South Devon Explorer 27/05/23

Let's hope the King will be available next year problem solved!!!

 

Will it be available to RTC or will it be Saphos only?

 

In the present instance, diesel support could be just on the Devon banks, which would be a small portion of the whole trip, albeit the most significant for some of the customers.

As for the possibility of cancellation; when it became known that no Class 8 would be available for this trip, RTC could have cancelled it or rescheduled it to a date when one or other Class 8 could be expected to be available. Yes, that would have disappointed some, but no-one would be left feeling they were wasting their money on something substantially different from what was advertised. Plenty of other railtours have been cancelled or rescheduled for one reason or another, including many of Tornado's. RTC's own Tynesider was originally scheduled for 13-6-20, repeatedly postponed, finally cancelled, and then re-advertised for 10-6-23.

 

The old BR 'rule book' said diesels being used to power the train must be on the front or directly behind the steam locomotive. Diesels on the back only used to be allowed to power up in an emergency to remove a train from the running lines. That went out the window donkeys years ago. I knew many steam drivers who hated an assisting diesel on the back as synchronising with it is impossible. But as above, not for this thread.

 

Hasn't it disappeared into Crewe? Not sure if LSL hire out anymore; or perhaps they are too expensive for promoters. As a long standing Society Member of many years and a decent sized monthly contributor to the 'fighting fund', I'm not sure what's going to happen with 71000 as far as hiring out is concerned.

 

Based on a real "back of a fag packet" calculation I reckon to drop a coach, without all the other effort that would entail for a promoter, the fare would need to rise somewhere between £25 and £42 a passenger depending on which coach was removed.
Would the market bear that? I have no idea but I suspect it may be a tipping point for many. Plus of course once sold you could hardly go back to someone and say hey we need an extra £30. So if a fair number were sold early a price increase may need to be even more.

Who would be a tour promoter?

 

What class 8 though? The only one currently available is 35018.

6233 is unlikely to be back this year by the looks of things.

60163 hopefully in a few months.

71000, who knows.

Likewise 6024, but will that be LSL only?

60007 essentially LSL only.

35028 out for overhaul.

Even including class 7s isn't great, as only 46115 and 34067 would probably be available. Everything else is Tyseley or LSL, plus 60103. It's not an ideal situation!

 

34067 currently not available also.

 

LSL did let RTC use 34046 in 2018 but that is the last time an LSL pool loco has worked for RTC. With 6233 down to work with LSL a couple of times in the recent past who knows what the future might bring but it would make life easier for others if LSL hired out locos at an affordable cost to others such as RTC and even Belmond.

 

More complicated than even just a few years ago!

 

I do not think the Saphos brand existed in 2018 did it, at least in terms of operating tours. I guess that changed the dynamic somewhat.

 

Yes it did. That’s why I made my point. The Saphos brand started in April 2018 and 34046 had hauled at least a few Saphos tours before it hauled the last 2 RTC Royal Duchy trains.

 

There was a Pathfinder trip over the Central Wales line a couple of years ago (The Sugarloaf Mountaineer II) which used 45231 as the motive power.

But we're getting a bit off topic here.

 

I may well be wrong but understood Saphos only bank rolled the Kings overhaul and although they get first choice the custodians are able to hire out to others if they wish but who knows? Couldn't think of a better loco for the Duchy thats all

 

That was a DB turn.

 

Just to complicate matters I've been looking at the WCRC train movements at Bristol and Taunton for Saturday. In both locations there are two distinct light engine movements which suggest that 2 diesels (front and back) will come off the train at Bristol in the morning and 2 diesels go back on at Taunton in the evening. Does this indicate that the train will not be diesel assisted over the banks or is it just that those movements were put in the system some time ago before the change of steam loco?

 

Well my instructions are to detach the steam loco+POB in Fairwater Yard and attach a D/L in its place. Then draw forward into Taunton Plat.2 to attach another D/L to the rear of the train. So I guess that there will be some happy bunnies on the train.

Peter

 

That is exactly how I read the movements on RTT. So do you know for certain what the load is going to be? If it's 9+POB is Bahamas going to be allowed to take that over the banks unassisted?