SRPS Fife Circle - 10th September 2016

e-mail from the SRPS yesterday.

Due to mechanical issues 60009 'Union of South Africa' will not be
available for the Fife and Forth Circle Steam Specials on 10
September, and it has not proved possible to secure the use of another
steam locomotive. Consequently we have reluctantly been left with no
alternative but to cancel these trains and will be contacting
passengers and refunding any payments.

 

So the Borders line trains on 4th and 11th September must also have a very large question mark over them.

 

Especially if the Scot is needed for the TBE on the 4th. Everything's gone quiet on the Braunton front.

 

Just looked at the Scotrail website https://www.scotrail.co.uk/scotland-by-rail/steam-train-trips.
Number 9 has been removed from the locomotives section leaving only 46100 but doesn't show it working any trips beyond 28th - watch this space presumably.

 

Ouch!
The Forth Circle on September 10th was rumoured to be the last tour over the line from Dunfermline to Alloa before it is mothballed following the closure of Longannet power station.

 

Everything is in place for both the remainder of the Scotrail steam programme and also the remaining TBXs. There will be steam locomotives available for these trains.

 

What is a TBX? Is it the Tweedbank train? And if it is, then what is the Scotrail steam programme, as there is nothing on the Scotrail website other than the Tweedbank trains.
And if there is a loco (you actually say locos) for the 11th, then why aren't they available for the 10th?

 

Torbay Express???

 

Sorry you two. Should have made it plainer: there is a loco in place for the remainder of the Scotrail programme and there is another loco in place for the remaining Torbay Expresses. I have no idea why the loco being used on the Tweedbank trains on the 11th isn't being used on the, now cancelled, SRPS tour on the 10th. Sorry about that.

 

Suggests it's Tornado.

 

Tornado hauls a one way trip to the Severn Valley on the 8th September, and is part of the Pacific Power event from the 21st - 26th September.

 

Hmm. That makes my theory pretty unlikely then!

 

Or it suggests that 60009 is working the Tweedbank trains as booked and "Due to mechanical issues..." in the SRPS e-mail refers to something else.

 

You won't see 60009 on these borders trains. It's also the SRPS set of coaches for the Borders runs so it's not a mechanical issue on those either..!

 

Mentioned in another thread that Tornado will haul the Torbay Express on the 4th & 11th September, so is 46100 heading back to Scotland after its trip to Carlisle tomorrow ?

 

Not immediately - the path taking it to Crewe has been activated - but I suspect it will be returning before too long.

 

No need to go to Crewe as its PF tour has disappeared from website,I hear lack of bookings.

 

On its way back north
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O23425/2016/08/29/advanced

 

Yes, Crewe path was activated at 09.52 but subsequently cancelled: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50512/2016/08/29/advanced