Tornado Railtour Programme 2021

Evening all,

Quite a lot of updates recently to the A1 Steam Trusts Tour Program for 2021 made on the website: not sure how many may have seen it posted yet. Not many spare weekends between the restart of tours in May and September - but I've got my fingers crossed for one of them to be a rescheduled date for the previously advertised "The Caledonian".

Interesting to see a Royal Duchy tour in the mix too.

See below:

2021 programme

• Saturday 22nd May – ‘The Pennine Explorer’ – Leicester to Carlisle and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Saturday 29th May – ‘The South Devon Explorer’ – Woking – Bristol – Plymouth – bookings through The Railway Touring Company
• Saturday 5th June – ‘The Buxton Spa Express’ – London – Leicester – Buxton – bookings through The Railway Touring Company
• Saturday 19th June – ‘The Edinburgh Flyer’ – York to Edinburgh – bookings through The Railway Touring Company
• Saturday 26th June – ‘The Fens and Fells Flyer’ – Cambridge to Carlisle and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Saturday 3rd July – ‘The Cumbrian Explorer’ – From Darlington via S&C and Cumbrian Coast – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Sunday 11th July – ‘The Royal Duchy’ – Slough – Taunton – Par – bookings through The Railway Touring Company
• Saturday 17th July – ‘The Cheshireman’ – London to Chester – bookings through The Railway Touring Company
• Thursday 22nd July – ‘The Aberdonian’ – Edinburgh to Aberdeen and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Sunday 31st July – ‘The Aberdonian’ – Edinburgh to Aberdeen and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Thursday 12th August – ‘The Aberdonian’ – Edinburgh to Aberdeen and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Saturday 21st August – ‘The Clyde Aberdonian’ – Glasgow Central to Aberdeen – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Thursday 2nd September – ‘The Aberdonian’ – Edinburgh to Aberdeen and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Saturday 11th September – ‘The Aberdonian’ – Edinburgh to Aberdeen and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Thursday 16th September – Tornado and Flying Scotsman – West Midlands to Carlisle and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Thursday 16th September – Flying Scotsman and Tornado – Peterborough to Carlisle and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Saturday 18th September – Tornado and Flying Scotsman – Middlesbrough to Carlisle and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours
• Saturday 18th September – Flying Scotsman and Tornado – Birmingham to Carlisle and return – bookings through Tornado Railtours

 

To be fair it was the stand out tour when first announced - very few tours do Shap and Beattock both ways in the same day.
From what I've seen over the last week it's been updated one tour a day - probably as plans are confirmed. Fingers crossed with the remaining dates left we will see a new scheduled date come to fruition for "The Caledonian".
I've still got hope at the moment...

 

I think we perhaps have to be realistic regarding the effort it takes for these tours to be rescheduled. Not only does the engine have to be available, so does Support Crew, rolling stock, locomotive crews and facility at Network Rail to accommodate such requests.

It won't just be Tornado Railtours that WCRC and NWR will be in discussions about rescheduling, but numerous other tours from other promotors. It's a logistical challenge to move the equivalent of two months of railtours, from a semi busy time of year, to elsewhere in 2021. I suspect 'The Caledonian' will go ahead, best to give them time to sort it out.

 

The website states below the list above the following -

The following tours had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will be rescheduled:

Saturday 13th February – Valentines Circular Luncheon and Evening Tours – From York
Saturday 13th March – ‘The Ribblehead Rambler’ – Hull to Carlisle and return
Saturday 10th April – ‘The Caledonian’ – Birmingham to Edinburgh and return
Saturday 15th May – ‘The Jorvik Express’ – Liverpool to York and return

And so does an email just received ( hence the updated post): -


RAILTOUR DIARY 2021

Following the Government's announcement of a roadmap out of lockdown, we have been working with our industry partners to secure new dates for trains that were due to run in the spring. This week we have contacted passengers for a number of these tours with the good news of a new date. A big thank you goes out to all of our booked passengers for their patience, and to the very many of you who have retained your tickets for new dates. There are still a few trains that have not yet been rescheduled, but please rest assured that we are working on it, and we hope to finalise dates in the coming weeks.


