VT Christmas Lyndum Fayre 3/12/2016

One being a bridge on the North Warwickshire Line.

 

Well if one Castle doesn't fit it's pretty certain the other 2 won't either. The Jubilee would at least give another option

 

Yet as posted above Castles can go down the North Warwick to Stratford yet Jubilee's can't ?.

I get what your saying, but if the farce of gauging continues like this, chances are that if you subbed a Jub for an out of gauge Castle, the Jub would get copped at another location on the route.

If we are getting more instances of out of gauge due to out of date data rather than physically not fitting, that suggests to me that NR's Structure Gauging Train isn't getting about to various parts of the network often enough, perhaps they need more than one ?, The dimensions of locomotives are known, and the dimensions of the Network should be known back to a date not too long ago (As measured by said train) so you could ask the computer to compare the loco dimensions against the route not long after a tour bid comes in.

 

Agreed - I'd just like to see 5593 get a crack at the Tyseley whip, don't really understand the need for a third Castle.

 

Don't - Peter Snow would explode if there was another Flying Banana to get overly excited about!

 

The problem seems to be that NR has a rule that the gauging of a route cannot be relied on for more than six months, but it has insufficient resources to get round all of its routes every six months.

 

I have corrected the post on WNXX and will do so here. On 5th December 2015, 5043 ran to Lincoln on the same schedule as requested for 3rd December 2016. 5043 passed through Platform 1 with NO restrictions. Now 12 months later, Platform 1 is a PROHIBIT for the same loco.

2015: Nottingham had NO restrictions for 5043
2016: PROHIBIT on P1 and P6.

 

Errm. Mike, maybe if you mention your opinion about 5080 a few more times on this thread......I count 3 so far!

 

Don't NR have any responsibility to their customers to actually explain their decisions, or are they entitled to hand down decisions from on high with no rhyme or reason?

Seems a strange way of working in the twenty first century, when most organisations known the benefit of putting the customer first

 

Thanks for the info Ben. Shame to see another tour steam tour off for what look like bizarre gauging restrictions from an outsider's view.

 

I know people booked on this tour from Leicester and VT say you can transfer to the white rose which dose not pick up at Nuneaton or Leicester which this one was booked to do so so if you transfer that means an early trip to Coleshill Parkway for arround 8am

So if they say you can tranfer to another tour when is there next tour picking up at Nuneaton or Leicester they only have about 2 a year

 

John, you can transfer to any of our other tours (as long as we have room!)

If there are none that grab your attention or are convenient, then the best we can do is offer you a credit note or full refund.

We do plan to release more of our 2017 railtours in early January.

Kindest Regards

Ben - VT

 

is the problem simply that network rail only gauge for modern traction and not steam engines

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain Ben, think your candour is appreciated by us all, and best of luck with upcoming excursions.

You seem to have got a poor decision here, will getting TOC status make life easier for you in these instances, getting quicker decisions, and updates as to gauging etc...???

 

"...when most organisations known the benefit of putting the customer first"
Please name these organisations as I never seem to come across them!

 

Well, most companies...

except for perhaps TOCs, utilities, energy companies, councils, banks...

Yes, I see your point

 

I don't think being a TOC or not would have made any difference to this particular decision. WCRC do an excellent job of negotiating with NetRail on our behalf, but when the computer says no.....etc.

 

How does a third (or 4th with Bahamas) Jub trump a 3rd Castle?