RTC 2018

It hasn't been banned, just more enforced. I have been able to window hang on 3/4 of my steam trips last year, the one trip I wouldn't even attempt due to such enforcement.

 

Thankfully, the two trips are sufficiently different to have achieved some degree of critical mass.

Of last year's two trips to Buxton, I still feel the better trip went AWOL, but it shows there is a risk of saturating the market by scheduling multiple trips over essentially the same routes during the 'shoulder months'. I understand that they both attempted to use a resource that was available (76084), but one also wonders whether the gauging issue that has changed the routing of this year's trip to Buxton was encountered then, as 45690 was proposed.

 

The difficulty RTC has that will become more of a problem is that they do not have control of hire costs whereas Saphos does. So in terms of price setting the latter would appear to have an important advantage.
It remains to be seen whether Statesman too will eventually come under the LSL TOC thus creating the same advantage.

 

But 45699 + POB did run to Bradford via Copy Pit recently, anybody know which part of the route is (supposedly) OOG ?

 

At a guess the reinstated western curve at Tod. Although Black 5s used it LE in late 2016 so maybe just anything larger barred. Its a shame a pair were not available it seems.

 

I think there's a bridge at Moston that causes problems when heading East.

 

No doubt @26D_M will jump up and down about this when he sees the post, but I was reading the RTC tour book that came the other week and was surprised at the inaccuracies in the 'West Country Explorer' tour given I pointed them out to RTC last year. This is the copy that appears online and in print:

http://www.railwaytouring.net/travel-tours/the-west-country-explorer

Saturday 18th August

London Paddington to Exeter

Your adventure begins on a steam train from London Paddington Station, hauled by ‘Pacific’ steam locomotive No. 70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’ for the trip to the West Country. You will travel in the comfort of ‘Premier Dining’ where breakfast will be served at your seat soon after departure. The route runs fast to Reading before taking the Berks and Hants Line through the Vale of the White Horse to Westbury. Crossing the Somerset Levels you reach Taunton and at Norton Fitzwarren join the ‘Heritage’ West Somerset Railway. At Bishops Lydeard Station a ‘Manor’ class 4-6-0 steam locomotive will be attached to the front of your train. You then continue ‘double-headed’ on this scenic line to Minehead. Here a road coach transfers you to the Lynton and Barnstable Railway at Woody Bay in Devon. There you enjoy a steam train journey along this narrow gauge railway line. You continue by road coach to Exeter. Dinner and overnight accommodation will be at a hotel in Exeter this evening.

Notice the bits in bold which I have highlighted. (a) Cromwell's ticket expires next month so there's a fat chance of that happening, (b) there's a pick-up in Slough and (c) since when are the WSSEs ever double-headed on the WSR? I pointed out these errors last year to RTC so it's disappointing nobody has bothered to correct them.

 

Whilst you somewhat overestimate my reaction to your observations, they are sadly all to common examples of a lack of diligence, for which, I am afraid, no excuse can be made. All the more remarkable given that you apparently did their proofreading last year too.

 

Think that is a simple copy paste error from a previous years. Not great but we have all done it, I have even seen it happen in a contract draft from one of the top 6 leading London law firms.
The actual day tour page says
We leave London Paddington at around 08:05, steam hauled by A4 Pacific No 60009 Union of South Africa, later it says We continue to Bishops Lydeard, where a WSR steam locomotive will take over our train for the remainder of the journey to Minehead, and later says on the return to BL
There may be a pick up in Slough for day passengers but tour passengers have baggage ( I know I have moved it before at both ends) and the brake has 50% chance of being off the end of P4 at Slough. With a usual 2 minute dwell time the stewards would not want to be dealing with that as well. I suspect for tour pax it is Padd or Reading only. Plus the GW Mainline is fast, it does not say non stop to Reading does it?
WSE's have been double headed in the past Sept 20 2012 34067 was piloted by 53808 (or 88 as it was then). I think there may have been others. Not sure it is likely to happen again though.

Based on previous years who knows what may haul it on the day what with failures, gauging issues etc by then.

 

I can see Saphos taking business and other TOC's struggling to survive. Not great news to start 2018 with IMO.

 

I wasn't referring to the present but to a possible future. Lets hope not.

 

Just been told by my uncle who had booked us on 14th April CME that it has been cancelled

 

Not surprised really, it is one date that has some heavyweight competition, RTC's Whitby Flyer, UKRT's Ebor Flyer, Saphos trains NWCE , and on the 15th The Mayflower, if it was going to happen on any weekend, it would be this ...

 

It was our second choice after Whitby flyer. Oh well will book on a later CME probably

 

Does anyone know what is on the CCE today steamwise

 

Leander.

 

OK Thanks

 

They did well to change locos at Carnforth in 20 mins. With only 85 mins at Carlisle on the CCE it is more important to avoid being looped at Grayrigg, which they have done.