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.

LE Movements, ECS and Test Runs 2021

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Big Al, Dec 29, 2020.

  1. 7P6F

    7P6F Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2009
    Messages:
    2,609
    Likes Received:
    834
    Gender:
    Male
    What are they doing on National Preservation then? Perhaps they would feel better if he spent his money on Formula One racing cars or an Ocean going Yacht or two instead of steam and diesal locos running charters around the UK that we can all watch or travel on.
     
  2. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    14,315
    Likes Received:
    16,391
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired, best job I've ever had
    Location:
    Buckinghamshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I think the extra path is meant for a service train. The Friends of the West Highland Line have been campaigning for it for a long time. It’s an organisation worth joining for anyone interested in Scottish railways, the house magazine that comes out three times a year has some interesting historical content and a feature on the ferry services for anyone into shipping.
     
  3. ribble

    ribble Member

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2007
    Messages:
    298
    Likes Received:
    2,647
    My understanding is that West Coast requested an earlier path for the second train so that it could cross the morning service at Arisaig where I think the passing loop can accommodate two seven coach trains thereby increasing capacity on the second trip.It also offers an earlier return to Fort William,important for servicing when the nights are drawing in at the end of September.
     
  4. Apollo12

    Apollo12 New Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2020
    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    147
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    North East
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Another positive is that in times of high fire risk the afternoon train can be still have steam on the front albeit with diesel assistance.
    With the original path this would make the train over length for passing the morning train at Glenfinnan and therefore would go out diesel only. Imagine the passengers disappointment at being hauled by a diesel only to see the other train still with a steam engine on the front at Glenfinnan. I know the guard would then bear the brunt of the passengers anger!
     
    26D_M, RalphW and Johnb like this.
  5. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    14,315
    Likes Received:
    16,391
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired, best job I've ever had
    Location:
    Buckinghamshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    In the latter circumstances they should put Florence on the afternoon train, she'd soon sort out disgruntled passengers!!
     
    Apollo12 likes this.
  6. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2006
    Messages:
    8,031
    Likes Received:
    7,605
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Train Maintainer for GTR at Hornsey
    Location:
    Letchworth
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Trying to find an opticians?
     
    osprey and Monkey Magic like this.
  7. GWR4707

    GWR4707 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    May 12, 2006
    Messages:
    18,042
    Likes Received:
    15,732
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cumbria
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    For the dog?
     
    Monkey Magic, 26D_M and 5944 like this.
  8. Sam 60103

    Sam 60103 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2019
    Messages:
    926
    Likes Received:
    342
    Location:
    Kirkcaldy
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Why is it still the same on a Saturday? If there is high fire risk then is there a way they could bring forward the departure time to 12:45? Is the service train not going to run on a Saturday?
     
  9. jonathonag

    jonathonag Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2006
    Messages:
    1,589
    Likes Received:
    3,009
    Occupation:
    Railway Engineer
    Location:
    Cowdenbeath
    If it remains as normal booked on Saturday, there will be one of two reasons likely at play.

    The first, it may be that WCRC have found that Saturday traffic prefers the later departure.

    The second, there may be possible Saturday only services already contending for that same path? That can vary from ScotRail with a DMU, to a visit every third week by the Royal Scotsman.
     
    Johnb likes this.
  10. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Messages:
    3,618
    Likes Received:
    1,636
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired SPM
    Location:
    Close to Spike Island
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The Saturday train plan would need work around the Royal Highlander land cruise path.
    https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C83749/2021-08-07/detailed
    They are "first on the graph" , so any later bid has to take that into account, otherwise NWR can refuse the later bid. The "Royal Highlander" is a dated operation and is shown in the WTT as a "Q" (as required) service to protect their path. This is a normal practice for repeat operations of high profile, high price trains.

    If the fire risk is that bad and forecast to be long lasting, WCRC will work a second loco up to Fort William.

    Cheers, Neil
     
  11. Apollo12

    Apollo12 New Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2020
    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    147
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    North East
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Usually always two operational diesels up there throughout the two train running period in recent years.
     
  12. J Shuttleworth

    J Shuttleworth Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2009
    Messages:
    462
    Likes Received:
    2,450
    Correct - that’s why we’ve done it.
    JS
     
    ribble, Mick45305, Paul42 and 4 others like this.
  13. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,486
    Likes Received:
    23,719
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    My view of businesses is formed by both what they do, and then by something about how they do it. That sometimes includes their owners’ politics - for example, I’m less likely to spend money in Wetherspoons because I know it will go to the odious Tim Martin.

    In this case, we have someone who has taken a clear and overt political stand on a number of issues, and who is then stretching the law to the limit to run a private train for work, when we are all in a position where the law prevents us from going out for jollies.

    It’s hardly surprising, despite his undoubted contribution to preservation, that people are uncomfortable with Hosking and the role he plays in this country. And, for what it’s worth, if he had contributed similarly to projects on the left, I suspect there would be a similar reaction to him, but from different people.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
    Monkey Magic, acorb, 5944 and 7 others like this.
  14. 3ABescot

    3ABescot Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2019
    Messages:
    340
    Likes Received:
    606
    Location:
    Herefordshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Personally, I agree entirely with what you say, as I did with 7P6Fs point that as an enthusiast group we should look at the preservation side of what he does. For a neutral description see the Wikipedia article. It's on record, could we move on please as we have done on the WSR thread?
     
  15. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,486
    Likes Received:
    23,719
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Largely, yes - but the discussion here is legitimate given the nature of the trip and how it reflects on the enthusiast market as a whole.
     
    26D_M likes this.
  16. henrywinskill

    henrywinskill Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2005
    Messages:
    2,245
    Likes Received:
    3,537
    Occupation:
    Transgender toilet attendant
    Location:
    North East
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Excellent,get the show on the road!:D
     
    Apollo12 likes this.
  17. 7P6F

    7P6F Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2009
    Messages:
    2,609
    Likes Received:
    834
    Gender:
    Male
    I never realised you knew Mr Hoskins so intimately as to make your above assessment. Or is this a perception gleaned from scraps on the internet or maybe it's just the sanctimonious moralising of one who thinks his politics superior.
     
  18. GWR4707

    GWR4707 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    May 12, 2006
    Messages:
    18,042
    Likes Received:
    15,732
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cumbria
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    TBF to @35B he at least knows him well enough to spell his name correctly. ;)
     
    Monkey Magic, acorb, 5944 and 3 others like this.
  19. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,486
    Likes Received:
    23,719
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    This trip stands for itself, and can be loved or hated accordingly. As for his politics, they are on the record.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Monkey Magic, 26D_M and Charles Parry like this.
  20. ianpilk

    ianpilk New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2009
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    11
    Mr Hoskins is entitled to travel on his own trains for whatever purpose whenever he wishes.
    The Covid whingers on this site presumably never travel on his trains, nor go out to observe/photograph them, nor have any interest in the remarkable contribution he has made to railway preservation in recent years.
    My only regret about last week’s special was that I had an optician’s appointment at the very time it was due to pass along the WCML three miles away from where I live.
     

Share This Page