The Cheltenham Flyer

If you haven't signed up for the VT Newsletter and announcements, I suggest you do it today!

Sign-up here! Vintage Trains and Shakespeare Express - Join Our Mailing List

 

Ben, may I make some constructive criticism ?.

If the Chelt Flyer is indeed a goer (as I've been lead to believe), woulden't it be better to announce the full details in this thread as opposed to suggesting signing up to the newsletter given how short the length of time is between the announcement until the running date (much shorter than most tours) ?, as it may bring you a few extra pax in this short time.

I did originally want to do this tour, but knowing it was far from certain to go ahead I earmarked an alternative, which with time got fuller and fuller to the point I had to book it before it sold out (which it now has), so news on this has sadly come too late in the day for me, I appreciate the reasons why this has happened, but others may have done likewise given we are now in late March.

 

2x tickets booked, and possibly may be requesting an extra 2 tomorrow.

I'm sure the details will be made available on here in time, but surely it's more important to give those subscribed to VT first chance than others who aren't. Otherwise what is the point in them having a subscription list?? Don't think they'll struggle to sell this either, the last ever steam hauled trip along the GWML before the wires go up and it's non-stop! Ben has kept hinting at this for a while and asked us to have faith in the VT guys to pull this off and to keep May 11 free. I have, and now that it's happening I've booked and I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one.

 

Would you rather they published the tour, took your money then found out they couldn't run it? There is another thread on here where someone is bashing RTC for not running what they published. Sounds like VT are making completley sure they can run the train before asking passenger to cough-up. Surely that is the correct thing to do? And David1984, if you didn't have enough faith in VT, and lets face it May 11th has been hinted at for months, then why are you crying now that you can't go on it? You made the decision to book something else on that day. You take the gamble - you pay the price.

 

Although The Cheltenham Flyer may be the last steam-hauled train through Reading for a couple of years, it's not actually the last on the GW Mainline, is it? For example, this one must use the section between Didcot and Chippenham:

Tue 21-May THE CATHEDRALS EXPRESS
Banbury-Kingswear [dbs]
60163: Banbury-Melksham-Exeter-Kingswear-Taunton-Westbury-Melksham-Banbury

The Bath-Bristol section will also see quite a bit of use during the summer.

 

Funny how it's always the account's with the fewest posts that are the most outspoken isn't it ?....

Obviously the phrase "constructive criticism" has gone completely over your head as I was suggesting to Ben that by making the itinery availible ASAP on here rather than later on, that may secure that few extra passengers needed to turn a loss or possible cancellation into a profit, given the extremely short timeframe between the announcing of the tour and the running of the tour.

Me crying ?, far from it, I'm happy with the choice I made and I am looking forward to a summers day out to Cornwall, my point is that by leaving any announcement longer than it needs to be, other people may no longer be in a position to book on it and VT may risk losing out.

I'm something less than pleased with that attitude considering I'm actually trying to help VT with a suggestion than hurt them, I am actually already booked on a different VT tour this year so I'd suggest it's not a brilliant idea to have a go at your customer base, considering I suspect your involved at Tyseley, I'm not having a go at anyone, I want VT and this tour to do well, so made the above suggestion.

Also you seem to have totally bypassed the line where I said I understood the reasons for the late announcement.

Why do I bother ?.

 

David, we are announcing the tour as soon as we (and the other parties involved) feel comfortable in doing so. Why would we delay? I would have liked to have it in the brochure that went to print in December, but it simply wasn't ready.

I was suggesting that people sign up to our newsletter to get up to date details of the tours. Not sure what the fuss is about to be honest.

I know these are a lot of people wanting details of this tour. I was just saying "watch this space!"

