CathEx to Weymouth, 9th July 2015

"Shambles" ? That is being kind ! NR are just throwing their toys out of the pram and making things as awkward as possible for everybody. Arrival at Wareham at 13:12 is 16 minutes before 1W63 (next down working) which is plenty of time for a Wareham stop. Why don't NR come clean and admit the REAL reason for their pettiness in not allowing a Wareham stop ?

 

Looks the same at Woking,it is booked to pass at 1004 on P5,the next westbound train on P5 is 1013,so why no stop? SD do seem to be particularly hard-hit by this sort of thing from NR because they tend to have a lot of out-of-town stops,not helped by the seeming inability of NR to time the train more than 48 hrs before travel. It does help that SD have a steward at Woking who will escort passengers to Brookwood on a service train.

 

STP is always produced late in the day when coming out of Waterloo or Victoria. DBS always uses VAR slots they have in the WTT, so they are known well in advance.

 

The real reason is the single line between Moreton and Dorchester South. 1Z67 has to reach Dorchester South before 1W62 can depart and 1W63 has to wait at Moreton before 1W62 arrives. SWT have kindly agreed to retime 1W62 otherwise there would have been no path for 1Z67 over the single line. Last year each Dorset Coast Express required ten trains to be retimed by four different TOC/FOCs to get a path through the Southampton area.

 

If 1Z67 stopped at Woking it would conflict with 2P28 at Woking Junction.

 

There has always been a Woking stop in the DCE at this time 1003-1006/7 and also one at Basingstoke 1053-55. Agree Wareham is more difficult. Its Brookwood that should have been removed. You can bet your life that it this had been DBS operated then NR would have found a way to offer a decent path. Doesn't look good for the big one in 2017 unless we can get UKR involved with Clan Line

 

I am sure you know a lot more about this than I do,but as 2P28 seems to be booked to pass Woking Junction at 1009,why can't 1Z67 call at P5 at 1004/1006?

 

The DCE generally ran on Wednesdays. The Thursday only 6O12 is timed to cross from the up yard to the down yard before 2P28 and 2B28.

 

Fully understand the one steam + diesel issues, light work through the New Forest and over the Dorset Heath and therefore the need for Southampton reversals. However wouldn't it give a better day out for the punters if the reversal was outbound not return? (Steam out via Salisbury - diesel Soton - Weymouth) Full chat with steam up the Bincombe and a Parkestone Banks plus the uphill pull through Winchester on the way back preferable to the the downhill trundle outwards. Would there be paths going the other way or is it the way it is due to commercial and catering issues etc. (commercial as in extra coach for pax if heaviest workload is on the diesel leg)

 

Apparently this is now diesel hauled due to Mayflower having a boiler problem, anybody able to confirm this??

 

http://www.steamdreams.com/Executab...=UPDATE&SS=SDSVR01\&DB=SteamDreams&Division=A

Confirmed...

James

 

And where is the still warm and simmering Tornado?

Not that a certain party would countenenace its use anyway.

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U63742/2015/07/08/advanced

On its way to Barton Hill tonight I think..

 

Indeed. my very point. What a way to run a railway.

 

From Steam Dreams...


We are sorry to say that at 4pm today, after the rostered locomotive for our trip, Mayflower, had passed its Fitness to Run examination, a minor boiler failure developed, which will take at least a few days to fix. Mayflower will therefore not be hauling our trip to Weymouth tomorrow, and it is very likely that the trip will have to be hauled by a vintage diesel locomotive.

Our Train Operating Company, West Coast Railways, is working hard to find an alternative steam locomotive, but unfortunately they do not have any steam engines on their books which are currently in steam in London.

At the time of writing, West Coast Railways are finding out if steam locomotive Tangmere, which is currently stabled in Bristol, can be readied for tomorrow to haul the train from Weymouth back to London. If they are able to ready this locomotive our Train Operator, West Coast Railways, will need to find crew to move the locomotive from the depot in Bristol, and Network Rail will need to agree to a short notice movement.

In the event that the train is diesel hauled all day, the Steam Dreams team will do their utmost to ensure that you enjoy the trip as much as possible.

If no steam traction is possible tomorrow, you have a choice of a rebate* of £10 per person if travelling in Premium Standard, £15 in First Class, £20 in Premier Dining and £25 in Pullman Style Dining or alternatively a credit for a future trip of £20 per person in Premium Standard, £30 in First Class, £40 in Premier Dining and £50 in Pullman Style Dining. Our hosts will be coming through the train asking whether you would like the rebate put back on to the card with which you booked the trip or a credit put against your name on our system. Should you choose the credit for a future trip, you may use it in conjunction with the usual on train booking discount of 10%.

By a quirk of fate, we are aware that the trips on 9 July 2013 and the equivalent trip on 10 July 2014 were diesel hauled due to fire risk and fire brigade strike respectively. If you were booked on either of these trips and we are unlucky again tomorrow, please make yourself known to a member of staff.

As I am sure you will all appreciate, it is always disappointing for everybody when this occurs, particularly for the volunteers who look after Mayflower and who have spent many hours preparing the locomotive.

Once again we do apologise for any possible disappointment caused but hope that you will enjoy the journey and your time in Weymouth, Swanage or West Bay.

*Passengers who have paid for their tickets in whole or in part via a third party voucher company may only opt for the credit off a future trip. The credit cannot be applied retrospectively on bookings already made.

 

Do you think that's a DL going to fetch Tangers? I don't see anything in RTT yet for the up trip...

If they can't get Tangmere to Victoria in time for the down trip, perhaps they can send her light to Weymouth during the day, for a steam-first trip all the way back to London?

 

Ironic that Tornado is currently in steam at the platform in Southall.

 

Belay that! As pointed out above, it's Tornado's L/E move to Bristol ready for Sunday's TBX