Buxton Spa Express 7th May: now 17th September

Shades of the Tornado fiasco. Computer says no again.

Dave B

 

Were you on the buffet

Likewise Mr. W

 

And the name of the driver we couldn't remember was . . . . Albert Seymour.

 

He was the one when l flew 'Cotton Mill', Bill Andrew took the Shap record with 6233...

 

That's disgraceful. RTC should make a claim against NR and make a refund to all passengers.

 

We'll probably get the same refund as the Tornado passengers got a couple of months ago, but saying that, ORR should make a judgement about it, or NR will have got away scot free, again.

 

Can you imagine these useless jobsworths running anything really important. " I'm sorry Mr Smith I appreciate your house is burning down but we can't send the fire engine as the MOT paperwork isn't on the computer."
Surely there must be some senior person with a bit of common sense who can authorise the loco and let the paper work catch up later. In my old job it was almost the norm to sort out the paperwork later. keeping the customer happy was always number one.

 

Daft and obvious question, but is that the coaching stock that went on the tour? I may have sent a work colleague and his two-year-old son out to look for a steam train and I want to pretend I was equally disappointed and not still in bed have checked here first.

 

Without knowing the agreed service specifications it is difficult to judge. If the submission time was within the routine parameters, NR has failed to meet its service standards and should be held to account accordingly.
On the other hand if the application for continued certification was submitted with less time than NR lays down to allow adequate processing time it should come as no surprise difficulties are encountered.
Neither party is likely to make any official statement so once again the customers are left to accept their lot.
RTC will have had a reduced loco cost presumably too so their will be scope to refund.
Could it be a last ditch bid to get the 8f certification extended failed leaving a tight deadline, with alternative certified locos being held for other turns?

 

That's correct the 57 , stock and the 47 were in the platform waiting to leave with 45690 back on shed .

 

Well if thats the reason thats it matter closed we know who is to blame so stop blaming everyman and his dog lol

 

A real shame that the 8f 48151 which performed really well on the Scarborough Spa Express in June, July, August and September was not able to do this particular tour.

 

I think its out of ticket now as I read they had to apply for an extension to see out the SSE season.

 

It was disappointing to see that NR was unable (unwilling?) to remove/reduce the planned water stops and those passengers who remained got their full day out.

I saw Mick Rawlings at the Denton "water stop"; he was attired in his steam driving outfit which suggests Leander's rejection was very last minute, possibly when the ECS path to Preston was activated? If that was the case, well done WCRC for keeping the show on the road. We may find out more when we passengers get our promised letter from RTC.

The tour was scheduled for May but being deferred to September 17 put it 2 days into "NR Autumn" - no-one had told the real world as travelling through Peak Forest exclusively green leaves clung firmly to their trees and bushes. But NR Autumn begins on the 15th and this reduces the allowable max loads and RTC's passenger information booklet confirmed that with Leander it was always planned to have a tail gunner; "45690 + 10 vehicles + Class 47 (or 57)" . It may be the gradients alone would have dictated assistance. What would have been required in May with 70013 (or 48151) and what would have been the implications of going via Whaley Bridge? Who knows, we can all speculate.

If Leander was "stopped" by the absence of the correct "paperwork" (bearing in mind this will be a transfer of data to whatever system NR are currently migrating to). Here's one for the for the philosophers how can a 136 ton machine cable of exerting hundreds of horsepower (Leander) be stopped by something that is intangible (data) that wasn't there (allegedly)? Don't ponder too hard NR already knows!

My sympathy goes to a (rail industry) guy who joined "our" table at Preston. He had travelled up from Plymouth on Friday, stayed overnight in a Manchester hotel and travelled from Manchester to Preston early Saturday to get maximum steam miles. He had the hotel room on Saturday night. He left the outbound train at Man Vic - and who can blame him!

I got the service train back to Man Pic via Whaley Bridge so did Buxton both ways in the day, then back to Preston from Man Vic via Walkden. As for Mrs W's football, her team got their first league win of the season - so not all bad (but nearly!)

 

Did they swap the 2 diesels round at Buxton or did the 47 lead for the rest of the trip? I was going to watch at Chinley East but decided a pint of Storm PGA was more appealing!

 

47 all the way back. It was a day for window gazing...

 

Today's post brought a letter from RTC which comprises an apology, an explanation and an offer of recompense. The offer is acceptable to me and I have chosen to keep that part private - sorry, my decision and my decision alone. I realise some not travelling on the train may be interested; some other passengers who contribute to NP may be more forthcoming. Rest of letter attached. I hope RTC complain to NR and ORR. In the first instance I will be writing to NR and depending on their response possibly to ORR.

 

If the certificate ran out the previous week why was the loco not inspected before the following Wednesday? With the required paperwork submitted Thursday suggests a very tight margin given that decisions could take a day or two at least. Given the narrow time frame I feel RTC should have inspected sooner, if not then it is down to them and not NR in my view. Surely they know how the system works?

 

Presumably, the body responsible for organising the annual inspection is the Locomotive's owner or owners, rather than the Charter company though. It also begs the question of why, with Leander being examined on the Wednesday, why was the paper work not sent until Thursday? I am assuming that snail mail was involved in this process, which does seem a bit outdated these days .
Who is in charge of this Rolling Stock Library? Network Rail, the DFT or the VAB?