RTC TRIPS 2009.

fantastic trips on offer although i will be intrested to know how rtc & srps think 60009 can work two tours in diffrent parts of the country on the same day 27th of june, amazing stuff!

 

Yes certainly a few trips which il be booking on. Certainly a date clash with 70013 on the devon banks and 5043 with Vintage on Shap. 70013 is my choice, but with 71000's previous two trips having standard at the back im a tad reluctant.

 

Does anyone else find the page turning function intensely annoying and troublesome??

It strikes me a typical "techytoy" - no doubt great fun to develop - and sod all use and completely frusrating in the real world.

 

Use the regular menu instead then?

 

I think you mean to say "use the Download as PDF" function which is apparently tucked away on the bottom menu bar, having studied the format after reading your post.

Rule One of good marketing - "Don't make it difficult for the potential customer"

Rule One not complied with.

There is a fundamental problem with assuming familiarity with IT Technology across the board, and a potential cost in lost business too.

 

Now online

http://www.railwaytouring.co.uk/index.php/uk-tours.html

Neil

 

Good to see some Sunday tours over the S&C. The $64,000 question now being which locos will be rostered. I'm keen to book but without knowing which locos will be running on which days it's not easy to decide which trip to go on.

 

Just phoned RYTC and they weren't exactly clued up. Asked if a) they could say which four locos were in the Sunday CME pool and b) if they had any idea which locos would be working which trips. No idea was the reply. Also told me that the info I required wouldn't be available until four weeks before the day of travel. Seems a bit odd not to be able to list what's working what. Don't want to book until I know the roster as I would like to avoid doing the S&C behind a loco I've done before but equally don't want to wait too long for fear of the trips being fully booked. :-k

 

Completely understand where your coming from spamcan. Last years RTC's tours must of had the rosters out around 2-3 months before, and even after that they changed due to the failure of 71000. Will certainly be on the CME on the 8th regardless of loco, nice bit of steam track in it for me.
Also regarding 70013's attack on the devon banks on the 20th June, i emailed in to ask if they were to continue to turn the whole train around at Plymouth. No reply as of yet.

 

Back in the 1980s BR ran the CME on an arguably worse basis as far as finding out which loco you'd get. They didn't announce the roster at all. The pool was 46229, 4498, 4472 and 850 for the Carlisle - Hellifield leg. Booked three trips and ended up with 4498 each time. Nothing wrong with the loco but it would have been nice to have had three different locos.
Given how long in advance other tour companies announce the locos for their tours I'm wonderign why RTC are leaving it so late.

 

The amount of times other companies have to change locos and leave people not happy, gives RTC justification to do this, if they can't confirm a loco, they shouldn't advertise it.

 

Yes frustrating choice of date because I’m already booked on 5043 over shap that day. Two top notch tours on the same day, shame.

Turning the train: I would be very, very surprised if they didn’t. 70013 is class 7 loco that means 8 coaches max. You can bet that standard will be at the rear so that a mk2 is on the back. RTC were unhappy with arrangements last time when the train was turned with the passengers on, but it was made clear to me when I complained that it was Network Rail who insisted on the manoeuvre. Anyway I’d still book if I wasn’t on 5043.

 

There must be a roster somwhere as support crews will need to know which days they are going to be working. I think we all accept there could be a change between now and then, it does happen even to one off charters when the locomotive is normally specified at the outset If RTC can tell us 48151 is working The Welsh Mountaineer on 5th & 19th August I fail to see why they can't say 6233 will be working the Cumbrian Mountain Express on 22 August. I'm afraid the staff in the RTC office have no idea of the needs of the Railway Enthusiast and why we wish to know such information, they seem capable of dealing only with enquiries from the general public.

 

the fact they say they have 4 locomotives and then not saying which ones clearly says to me that they dont have a clue what there going to use, with 6233, 6201, and 60009 at crewe with plenty of tours to keep them busy will one of them move to york doubt it, so that leaves the possibilty of the locomotive based at york for the scarborough spa express to work the tour, however you can only work out what locomotive that will be by refering to uksteam a week or so before, or the tour may have steam coming on at hellifeld as rtc are getting good at reducing the mileage of steam tours, as with last years settle carlisle venturers which only one ran with steam from hellifield.

The 2007 york carlisle CME all ran steam throughout but i think i am right in saying not one of them ran with the advertised locomotive but at least most of them ran and on the 18 of august i did get to travel york to carlisle and return with 6233 duchess of sutherland, but i guess what i am trying to say is any one like me hoping for steam throughout and trying to book on specific locomotives all i can say is dont hold your breath.

 

I disagree. Maybe I've bee lucky but I've been doing main line steam tours since 1973 and the only time I've ended up with the "wrong" loco was on a BR Shakespeare Express when at the last moment they switched 46229 for 35028. I also very much doubt RTC will be talking to the loco owners with just four weeks to go before the tour to see if they can use the loco. The owners will likely want to know much more in advance than that. Last minute changes can and will happen due to a number of factors but that's no excuse for not informing intending passengers well in advance of what the chosen motive power is intended to be.
A restaurant owner wouldn't expect diners to book tables without seeing the menu so why expect railtour customers to book trips before knowing what the motive power will be?
And by the way, RTC are already advertising 60009 and 6233 for September and October trips respectively so why can't they announce the CME locos equally as far in advance?

 

RTC Ran the 2007 CME's from York; all were steam throughout except for one where steam came off at Hellifield on the return journey
The 2008 CMEs from York were nothing to do with RTC.

The 2009 CMEs will feature Locomotives from the Scarborough Spa Pool,which will include 5690 46115 45231 and 48151

 

And this information comes from...?
It's just that I'd heard other locos mentioned for the SSE - just rumors, of course!

 

Assuming meltonnorth's info is correct all four locos would be new haulage for me over the S&C but 46115 would be new haulage for all time so that would be my first choice booking but difficult to make this choice when the organisers can't supply the info I and may others need. Which locos had you heard rumoured?

 

Don't know where this information has come from but 46115 will not be in the SSE pool as it is out of guage around the Harrogate Circle.

 

Just been on there for a quick look. There running a special on every Sunday back to Holyhead, starting from Liverpool from a choice of 6201/60009/6233. No Bank Holiday special this year.

I know for sure I'll miss the one of the 22nd as I'll be making my way to Barmouth for a week of the Cambrian specials.

Jeff