Great Britain XIV 2022

I have also booked on it.
My intial plan was do part of it like this years, in this case days 1-4, because I wanted to do Oban and have only done the Highland mainline once in 2008.
When I costed out doing day trips to cover - Warrington to Chester, and Chester to Shrewsbury, -which is new track for me, doing the Welsh Marches and Cornwell again, taking into account Hotels ( I would need to book two nights for some trips) rail fares or petrol and parking, and to use a working day to drive back from doing a Royal Duchy, doing the whole Great Brtiain was a better option.

 

Another friendly face, it does take some thinking about. Its another 11 day job for me to get there and back home without riskimg late connections or buying a dearer flexible ticket on the Network

 

for anyone who went on the Tour this year, I have now 5 parts of slides with some clips from all 9 days on Youtube. (1Goldsteam) Not high quality but a wonderful memory of a great Tour.

 

Not yet reflected on RTC website, but latest news from 6201 Society suggests its contribution to GB 2020 will be in Scotland at the front end of the tour, and no longer in the south west at the end. Specifically it is slated to work Friday 17/4 York - Edinburgh, Monday 20/4 Stirling - Edinburgh - Forth Bridge - Alloa - Stirling and Tuesday 21/4 Stirling - Carlisle. It then works engine & support from Carlisle to Carnforth, with nothing further shown in the diary until May 7th. It does not make it clear if 6201's activity on Monday 20th is just a part of the originally proposed trip to Oban - loco change at Edinburgh perhaps?

 

I would imagine it's a Forth Circle optional day vice Oban.

While no doubt down to operational reasons, one could hardly say the former makes any impact as an excursion compared to the latter....especially when only the Thornton Jnc - Alloa - Stirling section likely to be the only bit of the day not covered during the other legs.

Such a pity, will be interesting to see if this impacts the amount of bookings the optional day attracts. Previously, the SRPS have managed at least a yearly circuit (bar 2019 due to loco availability) on this route, whereas Oban is a rare beast.

 

Yes it would be nice to have a chance to tame the rare beast! We are booked.

 

The difficulty with the Oban line is that as there are no turning facilities two engines would be used presumably with one at each end. Another problem is that the Jacobite season will have already started by then making it difficult to get two black 5s available.

 

There are run round facilities at Oban so no need for 2 engines, although tender first running would be needed one way.

Dave B

 

Gradient out of Oban would be a struggle for one loco which is proven by 45407 stalling on the climb out of Oban in 2010. 61994 had to run light engine to help out and it ended up reaching Glasgow in the middle of the night. Also having 2 engines would save the need for tender first running by having one engine at one end facing one way and the other at the other end facing the opposite direction.

 

Actually, Stirling - Edinburgh on 20/04 will be via Carstairs (and Cobbinshaw).

Oban, I’m afraid, was a non-starter.

JS

 

Cheers James,well at least we don't have to change bookings

 

Hauled by Lizzie? If so both Duchess and Lizzie in Scotland together! Great!

 

All change for the Great Britain ! A Merchant Navy to Iverness
60163, 6201, 35018, 46115, 45690, 6223 !

https://www.railwaytouring.net/travel-tours/the-great-britain-2020

 

Doesn't look like it.
KX - York: 60163
York - Edinburgh: 6201
Edinburgh - Inverness - Striling: 35018
Stirling - Carstairs - Culross - Stirling: 6201
Stirling - Carlisle: 6201
Carlisle - Whitehaven - Grange: 45690
Grange - Chester - Cardiff: 46115
Cardiff - Penzance - Waterloo: 6233

 

Finally to get to film Lizzie at long last.

 

A pity. I'd been looking forward to 46115 north of Newcastle.

 

The process of educating the network that Merchant Navy class locos are rather special continues.

Cheers, Neil

 

A rare treat for those who are on it.