The Tin Bath.

The Tin Bath if not careful could well follow RTC's The Cotton Mill Express as this tour was plagued by failures and cancellations, and 'ND' at RTC said never again would he attempt to run this tour

with network rail messing about we could well be saying goodbye to the 'Coast to Coast' & 'Scarborough Flyer'

No steam in West Yorkshire Pennine routes?

Comments?

Neil

 

Anyone remember the Cotton Mil with 46115...

1st Attempt: 3 hours late from Lancaster, failed at Preston, 5 hours late.
2nd Attempt: Failed at Eccles
3rd Attempt: Failed at Manchester

All with a film crew on board looking to promote a new series of trip, with Dan Cruickshank.
Not to mention the lost food in the meal service (I was enjoying soup being given out on the platform..)

There wasn't a 2nd trip.

 

Yes, we were on that!

 

Yes, I was on the 1st and 2nd attempts - couldn't make the 3rd (but can't complain as I joined at Carnforth both times and we received a full refund after the 2nd attempt) and I knew someone whose was waiting to join the train at Preston on the 1st attempt, at Manchester Vic on the 2nd and again at Vic for the second circuit on the 3rd atempt (after 46115 had successfully completed the first circuit).

 

I was on the first one - from Lancaster, thankfully, so I at least got a run to Preston behind the Scot. There'd been a derailment in the yard at Carnforth so it was a late start & it was Baltic on the platform. Albert Seymour swept into the platform at Lancaster with a look that said he meant business & the climb out of Lancaster & the fast run to Preston confirmed that - memorable. What a shame - it would have been a cracking trip. I couldn't make the trip south for the second - fortuitous as it turned out.

 

RTC website says rescheduled to Sunday 15th February 2015

 

Fingers crossed - again.

 

they seemed to run ok when Past Time tours. wasn't it? who ran the Cotton Mill express before the RTC attempt

 

I feel sorry for all those who again booked rooms, and failed to retrieve there money back, and surely Network rail is making it again impossible for us to enjoy our hobby, by either blocking routes due to gauging or down to the risk of fires.

 

I Was booked on the Tin Bath with the Riley Sister's and now with the new date being Feb 15th, as I am planning on doing the Valentines Express with 4965 Rood Ashton Hall the day before on Feb 14th I now wont be able to do the tour. I am absolutely gutted as I had been waiting for well over a year

 

But don't forget this cancellation is 100% down to the FBU strike action,no other reason. I presume NR are not prepared to take the risk,however minute,that some incident might occur where Fire Brigade assistance was required e.g. sudden shortage of water,or having to drop fire(yes I know its extremely rare,but it has happened). Imagine how NR would be pilloried for allowing a steam charter to run during an FBU strike if something like that happened and had serious results. They obviously feel they can't take that chance.

 

I know a lot of people have hoped it go ahead after the cancellations, but guess even with us being in late October,and wet weather again, it always happens to us up in the North, what with Bittern on the Merseyside streak too on the Saturday now cancelled, I bet there is many who are wondering that is steam in the North West going to suffer more, I hope not!

 

I was under the impression that it stopped short of the summit to fill the boiler to avoid the fusible plug being exposed on the gradient change, not a shortage of steam, just being careful with water levels.

 

making everybody know they would not get caught out on the next trip
http://railway-photography.smugmug....0/2008/The-Cotton-Mill-Express-9208/i-JLMQxbp

 

It must be remembered that firefighters do more than attend fires, if there is a major incident they are the front line rescue service. In a serious road accident it's the fire service who have the equipment and do the cutting out. I suspect that the powers have this in mind.
That said, the action is bloody frustrating and annoying. But, there's no way round it.

 

As a DJ for 12 years, I did a show with him at the County Ballroom in Taunton when his hit "Fire" hit the charts. How ironic that the show only went ahead with a member of the fire brigade in the wings just in case he caught fire to the stage props. This was around 1968/9. I guess they would have cancelled the show if there had been a FBU strike?!?!?!?!?

Even stra