Any Questions?

It's a bit of a slow day in the office, but it's too early to escape to the pub!

The brochure is at the printers; the tours are planned and it's too miserable to play outside....

 

Its NEVER to early to escape to the pub!

 

Ok Ben, I have a question for you.

Do you have plans to run a main line trip with a real steam locomotive?

By which I mean a Merchant Navy ex Waterloo on an 80 minute schedule to Salisbury?

Or any trip with a Bulleid pacific on the front?

Please!

 

Canterbury Explorer - Sat 29 March 2014Class 47 Diesel to London
34046 Braunton - Canterbury Loop
Solihull, Warwick Parkway, Leamington Spa, Banbury & Kensington Olympia to Canterbury seehttp://www.tyseleylocoworks.co.uk/tours/tr_2014_0329.htm

 

We are running the Canterbury loop with Braunton on 29th March. It will be very similar to the trains already run by others, but we will start the diesel leg in Solihull.....and we are planning on picking up at Kenny O.

Nothing too exciting, but we will see how it goes.....

 

As previously asked but are there any plans to try and get a couple of trips with the class 25 on 26th April at the PDSR ?

 

Class 25? Noooo...we are swapping D1015 / 47773 for something that uses solid fossil fuel.

I don't think that a Class 25 would sell seats (to the majority of my passengers) to be honest.

 

Is there any chance of a repeat of the Marylebone to Stratford Upon Avon trip that you did for Chiltern a few years ago, it was great fun and sensible time out and back. The two Rays were on fine firm that day.

 

Is there going to be a trip over Shap in both directions?

 

I'd actually like to know if the Panniers will ever put in an appearance Darn Sarf, or for that matter is something other than "The Earl" will make it down here?

 

The challenge with starting trips in London is WE have to get there first, so effectivly a trip to Stratford & back is 2 round-trips for us...and the financial and staff consequences that go along with it.

If we were to do it, it would have to be more expensive than SD's Shakespeare Lunches, so......

 

No plans for it. Shap one way and S&C the other seems like a good compromise for both the enthusiasts and day-trippers…and fills the trains.

I hate to sound mercenary, but these tours have to make money or they cannot run. We hate having to cancel trains due to lack of ticket sales and try to do so rarely. As such, maybe we err on the side of caution when planning these tours?

 

We have talked about bringing the Panniers down to London for a jaunt around the gardens...the challenge is getting them there. The only path is overnight and that means we would need to stay at Southall for 3 or 4 nights. again, it comes down to cold hard cash. Could we run a couple of loops on Sat / Sun and cover costs? I am sure we could. But do all the crew want to spend 4 nights away from home? Do we want to disrupt the loco works?

 

RIGHT!

Off for some more Winter Pimm's and karaoke!

 

I understand your concern of crews needing to stay away from home and also the logistical difficulties of getting them to London but would it be worth stabling the Panniers at Southall with your associates at WCRC for a month or so and operate a programme of round London tours - or even over LT lines - including the possibility of operating similar services to that being considered for the Railmotor in 2014. Given the response to the loaded test train of 7752 / L94 I would venture to suggest that sufficient custom would support an overnight run from Tyseley to Southall on a one-way trip to get there and a return one-way trip at the end of the stay.

I feel sure that with 7752 as L94 even LT might be persuaded to run a couple of tours around their network; what chance following the recently energised London Loop (the Loopy Londoner Railtour ?) for example.

 

When you next go to Llandudno can the Panniers be tagged on the back instead of the 47 for the additional trip up the Conwy Valley?

 

Many thanks for the impromptu Question Time Ben.

Enjoy your evening and Christmas.

And I shall watch with interest for Vintage Trains name appearing at the head of trips on the old SR behind a Bulleid pacific! In addition to the one you mentioned.

 

If only there was a shed at Llandudno Junction...

 

Yes please...

Especially if your panniers were waiting at Marylebone to run a second Railtour round Greenford, Brentford branches whilst the main loco was serviced at Southall....

How can we tease those little 0-6-0pt's down south ?