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The Great Britain VIII

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by steam_mad, Jun 19, 2014.

  1. hatherton hall

    hatherton hall Well-Known Member

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    My unnamed but ultra reliable source! And it's not Ed Milliband!
     
  2. twr12

    twr12 Well-Known Member

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    Your source is, in my opinion, skating on thin ice. If what they are saying is true.
    If they are a NR employee with privileged information, I doubt they should be discussing it with anyone outside the realm of people actually dealing with the issues and NR senior, senior management.
    Or if it is an official news release from NR, why is it not in the public domain?
     
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  3. malc

    malc Part of the furniture

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    The LHR has been running every day since 28th Match - it's just the first train of the day that doesn't run until 23rd May.
     
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  4. glen.batten.5

    glen.batten.5 New Member

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    Railways Illustrated (FB page) says NR 'has not lifted the ban' so there'll be no WC trains running until further notice. But surely there was absolutely no prospect of it being lifted before mid-May anyway following ORR's announcement?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  5. grid56126

    grid56126 New Member

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  6. hatherton hall

    hatherton hall Well-Known Member

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    Whoa! The information provided is very basic. There is no in depth information made available to me which quite rightly should be and has been kept inside the walls of Network Rail. By receiving news , however, that the suspension continues, those on the train most importantly who may view National Preservation, will at least not live in false hope that somewhere, somehow in the days which remain on the tour, that a steam engine will suddenly appear from WCR. The only way steam can be provided now is with DBS but I have received no information to suggest that, other than days one and two, DBS will be covering any steam duties back to London. I would like to think that you would regard the contributions as discreet and informative.
     
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  7. hatherton hall

    hatherton hall Well-Known Member

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    I agree, although the DBS rescue for the Exeter/Plymouth run was an unexpected bonus for those on GB8. Like many others, I have been logging on to NP in the hope that something miraculous had developed for steam haulage. If you recall, the Black 5's were ready and raring to turn out for its Shrewsbury to Grange Over Sands trip only for that to suddenly be withdrawn along with the other steam parts of the trip. If any lesson is to be learnt it is that if you (RTC) don't know 100% for sure what is happening, say so and don't promise the earth (steam) when the reality is, it might not happen as has turned out on the GB8. All of that said, RTC have been between a rock and a hard place because they have had to rely on information received from WCR which sadly proved to be wildly optimistic.
     
  8. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    I do think that is a bit heavy - not to mention arguably a case of "shooting the messenger".

    As far as public statements from Network Rail are concerned, there has been simply the publication of the Suspension Notice. A simple question of "is the suspension about to be lifted" (i.e. has anything changed) can be fully answered by a very simple "No" - as far as Network Rail seem to be concerned, there isn't a change to what has publicly been said previously at the present time. It isn't exact revealing a State secret or anything much beyond "no change at the present time". hh's "No early end" may be extending that further, or there may have been such an indication but again - "at this point, an early end to the suspension is not expected" doesn't reveal a vast amount, especially of what was really said was more akin to "I refer you to the timescales in the previously published letter". We don't know the detail but "nothing has changed compared with our previous statement" is not a vast or inappropriate amount of information.

    Steven
     
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  9. 6024KEI

    6024KEI Member

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    Personally speaking I think the prospect of NR releasing WCRC back onto the tracks earlier than they absolutely have to whilst ORR is consulting on its decisions over WCRC would be more surprising than their current stance which appears to be to keep WCRC off line until ORR has had chance to make its decisions. (That's even assuming WCRC has in fact satisfied NR on its requirements). NR making a decision to return WCRC to operations only to have ORR to overturn that in two weeks time would be deeply embarrassing even if the reasoning behind the two decisions was different. So on that basis once ORR went into bat with an end date of 15th May it was always more likely than not that NR would use all the time it had within its suspension. What happens to GB8 therefore almost certainly lies with what can be patched up from DRS and DBS - which probably doesn't include a lot of steam (if any).
     
  10. gwr4090

    gwr4090 Part of the furniture

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    To be fair, RTC did say some time ago that Plan A was steam with WCRC and that Plan B was steam on the first 2 days with DBS then diesel. They are evidently on Plan B !
     
  11. Sean Emmett

    Sean Emmett Member

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    Saw GB8 this morning at the old Ashley Hill station being hauled by diesel 66030. All windows and droplights shut. Feel very sorry those those who have forked out a huge amount of money for this trip :(
     
  12. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Some friends of mine are considering quitting the tour at Carnforth unless steam can be guaranteed further north.
     
  13. Christopher125

    Christopher125 Part of the furniture

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    If David Smith remains at the helm any return must count as a surprise - how can anyone have confidence in WCRC changing for the better if the attitude at the top exposed by last years access dispute remains the same? Sadly his response in Steam Railway suggests he still doesn't get it.
     
  14. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    thats what i meant by it must change from the very top, thats why i feel that a prooven operator lie GBRf may turn out to be the likily operator to take on a steam porfolio, after all West Coast can still provide the stock and some engines, but not be the operator on NR metals
     
  15. Rich and Louise

    Rich and Louise Member

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    I don't get it.

    DB inherited 30 class 67's from EWS. The mail contract was long gone, they've recently lost Chiltern and the Fife circle - apart from sleepers (soon to be lost), Arriva Wales, Pullman and Thunderbird duties, what do these locos do? Seems like a bad show if all they've got is no heat 66's when called upon for passenger duties.
     
  16. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Already gone to SERCO with Class 92 haulage under the wires.
     
  17. glen.batten.5

    glen.batten.5 New Member

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    If 15 May is the ORR deadline for consultation replies there will surely be a period after that while the replies are digested, followed-up as necessary, legal advice obtained and a decision reached on whether or not to proceed with suspension. Sorry if I've missed something but I think this means we shouldn't expect a decision for some time. And my guess is that ORR would wish or need to be able to demonstrate that something had actually changed at WC to make future incidents much less likely. Anything that might be construed as 'business as usual' simply won't cut it. This will be doubly important with the political clamour to take the railways back into public hands.


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  18. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    News from my friends on board. "No chance of steam later in the tour. May have to use service trains for some stages of the journey." Unsurprisingly they are baling out at the end of the day.
     
  19. Steamage

    Steamage Part of the furniture

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    A few days ago, DBS's contracted involvement with GB8 was the first 2 days only. I see UKsteam.info now shows DBS working the Edinburgh-Inverness section on Saturday, though I can't see times in RTT yet. No word yet about what happens on the remaining days. Re-read GeekFinderGeneral's post from yesterday and see if that helps you to understand the situation. (It's worth it for that marvellous Wallace & Gromit clip - had me laughing aloud).
     
  20. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I've received a similar text as well Ian. Not going beyond Inverness either, and no guarantee at this stage of the train even being loco hauled north of Edinburgh.
     

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