Atlantic Coast Express UKRT/MNLPS 23/09/17

Some fast footwork seems to have pulled a jumbo-sized rabbit out of the hat as reported over on the Border Raider thread, and it now seems that more of the same has been going on in Clan Line country; an hour ago I received this from UK Railtours

"Dear Customer,

I am writing to let you know that we have had to accept some changes to the London end of the itinerary, caused by the current situation with the remodelling of Waterloo station, complicated by the franchise change.

The itinerary will now be as follows. These timings should be correct to within five minutes or so:

London Victoria depart 07.00
Clapham Junction depart 07.15 (additional pick-up stop for better connections)
Staines depart 07.40 (new pick-up, to give easy connections via the M25)

then via Byfleet and Woking to:

Basingstoke depart 08.40

then onward as advertised, with timings looking as follows:

Salisbury 30 minute water and leg-stretching stop

via Templecombe, Yeovil Junction, Honiton Bank to:

Exeter Central arrive 13.25
Exeter St David’s arrive 13.35

On the way home:

Exeter St David’s depart 16.30

via Taunton, Frome, Westbury, Melksham, Swindon (via Newbury still out of gauge to steam)

Reading arrive 20.15
Staines arrive 20.55 (new set-down stop to correspond with the morning pick-up)
Clapham Junction arrive 21.30
London Victoria arrive 21.50

If we do not hear from you we will post your tickets by First Class post on Monday.

If you are now unable to reach the tour please let us know straight away by email. Provided we hear from you by Saturday evening (16th) we will waive our usual terms and refund your card less a 10% charge.

We imagine that some passengers will now find it easier to travel by car and park at Staines. If you are a dining customer wishing to change your joining station please let us know. This will assist us when we finalise the seating plan.

This plan will change only if clearance is given for Clan Line to travel via Tooting. It is presently ‘out of gauge’ on this line so this is considered pretty unlikely.

I hope you will be joining us on the Atlantic Coast Express and I am sorry that the first part of the tour has had to be changed. It’s all part of the crazy world of main line steam – but a journey with Clan Line is always worth it!

Yours sincerely,

John Farrow

The new itinerary might diminish slightly the authenticity of the original concept, but considering the magnitude of the issues involved, this looks to me like a decent compromise that will certainly work better logistically for some (myself included) but probably not all.

 

Providing I can get around any issues raised by Southern at Streatham Common, the changes generally suit me down to the ground. Melksham is the last through route (ie. not a terminating branch line) I need to cover by steam in the West Country. Then it's a case of hoping someone decides to do Barnstaple, Newquay, Falmouth etc., as I have yet to do those. I suspect I'll have a long wait!

 

I had feared a change to the starting point in London when I looked in Trust earlier this week and noticed that we (I work in SWR Train Planning) are running via the Windsor lines with our Mainline services on that day. Having not had any role in alterations for engineering works that weekend I had somewhat overlooked what might be going on and the affect this would have to a tour I'm booked on!

A shame there is probably not enough time to gauge it via Tooting but in fairness I don't think it's been that way since a VSOE run to Soton Docks in Jan 09? Happy to stand corrected though.

 

Braunton ran via Wimbledon - Streatham - Tulse Hill - Brixton in December 2013, but that was a short term decision made to divert it round a fallen tree on the Addlestone Loop.

 

Ah yes, I should have remembered that one given I was on that too! That was a quite a journey back from Salisbury that day with the stormy conditions.

 

Based on when I lived in West London I am surprised that Staines Upon Thames (to give it its posh name) is recommended for parking. Station only has 32 spaces and loads of double yellows on surrounding roads. The shopping centre car parks 400-500 yards away are about £12.25 a day. Still I suppose it is an early departure so at least there will be spaces and maybe cheaper than a journey into Victoria.

 

I think it has always been the plan to have a Basingstoke pick up (with Reading set down) like Tornado'a trip last year, rather than Woking.

 

Can't get nearer than Basingstoke on the outward now. Shame but will stick with the train for Templecombe and Honiton and another pseudo 'Torbay Express' type attack on Whiteball, Somerton and Brewham. Probably have to bail at Reading on the return. Such is life. Hopefully we'll get a chance of an ACE next year.

 

Tempted to bail out at Clapham on the return as I could have a pint or two in the Falcon at a sensible time. At the end of the day, those of us who did the Waterloo Sunset got Waterloo done on the day that counted. For me, the ACE is about what happens west of Salisbury.

 

I was on both The Waterloo Sunset and The Bournemouth Belle a few days before. I was considering adding this one as well, for the sake of further west, but I don't find it appealing enough to justify the early start from London.

 

Naturally, everyone has their reasons for doing/not doing a trip. From my perspective, having booked it in March and already made the logistical arrangements, the promise of new track through Melksham and a fairly rare opportunity to do the GWML link with the Southern at Reading makes it palatable. Also, an unassisted climb of Honiton is nothing to be sniffed at- the last time I did it was with a Class 57 screaming at the back.

 

Had the option to take the spare ticket a friend has but unassisted no diesel on the rear doesn't interest me tbh.

 

Having looked at the Nat Rail website for my journey options to London a while back I guessed immediately that there would be a problem. The ACE ran from Waterloo with a decent path down the main line which this doesn't so I have cancelled. Would have been better to have postponed it again in my view. The SVR will now benefit.

 

Latest times from UKRT

Victoria 0713 2148
CJ 0734 2131
Staines 0803 2055
Basing 0859
Salis 0943/1020
Exeter C 1324
Exeter SD 1335/1631
Reading 2006

Slightly disappointed not to have a run past my old stamping ground down the main from Waterloo to Woking but in the great scheme of things this is 95% of what I was hoping for and I'll be happy if this all now happens as replanned.

 

Let me get this right, you're not interested in a box free unassisted run with steam?

 

A member of this forum who LIKES diesel assistance??? Heard it all now!

 

Personally, I quite like steam assistance on diesel trips. Ahem...