Saturday 22nd May - ‘The Pennine Explorer’ - Leicester to Carlisle

Saturday 26th June- ‘The Fens and Fells Flyer’ - Cambridge to Carlisle New Date

Saturday 3rd July- ‘The Cumbrian Explorer’ - Darlington to Carlisle New Date

‘The Aberdonian’ will run from Edinburgh on the following dates in the summer - Thursday 22nd July, Saturday 31st July, Thursday 12th August, Thursday 2nd September and Saturday 11th September.

Saturday 21st August - ‘The Clyde Aberdonian’ - Glasgow & Stirling to Aberdeen New Date

Thursday 16th September - West Midlands to Carlisle - Tornado and Flying Scotsman

Thursday 16th September - Peterborough to Carlisle - Flying Scotsman and Tornado

Saturday 18th September - Middlesbrough to Carlisle - Tornado and Flying Scotsman

Saturday 18th September - Birmingham to Carlisle - Flying Scotsman and Tornado

A1SLT promoted tours - all profits go towards keeping Tornado on the main line.

OUR BOOKINGS LINE IS 01325 488215 - call to make your booking today.

Tours to be rescheduled:
'Valentine's Luncheon Circular Tour' - From York, Thirsk and Darlington
'Valentine's Evening Circular Tour' - From York
‘The Ribblehead Rambler’ - Hull to Carlisle
‘The Caledonian’ - Birmingham to Edinburgh
‘The Jorvik Express'- Liverpool to York

 

Change of dates from the above and finally a good bit of news this week (which having had 3 bits of bad; is a welcome relief) - The Caledonian has now been scheduled to run on the 18th September - just fingers crossed now that everyone can make it.

Link below to the A1 Tours page:
https://www.a1steam.com/where-to-travel/

 

Initially I thought that due to work and college commitments that I would not be able to travel on the rescheduled Flying Scotsman/Tornado excursion however I’m now able to do it but I’m slightly disappointed that only one excursion a day will run instead of two. Why is this?

 

I had a email message from the A1 S.L.T. today confirming from Lauren George that the ribblehead rambler will be redated to run on 30th september. cos I booked on this wanting to do the stretch of N.E. track between Hull and Micklefield cos I've never done it by steam or even a service train.
(P.S. sorry if this is already listed on the A1 S.L.T. web site already.)
Davo 56F

 

I am sure she gets withdrawn in the Autumn for one of the new boilers to be fitted, and overhaul, although RTC are still showing her for a Xmas trip to Edinburgh from York on 11th December.

Be a nice one to get 60007 on, although usual caveats apply.

 

Not got much use out of that repaint if it is that early.

 

I thought there had been a one year extension to Tornados mainline ticket?

 

Times now on RTT for the Fens and Fells Flyer. Stock comes down from Bo-ness to Cambridge, does the tour then goes straight back up again. More ECS mileage than the tour

 

Realtime Trains - FRGT 0620 Cambridge to Carlisle
Realtime Trains - FRGT 1530 Carlisle to Cambridge
First DB Cargo operation with Tornado since December 2019. Also Tornado to York on the way back instead of Doncaster as is advertised.

 

Fens and Fells postponed

 

Yes, their Facebook page says it's because it was absolutely full and couldn't have run under social distancing requirements. Same reason as the Pathfinder postponements. Some promoters filled their July trains in the expectation that social distancing would still be around, whereas others filled them under the assumption that it would have been abolished by then.

 

Tornado on a rare ECML trip north of Newcastle this morning. Going well.

 

Accelerating after a check in nice evening light on the return.

 

Tornado's first duty with Northern Belle, on Mondays Bournemouth Belle tribute, seen at Wandsworth Town, Brookwood, Southampton, a 70mph passing at Andover, and accelerating up Barnes Bridge:

 

The Caledonian tour (which I believe was fully booked) has disappeared off the website. Does this mean Cancellation?

 

Sam go on the the A1ST website press on the main menu the 3 bars at the top right of their main page, and have a look on travel with tornado it's still listed on there and I'm booked on the caledonian and not received no cancellation Email saying the Caledonian tour has been cancelled.
Davo 56F