Vintage Trains - 2021

That is the story that I remember. VT had the choice of running trains themselves or not running them at all. They do seem still to be feeling their way, being stricter than other TOCs about avoiding anything that could upset the authorities (e.g. anything at all sticking out of a window). And there have been some rapid changes of top personnel.

 

My understanding of the CBS/VTL arrangement is that the locos are in no way connected to the CBS or VTL. They are owned by an independent charity 7029 Clun Castle Ltd and hired to VTL for ops. Therfore any income from the use of the locos would not and should not go anywhere near the CBS....

 

Yes of course nothing is without risk

Well that’s me done with early morning drives to Tyseley or the first train up to Brum. Just as well the two Rays have retired as neither would have liked dragging DLs around

Don

 

Even more likely then that 7029 will be hired out. Who'd want only one 'customer'??

 

Rood Ashton and Kinlet were hired to Steam Dreams for Two halls to Chester in 2007.

 

The 2021 Galas thread https://www.national-preservation.c...on-only.1418240/&share_type=t&link_source=apphas next weekend down as an Open Weekend at Tyseley. I can’t find any mention of it anywhere else and the link provided is now dead. I presume the open weekend has been cancelled, anyone able to confirm?

Thanks

 

Now only :-
Vintage Trains Community Benefit Society Convention at Tyseley Locomotive Works on the on Saturday for Shareholders only.

 

Thanks.

 

Having worked droplight window stock on the national network and in pres in the last few years I can assure you the ORR have come down hard in all quarters. HSTs were cancelled in May because people wouldn't stop leaning out of the windows on EMR services. The first tenet of running a railway is you keep people safe, and you have to be seen to be doing that. With EMR HSTs it was an instruction of "if they don't like it, ask them to leave, if they refuse, don't move the train".

 

Nevertheless plenty of videos on here have shown heads out of windows, and not only train crew with valid reasons. The TOCs concerned may not have condoned it but they have failed to prevent it.

 

Is that entirely fair? Compared to the 'old' days I would have thought that window hanging was minimal.

I film trains in video and as a train passes it's obvious if anyone is bending the rules. I have filmed many trains on the main line in recent years and I would estimate the number of passengers leaning from windows to be in single figures. Perhaps overhanging branches and foliage in the west country deters punters from the act. <BJ>

 

Unless you man every vestibule (which happened on Skegness trains in 2019) then you can't abolish it completely. In 2020 Skegness trains ran with additional support from Customer Hosts, Chefs and Managers travelling who were otherwise on cleaning duties due to Covid-19. Additional support was focused on the HST sets in the run up to them finishing but it seemed to attract people like honey to bees and issues with people occurred because people refused to listen and act on the safety instructions. I'm quite sure if all of the charter operators had a free reign they'd happily let folk hang out of the windows, but they don't, they run their trains on somebody else's railway, and have to follow somebody else's rules.

 

Unfortunately a few years ago a young lady paid the ultimate price when she put her head out of the window of a moving HST. It happened just a few miles from where I live. Such a horrible way to die and totally devastating for her family.

 

Not sure I agree with that. In this litiguous society where there is a duty of care no responsible company is not going to just say get on with it. May have been fine 50 years ago but not now it would just leave them open to litigation.
Even signing disclaimers gets an accident challenged in the courts by relatives etc.

 

Any news on the timings of the midland Bristolian??? Heard that the tour is no longer going via Oxford???? What is the route if anyone can help??

Looking forward to the Duchess hauling the train, if she has passed her test run??? Will the Duchess still have a FTR exam before the mainline trip??

 

From VTs website. Id imagine its straight down from Derby. Up and over the Camp hill and down the Lickey. Midland route all the way.

 

Realtime Trains seems to confirm Duchess arrived at Tyseley today 13 mins early, having run a test to Sheffield this morning - so hopefully that means all test runs are passed and complete... Though appears to be a distinct lack of photos or videos on here so far, anyone out for this?!

 

Nothing runs on the mainline without passing a FTR 24 hours prior to a trip.

 

I've seen one photo on Facebook. I think most people who've been out have been to the S&C, rather than to see an engine and coach move.