Pathfinder 2024

There doesn't seem to be a Pathfinder 2024 thread, so I thought I'd start one ahead of next weekend's "S&C Winter Express" tour. Ticket has now arrived. Train consist will be 2 x Standard, 3 x First, 5 x Premier Dining. Motive power confirmed as 34067 Tangmere. No mention of rolling stock, but we all know it will be the Riviera Mk2s.

 

The website says blue and grey Mk2s, but not until you get to the bottom of the page, and then no mention of them being air cons.

 

Also mentions transporting punters back to the 1980s and the blue and grey era. Trouble is when they are sat inside the coaches it doesn't make any difference what livery they are as they can't see them. Plus when Wells worked in the 80s it was on MK1s
Think they call it advertising licence.....

 

Plus they tend to stick Anglia liveried ones near the loco, and the support coach will be maroon.

 

And apart from the Angila liveried one (if it is in the set) which may not look "steam era" what is wrong with that?

 

This just popped up in one of my Facebook groups.

 

Does not having these windows make it even more likely the air conditioning will fail?
That was the problem on the Thames Turbos ( I think the 166 series) where there were a couple of windows marked keep closed, that people kept opening & that made things even worse.

 

They're hideous - a sort of mismatched love child of the Mk2 with a class 317!

How they're used will be interesting to see - they will make air conditioning less reliable, but the alternative for traction tours will be that the locomotive will be audible. And as Riviera's Mk2s aren't known for reliable air conditioning, that might not be a disaster anyway - cooling will be available!

 

You take what you can get! There was one MK2 on the ‘Short Set’ that was an absolute bloody sauna in the summer, it wasn’t just the cranks that used to hang around in the vestibules at the time, something like that would have been very useful.
I do believe that Oxley did a similar mod to a couple of its fleet back in the late 1990’s so maybe it’s something similar to that?

 

The rake for todays Pathfinder trip is not fully Blue and Grey for those going out. It’s got an Anglia coach in the middle

 

'The Settle & Carlisle Winter Express'.

1Z29 Bristol to Carlisle
Realtime Trains | 1Z29 0530 Bristol Temple Meads to Carlisle | 24/02/2024
Bristol to Carnforth: 47.826 + 17105, 3345, 3390, 1651, 3340, 3364, 3314, 3397, 3333, 1200, 6042 + 57.314

1Z30 Carlisle to Bristol
Realtime Trains | 1Z30 1418 Carlisle to Bristol Temple Meads | 24/02/2024

Update:
1 Anglia mk.2
6 Blue and grey mk.2s
1 chocolate and cream mk.1
3 Blue and grey mk.2s (generator last coach)

 

And a Maroon support coach….Starting to sound like a 12 Days sort of song!

 

34067 on Carnforth level

 

Just the 21st Century version of Pilkington.

 

Oxenholme

 

Chocolate & Cream the kitchen car it seems.

 

34067 at Salterwath and Waitby Common.

 

i went to Carlisle to see 34067 Tangmere with Pathfinder Railtours 'The Settle & Carlisle Winter Express'
https://railway-photography.smugmug...arlisle-Saturday-24th-February-2024/i-Sbq9D7d

Quick phone cam video of Tangmere setting off on the return journeyrest of photos on Sunday
https://railway-photography.smugmug...arlisle-Saturday-24th-February-2024/i-FzdnRMj

Neil
https://railway-photography.smugmug...arlisle-Saturday-24th-February-2024/i-FzdnRMj

 

SRBoB class No. 34067 'Tangmere' heads today's Pathfinders 'Settle & Carlisle Winter Express' towards Greenholme and onwards to Carlisle with John Rogers driving, Martyn Soames firing and Matt Miller Guard



In rather gloomy conditions the small hamlet of Stonehouse provides the foreground for SRBoB No. 34067 'Tangmere as it speeds the return leg of the 'Settle & Carlisle Winter Express' over the wonderful Arten Gill Viaduct and on to Preston with
John Rogers driving, Martyn Soames on the shovel and Matt Miller Guard