Steam from Devon Or Cornwall

Hi all coming from Devon I have noticed there is hardly anything steam wise that starts from Devon or cornwall and apart from the royal duchy nothing I can board from my local Station Exeter St Davids although I suspect the main reason for this is Due to the costs of moving Locos ECS etc to the south west maybe kills profit or maybe the attachment Area or interest isnt high enough for one the TOCs to consider A Tour from the south west so Ive come up with A proposal of A future tour which I want your feedback on weather could realistic happen or not so here goes Would be A summer tour looking something like this.
Summer Sundays
Plymouth- Weymouth or Bournemouth
Diesel Plymouth - Exeter St Davids or Exeter Central Depending on demand for D/H
Steam Exeter to Weymouth or Bournemouth Via Exeter Central LSWR line
Pick Ups- Plymouth Totnes Newton Abott Dawlish Warren Exeter St Davids Exeter Central if Diesel Banked
Water Stops- Yeovil Junction
Preferred Locomotives - 34067 34046 30777 35028
As i am aware 30777 is A bit short of routes maybe this could be A good proposal for this Locomotive Especially however im not sure if its Gauged Weymouth and Bournemouth obviously looking at A early start from Plymouth with stock brought down overnight And locomotive overnight at Exeter.
PROS
good tour for Family and Enthusiast alike
Unsual Route
No Regular tours from South West
Cons
costs of movement might mean not profitable
Pathing might be difficult
Attachment Area can produce enough demand?

Would like to hear what people think realistic or just pipe dreams Double Heading from Exeter would probably be best but gonna need Alot of Demand for that.

 

May be enough demand for the occasional tour from Plymouth or Exeter, but certainly not enough for a regular series, I seem to recall Pathfinder Tours had 60163 down for an Exeter - Stratford tour last year until it got pulled for whatever reason so it does happen, as you say long ECS runs or stabling charges for overnight would push costs up too.

Also if using Steam from the start, I believe there are only 3 turning facilities South West of Norton Fiztwarren (Churston & St Blazey Turntables and Laira Triangle), and the biggest pacifics won't fit the turntables, apart from maybe something in the style of the Looe Branch shuttles on say the Newquay branch (all Cornish branches complicated with no run rounds too), I can't see there big enough demand in Cornwall for tours starting there, Plymouth and surrounding area is probably the furthest west that could generate enough interest.

Thinking about it, probably the best chance of a steam tour from down there would be Diesel to Bristol and take advantage of one of the 2/3 loco's that spend the summer there to head to points north, east or south.

 

Yeah I agree that demand is the issue and the ecs costs etc probably kill it in water for a regular jaunt from Exeter like the dawlish donkey when it ran but I'm sure a semi regular there is enough demand especially for the climb up exeter central maybe not 60163 was booked for a tour your right I was booked on it it was to come on at Taunton but was 66 from Exeter cause no turn facilities of course it was pulled due to the DBS strike last year

 

Why do you write one long continuous sentence? Break them up, so they make sense. Capital A's are only used at the start of a sentence, not in the middle of them. A clear illustration of modern schools failing on the basics. 30777 is heading out of Exeter on April 7 but, as a return leg. You would have to come back via a service train, if it isn't too late. Good to watch up Central bank though, banked by 34067.

 

Punctuation. Just remember the difference between
Helping your uncle, Jack, off his horse

and

helping your uncle jack off his horse.

It makes things so much clearer.

 

Sorry to go off topic, but is it fair to go all Grammar Nazi on the guy without knowing him ?, I recall seeing similar happened on another forum, turned out the guy in question was dyslexic or something along those lines.

Book and cover ?.

 

Wow I didn't realise people could be such a tool on these forums I didn't realise I was writing a letter to the queen or a essay for university was just making a quick point and didn't really care for your mistakes corrections whatever is it really that important on a forum to make sure that its totally 100% bulletproof I think not but thanks for the point.

 

No I'm not dyslexic but not of the highest order either but I don't think such abuse is really needed on a forum thanks anyways.

 

Wasn't suggesting you were, I just don't think it fair to have a go at someone online like that without knowing them.

Course if your going to bite the head of off someone trying to fight your corner, then sod you then, that's twice in as many days I've tried to help someone and had it thrown back in my face, I'm done helping people now.

 

Ironically, I don't think he was having a go at you, more steve45110 for complaining in the first place. But the lack of punctuation meant that that wasn't clear.

Simon

 

Fair enough, I apologuise if that's the case, just getting somewhat irritated by a fair bit of unwarranted flack from some quarters of late.

Anyway we've wandered somewhat off topic.

