Z48 - 10th May 2014 - A Tribute to The Great Western Railtour

Hope to book my place on this tour on Monday just one question where can i pick the train up please?.

 

Solihull,Warwick Parkway, Banbury, Oxford and Exeter from memory.I tired to check using online booking system but cannot access at present.

Edit : - see http://www.tyseleylocoworks.co.uk/tours/tr_2014_0510.htm

 

As of right now, there are 5 seats in Club Class and 2 x 1st Class compartments left on the train.

If anyone is thinking about traveling, I wouldn't hang around a minute longer.

 

HA! Take a look at Pathfinders prices for a lesser tour on the prior Friday!

 

We still have a couple of 1st Class Compartments for 6 available at £1000.

Thats £167 per person including light refreshments vs the competitions £179 per person.....and we are offering Western Champion on the way down....and non-stop on the way back between Plymouth > Bristol...then again Bristol > Oxford (although we will get held south of Oxford to attach the Cl47)

I do not EVER want to hear criticism about our prices EVER AGAIN!

 

I agree. I decided a couple of years ago that if this tour was run I wanted to do it. I did not expect I would book a seat in dining!

 

"Oh wait...your not travelling on it!" Think again Brummie boy! Because I'l be travelling on Pathfinders run with 5029 Nunney Castle thats running Westbury-Plymouth-Bristol all the way, at a lesser price of £125 standard class adult fare which is a better value for money from a fare paying passenger's view, instead of the steeper prices of £150, £200 and £1000 that your advertising. PLUSSS its running is taking place closer to home. Disappointed that I won't be going on your run? Least 5029 will have more sound and clag like a proper Castle!

Can't take criticisms? Where I come from in Devon we say "Tough!"

 

Dear confused of Devon,

I sincerely hope you have an enjoyable Railtour with 5029.

And yes...£125 is less than our cheapest fare of £150... HOWEVER, our £150 fare is for Club Class that is the equivalent of Pathfinder's First Class Plus which is £179...so if you compare apples to apples....

I do question your term "Brummie Boy"? Are you referring to me? I think you just insulted half the West Midlands.. They would never claim me as one their own.

If the timings work out, you should pass 5043 as it heads south to Plymouth when you are heading north over the banks. A special whistle for you I think.

Cheers!

 

The Dark Knight said he prefer to travel on Pathfinders trip with 5029 instead of the VT trip, remember that Pathfinders use DBS as their TOC and after all the trouble with said Operator last year DBS may decide that they can't find sufficient crew a few days before trip runs, Also you say you come from Devon, yet your profile says your location is Derby!

 

Dear oh dear, nothing wrong with Nunney at all, but lets be honest, anyone knows 5043 blows it out the water, simple specifications/physics tell you that before you counter in the good un/bad un stuff (more likely former), I'd like to see 5029 fly over the S&C solo with load 12, having had a few fair miles behind both single & double chimney variants, personally, I'd say the double is marginally louder when working hard, albeit with a deeper pitch, main difference being the single is down to a crawl when climbing much earlier.

Not on this run myself (have to make do with Canterbury, Llandudno & Euston), but see no reason why it shoulden't be a fine day out for those who are.

 

Look chaps, you are not being very charitable to this poor individual. An inability to distinguish between standard, and club/first class plus, a certain consequent lack of numeracy, and the development of a rather unfortunate aggressiveness in the way that he addresses people all point to being disoriented following his (probably) enforced relocation from Devon to Derby. Devon folk are normally much more pleasant than this. One thing is for sure, he doesn't know very much at all about Castles if he thinks that a single chimney one is noisier than a double chimney version.

A little more pity for such poor informed forum members please gents

Regards
Bob

PS Please Dark Nit before you respond with more Brummie Boy insults I originate from Staffordshire not Brum (and Ben is a Gloster lad incidentally).

 

Ben, in fairness to Pathfinder, I think their First Class Plus has 2+1 seating whereas VT's Club Class is basically a TSO with tablecloths. Having said that, I'm booked on the VT trip.

Have to agree with David1984 - the double chimney turns an already excellent locomotive into a truly outstanding one.

Hopefully Mr Hosking is not secretly applying for a derogation for 5029 to steal 5043's thunder by having at tilt at 90mph down Wellington Bank.

Nick M.

 

As I'm on this tour it would be great to have the ability to run to 90 mph, but from what I've read Bittern's 90 mph runs were strictly a one off allowance from Network Rail to celebrate Mallard's 75th Anniversary. Not sure if it will happen again...but would love to be proved wrong though...

 

Indeed - but surely you're understating the Earl's achievement on 16 October 2010? 47773 weighs 120 tons, which means that 5043 cruised up to Ais Gill with 10 coaches plus the equivalent of 4 more Mk2 TSOs behind the tender, and with the safety valve feathering all the way. I'm sure I recall Bob Meanley saying that even then 5043 wasn't fully unleashed. Remarkable. It's one heck of a machine. I'm sure that 5029 is a fine loco, but I've yet to have a run behind a single-chimney Castle that even comes close to what Vintage Trains deliver time and time again with the Earl. And in terms of sheer noise, Clun Castle is the one to beat - as a teenager I went to see 7029 at Oxford. The southbound restart was the most volcanic, ear-shattering eruption of noise that I've yet heard from a steam locomotive, with the exhaust beats ricocheting explosively off the surrounding buildings in a way that must have been heard right across the city. I'm hugely looking forward to Clun's return!

David

 

Quite probably, but the Earl's cap has a fair few impressive performances to pick from, 7029 will have to be some machine when outshopped to match it.

 

I would not hold your breath re the S&C 5029s loadings are carefully managed to ensure the loco is not over worked. Re the 5043 & 5029 trips there is scope for both in the market you pay your money and take your choice I am sure both with will be excellent trips

 

How volcanically speaking is Lizzie when comparing her with the Castles?

If I lived in England 5043 and VT would have my vote based on reputation. However it is harder when one does not live there.

 

Lizzie's no match for any GWR engine

 

You've made a good point here, David. The offical line from Tyseley has always been that 7029 is the "flagship" of the fleet. Historically, there are good reasons for saying this, as it was the purchase of 7029 by Patrick Whitehouse which was the genesis of what ultimately has become Tyseley + Vintage Trains. 5043 and 5080 were oringally only bought for spares. However, 5043 has proved to be an absolutely superb performer. Speaking personally, last May's Cheltenham Flyer must rank as one of the most enjoyable main line excursions I have ever been on. If anyone were to ask me what is my favourite Great Western engine, I would say unhesitatingly, "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe." If Bob and his team wish to persuade myself (and no doubt, a few others) to change our loyalties so that Clun Castle takes the top spot in our affections as far as GWR (including BR(W)) locos are concerned, it's going to have to put up some truly remarkable runs indeed. Howver, knowing Tyseley's track record, I wouldn't rule this out by any stretch of the imagaination!