Saphos Trains 2018

Indeed, a veritable faux-pas. I blame the Ruby Mild.

There's some other interesting Saphos itineraries emerging on Railway Herald including Crewe-York via the Hope Valley, and return via Rochdale. Will have to see them on the company's website to believe them, though, as RH isn't known to be all that reliable.

 

The brochure for Saphos 2019 has been sent out so I expect the website will be updated soon.

 

Now showing on uksteam.

 

Whereas Saphos's own website https://saphostrains.com/ makes no mention of anything next year.

Edit:

 

So Saphos takes over the Fellsman, just three runs starting at Crewe, and does two circuits of Shap and the Coast also from Crewe. North Wales and the Chester, Shrewsbury, Telford circuit are dropped. I bet the Victoria to Canterbury trip will sell out quickly. Fares at the £65 standard £99 first price points.

 

Only problem with the Coastal tours might see Braunton and 70000 out of gauge especially around Maryport Didn’t mention Royal Scot as that should in reality be near enough the same as 46115 which has done that line a few times.

 

Royal Scot has been around the coast once. Northbound in 2016 when the S&C was shut, so it should fit. Hopefully it will be back in action by next summer.

 

Hasn’t a West Country (34027 if I remember correctly) been round the coast?

 

Perhaps but long time ago me thinks .

 

Its also been round the coast southbound at some stage as I video'ed it at the bridge near home (since we have been here I have never seen anything going north around the coast), will have to check when. Edit April 2016.

I would assume that if a Scot fits then a Brit or W/C should be OK as aren't they notoriously more gauge friendly, i know that BIL couldn't come up to Grange for the GB this year, but I am not sure whether that was wouldn't fit or merely wasn't gauged in time?

 

Next years 2019 tour programme is now on the Saphos Trains website at:

https://saphostrains.com/?fbclid=IwAR38Z1OUKSOnFMig0SMOFR5yZY85sorLEE98eOJbn3Rj1gKTprCrEQYxUSc

 

Well those fares were too good to ignore! Kingswear in June booked and a Lakelander in August. Let's pray for rain, no late engineering works, working steam engines.. It's been a barren year for me this year if you can't guess!

 

Some good trips there although not much for those of us who live in the South. Still not too sure whether Saphos are my cup of tea - the locos are great but the aircon Mk2 coaches and the oily diesel on the back are a bit of a turn-off.

Good to see that they have re-invented the Bristol to Weymouth trains although I'm a bit surprised that they are allowed to use the name "Dorset Coast Express" for these unles RTC are planning on dropping their London-Weymouth DCEs next year. They haven't used the name "Torbay Express" for the Kingswear runs even though that is effectively what it is. Maybe you can re-use someone elses' name if it's not over the same route? I don't know but it seems a bit confusing.

 

The RTC Bristol to Weymouth trips were the "Weymouth Seaside Express". However I do agree two trains that may have the same name using different routings could be a little confusing to the general public, assuming RTC run their usual trips next summer.

 

Not steam on Evershot on the outward. Diesel hauled from Pen Mill to Weymouth. Guessing the diesel will be on the back assisting on Upwey on the return.

 

Four DCE'S listed on the RTC website 25/7/19, 8/8/19, 22/8/19 , and 5/9/19

 

Both that web page and the home page display OK in Chrome, but in Firefox they're blank apart from a bit at the top and a drop down list of dates and names of trips if you hover the cursor in the right place.

 

I guess, unless a name has been trade-marked, there's nothing (except good manners) to stop one promoter using another promoter's tour name.

 

I guess that is true. Last year RTC ran a Swanage Belle as usual, but there was also a Pathfinder Swanage Belle from the Midlands using a Deltic.
I seem to remember reading some names are still owned by BR (would that be DfT now?) and people have to pay to use them. The Master Cutler was one mentioned and the GCR paying to use it. Not sure if that is still the case or if the mind is playing tricks.
Back on thread I can find no record of a DCE in BR days.

 

The Cumbrian Mountain Express has been used by a whole manner of operators, mainly RTC, but also UK Railtours and Pathfinder, plus others going further back. The itineraries have been varied, the only similarity being the Settle Carlisle is traversed at some point. Does the DCE fall under this sort of banner? The North Wales Coast Express, which has been both RTC and Saphos this year is possibly another example?