If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Sugar Loaf Mountaineer : 7/07/18 - now 23/09/18

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Bulleid Pacific, May 1, 2018.

Page 5 of 18
  1. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    2,546
    Likes Received:
    3,361
    Location:
    Powys
    The timings on the poster at Shrewsbury station are quite precise, indicates more than a bit of thought has gone into it. All irrelevant though if fire risk gets in the way.
     
    acorb, Jul 2, 2018
    #81
  2. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    3,998
    Likes Received:
    1,054
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    We'll hopefully hear something today.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Jul 2, 2018
    #82
  3. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,257
    Likes Received:
    5,013
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Dalesman thread says nationwide steam ban from today. If correct timings may not be an issue at the moment I guess.
     
    Gladiator 5076, Jul 2, 2018
    #83
  4. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2013
    Messages:
    2,891
    Likes Received:
    3,619
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    TBC
    Location:
    Birmingham & Arley
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Postponed to the 23rd September.
     
    LMarsh1987, Jul 2, 2018
    #84
  5. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    3,998
    Likes Received:
    1,054
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    Saw a clash with my holiday coming a mile off, so a refund will have to be requested. My long wait for a trip over that route continues...
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Jul 2, 2018
    #85
  6. pjhliners

    pjhliners Member Friend

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2009
    Messages:
    568
    Likes Received:
    448
    Email just arrivd from Pathfinder:

    With reference to your booking to travel aboard the Sugar Loaf Mountaineer on Saturday, 7 July. The promoter, Arriva Trains Wales, has decided, in the light of the continuing hot, dry weather, and the forecast that it will continue into next week, to postpone the running date as they do not wish to offer you a diesel hauled trip to alleviate the fire risk from a steam locomotive possibly emitting sparks onto land near the railway.

    Therefore please note that the excursion will NOT be running this Saturday, 7 July

    A new date of SUNDAY, 23 September has now been confirmed for the excursion to run, this has been determined by the now limited availability of coaching stock, train crew and a suitable steam locomotive, together with there being no engineering blockades on the featured route. The same pick-up stations and schedule will feature on the new date.

    Your booking for the original date will carry forward to 23 September; Boarding Passes and confirmed arrangements will be posted to you in Mid-September. However, if you should now wish to amend or cancel your booking please contact the Booking Office (01453 834477 / 835414 or email: office@pathfindertours.co.uk) by Friday, 13 July.

    Thank you for your understanding and we apologise on behalf of Arriva Trains Wales for this change, brought about by the unusually hot weather currently being experienced by us all.

    Kind regards

    The Pathfinder Tours Team​

    Peter on another sunny afternnon in Manchester
    http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com
     
    pjhliners, Jul 2, 2018
    #86
    Sheff likes this.
  7. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    2,546
    Likes Received:
    3,361
    Location:
    Powys
    Sensible and best decision.
     
    acorb, Jul 2, 2018
    #87
  8. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2013
    Messages:
    2,836
    Likes Received:
    2,677
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Relaxingly retired
    Location:
    Deep in the country
    Get there early for parking at Shrewsbury....
     
    1020 Shireman, Jul 2, 2018
    #88
  9. garth manor

    garth manor Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2009
    Messages:
    1,710
    Likes Received:
    456
    Last day of SVR Gala
     
    garth manor, Jul 2, 2018
    #89
  10. acorb

    acorb Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    2,546
    Likes Received:
    3,361
    Location:
    Powys
    Yes and the five was supposed to be a visitor as on loan for the summer .
     
    acorb, Jul 2, 2018
    #90
  11. Dobbs0054

    Dobbs0054 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2014
    Messages:
    872
    Likes Received:
    520
    Gender:
    Male
    Stands up an applauds!!! Well done Pathfinder and Arriva Wales.

    Are you watching other Tour Operators???
     
    Dobbs0054, Jul 2, 2018
    #91
  12. 1020 Shireman

    1020 Shireman Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2013
    Messages:
    2,836
    Likes Received:
    2,677
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Relaxingly retired
    Location:
    Deep in the country
    Typically not got the email, despite booking on 3rd May, but this is on the very bottom of the Sugar Loaf Mountaineer Page on their website:

    NOTE: This excursion was due to run on Saturday, 7 July, but because of the very warm and dry weather with the attendant lineside fire risk a new date of running has been annouinced - SUNDAY, 23rd September 2018. (Must be a Gloucestershire spelling of announced).
     
    1020 Shireman, Jul 2, 2018
    #92
  13. Robin

    Robin Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    May 7, 2012
    Messages:
    1,404
    Likes Received:
    1,768
    Location:
    Stourbridge
    Hopefully it still will be (weather permitting!) as it is also due to feature in the Last Days of Steam Celebrations in August. Presumably it will now miss the ASG unless Pathfinder have a different loco available.

    Either way I agree, hats off to Pathfinder for rescheduling rather than offering a diesel tour.
     
    Robin, Jul 2, 2018
    #93
  14. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    21,173
    Likes Received:
    21,004
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Agree that this is a sensible decision to take. However, coming back to the timings for a moment, I've now looked up the best comparable itinerary that Steam Dreams ran with in 2011 on their Explorer tour when they used two Black 5s.

    We took 6 hours from Shrewsbury to Carmarthan and that includes water stops at Knighton and Llandeilo of around 50 minutes in total. The provisional timings I have seen suggested for the Sugar Loaf Mountaineer are Shrewsbury - Carmarthen - Shrewsbury in 11 hours (10.10 to 21.15).

    I'll leave someone else to check the maths on this but let's assume that the DBC crew and support crew are happy to carry out loco servicing (coal and water) plus a turning move in an hour (which is a massive 'ask'). That leaves just five hours running time each way.

    Something will have to give somewhere, surely?
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2018
    Big Al, Jul 2, 2018
    #94
  15. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,257
    Likes Received:
    5,013
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Fully agree Al seems a mammoth ask to do it all in that time. This was due to be a DBC operation wasn't it rather than WCRC?
     
    Gladiator 5076, Jul 2, 2018
    #95
  16. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    21,173
    Likes Received:
    21,004
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Ah yes, of course. Have tweaked the original post.
     
    Big Al, Jul 2, 2018
    #96
  17. NathanP

    NathanP Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2017
    Messages:
    712
    Likes Received:
    841
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Worcester
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I've received the email as well, great work by Pathfinder and ATW in postponing it rather than cancelling or running with a diesel. That will be a busy weekend for me, as I'm also booked onto the trip on the Saturday where 60103 goes to Holyhead; presumably that's why Pathfinder have set the new date of this one to the Sunday instead of the Saturday.
     
    NathanP, Jul 2, 2018
    #97
  18. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,151
    Likes Received:
    5,226
    To find this tour on the Pathfinder website you still need to select 7 July on the tour calendar, not 23 September.
     
    MellishR, Jul 3, 2018
    #98
  19. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,151
    Likes Received:
    5,226
    It's now less than six weeks to the revised date and the website is still showing just 11 hours 5 minutes from Shrewsbury to Carmarthen and back. They've surely had plenty of time to think about the schedule, so how will it turn out?
     
    MellishR, Aug 14, 2018
    #99
  20. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2013
    Messages:
    2,891
    Likes Received:
    3,619
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    TBC
    Location:
    Birmingham & Arley
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I'm just as concerned for the locomotive of choice ! What's it done in the last two year's ??
     
    LMarsh1987, Aug 14, 2018
    #100
Page 5 of 18

Share This Page