Help For Heroes, now 25th February 2012

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Now booked on this run. Should be a memorable day!

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

I'm booked too.

Does anyone know the exact outward route to Hereford?

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

The last pick up point is Didcot not Swindon and it is the first set down point on the return run. A group of 4 coming up from Devon and joining and leaving at
Didcot. Travelling economy as we were told there were no tables for two in first class and premier dining is a bit beyond our means at present. Should be a great day out. Last time we went through Abergavenny with 6024 we had left Hereford 45 late but arrived in Bristol TM early. I wont say what the GPS said about speed and Mike Notley in his report in Steam Railway mentioned no speeds at this section. How I would have loved to have been on the platform to see 6024 fly by still accelerating down the bank. The water stop was missed and we charged into the Severn Tunnel, when the GPS picked up again we were still doing 65 up the bank at Pilning. Lets hope we get some spirited running on the 8th October.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

We are getting on at Didcot as well - I'm assuming the train then goes to Hereford via Swindon - Severn Tunnel, then retraces with 6024 back to Didcot.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Im booked in standard class on this tour, just waiting patiently for the timings to appear with the tickets. im joining at London Paddington. is their any notable climbs on this route from london - hereford via swindon?? and onward to birmingham?

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Anyone know the return route from Birmingham to London, via Oxford or Bicester? Would certainly be fast down the "new" Chiltern line.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Llanvihangel between Hereford & Newport, the climb out the English side of the Severn Tunnal, and Hatton just north of Warwick.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

I'd say via Didcot given it's a pickup/set down point, the Kings heading up to Brum would avoid the station via Foxhall curve.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Also booked on this tour. It was a choice between this and the "train of Hope" and being an ex serviceman, this one had to win. Should be an excellent trip, with a really good choice of locomotives to haul it.

Ian

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Yes sorry I hadn't noticed that, would be a difficult set down at Didcot, Reading and Slough going down the Chiltern line!

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Anyone got their tickets & timings for this yet? Looked at the SD site and on the latest news/timings page they have put timings for the run on the 6th October and the next run on the page is the 15th. No mention of the run on the 8th.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Nothing yet...

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

I have received an email this afternoon from the A1 Trust to say that the train has been postponed to Saturday 25 February 2012 due to gauging issues with the 'King' in the West Midlands.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

No way.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Confirmed by SD http://www.steamdreams.co.uk/executables/GT410WebContent.exe?ActionCode=LatestNews

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

This is getting silly, why advertise such a high profile tour and then postpone it 1 week before it is due to run? What is going to change between now and February to make the King "in gauge"

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

It does seem silly that no one checked up to now. This isn't the platform at Bordesley is it I thought that had been sorted? Could be some change from the Chiltern Mainline upgrade, in which case I guess its only just been flagged up.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

Welcome to the post 02/09 world of main line steam. All sorts of lack of co-operation will occur!

To kill Main Line steam NR don't need to ban it, they can just make life so difficult it dies on it's own.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

In the same news section it says 4472 is planned to take the first section of the Cath Explorer up the ECML next year. 4472 & ECML in the same breath. Oh yeah! The way things are going there won't be any steam on the main line next year with these "back door" restrictions.

 

Re: Help For Heroes/40th Anniversary of Mainline Steam Return Special October 8th

It is, got it one. I cannot see any point in running a 40th Anniversary Special to commemmorate the return to steam 4 months after the event. Surely there could have been a swap to diesel at Tyseley [or Dorridge] for the short distance to Snow Hill or altrnatively have arranged a set down stop at Tyseley for passengers to travel into Birmingham by service train and then rerouted the anniversary train in the Birmingham area via Bordersley Jn, Sutton Park Line, Walsall and Soho Jns to Stourbridge Jn where the original itinerary could have been resumed.