Royal Windsor and Sunset Steam Express trips June-September 2021

Ah! That would explain the 47 being on the rear today then.

 

Whoever arranged the lamps on Mayflower this evening I applaud! Seen with the sun shining on the loco as it climbs up Reigate this evening!




...Ok yes the high intensity lamp and headboard have been removed in post but other than that, its as it was.
Admittedly it is a freight headcode as well.

 

Passing Buckland a few seconds before the golden sun appeared! A couple of weeks of wet weather has changed a fairly clear lineside at eye level to the appearance of the train ploughing through a field.

 

Mayflower working hard at four locations yesterday, Wraysbury, Egham, Chertsey & Gomshall...

 

Royal Windsor and Sunset Steam Expresses on Tuesday 29th June are cancelled.

(Source: Railway Herald, and they are no longer advertised on the Steam Dreams website).

 

Just got an email telling me our tickets for the evening run are cancelled as the coaching stock is in Scotland.

 

That's bizarre. Obviously 60103 is making them more money than 61306 and thus the stock has been sent north for the runs up there.

 

Edit : The stock gets back to London on the 27th so rather odd it can't be made ready for the 29th.

 

Claim they won't have time to clean them and that some need repairs.

Was supposed to be a special meal with Mrs and Ms Simon so a little peeved atm.

 

Can understand that they would prefer to earn more by running Scotsman, but did they not plan for this when setting up these trips and the Scotsman runs? Maybe all the rescheduling of the tours due to Covid ended up giving them an overlap they didn't realise.

 

One has to ask the question “if they need repairs, what are they doing going all the way to Scotland and back?”

 

Doesn’t seem to be an overlap though. As I understand the timings, stock gets back to London on Sunday, the Windsor runs are not until Tuesday.

 

Unless they mean "general maintenance" of the stock rather than repairs. After all it will have done 3 fife circulars and London to Edinburgh and back. Still, its a weird one.

 

A possibility. At least it's saved me the drive to the Betchworth area and back on Tuesday.

 

Unexpected repairs as a result of the Scotland trip?

 

Scotland trip is only into day two. If they need “repairs,” how come the stock is still trundling around behind 60103?

 

Save up a bit more and splash out on a Belmond trip. You know she’s worth it!

 

Photos from last Tuesday... https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/albums/72157719449614114

 

I intended to , just happened that this tour fell on her birthday.

 

Very odd and certainly not good PR following the last cancellation.