Royal Duchy series 2014

Wow we are honoured. Goldfish has joined us on a thread about steam locomotives.

A very warm welcome to you Simon. Do hope you can find your way back to New General Chat OK.

 

At least they say it's the loco on fire, unlike the Exeter rag which says it is a carriage!
In all seriousness, it is getting totally out of hand "over there" with, as already mentioned, one particular person ("camera expert") keeps insisting it was a blowback.
Now the press have got hold of it & talk of Raib being informed (by said person?), it could get out of hand with possible repercussions on main line steam.
All this on top of the York business.

 

Generally I only comment where I've got something I think might be new, interesting or amusing to add, which doesn't tend to be the case on these threads (job, family, London etc. get in the way of any direct involvement with railways). Maybe an approach you could consider for your own posts in the future?

Simon

 

What has London got to do with no direct involvement in railways? The Epping and Ongar is on your doorstep and plenty of working people with families find time to get involved if only in a small way. I accept that not everyone's circumstances are the same though.

 

There are a few on WNXX forum who have a very strong anti-WCRC agenda. I wonder if that is what a lot of this is about?

 

Is 34067 doing the next duchy?

 

Basically this, you should of seen the amount of crap some came out with about the 47500 derailment and fire, you know, the one NR caused with inferior trackwork, I suspect the likelyhood is some have DBS connections and have had their nose put out of joint by many charter operators leaving them for WCRC, also some take a dislike to the fact they use zero hours contracts, totally oblivious to the fact that it would be impossible for a TOC who's majority work is charters, many of which traverse some routes quite rarely, to have many full time driver on it's books without regular traffic on the same routes.

 

At BR in the 1950's, my old man was on double zero hours (100) and zero pay!

 

I reccomend this video...


(Cut to 4mins if you want to miss a typically stunning start of 70013 from outside Stowmarket) and get straight to the illuminations.

Fantastic day out that was.

 

Yes 34067 will be on the duchy Sunday

 

But DBS have only themselves to blame that they lost the SD contracts, they shot themselves in the foot, working to rule, footplate crew can't work on rest days, don't want long day one off trips, won't take steam into Cornwall, no double headers won't work vacuum brake only, the list is endless without WCR we would be left with just the couple of months of Torbays and a sprinkling of one off, forget the Belmont that's too expensive for an enthusiastic day out!

 

What about the actual train last Sunday. Hasn't ANYONE got anything to say about how it ran? Times and speeds at summits, you know, the interesting stuff????

 

Timings are now available for the Royal Duchy on Sunday (21st). <BJ>
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55192/2014/09/21/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55196/2014/09/21/advanced

 

The clue is also right at the start, going past the first signal!

And yes, a stunning piece of action.

 

Interestingly, these times show a 20 minute stop and reversal at Plymouth Friary on the way out. I guess this means there is some doubt over use of the St Blazey TT. On previous occasions, timings have changed a day or two before the trip and the loco has run chimney first throughout. I wonder if that will be the case this weekend too?

 

Those times are wrong it departs bristol at 08:48 and turns at par

 

I wish I could respond to this but my professional judgement won't allow me to. Needless to say the list is endless. ;-)

What I will say is that the sprinkling of one-off trips Maureen refers to have offered some of the best runs on the mainline this year. All, to my knowledge, have gone without a hitch and none have featured diesels pushing a black 5 around. You pays your money and takes your choice. Hopefully, there'll be a few more trips in a similar vein next year.

 

Thanks for the departure time chaps. I'll await Realtime Trains to update. <BJ>

 

I think the straw that broke the camels back for most operators was DBS cancelling trips at less than 24 hours notice not too long ago because they coulden't resource them, with the ever decreasing resources DBS have to play with, I find it hard to believe they would be capable of resourcing a reasonable increase in the number of charters without a major shakeup of how they do things, basically they alienated most of their customers.

At the end of the day it's business, if DBS can't provide what the customer wants, they look elsewhere.