Long Term Steam Routes

The only option would be to drag the loco and stock diesel hauled to Southampton, on the return, with the steam at the rear, then reverse at Southampton and return via laverstock.

 

I am surprised no one does the Surrey Hill circuit (other than Belmond or SD in the semi dark on the Windsor package as a lunchtime path exists. Thought that may appeal to the tourist market. Of course with the Pullman they have the benefit of an ECS move of only a mile or so if using Clan Line, not sure how easy it is getting stock there midday from say Southall. Probably have to leave very early morning and wait in Willesden SWS for hours at both ends.

 

Which is what happens now of course. However Swanage trips need to be outside the peak (i.e. school hols) as the long train makes the regular two train service impossible really unless you have three locos available to operate it, (as one would get trapped in the bay by the stock) and then you still need to fit the tour in, shunt release the loco to the shed and the same to get it back on the town end for departure. I suspect not many railways choose to knowingly bugger up their offering for someone else's. Of course would work well if you had two locos one out and one back as the old days, (or even a handy mainline registered Mogul to stick on the front to Southampton U&DGL)

 

Hertfordshire Railtours/UK Railtours did a few with 34067 called The Downsman. They sold quite well, but none have run since. I doubt you'll be able to do them for £29 adult standard now though!

 

Well here's a pipe dream (that's two below WIBN ) ..... a day out from Swanage or Arlesford, taking in Fawley* and Lymington**, plus noting aspirations to reconnect Ringwood to the network aren't completely dead, but that last one really is total pie in the sky for the time being. With pathing being what it is, a Sunday or Bank Hol would likely produce the only possible opportunities. Perhaps our very youngest members will one day see a 'special' advertised and think "Didn't one of those old farts mention this on NP about 40 years ago?"

*I see no harm indulging my malnourished optimistic side, even if just for a change!
** Would definitely involve Top'n'Tail

 

Lymington would have to be done before 0600 (0900 on a Sunday) or after 2245 and when there is no T3 possession on the mainline.

 

OK, so Sunday breakfast served whilst traversing the Lymington branch it is then. In my own defence, I did describe the entire notion as a pipe dream.

 

Having travelled on it on the epic 'Scottish Lowlander' railtour, I was blown away by the scenery of the line through Dumfries and Galloway. Quite amazing that this route seems to see virtually no railtours, especially given its proximity to Carlisle which has one most weeks.

 

A few years ago the Swanage Railway built a rail tour siding at Harmans Cross. The idea being that after arrival of a rail tour at Swanage, the stock could be hauled to Harmans Cross and berthed there until it was required for the return journey.

The two main issues with rail tours to Swanage are the lack of turning facilities, and getting in the way of normal Swanage services on busy days.

Sometimes the turning issue is resolved by sending the loco light engine to Eastleigh to turn on the triangle there. Quite a long journey just to turn around though! Longer term this issue will be resolved once the Old Oak Common turntable is installed.

There was also once talk of fitting locos with some kind of quick release tender mechanism, meaning the loco and tender could be split and turned on the existing Swanage turntable. Obviously nothing ever came of that though.

 

The Surrey Hills circuit is a tale of two halves. After Shalford, there is a challenging climb up to Gomshall, an opportunity for some fairly fast running down to Dorking and beyond plus some superb scenery. However, up to that point, it's a real stop-start job on heavily used routes and a good hour of trundling through suburbia on the Windsor Lines, with little of interest out of the carriage window. There are much more interesting circular routes in the south of England which wouldn't take that much longer than the Surrey Hills circuit - Victoria-Ashford-Hastings- Tonbridge- Victoria, Victoria-Ashford- Canterbury West-Margate-Victoria or London-Winchester-Eastleigh-Havant-Guildford-London. The big question mark regarding tours out of London is the likely frequency of service trains once life returns to something like normal. If a direct path out of Waterloo to Woking via Surbiton becomes possible, this would be a real game changer, knocking an hour off any journey to Hampshire or beyond.

 

The biggest problem though down South is pathing around the timetabled services, take Hastings to Ashford, one train a hour, but the line is mostly single, and not really that fast, So how do you find a path that fits in with everything else, That's why we don't see much steam down here, it might change hopefully, if that path, is available on a regular basis, as Victoria, to Hastings ,via Tunbridge wells, drag back to Eastbourne ,where there are sidings where the train can be serviced, then Returning via Hastings and Ashford, makes a nice day trip and the scenery looking out to Romney Marsh isnt too bad,

 

That was one of the highlights of GB XII also. Trouble is, Carlisle is a destination, not enough catchment to be an origin. Is it feasible to do that from Central Scotland (SRPS)?

 

Agree about the Surrey Hills, the first part is mainly weaving a way between an intensive suburban electric service crossing numerous junctions, none of it very inspiring and it doesn’t have a destination, not a problem when you are occupied with a five course champagne lunch but otherwise a bit tedious. Much better is the Kent circuit that Belmond sometimes do with an interesting destination for passengers at Canterbury.
Incidentally, timetable changes now mean that the Surrey Hills water stop will now be at Chertsey, not Shalford so the challenge of Gomshall Bank from a standing start has gone.

 

Could something like Crewe, Shrewsbury/Chester, Hereford, Newport, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Kidderminster/Barnt Green, Brum, Stafford/Salop work? Gloucester’s a nice destination while the loco and stock are being serviced. And it wouldn’t be a particularly long day out, plus plenty of time for those wining and dining to enjoy their 5 course meal.

 

Reading this thread, I wonder if thoughts need to be clear whether the objective is to find a long term destination or a long term tour? For example, as a suggestion from me up thread, Reading - Basingstoke - Salisbury - Westbury - Swindon - Reading is reasonably scenic and I guess would make a circular tour of about 4 hours. If you made Salisbury the destination, then I guess it becomes about 7 hours allowing for a reasonable length stop. So they feel like two quite different markets, or at least two different products.

Tom

 

Possibly a bit of both?

 

Are there not three slightly related markets:

1. Nice meal on a train in daylight tour. Pullman vibe of days past. Not bothered so much about location or motive power or but nice scenery to look out of the window at. Ie Surrey Hills
2. Nice location for lunch and shopping tour. Destination the big selling point as somewhere to go. Ie Cathedrals Express.
3. Nice trackage tour. Not normal crowd. So the people who will get angry about a 47 being attached to the back, the people counting mileposts, photographers etc. Big things are access as this is probably not a huge market so they need to be somewhere where people can get to - good connections. The old Crewe-Holyhead trains were a good example of this.

 

I’m not so sure about your assumption with no 1. Belmond run a lot of diesel hauled trains but still manage to book up the steam runs at a higher fare.

 

I’m wondering if there’s a gap in the market for something like this for say VT? An afternoon/evening out to somewhere like Worcester/Shrewsbury with 7029 or 5043 or even something like D1015 or 50007/49 on the front, 2 coaches full of steam/diesel cranks, then 6/8 coaches with a decent dining option in conjunction with a decent local chef like Glyn Purnell?

 

So Swanage has some rather ambitious plans for 563 that we didn't previous know about???