RTC 2023

Vintage Trains were going to run a trip to Blaenau Ffestiniog last year but it was cancelled at the last minute. I'm also not sure if it was steam all the way, or just to Llandudno Jn and leaving the steam loco there.
Hopefully they make another attempt and find a way to run it with steam all the way.

 

Some unexpected brightness yesterday evening as the train drifted back into Chester, and later at Daresbury with the local landmark of Norton water tower on the right. Will it still be visible when the developers have finished destroying more agricultural land on the right ?

 

I don’t think they’d currently have a suitable loco. I very much doubt you’d get a Castle down there.

 

I cannot see many more steam trips running up this way in the future as I cannot see how it can pay for itself, let alone make a profit for the operator. Load 5+POB is the best you can hope for due to the nature of the climb, curves and tunnels and you can't take much of a longer train (or say double head) due to the loop lengths at BF. Yesterday's trip was in the higher price bracket with only four revenue earning trucks. The only profitable way to run a trip here is to run a longer train to LLJ and split it with perhaps a DL portion to Llandudno or do it as part of a multiday tour like a GB, otherwise as a destination on its own I think it is pretty much a non-starter at today's prices.

 

48151 and 45690 did it with nine on in August 2019 for a special to mark the reopening of the Conwy Valley line after flood damage. So theoretically it could be done. See page 33 of what's Going On for details, splendid pics and videos.

 

I never thought they would get a Scot down there...!

 

LSL run their Statesman train there several times a year. I did it last year and it was 2 Class 47s with 11 coaches. It stayed at the platform rather than going into a loop. So that is an option for longer trains.

Edit: Added a photo I took of the train at the station.

 

From memory from four years ago, fallible I admit, there is enough room to stable a train in the runaround loop you can see in this photo which is in between the platform line and the FR. How many coaches? I don't know.

 

Here is the Six Bells Junction link to the tour I was on: https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/20s/220525sr.htm

Definitely 11 coaches and 2 Class 47's. I guess it must have gone in the loop otherwise, as you say, the service train wouldn't be able to use the platform. So the loop must be long enough for 11 coaches and 2 locos.

 

I travelled on the Statesman in 2022 to Blaenau. 11 coaches play 2 diesels comfortably fitted in the loop. The 47s doubleheaded to BF, but Top and Tailed back.

I don’t see why Vintage couldn’t do it, except for the Castles. I genuienly think they’d be out of gauge/loading.

Be intersting to see how many seats would sell with other operators/how they would operate it.

 

My gauging generator has thrown back prohibits at five locations. Of course you generally only need one…

 

Is 5593 Kolhapur still under active overhaul by VT?
As mentioned above, Leander went to Blaenau in 2019 so Jubilees obviously did fit recently..
They've also hired Bahamas in recent years.

Probably academic though as VT rarely run unassisted steam and even if they did, the shorter set required would probably be uneconomic.

Would love to be proved wrong though.

 

Harry, this is my point, VT or Saphos could maybe do something along the same sort of lines (pardon the pun) the pick up points would obviously be picking up at the major stations like BNS, Wolves then depending on the route maybe Telford and Shrewsbury or Stafford and Crewe.
I’m no expert but it’s a similar sort of distance and market, I just wonder why it’s not been thought of from doing something similar from the West Mids.

 

I guess it is the train length that is the issue. Both LSL and WCRC start tours be they Saphos, NB, WCRC or Statesman from all over the place, so a lot of ECS, but of course these are "full length" trains to spread the costs over. Something with only 5 or 6 and then loads of ECS will become very expensive, and I guess to a lesser extent even to VT who may be "local" to your suggested pickups but still have the tours fixed costs even it is only a few coaches.
I would love to the trip but it is two nights hotel (minimum) for me and then the higher fare, and one from London would be mega expensive and would probably be nudging that 24 hour trip length again. Plus for me that also means two nights hotel in London.

 

5593 has never commenced

 

There was mention of looking at 5593 once 5080 was completed. That however is still a couple of years away and will greatly depend on how the market looks then I suspect.

 

That's a shame, an overhaul was announced with some famfare back in 2020 but I thought it had all gone a bit quiet. Guess the world has changed a lot since then.

Bit unfortunate as a Jubilee is a good choice for a railtour loco, as witnessed by recent performances from the other 3!

Anyway, I fear we've strayed rather off topic from RTC now.