RTC Dartmouth Express - April 19th

Couldn't find anything on Realtime yet for this trip. I was wondering if they would slip us into a similar path as the CE trip. If we have a late arrival back at Guildford that could be a problem for some with the next train services being on Sunday! I hope we get an hour at least at Kingswear

Also just noticed that RTC must have added an extra carriage to the train as they now say they have more seats available after saying it was fully booked yesterday. I hope this does not mean they are overloading 60007 and she will require diesel assistance throughout?

 

I expect most people will drive to Guildford rather take the train.

Not much to do at Kingswear ( apart from the Ship Inn), bettter to go to Dartmouth.Walk through the train as far front as you can get( before the train reaches Kingswear) to get to the head of the queue for the Passenger Ferry to Dartmouth or use the small car ferry( like some have done).

As long as the load is not more than 13 should be ok. Torando has managed 14 over Whiteball and Brewton.

 

Thanks for the tip about Kingswear and the Ferry. Haven't been there for a long time, last visit was with 6024 on her 75th Birthday trip on 2nd July 2005. That was a cracking run. During the layover we went for an excellent walk out of Kingswear as I seem to recall there was a very long queue for the ferry to Dartmouth. We saw some seals swimming in the sea which was an added bonus.

 

Should be fine on the Western Region with any load, only bank that would give trouble is Goodrington, but usual practice to have a banker from Paignton for A4's now.

 

there are some timings on RTT for the outward journey but not the return it appears that SNG is now coming onto the train at Taunton instead of Westbury.

 

It's not looking good for steam between Westbury and Taunton on the outward leg. <BJ>

5Z32 0545 Southall Wcr to Taunton. 19/04/2014
Southall Wcr 0545
Southall [STL] 0555 0601 GL
Southall West Jn pass 0604 ML
Reading [RDG] 8 0640 0642
Newbury [NBY] pass 0703 3
Bedwyn [BDW] pass 0720 3
Westbury [WSB] 1 0810 0812
Fairwood Jn pass 0817
Castle Cary [CLC] 2 pass 0843
Somerton Ground Frame pass 0854
Taunton [TAU] 2 0925 0930
Taunton Signal E483 0933 0938
Taunton [TAU] 1 0943

5Z34 2115 Westbury to Southall Wcr
Westbury [WSB] 2 2115
Theale Loop 2216 2241
Reading [RDG] 8 pass 2250 UML
Southall [STL] 2320 2323
Southall Wcr 2333

 

Going by what I have found on RTT this looks to be the case.

Outward Railtour timings : http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U63266/2014/04/19/advanced

Outward 60007 move from Southall to Taunton via Westbury: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U63268/2014/04/19/advanced

Return 60007 move to Southall from Westbury: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55023/2014/04/19/advanced

Please remember what was said in the other thread:https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/rtt-and-things-you-may-not-know-or-realise.255631/

 

Worth remembering that a set of timings in RTT are not always the definitive and accepted ones and can be changed...

 

Even taking that into account, we have to be realistic here, and recognise that this tour is not going to resemble what many hoped. Glad I travelled on SDs trip now.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

RTC page now updated for this trip as 60007 is now in the text and there are "approximate timings" at the bottom of the page (23.03 arrival back at Guildford). Also says 60007 will be attached at Westbury on the outward run..............
http://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-day-trips/dartmouth-express-2014

 

Got the tickets through as well. Disappointing news about the outward run. It is a shame they couldn't have extended the steam section on the return run as 60007 is returning to Southall with her support coach along the same route as the rail-tour in a later path. Sounds like another frustrating encounter for RTC with NR...... Does make you wonder why the Railtour companies bother these days.

 

Without knowing the ins and out of the area, or FGW's crew working patterns, it could be down to the fact that the diagram for that Sprinter means that the unit is stabled in the platform while crew members take their PNB's. For the movement you are implying to happen, is thus reducing the crew's break by however long it takes to shunt the unit out and then back in for the commencement of the following service.

Is the unit also serviced by cleaners while at the station? Just because a Sprinter is sitting empty in a station, it does not always mean that it is not being used in some capacity. This could be from cleaners going through the set carrying out their job, to the on train catering staff unloading and loading trolley's. If any of these staff mentioned do not carry PTS, then the jobs can't be shifted alongside the unit into an empty siding.

 

The RTC letter mentions the recent derailment. Might it also be that some points and/or sidings are locked out of use pending repairs, or occupied by damaged rolling stock, meaning there's one fewer gap to shuffle the tiles of this Chinese puzzle into? Although it's a shame to lose the climb to Brewham, at least you'll still get Whiteball (both ways), Torre and the climb through Bruton on the return. Remember to raise a glass the S&DJR as you pass through Cole.

 

The SNG trip on the 10th was a Thursday, while the train was in platform 1 at Westbury, there was nothing else on the arrival boards for about 10 minutes before or about 20 minutes after. That may not be the case on a Saturday. Also because of the length of the train SNG was attached forward of the departure signal, and had to be released ( safely ) by other means as the staff in the cab couldn't see them. If the train is one coach longer as in a previous post, this would acerbate this issue. I think the plan at one stage was to swap SNG in one of the sidings, but I guess they were worried about people dropping onto the track if they thought they could detrain. Maybe Taunton has longer or safer platforms.

There were also a lot of spectators there ( Westbury ), myself and my uncle amongst them, and one of the senior rail staff present, although not required to marshall anyone, who were all well behaved, he did seem quite agitated. Unfortunately earlier in the day while SNG was being watered, some over enthusiastic enthusiasts had public announcements made while they went down the bank for what they thought was a better view

 

It's rather sad that RTC now prioritises time at the destination over steam mileage. We're losing over 45 miles, 22% of the paid for steam miles, including Brewham Bank that was one of the real highlights with 60007 and 12 on last Thursday's train, though it looks like we've only got 11 on Saturday probably hoping to dispense with the box on the P&DSR. It's Easter Saturday and Dartmouth will be heaving. So what was the problem only having an hour or so there? Shame on you RTC. The Ship in Kingswear is there for beer though Colin did say he might not have Otter Head on!! SD's train ended up the best value for money after all.