Cathedrals Express to Holyhead 18/11/2017 45699 vice 46233

This trip was exceptionally well rearranged and must be seen as a major success in the circumstances.
Taking a more generalised view, a major difference between this and other leisure market offerings is that the customer is implicitly expected to bear any differences or sub optimal service because a lot of aspects are unable to be fully controlled by the providers and have to be left to the kindness of fate to a large extent.
In some ways the market is a victim of its own success. Increased numbers of steam charters makes both the probability of failures greater and the availability of subs less. Back in the 80s trips, almost exclusively out of Carnforth, always seemed to cope with a failure as there was a pool on standby. The locos had different owners but there was perhaps more collaboration as well as significantly less regulation to comply with. Don't recall too many diesels being used either but perhaps my memory plays up.
Less is more?

 

Are Steam Dreams being ironic in just changing their Facebook profile picture to one of 44871 and 45407 double heading in the snow?

 

Going back on thread. Do we actually know what the problem is with 46233?

 

Flue tube problem.

 

Thanks at least it's not terminal