Bath Christmas Market(s)

There are two Bath Christmas Markets listed for the 4th December, the RYTC Haywards Heath-Bath behind 34067 and the UKRT Bedford-Bristol behind 60163. Is that right? Have any times been published yet, or their exact route? 60163 is Bedford-Salisbury-Bristol which SHOULD go through Bradford on Avon (where I live), but 34067 is Haywards Heath-Chichester-Bath, and not 100% sure if that'll come Westbury-Bradford on Avon-Bath or down through Chippenham and Swindon. If it does BoA, would be two steam locos in a day, which would be nice! Either way, I'd probably travel into Bath to see them both!

 

34067 will be hard pushed to get from Chichester to Bath without going through BOA - it would have to head back towards London and then come down the GW mainline. As for travelling into Bath on a day with two steam specials, and the Christmas market on - all I can say is don't drive! We've had gridlock two Saturday's on the trot due to the council messing around with the road layouts in the centre - last week they blamed it on a home rugby game but it happened again this weekend just gone when Bath played on Friday night. Apparently the first of the two saw the shopping centre offering people free parking to leave their car overnight and come back for it in the morning as it was taking people over an hour just to get out of the car park!

(Incidentally Bedford to Bristol via Salisury is a bizarre route!)

 

Ah that might explain it and clarify the 34067 situation - the "Torbay Express" Bristolian for the same date is listed as postponed due to engineering works presumably affecting the GW mainline so its highly unlikely either of the two tours will be on there, and presumably explains the deviation for the Bedford tour. With the Christmas market being relatively short (I've a feeling that might be the last weekend) there's no room to move these tours whilst maintaining the attraction at the end for Joe Public.

 

Well living in Haywards Heath I should already be treated to 34067 (though I'll have to be up early to see it) but If they could arrange Tornado to come through Haywards Heath as well that would be lovely

 

I never drive to Bath, 15 minutes on the train or an hour in the car, no thanks!

Glad some light has been shed on it though, cheers

 

The RTC trip from Haywards Heath is now shown as on the 11th, on their website

 

Personally I would not get hopes up on Tangmere it was still in bits a couple of weeks ago at Carnforth.

Time is short to be put together, tested and running this side of Christmas.

A likely loco come the day would be 44932 or 60019.

Mike M. (70c)

 

Don't forget that 4965 Rood Ashton Hall will be paying a visit to Bath on 11 December.
http://www.tyseleylocoworks.co.uk/tours/vt2010_1211.htm