 

Returning to AshTav's ideas - I guess the same sort of arguments apply as for the North East, South Wales and other regions with a fairly large population but a long way from where locos and rolling stock are normally based. These regions probably can't support regular operations, but might manage a to make a few trips a year viable. What would help would be a local promoter, such as a travel agent or local paper. The suggestion of doing something with the Torbay Express rolling stock and loco mid-week is sensible too. A promoter might get quite a favourable hire-rate if the alternative was to leave it sat in a siding all week. Then you want to start and pick-up at sensible places with easy road/bus/rail connections (not too early), go to a good destination (probably not the seaside, starting from Torbay or Exeter!) and get home at a sensible hour. There needs to be somewhere to turn and service the loco (unless you're using different locos out and back).

Torbay to Bristol or Cardiff would work.

Bath is always an attractive destination, but you really need to approach it from the east, then go on to Bristol for servicing. That means travelling via Westbury - quite an attractive route, with views of Glastonbury Tor and the climbs of Whiteball and Bruton banks to entertain the enthusiasts.

To go further than that, such as Worcester or Oxford, you'd possibly need to run diesel-hauled from Torbay to Exeter or Taunton, and steam from there.

What about the South Western route? DL Torbay - St David's; attach steam, use DL to bank to Central; then where? Salisbury, Southampton or Portsmouth would all be within reach and have turning facilities; Bournemouth or Swanage would not be too far (via Sarum and Eastleigh) but turning is an issue unless and until the Swanage Railway installs a turntable. Weymouth is probably too far, and needs a second loco to bank out of Weymouth (if taking more than 8 coaches).

The difference with the South West is that it does have quite a large number of holiday makers. Can they be turned into customers for mainline steam? The Dawlish Donkey tried but wasn't successful. Preserved branch lines like P&DSR, SDR and WSR are probably a better fit for holiday makers.

As for the punctuation issue - a forum like this is a written medium. To to get your ideas across clearly you must write clearly. No one expect posts to be written like a lead article in The Times*, but I'm afraid, ashtav, that your posts are very hard to read and don't make a lot of sense. I think I get the gist of what you are saying, but details and distinctions are lost.

Finally, I think this thread is in the wrong place. It's not about "What's Going On", and should be moved to somewhere like "General Railway Chat"

(* For example, no one minds david1984 habitually writing "of" when he means "have". ;-) )

 

To get back on the subject...

Sounds a good idea but most people want to get into Devon and Cornwall not away from there!! So unless enthusiasts, any demand would likely be from locals rather than holiday makers.

Perhaps worth looking at joint South Devon Railway / Pathfinder or Torbay Express operation should there be a demand?

 

Thank you steamage for finding the time to not only write a good paragraph of useful Infomation, but also to be constructive in what the guy who was very rude in my opinion had to say. David1984 I wasn't having a go as it might of come across I was thanking you , but it didn't come across well which has been pointed out already. I do not think the other guy needed to be so rude however , admittedly I had a bad day yesterday so punctuation wasn't top my agenda. Thank you steamage and David for your contribution to my query, its made me understand why not many specials do leave from Devon and Cornwall alot more understandable. Maybe this isn't the right area for this thread?

 

The one possible way to get steam travel to the extremities would be for Steam Dreams or RTC to include one standard class coach in their week long tourers for shorter one way runs.

 

Just a point of interest on the Churston turntable. It has extension rails which can be fitted and will (I think) allow any of the existing mainline locos to be turned. They were built for a visit by Lizzie, which I believe is the longest loco on the mainline? This pic shows them in use (yellow jobbies sunder the rear tender axle). A bit of a squeeze, but they did the job! Picasa Web Albums - David Bailey

 

It is more a criticism of your school AshtavO, there was nothing rude in my first post, all perfectly politely written. Anyway, the last post was fine. RTC are the most innovative re. unusual starting points. Try writing to them with suggestions. An Okehampton to Waterloo and return special would be a good one, with 34046, 34067.

 

Maybe if you didn't offer your opinions quite so unanimously across this forum, you might get a more considered response. I'm sure you advise to Vintage Trains marketing department about May 11th has been received with mirth. The tours is apparently close to selling out after 2days!

Anymore useless offerings for us David1984?

 

I'd of thought someone in your position has better things to do than a bit of blatant trolling under a few different aliases to be honest.

I'm allowed an opinion as much as the next man and yes, I'm not right 100% of the time, are you ?, such posts with no intention other than to provoke are going to get suitable replies, not my company that's demonstrating some rather dodgy PR at the end of the day.

 

I live in Cornwall, so find it difficult (in terms of travelling time to the start point, plus the expense) to travel on a main line steam special. I have managed to 'do' about six last year, just take the additional expense on the chin - price of living in a beautiful part of the country. Pathfinder Tours used to be F & W railtours and in the late 70s/ early 80s often ran diesel tours from Plymouth. However, the starting point gradually 'retreated' to Bristol, and this presumably reflects the economics. In a time of recession, this may be a situation we have to put up with; or up with which we have to put up!

Seriously, though, I am not a 'grammar fascist', but it is fair enough to comment when a post is hard to read. The purpose of grammar and punctuation is to aid communication, otherwise there isn't much point in it.

John