The Great Britain VIII

As I said, I am damn sure you earn it.

 

Have you finished complaining about a tour which hasn't even started yet?! I wouldn't like to be sitting next to you for the tour...

 

I think thats a bit unfair. If you have paid a huge(well,to me anyway)amount of money for something and it's gone to something substantially different from what you paid for,irrespective of who's fault it is,then I would feel entitled to complain. Unfortunately,RTC do have a long history of somewhat iffy communication,websites not being updated ect. The luggage restriction sounds quite bizarre and almost guaranteed to annoy people.

 

Speaking to friends of mine who are booked on this tour. The husband is pleased the tour is going ahead but disappointed at the loss of steam mileage and the Duchess - she being the main reason for him booking.
The wife on the other hand has a more positive view. Equally delighted that the tour is going ahead with the added bonus of it being - in her mind at least - an historic tour in light of all the obstacles that had to be overcome.

 

I have been actively involved in the railway preservation movement for over 50 years and I have no qualms in criticising those organisations in the movement whose behaviour is not up to scratch. Poor behaviour reflects not only that organisation but on the movement as a whole. We have already seem the damage to the whole movement that WCRC's behaviour has caused, and not just practically, but to the reputation of the movement as well.

BTW are you travelling on the tour because, if so, I would like to sit next to you. As a Moderator of this group you are clearly concerned about the well being of railway preservation and this means being constructively critical when needs be.

 

Keep mentioning that you have been involved on preserved railways for 50 years throughout the tour. I am sure it will make you extreamly popular! It might guarantee a table to yourself even.....as everyone moves away.
Reserved railways are great, but things get a little more complicated when running on the mainline. For RTC to have managed to pull this together is somewhat amazing given the hand they have been delt. I hope everyone on the tour has a wonderful time, despite the hardship of not going to Wick. The baggage "restriction" might sound a little harsh, but when you start to multiply the number of passengers (approx 300 I believe) you get an idea of the mountains of bags. Just out of curiosity, do they carry them on the train or drive them separately in a truck by road? The thought of loading and unloading 300 bags from a Brake Coach every day sounds awful. So you end up with one free suitcase and a carry-on? Sounds like pretty standard airline rules to me.

PS I've been to Wick several times....could we get a bit more wind please! Lol

 

I don't think it is fair for people not travelling on this tour to tell those who have shelled out £2k+ what they can or can't complain about. What's a good compromise for some will not be for others. No doubt a lot of hard work has been done to get this tour off the starting blocks but it was never going to please everyone booked.

 

Then complain. RTC's number is 01553 661500.

 

Couldn't agree more. If I could afford to spend that much I'd be apoplectic after all that has happened.

Maybe those who are now satisfied are those who can relax in the knowledge that they can get their free photo as the tour goes past.

 

Find it hard to argue with such a statement, though I do feel for RTC being caught in the crossfire not of their making.

 

Whilst it sounds positive with regards to the reintroduced steam haulage on certain sections - I hope the fire risk isn't going to be a problem. We've not had any substantial rain in several weeks in Scotland and have started lineside fires on the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway as a result.

 

A situation like this is bound to polarise opinion. RTC are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't. Customers on the tour have every right to express their opinion and hopefully there will be some sort of concession offered given that the tour will differ somewhat substantially from that originally offered. I think it' s a bit unnecessary though to drag photographers into the debate, a bit of a cheap shot (pardon the pun) in my view.

 

Thats a great way of looking at it, How about getting T shirts printed "The Tour That Nearly Wasn't"

 

I dont think jeans and t-shirt would be appropriate attire for this tour. Sports jacket and cravat maybe

 

I'm neither a photographer, a customer on this tour, nor have any links to RTC.

When the WSR suspension was announced, there was *no* Great Britain railtour. RTC could have waved the white flag and cancelled it but they chose to find an alternative with other operators, loco owners, crews etc. But as soon as their new plans were announced, people were picking holes in them. I didn't see many posts thanking RTC for recreating the tour. After all their efforts, I hope that the passengers will give the RTC staff and stewards a lot of support and thanks on the tour, rather than focus on what they haven't managed to reorganise.

 

Oh Thank god, at last, the WSR railway suspended, hopefully that means the end of that interminable long running , no end in sight, thread.

 

You make some fair pounts, but as usual Nat Pres comes running to the defence of the main line steam establishment. Take away these forgiving, sycophantic souls, who go on paying up regardless of how they're treated, and main line steam would die a natural death. Reminds me of those peculiar souls who signed the Clarkson petition. No crime is bad enough to attract the criticism of some !

 

Ok, so how would you promote, run, and operate mainline steam tours in the UK??

 

Sounds like the basis for a new rather more wide ranging thread than the one directly under discussion, don't you think?