Welsh Mountaineer: Steam to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

48151 reputed to be setting off early and taking water at Preston whilst at first pick up point.

 

48151 on load 6 a couple of minutes late approaching Frodsham, about right time away.

 

I was at Flag Lane waiting for it and reckon it was about 5mins early, but running great guns down the fast line.

http://john-robinson.fotopic.net/p66202001.html


John

 

On time departing Blaenau Ffestiniog this afternoon.

Got Some great shots today with 44871 this morning then 48151 at roman bridge and the slate quarry at Blaenau... Now just enjoying a fantastic evening on the Ffestiniog

 

Hmm, sounds as though you've had a great day then Simon!

 

Appears it ran back an hour early! I went to the viaduct east of Frodsham, same as this morning. I though getting there half an hour early would be ok, but no! Oh well.

 

A smashing week! Not a breath of wind, bits of sunshine and a beautiful sunset last night overlooking Porthmadog, cricceith & Pwllheli. Had a fantastic time so far with tones of steam on the fairbourne, whr, Ffestiniog and the mainline. 1 final day of filming tomorrow of 44871 and the talyllyn and then a trip on Friday and then back to the usual up north

 

Yes, I went to Chester, but missed it by about 5 minutes. I've since checked the RTC website and it shows 19.00 from Chester, 20.53 into Preston, so I guess the timings have been revised since those on uksteam.info.

 

I only just saw it coming through Curzon Park last night. Got talking to a chap who knew about the revised times, I bet it caught a lot of people out yesterday.

 

Apologies for the wrong return times at uksteam.info ! My times came about 5 days beforehand, and i didn't find out about the subsequent change until too late. Presumably the long stop at Llandudno Jc on the return was cut down.

David at www.uksteam.info

 

No problems David. I thought it might run early, due to the two stops at Chester and Frodsham. Running an hour early was a bit unexpected!

 

Tin hat on, but these tours were marketed by RTC as using LMS Black 5's. Better than nothing but 48151 is not a Black 5 and some paying punters may feel let down by the 8F.

 

With comments like this why do we even bother

 

The 8f had 6 coaches on this week a Black 5 only takes 5 coaches the extra coach may make this more viable for RTC. I cant imagine 5 coaches would generate enough profit to make it worthwhile. The 8f is noisy and dramatic look at the films of the Waverley on the S&C last Sunday. Ok its limited to 50 mph but once on the branch it wont be doing anything like this on the gradients.

Brian

 

So if you go to a shop to buy a specific item they are advertising and its is already packaged but get home to find it's a different product to that which you thought you had bought you wouldn't be bothered? Only point I was making was that from a marketing perspective it is wrong to offer one product and deliver another. I am otherwise a good customer of RTC but I like to know what I am buying.

 

Specific Items from the Shops are generally brand new out the box, generally not 50 years old at best.

 

If you go the the cinema and buy a ticket for a specific movie and they show something completely different, is that acceptable. In essence it is about offer and acceptance. This is not the usual late change alternative loco due to last minute problems (which everyone accepts and understands) but a specific failure to advertise exactly what was on offer and people accepted on that false offer.

 

The vast majority of passengers will neither notice nor care - however those that do, i.e us enthusiasts, realise how challenging mainline steam is in the 21st century and accept a change of motive power as a neccesary evil if the charter companies we travel with arent to go bust. It would be great if what was advertised could always be delievered 100%, but that is quite simply unrealistic.

Chris

 

Were you on the train?

 

I was going to take this tour because it was advertised as a Black 5. When I saw on UK Steam that the 8F was also listed but NOT shown on the RTC website I didn't book just in case. The request I had been given was for a tour behind a Black 5 and if I could not guarantee this to my party I would not take the risk. My money was lost for this tour.

I have no problems with locos being changed at the last minute when a problem has occurred, but I do have a problem with what I percieve to be disingenuous marketing. If UK Steam had not alerted me to the unadvertised difference I would have booked in good faith. If the change on the day to the *F was for unexpected problems, I would have readily accepted this.