Steam Dreams 2020

Sounds like a nice idea, which should get the loco (and owner) some good local publicity. It's not entirely inappropriate, any more than the named Black Fives. In BR days, 61379 carried the name Mayflower. It reminds me of BR Std 5 locos carrying names of withdrawn King Arthurs on the Southern.

 

In view of the local rivalry, presumably 61306 won't be working tours to Norwich!

Cheers, Neil

 

Harry Schnieder (50050's former owner, based in Eindhoven) said he wouldn't have bought 50046 for the same reason!

 

Found out a little bit more information about Mayflowers name change. This was shared by the B17 Manchester United FB page.

"It has been announced in the Railway Press this month that a new LNER ‘Footballer’ is to be re-created using preserved North British B1 4-6-0 No 61306 ‘Mayflower’ (NB 26207). This superb locomotive will run in its’ new guise as No 61674 ‘Ipswich Town’ for a short time during 2021. Not quite the same as our No 61662 but a close cousin......"

 

Does that mean it gets relegated to shunting duties after its first season on the main line?

 

Or gets to haul some Euroepean tours if it's successful?

 

I thought this was a belated April Fool spoof when I first read about it in Steam Railway. Seems a crazy thing to do, but each to their own.

 

Absolutely, but turning it into a member of an incorrect class (and a not particularly successful one, by all accounts) and a member that has never existed did seem rather eccentric to me and therefore somewhat implausible, but as I said. each to their own. It's his engine.

 

Indeed, but will the train be full, or will seats be empty for social distancing (even if it is down to a metre by then)? If the latter, the costs may outweigh the income. If not, the largely more elderly clientelle may be put off anyway. I think a vaccine is extremely unlikely - there hasn't been a really effective 'flu or cold vaccine yet so why would this be any different? Remember that the 'flu vaccine we do have often gives the vaccinee the illness - will that be feasible with C19? Having medicine to treat it more effectively, once caught, is another matter, of course. Anyway, I hope fervently that I'm wrong, but I can't see such leisure travel being feasible for a very long time to come. "Getting on with life" is not the same as the luxury that these trips will be seen as.

 

There are numerous other threads detailing when tour operators and heritage lines are planning on opening up and how they plan to do it. The industry is doing what the rest of the world is doing, adapting.

 

You going to be the man at the Barrier dressed from head to toe in PPE with the Digital Thermometer checking every passenger before they board Ralph?

 

Not sure that PPE sits comfortably with a recreation of 1950/1960’s travel and as for a digital thermometer back to good old mercury in glass - and that won’t be going under your tongue!

 

Ralph would be in the digital world, on the outside of the modern barriers so PPE and digital Thermometers will be OK. No comment about the mercury in glass thermometers. This is a family site!!!

 

Completely agree, but my point was that it won't be up to me/individuals, it will be whether the operators can make the enterprise work within the rules in force at the time. I've certainly not shrunk away during this time, but we can only participate in what is permitted and financially viable.

 

I see Steam Dreams have now cancelled / postponed all their tours for August. I assume there's a distinct lack of enthusiasm for booking right now. According to Steam Railway David Buck says the requirement to wear face masks is a major factor. I'm guessing that they are not able to implement all the social distancing measures that Saphos have (perspex screens etc...) and therefore cannot dispense with the mask requirement. It is of course debatable whether Saphos are actually observing the letter of the law by not requiring passengers to wear masks. I know for a fact it would put me right off - it's bad enough having to wear them in the shops let alone for 5-6 hours at a stretch on a train trip.

 

It's probably also a cost thing, Saphos/LSL have everything in house, coaches, locos, crews so no extra costs whereas SD use WCR coaches and crews which I assume they have to pay for, meaning another cost they have to cover which Saphos don't have.