for Watford/London.

 

I would echo praise for UKR + Saphos with one caveat, that being that the combination of hot weather, itinerary that didn't allow detraining for best part of the day and lastly, defective AC in coach G at the front is dicing with problems if you ask me.
This needs to be fixed otherwise someone is going to expire - my father and I am today suffering symptoms of heat exhaustion from being in coach G yesterday despite the plentiful water provided by the catering staff which was much appreciated.
If windows don't allow air-flow then the AC simply has to work in hot weather in my opinion.

Britannia performed wonderfully and in all other ways the trip was excellent.

 

FTR should have failed that coach the day before. Saphos have quite a few coaches lying around. A scruffy coach in the wrong livery would have been non-ideal, but surely far better than either preventing some passengers from travelling or cooking them.

 

to be fair, the AC was seemingly working fine and the coach seemed 'chilled' with 47501 up front as far as Crewe.
When Britannia was put on the front it was said that the AC had tripped in coach G and the temperature was then not controllable for the remainder of the day. Others sat nearby were suggesting that this specific coach 'has history'.

 

Cracking location with vid to match well done young fella, nice touch to end with

 

The air con failed in coach G on the 7 August Cardiff trip on the return not very pleasant i emailed Saphos but no reply.