The Cheltenham Flyer

Could be a bit tricky for boarding at Tyseley if 5043, water carrier and support coach are on the back!

 

Hopefully everything will work out in the end and all the doubters can be proved wrong, can I ask this and say if the tour was advertised as a slow runner, instead fo the speedy non-stop, would people still book up?
I say make the most of whats on offer, as these trips could easily change, im just happy that the trip is on and will be storming up sapperton, see you there

 

That's precisely the problem I reckon, some less clued up passengers probably think as it's a tour as opposed to a service train, it will wait a couple of minutes for them, obviously 99% of us can tell the time, but it still doesn't stop the odd one kicking up a fuss, even if its their own fault, on a tour I was on to Redmire the other week, we left someone behind at Leicester because he was too late.

 

Does anybody know what the load is and are we to take the RTT weight info as gospel? 8 + Support + GUV?

 

Except on London Midland. Obviously.

 

Even they are certainly more likely to arrive and depart on time than buses! As for the 'stragglers' mentioned previously, trying to cater for them surely is misguided and leads eventually to chaos, Don't know of any other company apart from VT that do this. I met a chap from USA on a York trip about three years ago. He was a railwayman but would you believe didn't have a watch. Needless to say really he missed the return train. Perhaps we should have waited for him.

 

I laughed at this! The amount of times i've descended the steps at University station to find the 18:45 train already gone (literally out of sight), when the time on the display isn't even 18:44.

Still, it could be worse. Only 10 mins for the next one (which always seems to be delayed though?). If this happened somewhere like Bromsgrove i'd be really miffed!

Back on topic, hope the tour goes well tomorrow and 5043 puts in another great performance!

 

8 late at worcester. 5043 on back

 

4 late at cheltenham. Coach g seat 6

 

18 early at swindon

 

17 early over Didcot East Junction. Looking at the timings, some smart running already - for a 75mph limited loco Swindon-Didcot looks like a good leg.

Devonbelle

 

Reading 18 early
Steve

 

Went very well up Sapperton, roughly 10 mins early, might be trying to catch an earlier road from swindon

 

On the fast line from Twyford, 18 early

 

25 early at slough. Fast line

 

Almost 40 early at Acton so crawling before Paddington waiting for a platform.

 

Paddington 10:30 - great run...

 

I've got some lovely humble pie here now would anyone like a slice?