The Atlantic Coast Express 5th-8th September 2014

don't see the need for such hate towards diesels tbf

 

Probably because they do not look like smell like andsound like a steam loco !

 

Not as yet. <BJ>

 

Having dark thoughts about this trip 8.45 dept from victoria dl assistance to exeter steam only to truro much the same back all for 300 quid!!??!!

 

The Steam Dreams e-mail today says the following: -



Locomotives


We are pleased to confirm the locomotives for the Atlantic Coast Express!
Friday 5 September
London to Exeter - Tangmere
Exeter to Penzance - Braunton & Britannia

Monday 8 September
Penzance to Exeter - Braunton & Britannia
Exeter to London - Tangmere

 

I was tempted by this ACE celebration when it was first advertised. Was going to book it as my first multi-day steam tour/holiday but with things as they are at the moment I have really lost interest. Tangmere has also put me off as she will probably be accompanied by a diesel at the rear.

 

Agree with all you say. I am so relieved I didnt book on this one. The Cornish day tour in a class 150 for £25 has to be some kind of joke surely? A class 150 is about the lowest form of life and it doesnt seem to be doing anything you could not do on normal service trains using a Cornish day rover which is £10!

As you say,this whole thing has all the hallmarks of being conceived with some grand ideas well over a year ago. Now reality has set in,and yet again what the customers are getting is very different to what was promised. I would be fascinated to know if someone wanted to cancel they would be offered a refund?

 

£300 for 2 days, plus 3 nights accommodation, food and "leisure activities" on the middle two days. You're going to be looking at £600 per person for the trip. Add in the fact that of the three locos advertised, one is out of traffic with boiler problems, and another has a set of wheels missing, and it doesn't appeal in the slightest.

 

In addtion to your comments.I am not sure the branchlines option was ever viable for other reasons. Formation of train for days 1 and 4 is not necessary what you want for the branch lines - too many first class coaches ( even allowing for a shorter train). I expect a lot of paasengers would do one of the other options. Covering the cost of the light engine move for the 8F in the cost of the trip? .Selling enough seats - would it appeal to the general public?

 

This trip was planned and advertised well over a year ago before consulting WCR or NR about the branch line steam, as I mentioned before the 8F was never going to happen for operational reasons, the cost to bring it down from Carnforth to Cornwall with a diesel too, and also charter trains on the branch lines are not very favourable with NR they find it difficult to find paths for these trains and also there would have to be a diesel involved as there are no run around on any of these lines,

 

As 34046 and 70000 will both have run back to Par.(or Plymouth) to turn, I wonder whether the original plan might have been to utilise this move as the branch line tour by putting a few coaches between them and running up and down a couple of branch lines on the way. Obviously, this would mean that the locos would be tender-first on the mainline all day, but that will happen even if they go light engine (+POB). I wonder whether, even if it's not possible to do any of the branches, just taking a few coaches on the turning move may have had more takers than the branch line option now offered, given that, as has already been said, you can do the same thing (and more) using a £10 Cornish Day Rocer.

 

Duplicate post removed.

 

This is all very sad for what was a Premiere trip. I duly placed my deposit and couldn't wait for the event. As I have had som great, even fantastic 9th July trips with SteamDreams I had every confidence that this would be no different. I know the first idea was double headed Merchants over the banks was really only a pipe dream but I fully expected 35028 to be on the head of the train from Waterloo. Then it starts to fall apart. The move over to WCR probably put the end to 28s involvement. No longer advertised as a Waterloo departure either. As good as the 8f is I foolishly thought that the branch lines tour might involve some southern steam but no this was not to happen. So it now becomes clear that the advertised branch lines is not happening hence the lack of information. I can't believe that their current traction branch lines day is such a rip off compared to the freely available Rover Ticket. SD should be handing those tickets out as some sort of compensation to those travelling not charging them more for a lesser ticket. I decided a few weeks ago that I would rather loose my deposit than spend £500+ on a trip that really no longer looks to be delivering on its promises. It's such a shame that things like this happen. Whilst I understand its not steam hauled I can book Waterloo- Exeter with SWT and connect with FGW Exeter - Penzance return on the same dates at realistic times for less than £90. If I'd wanted a traditional 3 day break this is how I would be travelling. Why is it that after a tour has been advertised for 18 months plus an agreement in principle can't be reached by promotors, TOC and NR as to what can and can't be achieved. I have to wonder what would have happened if Graham Bunker had still been involved. There was a time not long ago that I felt SD were the promoter to book with, they always seemed to try to run as advertised or offer a better than planned day. Sadly this no longer seems to be the case. I really hope for those on board that you get a decent path out of Waterloo with an appropriate locomotive on a reasonable load. Will it happen? Who knows but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you do.


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Maybe 9 coaches will be enough so tangmere will be unassisted to Exeter and braunton will not need the Brit assistance so bullieds all the way and back as originally advertised !!

 

I expect if GB was still involved, he will have sorted out sooner what could and could not be done. The plan always appeared to me, to be over ambitious and I chose not to book (I have been on 3 Coronations, Cornish Riveira, and previous Ace.).
If DBS were the toc 35028 was likely but 34067 highly unlikely, and the opposite with West Coast. The start date of the previous multiday trips has been the day of the week they could get the best path, but I would be surprised that Friday is the best day for a train out of Waterloo( so Victoria seems more likely). The route via Honition is a slow route, and trying to do Barnstable ( before taking into account pathing) would make it a very long day for everyone, with most people wanting to arrive at a reasonable time to check into their accomodation. When I did some of Past Times Devon/Cornish Branch line week in March 2007 ( toc was EWS) it was done at that time of the year I believe when serivices were less frequent therefore , although a St Ives train was retimed to allow us to go to St Ives and back.

 

I can't see S D changing the dates or even canceling the ACE because of the hotel bookings but if there is no waterloo departure and tangmere needs mummy's little helper on the back all the way to Exeter I can see many customers never wishing to book with S D again so l really hope SD can deliver what has been promised

 

Diasgree with this point. None of us know exactly what has went on behind the scenes with WCRC planning department, but if RYTC and VT submitted and confirmed applications for their own respective runs before Steam Dreams have, then the right stands with the former two companies to have their trains ran with priority. Given the special date or not, if Steam Dreams were the last horse across the line to confirm running of the railtour then they are the last right to train crews.

I do have some sympathy towards Steam Dreams, they are not having an easy time of it. Having dealt with so many cancellations last year due to DBS crewing issues, they are now dealing with slimming down of their own steam sections with West Coast this year, perhaps due to being overly ambitious?