VT – Dual Pannier - East Midlands Rambler – 14 April 2012

When the SVR get the new cross-over installed at Kidderminster, it will make running on and off the SVR (from our direction) a whole lot easier.

As soon as that is operational, we will have some further conversations with our friends and neighbors at the SVR and see what we can come up with to entertain you lot!
:eyebrows:

 

Yes indeed I'm looking forward to the opportunities that will bring. It'd be nice to exchange tokens with a maroon pannier!

 

RE: Heritage Railway Issue 161 - Mainline News by Cedric Johns

Mr Johns reports in his column that we will have no buffet facilities on the train for Standard Passengers; this is far from the truth.

Vintage Trains have been increasing their offerings to non-dining passengers of late; bolstering the tea, coffee and snacks with a wide selection of freshly made sandwiches and cakes sold from the buffet. Fresh Bacon Rolls and Baked Potatoes with various toppings are also available for purchase on the day from the Vintage Trains on-board catering staff.

I assure you we realise this will be a fairly long day and will do our best to keep you fed and watered!

 

Choice words have since been spoken!

It's challenging enough to entice the passengers onto our trains. We don't need any further "assistance" from inaccurate reporting…..

He couldn’t have gotten it more wrong if he tried!

 

Hope you don’t mind me asking but, not being too well up on these things, I’m a bit confused as to which part of the tour will see the locos chimney first and for which part they will be bunker first.
On the VT site the route is Tyseley, Sutton Park, Walsall, Aston, Birmingham International (reverse), Aston, Lichfield (via Cross City line), Wichnor Junction, Branston Junction, Coalville, Knighton, Nuneaton, Saltley, Tyseley.
There’s no indication in the UKSteam info of any manoeuvring.
Thanks for your help.
Alan.

 

The assumption is (im not involved with the tour) bunker first to International and chimney first from there onwards.

 

I believe that is correct.

 

Tickets arrived today, am thoroughly looking forward to my first trip of 2012! And should get back to Surrey at a decent time too.

 

Thank you David and Ben.

 

He claims to have consulted our web site, but obviously didn't look on the tours page where one of the onscreen buttons at the top says "Buffet and on train shop". That would take a little too much diligence.

He did the same a couple of years ago when we banked 6201 up the Lickey with 9600. He published a complete load of rubbish about the fact that it wouldn't be allowed to bank and would end up being put on the front or some such garbage. Consequently bookings plummeted as soon as that was published and we had quite a number of passengers who had booked ringing up wanting their money back because we had misled them and it wasn't being banked. We had a hard time convincing people that we knew what we were doing and the old hack at Heritage Railway hadn't got a clue, and it was also a needless waste of our office staff's time dealing with something that should not have occurred. All the necessary information is in the Network Rail sectional appendix and the rule book and the subsequent events proved that it could be done and that we were telling the truth. Nevertheless we believe that it cost us a number of bookings and as a result the tour didn't take as much as it should have done.

And then he wonders why we won't talk to him, can anyone else answer that one? I did once get an offer that articles would be submitted so that we could correct them, but it would be easier just to write them and then we could be paid, and maybe the accuracy of reporting would improve.

Regards
Bob

 

He also stated a few years ago that 41312 was going to be used on the Dawlish Donkeys! A 2MT up Torre bank on 7 coaches? Yeah right!

 

Robin Jones and Cedric Johns are to journalism what Adolf Hitler was to pacifism. ( Voice of personal experience with what could only be described as a deliberate mis-quote from a press release).

 

What do you expect from a painter and a vegi? (I’m referring to Hitler, not Misters Jones or Johns)

Anyway, back on topic. Facebook says they still have some tickets left. I believe a similar trip was a complete sell-out last year. Maybe the article has affected ticket sales? I cannot imagine that many would sign up to a 9-hour day with no form of refreshment.

Why did Heritage Railway think VT would be that inconsiderate to the passengers? I’m looking forward to a bacon roll (or two) followed by a baked potato in the afternoon.

 

Send me a PM with your seat number and I will make sure you are on the list.

 

[FONT=&amp]

[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]As a new contributor to National Preservation, I have however been reading posts for quite some time now and have arrived at the conclusion that one of the problems with this forum is that those who immediately leap in to deposit their venom invariably possess a hidden agenda. I have none, nor am I an employee of any railway periodical.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Nevertheless, Bob Meanley has a point in that Cedric Johns made a silly mistake and it may have cost Tyseley some bookings, but Mr Meanley totally overlooks the fact that every month the magazine regularly gives his trains considerable free publicity. I am reliably informed that when the new Heritage Railway first appeared, he is said to have refused to speak to the magazine at all for five years. Nevertheless, the same source also states that even he cannot now remember why![/FONT]

 

I'd have said putting a Tour & Locomotive Providers future at risk with false statments is enough justification for a bit of vitriol directed in the Mags direction, Until the day Heritage Railway can provide great Mainline tours providing a variety of Mainline power, I'd suggest your onto a loser if you honestly think people will take the Mags side over Vintage Trains.