SRPS Railtours 2021

SRPS Railtours have updated their page to say that they will publish a programme of tours once restrictions are sufficiently reduced. Fingers crossed that 2021 sees a return for SRPS and some more steam in Scotland outwith the Jacobite and the Aberdonian trains.

 

Plans for the 2021 season are well underway and will be announced once we have a greater certainty over the route out of lockdown in Scotland.

Meanwhile, we have launched a fundraising appeal to help keep our mainline coaches operating on the National Network beyond 2023. We had intended to fund most of this work from retained profits from tours but with a now year-long absence this pot of money is drying up quickly! Leaflet attached for those who may like further information and you can make a donation online: www.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/srpsrailtours .

 

SRPS Railtours : 2021 Programme
Tour on 20th July is the Viking Venturer which is jointly organised with Tornado Railtours. Good set of tours within Scotland in August with 60163.

 

I’m pleased to say I’m now booked on each of the 3 SRPS tours featuring 60163 Tornado even though the first one was booked on the Tornado Railtours website as the tour is jointly organised. I would like to totally apologise for comments last year on this site which were provoked by serious mental health problems. I today also received my first vaccine dose which means I will have some form of protection come the first rail tour in July. As a once regular SRPS customer I’m thrilled to be back this summer having only been on one tour (Flying Scotsman forth circle) since 2014 and I’ve never been behind Tornado before so that will be put right before the P2 is completed sometime in the next 2 or 3 years.

 

We look forward to welcoming you on board and glad to hear you are feeling a little more optimistic (we all have low points at one time or another and it’s never something to need to apologise for!).

 

Social distancing ends on 9th August. I’m booked on both the upcoming SRPS tours with Tornado. I wasn’t given the chance to book a private table for two because of the restrictions at the time of booking and I would have done so had I been able to as has always been the case even Pre-Covid. I’m uncomfortable with being at a table for four with 2 strangers. I have emailed SRPS and had no response. What’s the latest situation?

 

Sadly the 4th September tour to Inverness has been cancelled due to train crew resourcing issues. A real shame as I had been looking forward to the prospect of Tornado on the Highland Mainline. The tour on Sunday 15th August is still on and I look forward to it immensely.

 

Yes disappointing that the Inverness trip has been cancelled.

Times are up for the Forth circulars on Sun 15 Aug:

First trip dep Linlithgow 09.20

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U13560/2021-08-15/detailed

Second trip dep Linlithgow 13.51, but with 3/4 hour wait on the Winchburgh Jn - Dalmeny Jn chord, to give the catering team time to set everything up again.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U13561/2021-08-15/detailed

 

Only 17 minutes at Linlithgow between the two runs, so is it top-and-tail?

 

Why would it be? It's a circular tour.

 

The ECS will need to reverse at Inverkeithing loop after the second circuit, then again at Carmuirs Jns as access to Bo'ness is only from the eastbound line.

I can't see a separate light engine move to fetch it from Inverkeithing, so it may indeed have a diesel on the back.

On the plus side the inspection train/loco seems to have successfully traversed the Longannet line in both directions this morning.

 

That was what happened with Leander in 2018, two circuits from Linlithgow with the second one going forward to Inverkeithing to reverse (as above). So in effect there are three steam hauled crossings of the bridge, worth watching the weather - a sunny crossing about 7pm could be very nice to see. !

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U13562/2021-08-15/detailed

 

That's good to see!

 

I had looked too hastily and was thinking of round the Fife circle so returning to Linlithgow from the east rather than all the way round via Stirling. Mea culpa.

 

60163 with load 11 and no diesel. Just left Linlithgow.

 

No need for 10 min pathing stop at Dalmeny, and a brisk run along Fife coast, so 28 mins early thro Cowdenbeath. Now stopped at signal at Dunfermline.

Edit: Being held for train ahead on Longannet single line. Can anyone confirm what it is?

 

Colas route learner on the Kincardine branch currently, so you'll have a little bit of a wait.

 

Now watering at Oakum Bay, about a mile West of Torryburn.