2010 Steam Tours

I have to agree with you I have a few tours marked off for this year! I hope they all come off without too many alterations....
A round of applause to RTC for some imaginative tours with different routes and destinations to what has been done before.

Brian

 

I will second that Brian. When Past time was with us, they always came up with different / unusual trips. Unfortunately since they ceased trading and dissapeared, its nice that RTC have took over the baton.

 

I wonder if that Weardale Railway tour will be the first visit by a big-name steam loco, or if the railway will pull off another such coup earlier in the year. It'll certainly raise their profile as a potential destination for 2011. Apparently the first or second diesel-hauled tour ( from London) dropped off quite a few passengers at Shildon to spend several hours at Locomotion instead of a couple at Stanhope. I think that co-operation between the museum and that line can benefit both, and could take many forms.

 

I also find that UK Railtours have some interesting steam trips lined up, so the 'one-off one-off' trips are by no means dead...

 

Very true...UK Railtours certainly have some interesting trips lined up. Nice to have some unusual varieties on offer to us.

 

All railtour companies have really pulled together to help cover for Past-Time-Rail during which must have been a difficult time for them. Felt really sorry for them when that happened to them. Looks really promising for the future with all the one-off tours and wide variety of locomotives.

 

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley will not be available for the Coronation this May. Here is an insert from news page on 60007's website.

'The A4 Locomotive Society / Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Preservation Trust regret it is unable to operate 'The Coronation' in 2010, entirely due to discovery of a problem with the middle engine during winter maintenance. Despite every effort, completion of the work in the time available is not going to be possible, bearing in mind a period of running in will be required and the renewal of the 12 monthly Mainline Certificate. We apologies for the disappointment this is likely to cause passengers and Trust members'

I gather this will mean that 60019 with both tenders doing the Kings Cross - Edinburgh legs as 60163 is on a jolly around Kent with Pathfinder.

 

Oh dear, thats not what we wanted to hear. As Bittern is not working on the sunday now, would they be able to do KX - Edinburgh and return, after a day off on the sunday as wasnt there a restriction on the first coronation with the amount of hours or miles 60007 could be used after 60009 failed in Tyne yard?

I hope something can be arranged as all plans seem to be flying out the window.

 

Well,that's p***ed on the Coronation then!

 

Couldn't have put it any better mate. Great shame that 60007 cannot make it, and if 60163 is being used down south then there is not much else to choose from as backup.

60019 has been put down as all the way though on UK steam.

 

I think the problem on the first Coronation was that there wasn't time to get 60007 from York to Edinburgh to work the first part of the return leg. 60019 has done Kings Cross to York and back in a day, which is a similar mileage to KX-Edinburgh, and Tornado did KX-Edinburgh on the Top Gear trip.

 

That would make sense malc as the first coronation was just two days.

On a trip of this scale it does start to make you worry about putting all the workload onto one engine though, bearing in mind the last two coros have incorporated 3. It would just be nice to have an engine as backup say in york just encase the worst happens. A full length ECML A4 run with same engine will still be pretty good though.

 

60007 did KGX - Edinburgh in a day back in the 90s.

 

Yeah,stick a 47 there *Ducks for cover!*

Oh....just forgot i had 47 haulage on the Coronation h'mm,pity there's no Deltic ready

 

Steam both ways. From Steam Dreams website

"Join us on the exciting trip from London to York and Newcastle as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the first running of the Silver Jubilee, Britains first streamlined service!

We depart Kings Cross around 0830 and head north along the ECML with A4 60019 Bittern at the head of the train. our next scheduled calling point will be York where we hope to arrive around 1215hrs. At York there is the choice to leave the train or for those who wish to make the most of the days travel our train will continue to Newcastle behind our second A4 class locomotive, 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, named after the man who designed them. We should arrive in Newcastle around 1415hrs and then have a short break for around ninety minutes.


Our departure from Newcastle will be at about 1545hrs and Sir Nigel Gresley will speed us back to York where Bittern will be waiting to take over our train. Departing York at around 1800hrs we will run on the fastest schedule available and plan to be back in London before 2145hrs".

 

Re The Coronation
As 'Sir Nigel Gresley' is out of the picture and 'Tornado' circuiting Kent, what are the possibilities for Steam Dreams as a replacement?

 

1996

6229 Euston to Glasgow - Day one
Glasgow to York - Day Two

The origin of the famous quote after 97 mph into Carlisle

1997
6007 KX to Glasgow - day one
Glasgow to Skipton - Day two

Diesels were attached for heating - but no more

 

Bittern will haul the tour throughout, except the middle day which is still with The Great Marquess.

Regards,

Dan

 

From looking at UK steam, kings cross - york sections on day 1 and 3 of coronation are now down as TBA?

60019 still comitting to york - Edinburgh on both days though.

 

Ah, that has changed since I last looked then!

Regards,

Dan