Clan Line Farewell 30th June

Assuming suitable technical capabilities and availability, is there anything that could have been chosen which is not an appropriate choice?

 

Latest Steam Railway drops through my letterbox this morning, and guess what is the Cover Story ?

I'm guessing there was some kind of embargo placed on this news to ensure as many people as possible heard it first via SR ?

 

Sensible chap!

 

As far as I can see there is very little else with the capabilities of handing that train that is not reliably in service and available to give total priority to the work.

 

It is a bit of a no brainer.

right now lets argue about what colour it should be in.

 

Has Tornado got it's own support coach now out of interest ?

 

Assuming that the contractor to Belmond is MNLPS, then the A1 Preservation society is acting as a sub contractor to the MNLPS. In this case I guess it would be feasible for Tornado to use Mercator, desirable even as the MNLPS is just contracting a loco, not loco and support coach. Assuming mercator is not off for an overhaul as well.

Do we know what colour 60163 is coming out of its overhaul in?

 

Apple green I believe.

 

Subject to contract, Tornado will be operating on the Belmond British Pullman whilst Clan Line is undergoing her 10 year overhaul at Crewe.

 

Yes, and very fancy it is too - there's some detail in the Spring 2013 Communication Cord when it was nearing completion.

 

At present I believe its Crimson and cream ( other descriptions of that colour scheme are available)
If Belmond aren't happy with that they could of course repaint it, but it would make more sense to use
the MNLPS coach for 'train' support and leave their own as 'on shed' support/ accomodation ( southall? )
Ive never been on a train as posh as that , so I don't know whether the merchandising circus would be allowed to ply its trade on board either...

 

Stewarts Lane, This will be a DBS operation and Southall is WCR territory
.

My mother has been on it (when it was the VSOE) and they pushed VSOE goodies, she bought me a VSOE keyring.

 

Dug out one of my rather dodgy early videos from 2011 which shows Tornado on the VSOE. Apple green livery and her own support coach (maroon):

 

Plenty of non-WCRC aligned locos sojourn at Southall, Tornado included. That's not to say that Stewarts Lane would not be a more sensible location to base her for this particular task.

 

Still Dining seats available on this according to latest update from UKR. Surprising in one way, but at £200 plus, and many other tours running at that time of year, including The White Rose earlier in June, maybe not.

I have two std seats booked, and it'll be my first full day tour in a while. I've travelled on all Clan Line's "final" tours prior to overhaul since 1991, and this will be no exception.

Be good to say hello to any other members who might be travelling,

 

If anyone has a spare standard class ticket for this one, drop me PM!

Cheers
David