UKRT 2018

Two new tours next year with 60163 are now on the UKRT website. The first (The North Briton) is Doncaster to Carlisle via the S&C outbound, with unusual return routing as it then heads east to Gateshead, with a class 67 going back down to Doncaster on the ECML.

The second tour (The Sulis and Sarum Express) to Bath and Salisbury is the one that's really piqued my interest - not only because it's 60163 throughout but because it also calls at my own local station Worcester Shrub Hill, although on the way back I'll probably stay on until Birmingham for The Lickey (class 66 banker apparently).

I've got to give credit to UKRT and the A1SLT. With this year's Border Raider and Tees-Tyne Express and next year's Sulis and Sarum Express they're really starting to give some love to those of us in the West Midlands.

 

Will be keeping an eye on things 60163, as they've done some interesting stuff this year. However, for my own purposes, I'll probably leave these pass, despite being perfectly reasonable itineraries.

 

A lot of the early work for 60163 was done in the West Mids! I know 60163 has obvious connections to the North East but it is nice to see it other parts of the country so it's accessible to all.

 

I would assume the banker will be waiting in the loop at Bromsgrove.

 

According to the latest Hertfordshire Rail Tours brochure ( UK Railtours name now used for Northern Belle trips) there will be a Wessex Express with Clan Line on the 10th February 2018 and they state "We expect the route to be a little different from that on the 18 November ".

 

Incorporating the Portsmouth Direct, perhaps? Potentially quite logical for a moderately lengthy Valentines Circular sort of itinerary akin to the scope of the November trip.

 

If it is, it would good to do the Portsmouth Direct in the down direction for a change.

 

My thought exactly regarding an anticlockwise trip. Was thinking of doing November, but probably won't. Have already done 12 this year, and add the extra costs involved, and you're talking stupid money. Time to calm down and make decisions, rather than try and do everything!

 

Well, whilst it is correct that that weekend has been reserved to do a "Wessex Lunch" of some kind, the amount of engineering work scheduled over the entire weekend will mean the word "Wessex" might have to be very loosely applied in a geographical sense! We're looking at all the options; the Portsmouth Direct line included, but you've got to get to Guildford from London first to do it! Other than Sunday mornings - and late evenings - the level of service between Guildford and Havant means pathing is somewhere between tricky and impossible, certainly if a water stop needs to be fitted in. Watch this space....