Tornado Railtour Programme 2021

Dare I wish to hope NR would stump up the 25% voucher. Um.

 

Absolutely gutted. Booked this in October 2019 and been looking forward to it for ages. Sounds like NR have some questions to answer! Will have to console myself by going to the SVR Autumn Gala on Saturday instead.

 

On Tornado tours Facebook page, they have received timings from Network rail for the trip on Thursday.
Nothing on rtt as yet though.

 

anyone have a idea what time Tornado arrives at York tomorrow please?

Thanks in advance
Neil

 

13:12 into York.
Should I be worried (as a passenger) that still no timings on RTT nor can I find a light loco/ecs move yet?

 

Many thanks

Neil

 

Well all tickets for the Jorvik express have been issued via E tickets according to A1ST still not sure about R.T.T. though although it says on tornado rail tours facebook page it says: WE HAVE RECEIVED THE TIMES FROM N.R. but I cant find them on rail advent or railway herald as of yet!

 

Elsewhere, other tours have not been timed till the week of the tour - I did one on 31st July where the timings only entered RTT the night before. It seems that NR’s timing function is under real strain, and the ability to handle specials is one of the factors being hit hardest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Now in from Bo’ness this evening:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:61495/2021-09-15/detailed

 

I see from the timings that this is now routed via Mexborough & Doncaster rather than the more usual Milford & Church Fenton route. And also that the first water stop is at Brightside, which is some 80 odd miles from Liverpool. Seems a bit of a stretch on a single tank, unless they are also watering at New Mills South Junction.

 

But this is Tornado. 110 miles is normal. It can reach the parts other beers cannot reach.

 

We’re at New Mills S J now but appears to be just pathing. However we’re at rear and facing back so can’t see what’s going on at the sharp end.

 

A little bit of background info.
Charters are meant to be bid at least 14 weeks before the date of operation. That timescale is to follow the final offer date for WTT engineering works alterations and to before the start of the late notice engineering access requests. Anything after that is contractually at the bottom of the pile, behind all other requests which were made within timescales. If received after deadline dates they are processed in the order received.
If anyone is interested I can point you at the right part of the Network Rail website.

Cheers, Neil

 

Tornado approaches Chinley

 

Tornado at Gauxholme, Todmorden returning to Liverpool.

 

My pics at Liverpool lime st and york stations I hope everyone enjoyed their day out on Tornado the Jorvik express or filming 60163 lineside.
Davo 56F

 

Tornado at York yesterday along with 35018 on the Scarborough Spa Express. Photos to follow...

 

The "Indian Summer" that had seemed merely a pipedream on Tuesday suddenly arrived, at least for one day, Thursday was wall to wall sunshine and a temperature of 20C. Times for the Jorvik Express were eventually posted on RTT and a watch in daylight was a distinct possibility. Walsden, which lies near the top of the climb to Summit, lies 15 miles due east of Wistle Towers; the problem is that the shortest route by road is 25 miles and takes around an hour. I set off over the moors to Haslingden, on to Rawtenstall and then took the road to Bacup (which leaves Rawtenstall on what was the track bed of the Bacup branch line). From Bacup over the hill to Sharneyford eventually emerging under Gauxholme Viaduct then right to Walsden. I arrived early and there were only two people on the platform; an avid railway photographer (who I have met several times) and his wife. After a chat I made my way to the Todmorden end of the Todmorden bound platform to await Tornado's arrival.

The platforms and footbridge gradually filled up with locals eager to see the train; the kids were excited and this on a school night! The service trains were running to time and just before our train was due a chime whistle could be heard in the distance - not long now! Twilight was descending rapidly, then from the trees a light was reflecting on the tops of the rails. Suddenly, Tornado came into view as she rounded the curve, her headlamp almost dazzling in its intensity, the swish, swish of the Kylchap exhaust provided no clue to the work being done. A pull on the chime whistle as Tornado entered the platforms and swept effortlessly up the 1/182 gradient. Some more chimes for the spectators, a clackety-clack from "the coach with the square wheel" and then as quickly as it had arrived the train disappeared into Winterbutlee Tunnel. Well worth the trip for chime whistles alone. 11 coaches, 2E and 39 mph.

I decided to return via Todmorden and Copy Pit before picking up the M65 near Rose Grove; a longer route but supposedly quicker. This proved not to be the case as there were no less than 4 sets of temporary lights between Todmorden and Cliviger and I got behind a "slow stopper" (double-decker bus) on the climb up to Copy Pit with my speed at the summit a disappointing 25 mph. I arrived home around 20.15 to find Mrs W was absent; she had gone for a walk to a nearby farm to look for a pair of Barn Owls - with success! Oswald had seen Tornado and Mrs W a Barn Owl - all was well with the world!