Winter CME's, February 2012.

Thanks Matt - the extra hour in bed will be a bonus! UK Steam has also been updated.

Richard

 

4 hours from Preston (18.29) to London (22.25) with 100mph electric loco and stock ?
Virgins 19.01 from Preston arrives in London at 21.38.

 

CME runs via Northampton. Also only EPS trains can do the full line speed in certain places.

 

So how does one get from Farnborough to catch this train using public transport?

 

Transport Direct website is saying your earliest train wouldn't get you in to Euston until 6:34. I've got a similar problem from South London, as the tube won't have woken up by then. Apparently you'll have to wait until the "official" times appear and then try to persuade RTC to give you a refund if you can't actually get to the train.

Richard

 

Interestingly, RTC's timings are almost exactly one hour out for the entire outward journey. It looks as though, for some reason, they've had to go for basically the same path but an hour earlier.

 

I've seen the path and although theres a bit of fast line running south of Milton Keynes on the outward, it's mostly on the slows from there onwards and on the return.

Even a 100MPH Leccy doesn't make a seemless fit on the fasts with the constant stream of Pendo's.

 

It looks like they have advertised the path that Steam Dreams used for the same trip last year but have failed to get said path.

 

The path that Steam Dreams used last year gave insufficient time in Carlisle to turn and properly service the loco [Ollie] resulting in a poorish fire and performance on the southbound climb of Shap. I would advocate the earlier outward path has been belatedly requested to give the support crew more time in Carlisle to properly service the loco. To run outward in the originally advertised path and comeback an hour later would mean the journey over Shap would be done in darkness but if intending London passengers cannot now reach the train in the morning maybe the timings requires a rethink.

 

According to uksteam this years RTC trains are due back into London at 2225 not 2255. This is half an hour later than last Years Steam Dreams train which was back at 2155. On the return the Steam Dreams train ran direct beween Rugby and MK whereas this years RTC train is going via Northampton and due to set down there. Presumably this accounts for the additional 30 mins or so

 

Thanks for the correction! Don't know how I misread that - deleted my post.

 

I'm one of those boarding in London, I'm not Keen at OMGo'clock, but won't stop me. I may consider a speed up using a service train... Maybe what may be better is railtour promotors getting together with virgin trains and offering combined ticketing, and dropping the slow boat to London ??. After all the tour starts in London, but the "ride" doesn't start until Preston.

 

SLOA used to do this in the 1980s.

 

Who??

 

Schhhh - you KNOW who!!

Morning Frank and a Happy New Year to you.

Peter, on a miserable mucky murky morning in Manchester
Zenfolio | Peter Hewitt's Transport Pictures | 2011 Photographs

 

Yep - even went round to Bernard's house to get my tickets one time went I left it too late for the post - seem to remember we did FS and DoH - bloomin cold both times waiting for the runpasts. IIRC one trip had 5407 on the first leg to Hellifield and we all bailed out a Werrington? for a run past too. Great trips.

 

Oh run pasts... wasn't that one of them things rail tours used to do in the olden days, before yards and headhunts for water stops, so their passengers could take pictures ?

 

This is getting very nostalgic.

When I were a lad in October 1981, I paid a total of 15 quid to ride on a service train from Abergavenny behind a 33 to Crewe, then electric on the SLOA special to Carnforth for a visit to the steam depot, then open to the public, then 850 Lord Nelson to Hellifield with a run past at Wennington (three times past lovely old signalbox), change locos for 46229 Duchess of Hamilton over the S&C. Stopped at Kirkby Stephen West to watch another steam train pass, then again at Appleby for another run past. Home via Shap behind the electric, then to Crewe and home behind another 33. Happy days!

But still happy to grab a steam trip over the S&C, even at modern prices!

 

So let's compare...

In 1981, 15 quid (50 quid at 2012 prices according to This is Money: Be your own financial adviser - predictions, advice & tips) you got...

- 105 miles of steam haulage
- 2 steam locos
- 4 run pasts
- 60 mph max speed
- No steam over Shap
- 444 miles of modern traction (218 on the tour, 216 on service trains)

In 2012, 69 quid gives you...

- 176 miles of steam haulage
- 1 steam loco
- No run pasts
- 75 mph max speed (if it's 70013, 60 mph if it's 45305)
- Steam over Shap
- 450 miles of "modern" traction (a Class 86 is not exactly modern nowadays)

So for an extra 19 quid (at 2012 prices) you get a lot more steam mileage, including the run over Shap,, albeit with only 1 loco and no runpasts. Swings and roundabouts, but things haven't changed as much as some would have us believe.