The Great Britain X - 29/04/17 to 07/05/17

A good choice, is that Kirkton farm ?

Scott

 

It didn't - it worked a train over Shap to Carlisle and back on 26/5/12, followed a couple of hours later by 5043 en route to Scotland. There were no fires left behind 6233 but it was a different matter in the wake of the "Castle".

Peter James

 

Thanks Scott. It could well be, unfortunately I'm not that familiar with the West Highland line. I was stood about 1/2 mile to the south west of Upper Tyndrum, next to the road if that helps?

James

 

On time from Grange. Diesel on the back but idling this time

 

Yes it did, somewhere on Shap. It was 26th May 2012. 46233 was doing Carlisle out and back via Shap and 5043 continued north over Beattock. It had a WCR 47 tucked inside from Carlisle onwards following the fires.

 

For me the GB is an indulgence to photograph steam in Scotland in places where I spent many days being taken to visit family in my childhood in the 60s, something I never thought I would have the chance to do back then. And I usually combine it with personal reasons to get north of the border. I'll process and post a few of the shots after seeing Galatea at Shrewsbury later today.

I think most of the serious photographers who post here are only too aware that these trips won't happen without a market prepared to pay the eye watering prices to travel on the trains. If RTT have difficulty filling what is the premier steam hauled trip in Britain then there is obviously a need to look at the pricing or the package offered. As Al says above I'm not sure how many of the passengers really have any real concerns about the diesel assistance so maybe it is something more to do with the package itself.
I do wonder whether the empty seats could be sold as day tickets, which may even attract some of the photographers on days when the weather isn't good for linesiding.

Tuesday was an amazing contrast on the West Highland, tinder dry dead grass from last year and yet the ground boggy enough to ooze water as you stood on it. I can't blame NR / Scotrail for being cautious, their responsibilities are wider than just one train for tourists, and yet dry weather as the spring progresses towards summer always seems to come as a shock, or is it just an inconvenient reminder of how little of their estate they maintain properly these days ( controversial ).

I don't think anyone could complain though at seeing Scotland at it's best over the last few days.

Scott

 

Galatea T+T 47746 dep Carnforth 0858 to Bristol. Change may be because Leander worked this leg of GB9 last year. AN

Pic of the departure from Carnforth here:

https://andrewstransport.smugmug.com/

 

The following 1213 LE path from Crewe P12 to Bristol has been activated so it looks as if the intention is still to drop the Cl47 off there.

 

I suppose the "package" is one thing. However the paying customers are signing up for a specific method of travel as advertised by the Tour Operator - "Our latest Great Britain Tour is packed with magnificent steam highlights and transports you over iconic landscapes to cultural destinations hauled by classic British steam locomotives."

These journeys can be done using service trains at a fraction of the cost and hotels that can also be booked personally. If all you want is a great view from a train window then that's the way to do it. GB X customers have signed up and paid for a very specialised beast.

That said, I do feel for RTC on this one and wonder if GB is cursed. After the last two years a lot of people hoped that this would be a marvellous return. Fate has intervened. The loss of 60009 was about bearable after a great run behind Scotsman. Everyone accepts loco failures can occur. It does beg a question of why alternatives were not considered though well ahead of the event. But a good first day was had.

Diesel shovage, enforced and not enforced has blighted the Scottish leg. Whilst the enforced steam restriction was unfortunate, prior to that it was a conscious decision to have assistance.

As Big Al says, the purists are not content. A major investment has not delivered on the promise. Not all of that is down to the Tour operator. But that experience will keep more of us away in the future as it is doing on day trips already.

Maybe the English leg of the tour will paint a different and more promising picture and the experience in Scotland will be forgotten?

I appreciate the great photographs I see on here, but as you say, without the paying customers we will neither have the trains or the photographs.

 

Ah, not Kirkton then, that's off a side road about half a mile after crossing the Oban line heading west. Was my original plan but I went to Achalleder instead.

Scott.

 

The view, sounds and smells when travelling in old stock with opening windows far surpass the often dismal experience of a modern train.

 

Unless a magic ball can tell what ground conditions are going to be like 6 weeks in advance, then the current situation will not improve.
Up here, it is tinder dry, as mentioned before, and I can see NR's view on it entirely.
However, 60163 seemed to quite happily go to Edinburgh on Monday, without assistance, or shovage, so it can be done.
Regarding a replacement for 60009, it was less than 24 hours before, that a failure became apparent, despite the best efforts of IR.
Unfortunately a deficit in Class 8 haulage exists, that is what is required to run the Northbound leg, factoring in movements, etc.., all have to be paid by somebody.
Will passengers get a "refund", as the hire fee for 60009 has been saved???
Looking back to GB X so far, I think RTC have done as good a job as possible, under the circumstances dealt.

 

So you have a crystal ball do you? One that lets you know which loco will fail, where and when and thus where and when a replacement will be required. Then no doubt you will have managed to persuade the support crew(s) of the replacement(s) to take time out and sit around waiting for a call that may not come and the owners of said replacement(s) to not take any bookings just in case. Good luck with that.
All well and good in theory but a different matter entirely in practice.

 

45699 leaving Grange-over-Sands this morning in glorious light! Hoping for similar at Stokesay Castle...



James

 

Seen during its positioning move from Carnforth to Grange-over-Sands, LMS 5XP Class 4-6-0 No. 45699 'Galatea' about to cross Arnside Viaduct



Approaching Arnside Station working away from the viaduct, LMS 5XP Class 4-6-0 No. 45699 'Galatea' heads day 7 of 'The Great Britain X' rail tour

 

Also first class is not available on all routes and, even where it is and there is some sort of meal service at one's seat, with very few exceptions that is less than the full dining option on railtours. Of course first class full dining is also available on one-day railtours.

 

45699 working over Arnside Viaduct .

 

I think the problem is because GB is 10 times longer than a day tour, The risk of issues is 10 times larger, To the point of almost inevitability, Would you gamble when your 99% certain to lose ?, In theory the idea of touring Britain behind steam is great, But the way railtours work in 2017, You'd have to be pretty lucky not to run into problems along the way.

 

Thank you to the kind person who put up the RTT link for Saturday.

Thanks also to all of you, I have enjoyed all your comments, photos and videos of the tour.

 

Your view on operating steam in 2017 is just not realistic, even if another loco was available at 24hours notice the volunteer support crews are scattered far and wide and most have day jobs, I know that one of the Clan Line regulars live in Cornwall. Sometimes things go wrong and you just have to accept it