Torbay Expresses 2017

The basis would be unfair and unreasonable conditions

 

Wouldn't stand up in court, if it would someone would have tried it by now,

 

The only possible circumstance would be if they knew in advance that the tour would not be steam hauled. Change of traction to another steam loco in advance still delivers the steam hauled promise.

We are getting carried away as the last two TBEL tours have had exceptional problems as the LAST MINUTE. A knee jerk NR reaction to fire risk and an inability, partly due to human behaviour and NR possession, to get a different loco to the start in time.

That said, TBEL have been quiet...

 

Why shouldn't they, they tried the best to run what was advertised and failed at the last min,
I not that the hoover tour thats been redated people have been offered a full refund if they can't make the redate, so if needed they can react in the right way like they already have re torbays , I highly doubt they take notice of the moaning on here.

 

To be absolutely honest here if people start to take companies to court about, wrong traction,wrong route,differing pick up times etc etc and they win, then I predict that steam and at least heritage diesil hauled charters will very quickly become a thing of memory only and I really don't think anybody here wants that. With the railways in the current tiered differing companies suppling different parts of the finished train without the current legal "get outs" the whole thing would literally come off the rails, be very careful what you wish for there boys

 

Oh well, we did see some steam at least on a pretty shambolic day....

 

There's a thought. How much notice would paignton have needed to provide steam traction to kingswear?

 

A good 15 hours to get a warming fire in 7827. Unfortunately too late for anyone to do anything.

 

To say nothing of fitting air brakes to it first.

Peter James

 

Regardless of air brakes it would have to pilot the diesel due to timings on the return and lack of staff to act as pilot Man for it to shadow us. Shame as it would have sounded good pulling that lot up past goodrington

 

Just thinking about the problems on Sunday evening. I wonder how the Scot, if it had been used would have coped with two hours sitting at NA. Fire condition and water? Plus the endless trek back through Exeter to Taunton. Tornado would probably been OK water wise I guess. Time back at BTM anyone's guess.

 

Exactly I doubt even the loudest complainers would want to be the one to start the pulling of the plug, not even they are that stupid,

 

I was onboard for the return leg only having bought a one-way fare, as I live in London and my parents live in Devon, so it was a nice excuse to travel back by steam...or so I thought.

Obviously the lack of steam was a disappointment, but understandable - as was the whole situation, really. I only traveled 14 miles on the charter before bailing for a HST to get me home on the advice of the train manager - who, in fairness, did everything she could do, and a whole lot more to help me out. Obviously that HST was rammed; I was lucky to get a seat...

Ended up getting home at 2.30am after the bit of the District Line I needed was shut over the weekend and two minor argumnts with night bus drivers down, with the conversations going something along these lines:

ME: Please let me on. I have a note from my train manager that allows me to get home because of signalling problems
BD: That isn't a ticket
ME: Yes it is. Read the note from my train manager.
BD: No. That isn't a ticket.
ME: Yes it is. It's a charter. I was stuck in Devon and I'd really like to get home, please.
BD: That's not a ticket.

Bloke behind me: Oh, just let him on for heavens' sake.

Has anyone else heard from TBEL yet? I haven't heard a thing.

Not really the trip home I was expecting, but there you go...

 

I thought Tornado had failed it's FTR? That happens, very rarely, to most locomotives. What has a "film" got to do with anything?

 

I didn't pick this up because it was only on Faceache:

Posted by Graham Langer at 0957 Sunday on the A1 Facebook Page:

We are disappointed to say that Tornado has not hauled the Torbay Express today. Yesterday, during preparations, an issue with found with the clack valve associated with the steam feed to the live steam injector. This was rectified by yesterday evening, but it was not possible to complete the sign off for the locomotive to run on Network Rail.

In the interim plans had been made for 46100 Royal Scot to work down from London to operate the tour. However, after completing examinations and a minor repair the railway was not open to Bristol due to engineering works.

We apologise for the disappointment caused.

 

Still had no letter. They must have known that not everyone travelled on the day. Very different with RTC. Nigel always writes to passengers and frequently offers a discount on a further trip when trains are just very late.
TBEL? In 2017 they don't even bother writing to someone whom they know well, who travels very regularly with them, and whom they know won't travel other than with proper steam.

Not joking about travelling very regularly either as we've booked 41 TBEs, 2 tickets every time, since they took over the train in the summer of 2009. So yes, you could say I'm more than a bit ratted off with the lack of any communication after the first 2 trains of 2017.

 

When I phoned on Monday I was told they'd write to us by the end of the week. From what I gather, TBEL moved offices last week and (as of Monday anyway) were operating off mobiles, with the MD on the 'phone to NR the whole morning.

If I haven't heard anything by the middle of next week I'll give them a chaser call.

 

A letter is being sent out in the post this evening.

 

Got letter dated 7th this morning. £30 per seat credit note (£15 cash). Looked back over last couple of years and it's probably disappointing all round that the risk of not doing the FTR until Saturday was identified but nothing has been done about it. Might not have made a difference but had the FTR have been done on Friday there must have been a good chance that someone from the VAB would have been available to sign off the 'repairs' to Tornado on Saturday. Does anyone know what the regulations are about FTRs? Do they have to be done the day before?

 

This is not a criticism of TBEL but in reality a refund of £15 cash is out of kilter with the normal network rules. But is it TBELs responsibility?

TBEL was scheduled to arrive at BTM at 20.54 but according to RTT made it in at 23.13. In the normal railway world, a delay of over two hours would deliver a full refund of the whole return journey under the Delay Repay rules. This compensation is claimed by the TOC from NR. Where there is third party blame then NR can claim against them. As this delay was in the hands of NR then they should have paid up to the TOC. So here is where it gets fuzzy. DBS own other passenger franchises that are part of Delay Repay.

So is it time that Charters, that do have a published schedule, came into the Delay Repay fold?