WCR Rail Tours

Any mention of Tornado following the recent rumours?

 

Where are they exactly? On the "Railtours" page all I see are three Pendle Dalesman and a message that 2025 tours will be available to book soon.

 

Yup, homepage links to some bookings (eg SSE) but other ‘book now’ links take you to a ‘railtours’ page which hasn’t been updated yet.

I guess it’s waiting for some buttons to be pressed and needs a day or two of patience…

Simon

 

Top of the page, either side of 'Railtours'.

 

Pendle Dalesman: Tuesdays, 15 Jul, 05 Aug & 02 Sep (same as in 2024, but in 2024 the Aug & Sep trips were subsequently cancelled).

Scarborough Spa Express: Thursdays, 26 Jun & 31st July. (2024 had 2 additional trips on 15 & 29 Aug). The reduction is a bit of a surprise as I thought that all trips were well patronised.

We will have to wait to see how the Dalesman program unfolds and if further SSEs are added later.

 

Doesn't it say more SSE's to be added?

 

Not in the blurb that I read, but I am overdue a visit to the optician

 

The Dalesman dates are on too:
From York: Thursdays on 5th June, 10th July, 7th August, 4th and 18th September 2025
Form Chester: Tuesdays on 10th June, 22nd July and 19th August 2025

https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/dalesman/settle-to-carlisle-line

 

So they either have more mark 2 with not enough locos to operate them or mark 1 with cdl then?

 

Or they have reassessed the market given what their offer is. Only two Scarboroughs and, as yet, no Pendle Dalesman. That does look like a bit of a retrenchment. See what comes up on their Railtours page, maybe it will end up being one a week from June to September.

 

With the info coming piecemeal it’s easy to get muddled, there are 3 Pendle Dalesman trips listed already. All the usual trips now listed with just the SSEs that look thin on the ground.

 

Both these routes of the scarborough spa,s are steam hauled in both directions from Carnforth via Skipton and Woodlesford and Lancaster and Blackburn and not just steam hauled from york by the looks of W.C.R.C website page.
It will be interesting to see the return via copy pit climb indeed I've booked on both routes once each from skipton on the clockwise leg via skipton and on the anti clockwise route via Blackburn

 

Some time earlier this year I noted a date of 25 October for The Varsity Explorer from Oxford Parkway (and possibly earlier pickups which I didn't note) via Bletchley to Chester. That is now not showing on WC's website nor on https://www.railwayherald.com/railtours . What happened to it?

 

It's an RTC tour.

https://www.railwaytouring.net/ve-25-10-25

 

Thank you. Dunno where I got the idea it was one of WC's own tours. Still surprising that it's missing from the Railway Herald list.

 

Interesting that in a recent post about 60163 and the Bradford charter tomorrow 8F 48151 can be seen alongside it, seemingly overhauled. I can't remember if it had air brakes before?