RTC 2020

not to be confused with the GB2020 tour lol

 

New tours added to October. Highlights for me are the Buxton Spa Express (hoping it does what's on the tin and gets the LNWR route to Stockport via Whaley Bridge done) and The Tynesider (Cleethorpes to Newcastle with the B&T thrown in to turn the train). There's also an Easterling to Lowestoft and the usual Weymouth runs. Might give the latter a miss this year as there are about six other trips I'd like to do. Can't do everything!

 

Worth noting these are to feature 31806 Weymouth - Southampton subject to fire risk.

 

Good stuff, but still can't do everything! Maybe something to consider for 2021.

 

Sadly only 2 Royal Duchys. Interesting that there are a couple of 'old fashioned' Weymouth Expresses with steam over Evershot.

 

I suspect there will be a degree of 'attrition' if everyone else is thinking like me.

Speaking purely for myself, I don't intend to do a repeat of this year, where I book 21 trips starting all over the place and then suddenly realise the full extent of their attendant overnight and travel costs when things like engineering work need to be factored in at the last minute. I'm consequently limiting myself to ten itineraries with rare or required track, with fewer overnighters.

 

Probably right Al. We're going a bit kamikaze and intend doing as many as we can from now on, as year on year it's going to become more difficult to path 'slow' steam hauled trains on the ever more crowded big railway. It's what we do. We don't do holidays and we don't do abroad. Hate boats and planes. We like the program and we'll do all the CMEs we can pick up at Crewe, already booked the first 4; and needless to say we'll book everything out of Bristol; so 2 'proper' Weymouth Expresses and both Royal Duchys - shame there are only 2 as it's the classic railtour.

London starts double the cost per ticket for us; and to get there we have to travel on the Shitachi IETs. Still, in all probability we'll do both Cheshireman off Euston, and the Easterling off the Cross. (Expected our A1 Trust to do that one). We'll also drop down onto the Southern on the Kentish Belle as that one we can do without an overnighter; just an uncomfortable train from BTM. The Cotswold Venturers are 'must dos' now they are Sapperton both ways, though we really don't appreciate the premium for the June run with 60103. Might give that one a miss. Then we haven't done a Tin Bath or Buxton Spa for years. Hmmm, looks like an expensive year with RTC.

What's not there for us are trains over the Welsh Marches out of Bristol. A Spring and Summer Cheshireman out of BTM would be perfect as the Marches is both a scenic and enthusiasts route; but it really needs to be done in daylight both ways. The Christmas Cheshireman and Ludlow trains are all well and good but the returns are in the dark. Could be anywhere.

 

How often does steam out of Euston happen nowadays? I have done a few over the years, but my last one was VT's The Midlander in 2014 (for which I travelled to Brum the night before).

 

What do you have in mind Al? The Whitby trip was good a couple of years ago but was obviously at the limit operationally. It seems to me there is a requirement for a destination these days which implies an ability to park up somewhere. Also in terms of route availability this sort of trip needs class 4 or 5s which possibly restricts it to the Jacobite off-season. Are you thinking something like Manchester to Morecambe and Barrow?

 

I looked at the first and third of these before posting. I don't think either of them would be possible at civilised hours.

 

Pathfinder have done Windermere diesel hauled a couple of times, but usually on a Friday night/Saturday morning. No chance of doing it any other time.

 

All very well doing Oxenholme to Windermere but unless there’s a 47 on the rear it’s pointless as the stock would be then pushed back by the steam to the mainline but still facing the wrong way !!

 

Steam t and t like the Whitby trip would be OK but a 45mph path on the WCML might be a no no.

 

There is the Wensleydale, 28th March 2020 top and tail. I think this is essentially what replaced the Whitby tour RTC did.

 

When was the last time steam left Buxton that way? Leander April 2006?