VT The Welsh Marches - 28th September

We will aim for another 9am-ish departure. Should make it do-able for people with connections.

I cannot guarentee the same route back down the Stour - we were re-routed due to problems at Bescot.

Look for it again next year.

 

Perhaps change the return route and go back via Malvern and Worcester and then either up Old Hill or the Lickey?

 

Yes but how about running it the other way round even if you have to go outwards via Sutton Park, although Tornado has left northwards from BNS.

 

OK, to put it another way, when was the last time a steam locomotive ran underneath the NIA and didnt turn off at either Smethwick or Soho?

Also, would love to see this tour operated the other way to the direction it took this time around. I believe this was almost done in 2009, however the double headed Castles on that occastion started from Shrewsbury.

 

Oh yes go for it !! And stick Clun Castle on if it's up and running by then !!

 

Ben, having watched KristianGWR’s excellent video of 5043 storming through Abergavenny I’m wishing I had been on board! What a tonic to watch this after the generally disappointing summer of steam on the main line.
Messrs Churchward, Collett, Hawksworth, Ell, Smeddle, and Meanley (father and son) can be justifiably proud of their contributions to the creation of the über-Castle.

If there is a re-run, I’d be especially tempted to book if there was a way to be near the loud end without being in Premier Noshing Class. Just a thought - could half the leading Pullman be given over to Club Class next time?

Nick M.

 

Ben, I would deffo be booked on this trip if you got a return of the Earl going up the Lickey Incline... one last tour up the lickey before the new bromsgrove station is built and the electrification of that line from Barnt green down to the new termious at bromsgrove.. so my route that i think may of the other guys would like as follows...

Tyseley - Birmingham - Kidderminster - Worcester - Hereford - Outward

Hereford - Abeergavenny - Newport - Chepstow - Gloucester - Bromsgrove - Tyseley via Birmingham new street Assisted by panniers from Gloucester.

would many of you agree with the route, ben your thoughts?

 

A fine suggestion, except for the very last bit, "assisted by panniers from Gloucester." That would be too far, given their limited range and low maximum speed. Assistance would need to be added at Bromsgrove, or perhaps the junction with the Worcester line a little further south.

 

How about banked up the Lickey by Rood Ashton Hall?

 

The most appropriate pannier would be 9466 carrying one of the Bromsgrove bankers numbers if possible, but is it out of ticket?
Cheers Dave

 

Why not just put 7029 on the front.

 

The Lickey is fun, but here is the challenge. Will the route up the Lickey increase the passenger numbers to cover the additional 2 loco's, LE moves, 2 drivers and 2 firemen? The Lickey is great for people to watch, but in the past, it has not brought the passengers ONTO the train.

We would then have the problems with a reversal at Boredsley...as we cannot go up the West Surburban and through New Street again - that was a one-off.

Also, if this additional manuvering, waiting for paths, etc, puts the whole job over 12 hours, then we need additional crews for 5043 as well.

As we ran it on 28th Sept, it was quite a simple tour with not a lot of faf. The inclusion of the Lickey makes it too complicated and too costly. I know we are a charity, but we can't loose money either!

 

Interesting points, Ben. I suppose you could get away with one banking engine, rather than two, so the extra cost would be much the same as a double-headed tour - but still significant. The Lickey Bank needs rarity value to attract enough passengers to make it viable. We've had 2 or 3 tours up it in recent years so perhaps it should be rested for a while?

What about the Worcester-Hereford line? It hadn't seen steam for several years until RTC took Tangmere there in May. What are the problems with it? Pathing/capacity or gauge clearence, or both?

 

Panniers in Scotland.....

On a serious note, it's very positive seeing interaction from Vintage Trains via Ben and the forum, and the openess to ideas. That Castle of yours is certainly an impressive piece of kit. What are the chances of her making her way to Cardiff and Swansea? I looked at the timings for the 2010 run involving No. 6201, and seemed in excess of the 12 hours you aim for. Is there a more straight forward run or is it a little excessive?

 

I'm looking forward to Ben's reply. I live about 12 miles south of Ledbury, but had never visited the town (only moved to the area a short while ago) until I went to see 34067 in May on the "Welsh Borderer". I was stunned by the scenery, and from Worcester to Malvern Wells it's solid semaphore signalling. Add a 1 in 80 gradient into the mix, and you've got the makings of a superb route for steam. I wonder if gauging is the issue? The RTC are re-running their "Welsh Borderer" tour in May next year, and that's trip I've marked as one to travel on. However, motive power is currently scheduled to be 34046 Braunton. I'm not turning up my nose at this engine, but I did wonder whether this choice of loco was based on gauging issues, as 5029 would have been a more natural engine for the route. (6023, if available by then, would also have been rather fun) Colwall and Ledbury Tunnels are single track, and although Castles ran through them in steam days, that doesn't mean anything 45-50 years later.

 

But please keep in mind that a large amount of our income comes from Dining passengers. The return journey needs to be long enough to serve them food - the shortened return last time caused the Coffee and After-8's to be a bit rushed. Worcester SH as a passenger stop will not work. I was looking to do the outbound from Snow Hill > Hereford non-stop next time.

Its a funny balancing act.