Vintage Trains 2022

That really doesn't make any sense. I can't see any difference in specifications between the Liverpool trip and the Oxford one. Similar timings, similar length of time at destination. What's the difference? And does it justify an extra £20 in standard for what appears to be virtually the same product?

 

Stick with Bahamas! Your daughter seemed to enjoy her trip to Weymouth last year even though the weather was dire when we got there. Last week’s run had quite a few empty seats.

 

She did indeed! Unfortunately, London Victoria is a long way from Mid-Wales!

Sorry to hear about the empty seats, suspect we are all having to think more carefully how we spend our money.

 

BR(W) built Castle class 4-6-0 No. 7029 Clun Castle passes through Hartford station on 10th September at the head of Vintage Trains' Mersey Explorer charter from Tyseley to Liverpool Lime Street.



Cheers,

 

A fantastic spectacle up Edge Hill Cutting this afternoon with Clun Castle making for a superb sight and sound

 

A bit further back at Edge Hill

 

Steam between Weaver Junction and Liverpool and therefore the crossing of the Mersey on the 1868 built Ethelfleda or Britannia Bridge is a real rarity .
The railway viaduct is partnered by the 1961 built road bridge (now known as the Silver Jubilee bridge) which replaced an earlier transporter bridge between Runcorn and Widnes. I can recall a school trip to visit the road bridge in the 1960s (must have been very young) and seeing the uprights for the Transporter still in place, it would be a great tourist attraction if it still were.

Out and back.

 

A superb showing from Clun Castle on the return leg of the Mersey Explorer. We even managed to chase it to Penkridge on its booked non stop run to Wolverhampton. There's also an appearance from 46115 at the end.

 

'The Merseyside Explorer' hauled by GWR No.7029 'Clun Castle', seen crossing the River Weaver near Vale Royal Locks and Dutton Viaduct (video following that from 'Scots Guardsman' yesterday).

Video Available Here

 

I hope you are wrong!!!
I am booked on this and haven't (yet) been notified?

Also still available to book on website?

 

Email just arrived. Tour postponed until April 22nd next year, tour has only just broken even and they wish to leave open to attract more bookings. So at least not cancelled outright.

To echo @Sidmouth, it is a shock that more people have not booked on this - for me this was the tour of the year, but clearly cost of living and inflation are starting to bite..

 

I do think an element of "S&C fatigue" is slipping in. There are steam-hauled trips over the S&C practically every weekend. I myself have done 4 so far this year. I didn't book on the VT one simply because I couldn't justify to myself buying a ticket and getting up at silly o clock in the morning to travel to an awkward-to-reach part of Birmingham to go on the exact same journey that I have already done 4 times this year. Yes it's 7029 but I've already done loads of trips with that loco, so it's not as if it will be a new loco to me. I remember in the month before he sold Steam Dreams to LSL David Buck told Steam Railway Magazine that he felt there was an over-saturation of S&C trips on the market, and I think he was absolutely right. I love mainline steam as much as the next person, I've done 13 trips so far this year, but it does get a bit depressing sometimes when you see "yet another S&C trip". I'm also starting to cut back on the "marathon" days out - not for budget reasons but simply because my enthusiasm to get up at 4am has waned.

Or then again maybe I'm just getting cynical. I turned 40 in July and I might just be turning into a grumpy old man!

 

I certainly don't think £109 for cattle class is reasonable in these austere times, with people struggling to pay food and fuel bills and a recession looming! I think we shall see a lot more cancellations in the future, due to lack of bookings. Railtour companies will need to think carefully before regularly increasing their fares, unless they decide to go completely wine and dine, aiming only at the wealthy, who obviously don't mind what they pay. This would ,of course totally exclude enthusiasts, who railtours were originally designed for.

 

Disappointed by the news about the S&C tour. Was hoping to see it at Carlisle. Hope to see it at either Carlisle Next April or possibly at York which might be more realistic.

 

Fair point. If a trip doesn’t sell enough tickets then it doesn’t run it’s as simple as that. If they can’t make a profit then there is no point.