 

Details now on the website

The Cheltenham Flyer featuring 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe - Sat 11 May 2013

 

I posted this on the Tornado trip today.................
Re: 60163 CathEx Newbury-Cantab Tue 26th March 2013
Last Saturday was the last Saturday for steam at Reading for nearly 2 years and tonight was the last for steam during weekdays, and would you believe it, not an enthusiast in sight and yet one dad with his young son, when told that Tornado was coming delayed his train back to Pangbourne just to see it which was very heart warming.
You all missed a very emotional arrival and departure at Platform 7 with long blasts on the whistle arriving and departing to reflect the dearth of steam for a long long time at this station.
I gave inspector Geoff Ewans high-fives on arrival and he confirmed the extended whistle blast was because it was the last for some time. Him wishing my team Plymouth Argyle good luck in staying in the football league, he hopped back on the foot plate and with that long whistle disappeared off to Newbury.
I promise you it was emotional and I am sad more weren't there to see it.
Nick

Even the hoards of platform staff were talking about this being the last. No wonder Dave of UK steam responded to a previous posting of mine suggesting "End of Reading steam? Watch this space"!! Perhaps I should have amended the above posting to read "The last DBS steam rail tour at Reading" In which the crew were quite right in signing off with those whistle blasts!

The news about the Cheltenham Flyer is magnificent and I will be back at Reading no doubt in May.

It would be interesting to know how Vintage Trains has managed to beat the ban!

 

Well done, Ben. You've managed to make it happen! The planning seems to have been a marathon.
I just hope it won't be sold out too quickly. Better get my cheque off quickly.

 

I would imagine it's because FGW and NR are involved!

 

Perhaps Tuesday evening was the last steam train to stop at the old Reading station? Platform staff might not be aware of non-stop excursions. The Flyer "is not scheduled to stop at this station" ;-)

 

John,

If you are going to send a cheque, send me an email with your details and I will pencil you in - the phones have been a little busy this morning!

Cheers!

Ben - ben@vintagetrains.co.uk

 

One of my friends booked us 3 standard class seats on the Paddington - Gloucester section this afternoon. He said it was selling out fast when he called : 17 std class seats left when he called after 4.30 so there were 14 left after he booked ours. This will be our first Vintage Trains excurison and I must say I am rather excited already! I think it was a brilliant idea to offer the option of the steam sections as "single" sections with the return by HST. Really looking forward to May 11th and thanks to all involved for planning this special day.

 

Think your missing the point, it's Great Western and a Castle!

After all this horrid weather May is going to be a month to remember. Booked on both, A castle on the Flyer and then off to the seasisde. next, win the lottery job done..

Well done VT for making this happen.

AJ

 

Just a quick clarification. It is the dining seats that are running very short. We still have half the standard seats left. That being said......we sold approx half of all the seats on the train in one day! I'm impressed!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the tour. I am sorry if leaving the announcement so late has meant a few folks have missed out because they are booked on another tour, but we needed to make completely sure this was a "go-er" before we started taking people's hard earned cash.

 

It is many a year since I travelled with VT but am tempted to do so this time. What I am worried about, in view of the timings quoted above, is that it will be like virtually all other steam tours between Paddington and Didcot, and routed over the up and down relief lines. Could be wrong but extended times like these would suggest this is the case.

One reason for considering witnessing the train pass through Reading rather than travelling on it is that there is just the chance that it will be the last steam train to transverse the through line between platforms 7 and 8 (used to be 4 and 5) in traditional GWR style at its maximum speed of 75mph just as the Bristolian did. Only problem is that I am informed that the middle road is being taken out to provide a bigger concourse for platform 7.

 

To be fair Hatherton, paths on the Mains between Padd and Didcot are probably non existent until after Reading where some turn off down the Berk & Hants, it's the same on the southern WCML, relief lines or not at all generally.

 

All - please note that the times we published were quite clearly identified as ESTIMATED and NOT to be taken as actual times. Until Network Rail give us the final times, please do not take them as literal.

And yes, this is just another steam tour that has to fit in-between all the other services on the network - it just happens to be one that doesn't include a water stop.