The Jacobite 2020

If full freedom of movement is lifted in July, will it not be down to the operator to take a risk assessment whether they can run or not ? Isn't the Jacobite classed as a regular daily service and classed as an existing timetabled service, it's not a tourist attraction like a heritage railway, which would possibly fall under the hospitality sector ? They have our money and if legally allowed they'll run the trains regardless of attendance, that's the vibe I get !

 

I'm not sure which category they'll be in - but as you can't use a normal ticket on the Jacobite, I suspect the tourism rules will prevail.

 

Its described on the departure indicator at Fort William as; Special Charter Train.

 

I am guessing the Jacobite may well start before anything else as it could be argued to be a very long Heritage Line.
I am sure WCRC have some plans in the melting pot already but for more regular trips, even on an ad hoc basis I feel there are many areas that will be difficult to address. Just a few that spring to mind
People may not want to start from London (or other major cities) as they may not want to travel to the start point by service train and parking may not be possible or economical in conurbations. So may need to revise origin points.
How do you meet the requirement of keeping surfaces that may be touched clean eg door handles, drop lights on MK1 doors, all the toilet areas etc. throughout a complete trip with intermediate pick up and drop off points. I see the in tour cleansing conundrum as the biggest issue to solve.
"No heads out of the window" is difficult enough to enforce, so I have no confidence passengers would stick to social distancing, and who would then enforce that anyway?
Presumably no dining or buffet would be offered as I assume the mask requirement will remain unless a vaccination is eventually developed.
Many stewards may need to be recruited as many of us existing ones will be in the clinically vulnerable category or live with someone who is so may not wish to travel.

Hopefully better brains than mine will come up swith some solutions.

 

No its not, adults will decide whether they want to travel or not, that will be soon, which will be great for the economy. If the regulations say its ok then its ok, simple as that really. Yeah masks and hand sanitizer might be a thing, but i think most can live with that.

 

Said MP has also singled highlighted AirBNB, Booking.com for promoting tourism to the Highlands, which to some extent supports your view.

There is however an alternate view.

Tourists who would traditionally go abroad are now barred from such options.

There is a pent up demand for a break or holiday after being in lockdown.

It could be argued that these are favorable conditions for UK tourism generally.

This is of course contingent on the absence of a "second spike" of infections and the lifting of restrictions rightly imposed by the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland and NI.

 

Show of hands. Who here is currently tired of Sam's pessimism, and would instead like to return to optimism by showing off some of The Jacobite (and predecessors) best moments....which in my opinion is pretty much most days of it running....through the medium of stories, photography and video?

Afterall, we are at least a month off the potential return so there should be no harm in reminiscing.

And I'm sure a kind moderator would move the involved posts out of What's Going On to Bullhead Memories once the operation does kick off again, for now we would just be keeping the passion of the Highlands alive.

 

1st of July hopefully. Absolutely no reason why it can't start then.

 

We also don't know how long "interim measures" will be required for. I'm with @Sidmouth; we need to find ways to enable lives to be lived.

 

HSB (Harz) services with steam re-start 18th May. Great sign for us here. If they can do it with narrow gauge we can do it no problem. All tour operations hopefully not just the Jacobite.

 

Can not see I see much correlation between the UK and Germany when we are at different phases of the disease with totally different strategies.
I also note that Mrs Merkel and the Federal Government did not want the level of restriction release that has happened, but like in the USA it is an issue decided at state level. It will be interesting to see what the German path generally shows in a few weeks time.

 

Which i guess is why it might be July for us. My glass is half full.

 

What a difference a year makes, I think I've posted these elsewhere on the forum but they may be of interest on here. First shot is MP71 near Corrour with 44871 on the first runpast of the day under clear skies and no wind, unheard of on Rannoch Moor, October 2010. The second is near the same place in 2011 in the more normal low cloud, high wind and driving rain. About half of those on the train didn't bother to get off but after driving 500 miles to get there I am going to press the button. Not to everyone's taste but Colin Gifford sold a lot of books full of this type of picture.

 

45407, renumbered as Eastfield engine no 44996 approaching Corrour Summit, October 2004

 

Went to the horseshoe curve for that move as I wanted to do my own version of one of Peter Handford's classic West Highland sound recordings. Sound worked ok but it was a tad grim for photography.

 

None at all I hope. Not the ideal loco for the curves of the Mallaig road I would have thought

 

I believe the narrowing of the waters to the South West of the Timber Yard is roughly where the Loch Linnhe/Eil boundary is located.

 

It was actually an ideal loco and Callum and Albert really liked it, when it first went up in 1995. Anyway, it’s in bits atm.

JS