The Royal Duchy 2012

We could easily have set down at Dawlish this morning and then avoided catching the late running XC at both Newton Abbot and Totnes , the wost possible places at the foot of the climbs to Dainton and Rattery. We were still 5 early at Plymouth. Ollie did well on both though despite violent slipping on the rain. Overall the run down this morning was fabulous with possibly the best WCR crew of Andy Taylor and Charlie Barber. Never short of steam anywhere and two back to back even time runs. Wonderful to be passed at Exeter by the Duke. Only downside was RTC who yet again mucked up the seating plan so we had to move. I am also sure that a better path might be possible so that stops can be put in at Liskeard and Bodmin Road.

Don-well satisfied with some fine steam running.

 

Could it be the reason Dawlish is missed outbound is not so much to do with what's infront as what's behind ?, could have a class 1 on it's tail to at least Newton Abbot ?.

 

So even when RTC get it right, they still manage to get it wrong !

 

70013 on time 20:04 at Dawlish. <BJ>

 

You're really not very good at this are you Ralph ?

The point was made that an otherwise good railtour was spoiled by RTCs incompetence at drawing up a seating plan !

Like I said, they can't even get the basics right !

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

(HD) 70013 & 71000 Royal Duchy & Torbay Express - Yatton - 5/8/12 - YouTube
More trespassing again... This guy's excuse was that the loop isn't used on Weekends...

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

I think it is used at weekends, as I am 99% sure I have seen timings for trains to stop in the up loop at Yatton on Sundays. I cannot remember which one it is/was, but if I find it in my emails, I will update this post.

What a shame that these people think this is acceptable (regardless of whether it is actually used on weekends or not), I wouldn't be surprised if NR have a field day after this... before passing it onto the health and safety department!

James at SVN

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

I'm not sure that he was making the excuse, but it doesn't set a good example.

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

Silly old B*****d! :mmph::mad2::censored:

If there are any repercussions from this, hopefully it'll be said prat getting a knock on the door from BTP, slightly inside the fence is one thing but inside the four foot ?!, suggesting you know the timetable is nonsense too, does he know the whereabout's of all the Q & Z headcodes which are not in the public timetable then ?, it was a numpty in a car on the Cambrian that caused a level crossing crash after colliding with an unscheduled class 37, least that was her laughable excuse like it was somehow the naughty unscheduled trains fault :frusty:

Ok it's only a loop so unlikely to get splattered, but as said it sets an extremely poor example, suppose someone else see's that and does likewise, except on a main rather than loop....

Excuse the rant, but that probably the worst stupidity I've seen from a lineside yet.

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

Don't apologise for the rant, your words are absolutely "spot on". This man is trespassing on railway property which is illegal and he should be made an example of and prosecuted ASAP in my view.

You cannot allow members of the public to make judgements about what is safe and what isn't, and when and when not they can expect to encounter risk and / or danger.

They are not responsible for the implications and they are not trained to make the judgement in the first place.

I live near Yatton, and if I see that guy doing the same thing another weekend I'll certainly make sure he's pulled up on it !

 

No class 1 behind until 1215 Exeter?

Don

 

Not sure what point you're trying to make there ? Can you elaborate please ?

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

You don't travel in foreign parts?

 

The point is that it happens all the time with RTC and they just leave it to the train staff to sort out on the day. The chap who was looking after coach G did this very well but he should not have been given the problem due to the inefficiency of the office. It matters especially to us train timers who need to be te right side for mileposts and have to set up gps etc. It certainly didnt spoil a great day though so needs to be kept in perspective.

Don

 

I was referring to your post #112, "No class 1 behind until 1215 Exeter" actually but your comments re the seating arrangements and RTCs inability to guarantee seating requests are interesting. I was under the impression that no requests could be guaranteed, i.e. left or right side of the carriage, forward or back, window, ailse, etc etc.

If RTC office staff gave you a guarantee on this I would suggest they over promised and mismanaged your expectations ! Something of a recurrent story line unfortunately.

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

Has anyone considered that the need to ask people to change seats may be due to the formation of the train not being as RTC were expecting? I don't know whether this was the case yesterday, but it's happened a number of times in the past.

 

All the time? Not on the few RTC trips I've been on. I'm booked on the RD on Sunday so I'll see what happens then.

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

I am aware of 2 occasions of this in the past . On one of them they got a first class coach in instead of a standard. Some of the passagners were upgraded to first class for no additional charge.

 

Re: Te Royal Duchy 2012

1. The train formation was exactly the same as 29th July
2. I know I cant be guaranteed a seat on the correct side but I expect to occupy the seat number I had been given.
3. If it hasnt happened to you then your are fortunate as I have had this problem on each of the previous occasions that I have booked with RTC. No doubt those in Dining will be OK, its just the pleb class where the problems occur.
4. My point about the 1215 Exeter is that there is sufficient margin behind the RD for it to stop at Dawlish.
5. The main thing is though that it was a great day out and nothing can detract from that.

Don