Capital Christmas Express 28/11/2009

After many decades of patient waiting 34067 "Tangmere" will haul the first railtour starting from Swanage at approximately 08:00 on Saturday, 28th November.
It is scheduled to pick/set down at Poole (08:50/21:10), Bournemouth (09:10/20:45), Southampton (09:40/20:10) and Eastleigh (09:55/19:40).
Hoped for times at Paddington are 12:45 arrival and 17:30 departure with likely arrival at Swanage at 22:00.
RTC's trip from Swanage to Paddington and return has just a few seats left now.
Call 01553 661500 or go on RTC's website for on-line booking.

 

Looks like RTC might have only 12 Standard, 29 First and 62 Premier seats left.
Book now whilst seats are available!

 

Believe all Standard Class seats now sold and only a few First & Premier Dining left.

 

As at 10/11/2009 it looks like the only seats left are :
First (£115) - 7
Premier (£179) - 28

 

This train is now routed via Woking and Staines to Waterloo arrival 13.05 and return dep 17.12, not via Reading to/from Paddington. Times should be at www.uksteam.info later today.

David

 

Again the former Southern line benefits. I was looking forward to seeing this through Reading. I wonder what the excuse is. Once the rebuilding of Reading starts I doubt any tours will come through.

 

The Capital Christmas Express from Swanage

According to the timings supplied - the ECS from Eastleigh [and "Tangmere" tender first presumably] arrives on Swanage Railway metals around late lunchtime on Friday 27th Nov. Departure, back to Southall, is not scheduled until early lunchtime Monday 30th Nov.
Despite reduced daylight hours, and the risk of inclement weather at this time of year, the tour is nearly full. Let's hope RTC have a sell out on this first main line rail tour to leave from Swanage.

 

Don't complain. Some people are unfortunate and don't have steam tours in their area at all. Didn't Tornado pass through Reading just a week ago and Clan Line on Wednesday with the VSOE? <BJ>

 

Apparently only a few Premier seats left.
The weekend's heavy rain MIGHT have done this tour a big favour. Not sure how long the recently-damaged railway bridge near Feltham will take to repair but it's on the current route - so Tangmere might yet have to use the South West Main Line all the way to/from Waterloo.

 

There is NO chance of the tour going via Feltham.

SWML is the only option now out of Waterloo........

 

Aiming to get out and try a few shots for this one and will be a case all day of beating the steam, at the same time hoping and praying it stays on time! First shot will be at Bournemouth, then on a service train down to basingstoke to see enter and be watered. Then hoping down to Farnborough on another service train, its either Farnborough or Woking not sure yet, any comments on this one? then finally shoot down to London Waterloo to get some shots of it in the station. Then across to Kings Cross to see 60007 roll in. So all in all a busy day planned lol, lets just hope it all runs to time, if not i'm stuck up a creck without a paddle as they say!

 

Not an easy repair to the flood damage IMHO .....

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/additional_info/Feltham_Bridge_Nov09.JPG

SWML here we come!

 

Looks like the top of the arch has had some work done very recently, looks like brand new bricks.

 

I must appologise.....had it in my mind that the tour was this weekend...DOH!


There is a plan being formated to slew the track over the offending bridge this weekend.
It is hoped, all things being equal ie weather, materials, staff etc, that the line MIGHT reopem sometime Monday.
So there is a possibility that the booked route might be taken after all.

Watch this space

 

A disappointment for southern steam fans, the railway touring co have had their usual christmas boo-boo. The bath christmas market trip seems off and so does the southampton docker.

I seem to remember this happened last year, they advertised 8 Nelson tours, 2 ran but with 34067.

 

What makes you think that the Bath trip is off?

 

I think LN850 means the one from Haywards Heath. Both that and the one to Southampton Docks have gone from their website.

 

twr12, if you read the rytc website (something not so trustworthy), you would have seen that the bath christmas market trip goes from haywards heath. The bath trip you thought i was talking about is called the bath and bristol christmas express.

 

Incidentally, who is providing the coaches, dbs or WCRC?

I would have hoped it would be dbs as the coaches are more interesting. Looks like WCRC as the train is coming down early thursday morning from wcrc southall.

If it is wcrc, would it be their maroon coaches? The green train appears to be used by 60019. But 34067 and the green train does look boring seeing it time after time.

 

Didn't realise there were fans of the "rainbow n rust" mk1 rake.