RTC 2022

Well, trains on my line were being shown on RTT this morning as cancelled owing to "High Winds (XW)" - I would have thought that would be good enough!

 

All the SWR Weymouth cancellations were showing the "heat message" today as well.

 

An Email just dropped in my mailbox with this content:

International Womens day - special offer

We are celebrating International Womens day today and are offering you a special discount of £25 per person off our standard class seats only on any of our remaining March daytrips - reducing the price to just £90 per person.

To claim your discount you will need to quote code IWD when placing your booking. This discount is available for 24 hours only, so please book quickly to avoid disappointment.

 

Well how's this for a surprise!

RTC, in conjunction with the MNLPS and 35028 Clan Line, are running a railtour to Stratford using the Belmond British Pullman stock from London Victoria.
Guessing arrangements have been made between MNLPS and DB for RTC to organise this train. It looks like MNLPS have setup this trip with RTC as booking agents.

https://www.railwaytouring.net/the-stratford-upon-avon-pullman

 

The Cotswold Venturer on the 18th June and the Chesireman on the 16th July no long being advertised as being hauled by 60163 Tornado. Tour on the 18th June now being hauled by 45596 Bahamas and the tour on the 16th July now being hauled by 6233 Duchess of Sutherland. Tornado won’t be ready for the one on the 18th June and it may haul an ambitious tour by the Branch Line Society from London all the way to Edinburgh on the 16th July. Although nothing confirmed at this time they would like to take a steam loco all the way from Kings Cross to Edinburgh up the East Coast Mainline and I would guess that due to the date mentioned that Tornado would be the most likely locomotive.

 

Also an excuse to move the engine to Scotland for the Aberdonian season, as it'll be in London around then having hauled the Yorkshire Pullman the week before.

I did question the loco change of the Cheshireman, seeing as it was due back in service by then. However, the thought of an LMS engine on the WCML and an (allbeit new build) LNER engine on the ECML on the same day is going to turn some heads if Tornado is indeed on the BLS trip.

 

If it had worked the Chesireman tour it would needed to have done a Southall-Bo’ness positioning move to get it to Scotland for the Aberdonians so this BLS trip is a logistical positioning move if Tornado ends up hauling it.

 

Cumbrian Mountains times for 21.05.22 from RTT:


https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63776/2022-05-21/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C47858/2022-05-21/detailed

Interesting set of times start that Saturday every Saturday until the end of December, Crewe to Appleby, as required but no balancing return. Something to do with LSL staycation train?
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C47860/2022-05-21/detailed

 

Return path APP-CRE
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C34549/2022-05-21/detailed

All part of the move to produce WTT "Q" paths for regular steam workings.
Easier for TOC and NWR train planners and it gives a greater degree of certainty to charter companies and loco owners. As WTT paths, any changes for other services have to be agreed with the TOC who is the registered operator of the path. It also means they should be highlighted in the Engineering Access Statement as requiring alteration, but that probably won't apply until May 2023.

It's not a new idea, many Belmond British Pullman workings have been in the WTT for some years. ( What the Southern does, the rest of the railway catches up later....)

Cheers, Neil

 

Agreed, but they are test and / or positioning trips. The policy seems to be moving towards the idea for regular passenger workings, saving the bother of booking each trip as an STP timing. Just a thought, would WCRC be able to use the same path for different tour promotors?

Cheers, Neil

 

I think they do. This year RTC, Steam Dreams and Pathfinder all have the 1126 from Carnforth and 1421 from Carlisle slot on different Saturdays.

The question still is what LSL are actually going to use their Crewe--Appleby--Crewe paths for.

 

The LSL timings sit very close to what the Statesman uses when they do the S&C circular run by the looks of it

 

I went through all the current LSL brand offerings in 2022 including Statesman and couldn't find any Saturday trips which matched that. Or there might possibly be one partially matching it (from Hull via Hebden Bridge IIRC).

 

Looks like the Duchess is only on from Ely to Windsor on Saturday.

Loco change at Ely on outward.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63962/2022-05-14/detailed

ECS comes from Carnforth on Friday.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63960/2022-05-13/detailed

Despite the timings, this seems to be 6233 from Southall to Ely and associated turning moves.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63959/2022-05-13/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U63976/2022-05-13/detailed

 

Was looking at those timings earlier, is it likely to be just 6233 and coach i.e no diesel on the Friday run from Southall to Ely given the stock is running down from Carnforth?

 

Looks like it. RTT says service loco to run at Ely on the outward, and there's a light engine move from Southall to Willesden in the afternoon too.

 

6233 at Meldreth this morning.
2022-05-15 6233 MELDRETH by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr