The Great Britain XI - 2018

Perhaps I haven't done my research properly but is the GB tour the only British rail cruise? Everything else seems to be day trips or out and back to a single destination eg Fort William or trips using mixtures of TOC trains and heritage lines. So doing it at all is quite a logistical achievement in the modern day railway, never mind doing it with steam. ​

 

The West Highlander Steam Express is something I'd like to see return.

 

It's a shame you chose two locations that were downhill to film 5212 and as you say, another shame that it was raining too.

Thanks by the way to Big Al for his glass half empty opinion on things.....

 

I've always thought a reformat of those railtours would benefit, say Electric haulage from London to Carnforth to tap in to the London Market, as previously I believe these tours originated from Crewe/Preston?

Day 1 London to Carnforth with Leccie. Steam Carnforth to Glasgow via Dumfries.
Day 2 Glasgow - Oban - Fort William.
Day 3 - Fort William to Perth/Inverness
Day 4 - Perth/Inverness to London, Leccie from Carlisle/Stirling

Would such a thing, e.g dropping Mallaig, still sell? And would going as far as Inverness vice Perth deem it too long?

Another thread perhaps?

 

Err Milford is Uphill

 

What about other parts of Britain ? for instance would a 4 day tour of say wales depending on the start location work ? or even if possible a tour starting in Scotland down to the South attract enough passengers ?

 

My interests lie in Scottish Railways and the associated scenery. So I would love a tour like this, like a small GB tour. I can only imagine people may want similar things for different parts of the country.

 

Realistically, would it be simpler and more practical to start from a mainline hub not in London - e.g. York (then say S & C to Carlisle) or Newcastle (then steam over the Border, a route that is both considered amongst the most scenic and rarely seems steam)? I know this means people bringing their luggage on service trains to the start point, but most railway passengers with luggage do that anyway, and Leeds, York or Newcastle (or Birmingham, Manchester, maybe Preston on the WCML) are all places with good connections to many parts of the country, so you serve the non-London market. (I know at these prices, the London/South East market will be amongst the most lucrative but I bet not all 300 or so seats on GB XI were filled with people who didn't need overnight accommodation in London before and after).

Steven

 

The biggest drawback of this years GB was no time off if you did the entire 9 days, i would think the chance to have a days sightseeing inbetween some legs may have been better lets say, you had a tour that say went say crewe Scarborough York, day off in York, then York to Edinburgh day sign seeing in Edinburgh/ optional trip to say boness the biggest drawback of A GB tour is that you don't get to see any of the major attractions of locations, its off the train, to hotel, eat sleep back on the coach, back on the train, with a lot of the arrival times not allowing for any sight seeing.

 

Well we did get time off for good behaviour in Inverness and Windermere, plus an early evening arrival in Scarborough allowed for some pleasant evening strolling.

Dave B

 

Have some of you nothing better to do then complain about diesels ?

Lets see how your national tour of GB gets on with out use of Diesel power, at any stage shunting the stock, hauling ecs ,Shunt Releases etc....

Good luck.,,,,,





Wouldn't happen would it.

 

I doubt diesel-free is any more of an explicit term of the GB than any other advertised "Steam hauled" trip. Most trips are doubtless initiated with the best of intentions to manage without a rear diesel but, as you observe, the real world has a nasty habit of making the aspiration untenable. You of all people cannot have been either shocked or surprised by the extent of diesel involvement with the GB.

 

My footage of 45212 and 31806 in action during day eight. Filmed at Claverton, Bunns Lane, Melbury Bubb, Bincombe Tunnels and Corfe Common. I hope enjoy it!

 

I am totally sure it was intended to operate diesel free but my point was a realist, as you seem to be, would not be betting the rent money on it happening that way given the complexity and intensity of this operation. It requires everything planned to fall into place perfectly, which is a remote possibility given the state of the network, for one thing. As you acknowledge level best was done by all, it seems, so its a bit churlish to grumble publicly because you took a punt and it didn't come off due to extenuating, but slightly inevitable, circumstances.

 

with the benefit of hindsight and from outside looking in (and with past GB debacles fresh in the memory) it seems to me that the % of steam haulage on this tour, (and unusual or new haulage at that) was remarkably high.