Vintage Trains 2024

Details of the 2-day tour to Plymouth now available on the VT website:

https://vintagetrains.co.uk/the-great-western-railway-1z48-birmingham-plymouth-london-birmingham/

10th/11th May 2024

 

THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY (1Z48)
BIRMINGHAM – PLYMOUTH – LONDON – BIRMINGHAM

Departing from Birmingham Snow Hill, Widney Manor, Warwick Parkway, Banbury or Oxford

We depart on the outward journey on Friday 10 May 2024 for a two-day tour from Birmingham to Plymouth via the Great Western Main Line with 7029 Birmingham-Oxford-Bristol-Plymouth, returning on Saturday 11th May on 7029 Plymouth-Bristol- London Paddington.

This is a rare opportunity to be a part of history with the right locomotive, travelling the right route, unassisted both ways over the Devon Banks and between Bristol and London Paddington. Our catering offer will also include a recreation of the 1964 Restaurant Car menu

(The return route to Birmingham from London Paddington will be diesel hauled

 

The Earl with this tour in 2014 was load 7+Reg to Bristol.
No diesel

 

Likewise no diesel with 5029 on Pathfinder's trip over the banks the day before.

If steam will be on the front and unassisted into Paddington on the second day, presumably a diesel will have to follow behind to take the train back out. Then, rather than have the Castle on the back tender first all the way back to Birmingham, they could do as they did on the recent Lincoln trip, reversing at a convenient place and running the diesel round. That could be Greenford then back to Hanwell. Any other possibilities?

 

Looks like more 2024 tours have been added.

 

I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw some of the headline fares on the main page for days out to Salisbury, Carlisle etc, from £658, absolute bargain! That's the Pullman table for 2 fare, should be from £99 of course...I do wish Vintage would use someone who can proof read...

Derek

 

Excited to see a trip to Salisbury though! Have not managed to spot a castle through Basingstoke before

 

The Moonraker to Salisbury has traditionally been a perennial fixture in VT's annual programme for years. This is the first once since Covid, although I note they've renamed it to "Cathedrals Express" instead. I would have splashed out on First Class but I'm not too thrilled about it now being in compartments. I don't really want to end up being in the middle with people either side of me. Shame they don't offer it in the open saloons anymore like they used to.

 

When I lived in London I remember it went back engine and coach a couple of times after the tour train. Not sure if you could run around the support coach outside Paddington and then again on the Greenford triangle. May all be different in 2024 of course.

 

It suspect it will be out to Hanwell Bridge sidings and diesel runs round there.

 

Last time I could find was in 2017 so a good few years before COVID

 

I’ve just received the Vintage Trains 2024 brochure, and see that details of these tours are also now on the website.

An interesting new development for 2024 is a number of Shakespeare Expresses which start from outlying points, namely Derby (26th May), Worcester (30th June) and Leicester (14th July). Living in South Wales, a Worcester departure is an attractive proposition, and I await with interest further details of the route (via Old Hill?), timings, and extent of diesel involvement.

Nick M.

 

I wonder if they'll leave the 47 at Derby, Leicester and Worcester ? Or will it be going along for the ride. I'm assuming the 47 will be needed to take the stock and loco down in the morning. I think these trips could be popular and the usual load 8 could well be increased. I remember when WCR did the Burton to SAV trips in 2019 ? They sold very well !

 

Would think they’ll take the diesel on the Worcester one for sure, as it’s going up the Lickey. And I’m fairly certain they wouldn’t let a single castle go up unassisted.

Last I head though was that these trips were going to be turned using the normal method of SAV-HTN-DDG-SAV so guessing the diesel will be needed for that too

 

The ECS moves were fun too. Though maybe that was the issue.

 

Oh! That makes diesel assistance up the Lickey a foregone conclusion, in which case it would be preferable (and more authentic) if they used a class 37 banker. I wonder if the overhaul of their own 37240 will be complete by then?

Once the Lickey is topped, one would hope the diesel could be detached and the Castle allowed to haul the remainder of the tour unencumbered.

Nick M

 

Just out of interest is there any mention of what’s working the stock to these places? I have a feeling there might be a market for those of us that like things with more than 4 cylinders…