RTC 2020

It will take more than a mention that the chances of becoming infected are now around 1 in 400/500 cw around 1 in 40 at the height of the pandemic to lure me out of my bunker. There are too many variables and unknowns to provide any meaningful measure of the likelihood of contracting Coronavirus. Whatever the absolute risk, the risk increases when indoors (on a train) and close to many other people particularly for a prolonged period. On a steam trip people travel from all over the country and the risk for both getting the virus and it spreading are enhanced.

Whilst the risk of infection is difficult to quantify the consequences of contracting Covid-19 are reasonably well understood; male, 60+, obese, underlying health condition - not good! Problem is a very large % of the passengers (and staff) of a steam trip tick the box for one or more of these.

I’m staying put, waiting for a treatment, longing for a vaccine. Next stop, seasonal flu jab!?

Oswald drifts off to sleep in the warm sunshine, Leonard Cohen playing in the background, “ . . . Waiting for the miracle There’s nothing left to do Waiting for the miracle . . .”

 

The "odds" of course are what lie at the heart of the problem for tour operators, heritage lines and all of us.
I can fully understand at the lower age end (and maybe the very old, like my dad who think they are close to death anyway) the odds seem very good. But as OTW says the profile of many in our hobby, the target group really, the odds look less encouraging.
Because the disease is new & the science is so confusing because of its contradictory nature between studies it all comes down to your own level of risk acceptabilty.
Mine will not be spending 18 hours stewarding a Mk1 where passengers may or may not follow the rules, or getting out at the pick ups amongst lots of "normals". But I would not criticise others who may view the odds diferentley.

 

Just had a email off R.T.C. saying the tynesider now posponed to june 12th 2021 due to the covid 19 pandemic.
Davo 56F

 

Another consideration is that from mid June we are supposed to wear face masks on public transport. Now, does a steam railtour count as "public transport?" I think you could argue that both ways. Sorry but really don't feel like spending 5-6 hours at a time wearing a mask! Fortunately I don't use public transport in real life.

 

Just seen a email saying the hadrian on 25 july with 60103 has been posponed until further notice on R.T.C. if anyone else was due on this tour as well and the website and no tours advertised any sooner than the C.M.E. August 8th.

 

I wear a mask while working in my chippy and it's not that bad to be honest.

 

You're assuming that immunity is the only way to deal with this. The other way is to starve the virus out, by preventing it's spread. That can permit the release of lockdowns, but only to limited degrees and (sorry @Mike Wylie) maintaining a significant role for government while the virus is properly with us to stop it spreading - as we've seen from the New Zealand government in the last few days.

The problem with relying on immunity or the virus dying out is that with 8-9,000 per day tested as having the virus, and a highly infectious virus (remember, it's not the average Ro rate of about 3 that counts for an individual, but the number each carrier infects - hence the "super spreaders" who were in the wrong place at the wrong time), the closed environment of a train is a really good environment in which to transfer infection.

 

I think it's a legal requirement now isn't it? All trains are public transport surely as they convey members of the public. Need clarity from the Government. There must be a notice due shortly as Hotels are reopening in July and many folk use the trains to get to their destinations. We're still trapped in Wales under the 'only essential and necessary journeys' allowed by train. Is England the same? Seen essential and necessary quoted but nothing about leisure.

 

'Common sense' in this country seems to be non existent these days Ralph

 

The problem with face masks is that they don't make much difference to the wearer - they don't stop you breathing in infected droplets in the air around you, so don't reduce your personal risk much. They are for the benefit and protection of the other people around you, since they catch many of the droplets you breath out, and reduce the distance that others will travel. If everyone in a train carriage is wearing them, the average risk is something like a third to a quarter of what it would be if no one wears them. However, if it's not made compulsory, a smal but significant number of people will think "it doesn't help me, I won't bother" and soon after that a larger number of people will think "those guys aren't bothering, so it's not going to matter whether I bother or not". For the protection of all passengers and staff, I think tour operators should make it a condition of carriage, whether or not it's a legal requirement, just as they'll be tightening the rules about staying in your allocated seat, etc. My personal feeling is that for every potential passenger who decides they're not going to book because of face-mask rules, there will be at least one, probably more, who'll be reassured by the rules enough to book tickets.

 

Who's he?

 

Your very kind calling Jocko the world number 1 but in the same context you are correct as he’s a certain number toilet wise in my view.

 

According to the latest issue of Steam Railway (received today) they have asked the Department for Transport, who have confirmed that heritage railways and mainline charters are classed as "public transport" for the purposes of the facemask legislation. So if you are on a heritage railway or a mainline charter you are required to wear a facemask. There is now a big question mark about how dining trains can operate.

 

Perhaps, and purely in the interests of personal safety we can look out of the droplights for our own personal protection.

 

As 'mobile' restaurants with social distancing possibly?