RTC 2025

You are wrong there...christmas markets are by no means cheap...EXPENSIVE and nasty tat!
I believe Edinburgh was retailing Bratwurst at £10ea last year, that's one pricey sausage..

Incidentally, myself and a friend had the misfortune of visiting the Birmingham market a few years ago. He pointed out that most 'German' markets are the same 5 or 6 stalls repeated over and over again - he was spot on and I see this in pretty much every other one I've encountered since. There are some franchises making a lot of money fooling tourists with these 'traditional' markets.
I did go to Hamburg in December a while ago. The markets there were nothing like the parodies here. The stalls contained some very lovely traditional craft items, oh and a proper Bratwurst was about €4..

 

Correct - cheap quality, expensive price! One of the more depressing commercial exploitations of the season.

 

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That statement raised my eyebrows. Using UK Steam, and going back to 2019, the last year before Covid, I counted 227 steam tours actually run in the first nine months of the year. excluding the Jacobite. Does anyone have a similar s/sheet for 2025? I started laboriously counting through the WCR.RTC, LSL, British Pullman and Vintage threads but my finger got sore. My guess is that this year it will be under 100 steam for the same period, including the Shakespeares but excluding the Jacobites. Without going into the whys and wherefores, I think the numbers have changed a lot.

 

I don't often share videos / photos on here but given the significance of the anniversary; a record of 44871 crossing Skerne Bridge yesterday with RTC's first 200th anniversary special up to Stanhope.



Regards,

Dan

 

Thanks for the vid of us crossing THE bridge yesterday. For me and the better half it was essentially a tick box day with some new track for steam and being there on such a significant day. In coach 4 we heard nothing all day from the loco so, as hearing the loco working is one of main reasons for travel, it’s doubtful we shall want to ride in the coffin coaches again. However, listening to other conversations, those present nearby in First were there only for a ‘day out’ and were not bothered at all. The audience was very different to that which I find in standard on VT. Although it impacted a lot on Jacobite I thank RTC and WCRC for ensuring we had steam for such a significant date, certainly not to be repeated in my lifetime.

 

Second Rail 200 trip broadly going to plan, apart from a horse loose on the Weardale around Witton Park. Now heading back from Newcastle, though not via the Tyne Bridges Loop.

 

Sounds the same as we had last week with a reversal at Norwood Jct/Low Fell to put the steam at the front. The loop is out for engineering I guess. Glad today appears to be going well without any naughty trees.

 

Great to see steam on the Weardale line again …. Seen at Heighington and near Stanhope.

 

Apart from the naughty horse, we got back to York a minute ahead of schedule.

 

The RTC special to Stanhope crossing Skyrne Bridge (taken by one of my lads on his phone, I was stuck in a queue for entry) and passing through North Road Station on its return. I’ll also put some pix of the 200th Anniversary train on the appropriate thread in The Galas folder.

 

With 44871 going back to ELR, whats going to be used for the Xmas markets and carol trains from London, Or is this only a short visit to ELR and she will be running back to Carnforth in the next few weeks?

 

Theres a movement in RTT for Tuesday from ELR to Carnforth!!
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K44543/2025-10-07/detailed

 

Who knows, but it crossed my mind. Fingers crossed my request for leave comes through on one of those days!

 

I would be very surprised as even on a Saturday morning RTT shows a northbound Avanti about every 10 minutes from MK.

 

Just a query. Had a situation where I'll have to bail out on a prebooked RTC trip. On the website it's clear refunds aren't an option. Just thought I'd ask here if anyone knows/has managed to get themselves transferred over to another trip instead? Just was wondering as I'd rather not loose the money but if I'm going up against a brick wall then I'm powerless.

Thanks.

 

I would ring the office, explain the situation and see what they can do.

 

They used to be willing to offer a credit note or transfer a booking if you have a reasonsble excuse. I couldnt make a trip once due to forecasted severe weather and they transferred the booking.