LSL Wales and South West Explorer

Sounds like a bit of s**t show ! Usually when the local FB groups pick up on things like this, it's always going to be hectic. I can understand the enthusiasm on the Welsh side, a chance to finally get out and enjoy something local and unusual. I'd give them a bit of slack as they've have been living under the Drakeford regime.

 

Oh, so that makes it ok for people to behave like pillocks and nearly get themselves killed by a train does it? Just blame it on the local politicans. What a crass comment.

Just my opinion

Peter

 

Absolutely not ! I should of made clear I was referring to the crowds in general at crossings, overbridges and Llandrindod etc. I certainly don't condone anyone in the four foot. Iv'e seen comments from elsewhere, criticising crowd numbers and having a go at people heading out with the family. No doubt it will be Joe public that caused the delays, though I wouldn't rule it out being one of us !

 

Coach and horses through the regulations? Are you sure you aren't exaggerating just a smidgen? Seems to me that crew training and familiarisation needs to be done so that all operators on the mainline are ready for when business as usual starts again.

 

The big question on everyone's mind should surely be if the owner was able to flush his khazi on the Heart of Wales line?

James

 

I see the train eventually left Llandeilo at 23.11 last night and got to Carmarthan at 00.33 this morning (Sunday 3rd April). Does anyone know if the reports of the Black 5 failing were true or was that speculation? Presumably after all the shenanigans a new crew had to be found for the train as the original crew would have been way over permitted hours.
Will the train today run with steam or diesel?

 

Answering my own question, I now see that today's train is shown as cancelled on RTT due to "problems with a steam engine". Does that mean that the whole remainder of the four day project is shelved? It was due to have diesels after Gloucester so, in theory, the failure of a steam locomotive shouldn't affect those.
Is there any definitive news?

 

The 20 took the carriages to Carmarthen last night. The Black 5 was due to be swapped for a pair of 37’s at Gloucester today but I believe this will now take place at Pengam this afternoon. New times for today will shortly be in the system but it may well mean the tour takes the main line rather than the VoG to get to Cardiff. This is what I have gathered from the various Facebook posts.

 

Thanks James!

 

Take cover!

I don’t have a problem with any of the above items. There is a business to run, and those are all necessary activities.

What I do have a problem with is the way that these activities are being conducted on what appear from the outside to be strangely in strangely unbusinesslike form, just happening to include provision for the boss to go with interesting traction over very interesting routes, stretching the legal restrictions to their utmost.

Given the operation is based at Crewe, whatever happened to the Crewe Works test train model, with a trip to Holyhead, or up the WCML to Carlisle? Possibly repeated a couple of times as necessary.

It’s not the trip, or the activities, that get me, so much as the knowing smirk as the legal justification is trotted out. The vibe is very much “I’m richer and better lawyered than you so I can do more or less as I like”, and it grates.

I’m not a regular railtourer - I think my last was in 2013. If I were, I’d both take comfort in the money that’s been spent on the LSL fleet, and be concerned that if there were ever an issue, these trips demonstrate I’d be dealing with a company that focused on letter over spirit on every occasion. That’s not a good look from where I sit.


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Standing back from the immediate issues, what is the easiest element to police? Not the Great British Public nor social media (Facebook etc.,) or the TOC as they can claim a valid reason of route knowledge. That leaves public access to train schedules. If there are too many delay incidents like this there is a chance that rail tour schedules will only be loaded to TSDB and down stream public access systems a few hours before operation.
Cheers, Neil

 

Other trains haven’t had reports (Twitter, unconfirmed that I know of) of a driver declaring themselves unfit to continue, seemingly due to trespass. Nor have they followed such a drought.


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https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/14562/2021-04-03/detailed

New schedule for 1Z31 now up

 

But as long as you have to tell the passengers what time to turn up, won't word get out? I can see that doesn't apply to LE movements, private charters etc.

Who picks up the tab for the delay minutes in circumstances like yesterday?

 

It actually happens outside of Steam hauled workings.

I myself, just over a month ago, had a near miss due to a trespass incident by a group of teenagers. Brake into emergency, red button on the GSMR to halt all traffic and signaller informed. At the time, I was 15 minutes out from the terminus of the service I was working and so continued under signaller's instructions. I did however, take the following day off sick as the shock did not hit until I was driving home from my depot.

It is hardly a situation unique to me, nor is it unique to steam workings themselves.