2012 Mainline Steam Program

So just about all the major operators have their cards on the table for the whole year or at least until Autumn, I think it's a bit of a record to have so much ready so quickly. Maybe its the Olympics and demand that's brought the about, either way it makes exciting reading, and from my experiences with "normals".. I think it's becoming a trendy thing, which is a good sign for the industry.

A few observations

1. are the conservative nature of planning the locomotives....

*Those in bits are generally not scheduled.. 4472, 60009 and 6100 only appear occasionally
* 6100 being listed on the same leg of the same tour for the past 4 years now.
* More locomotive pooling, keeping new entrants like 34046 and 46233 covered by others.
* not listed is 5690, 60007

looks like much thought and planning here.

2. Unusual double headers... 5043+6201, 71000+60163, 4492+ 5029 but 61994+34067 in scotland ?, but no two Brits.

3. Two train operation in the west highland again, nice, but no Cambrians.

4. Galatea listed as a maybe, late summer, but several assumptions on 6023 and 6201.

5. I do wonder about mainline steam during the Olympics... There's a few to Weymouth, along the Ecml from kx to Scarborough, over Shap and steam from Euston....and several along the GWML will these come good ?

6. 44767 creeps onto the mainline..on the Holt run with RTC, is this a one off or is it mainline approved again ?

7. 44871 only ever appears with 45407....5 times, And 45231 seems a bit less prominent also, but 45305 and 44932, separately, showing up quite often have the bury 5's got other plans in 2012?

8. with 62005 and 61994 showing up in the west highland a few it times are these the Jacobite engines of 2012 ?

9. Halls don't seem to be too popular on the mainline... 4936 seems not to be listed, neither is 4953 or 5972, 4965 only once.. But VT are yet to declare in 2012.

10. Torbays not yet announced, though 71000 hasn't got much on at the moment.

All in all 2012 looks like a promising year for quantity and quality, and the planning looks like a good start..., let's hope the two Brits are in fine fettle as they have the lions share in 2012.

Granted many tours are still at the tbd stage for motive power.

Thoughts, other observations ?

 

Item 8 - two Moguls on the Mallaig Extension would be superb - if a two train occasion could happen with crossing at Glenfinnan and both facing forward, this would be a photographer's paradise, surely?

 

Same view as normal, absolutely SFA departing from Newcastle Upon Tyne.

My views on Tornado, and its disappearance from the place it was built, and to a great extent funded, including local council help, are well documented.
That was not what i was sold when i signed up, "mainline steam from the NE they proclaimed", yeah right.
If they decide to build a P2, will the same happen again???? I ditched my covenant on the back of the situation.
My money now goes to 60007, at least i can see it, once repaired obviously.

As for the other companies, disillusioned, and now not really bothered, they have lost another customer in NE England, however this situation has been going on now for 10 years.

 

I'd argue its a case of supply and demand. They need to earn money and there probably is less revenue to be had in Newcastle / NE (as much of the News reporting / economic figures suggest)... Still it's not a million miles to York / Carlilse and there's plenty of steam there.
The NRM may still yet run Shildon shuttles too.

Have to admit 60007 seems to need lots of TLC, and it was a shame it missed it's annual Newcastle-London trip, maybe in 2012 ?

 

I can remember, when I was involved with Steam Charters in the SLOA days and up until the late 1980's that we kept being asked for tours starting from the North East yet whenever we put them on they never sold out and , in fact, often ran at a loss!

 

Regarding the Halls - 4965 will be the main motive power for the Shakespeare Express and prob a couple of other tours, 4936's work has traditionally been the odd mainline tour with preserved railway visits inbetween, i'd expect this to be the case again, 4953 appears to have all but left the Mainline now being Loughborough based, as for 5972, your guess is as good as mine.

 

I have a horrible feeling that gauging issues are going to get worse and worse and that the declarations of intent by the Tour Operators for 2012 will be subject to severe change.

 

I have limited time to do main line tours but am looking forward to doing a few nonetheless. Pleased to see Steam Dreams offering "super standard" at the front of the train - albeit for one leg of a return journey - for us thrash junkies. I just hope that should any tour I book require a box on the back for operational reasons, they resist the temptation to let it give a helping hand away from stops and up gradients. The joy for me of travelling behind steam is for the sound and that won't be enhanced by the box on the back shoving.

 

And very welcome it is in present circumstances!!

Firebox repairs are almost complete. Latest official update:
Update 20th December: Firebox repairs to 60007 have been continuing throughout autumn 2011 and are now nearing completion. A hydraulic test is expected to take place in January, which will be followed by necessary reassembly, steam tests and certification process. It is hoped 60007 will return to traffic in late spring freshly re-painted in 1950\u2019s BR blue livery. The tender has already been stripped, painted and out-shopped thanks to our volunteers.

 

Completely agree with you.I recommend you do NOT read the thread about Tangmere on the White Cliffs trip today!

 

I have unfortunately plus following progress on an SE gen group. The 37 fans seem happy enough though.

 

That might have been then, but im now talking the present, modern marketing techniques involving the local press could make this happen.

Things change, attitudes change, but nobody seems to want to try a tour.

Or is it easy street down south????

 

If you dont supply, then their will be no demand, and that supply has been in VERY short supply over the past 10 years.
What happened to The Talisman????, reported in SR as an "orgy of high speed running"....

As for 60007 running to Kings X, lets hope so,it is the only highlight of the year!!!!
But remember it is used on a more regular basis (NYMR), than any other A4.

 

If it fails he needs to take careful notice on how to market a tour, any VSOE operation from Newcastle is ALWAYS fully booked.
Add steam, and a decent destination, and you are getting towards a decent start, market through local papers etc.., and itr would be possible.
Attitudes like yourselves, im alright jack, are tragic really. A Whole generation of possible punters have been lost due to this thinking....

 

If you think there is so much demand and potential profits why not organise a tour yourself instead of your perpetual moaning and sniping.

 

guycarr360 - I think the first thing against a North East start (of which there have been at least a couple in 2011) is the lack of a locally based set of stock since the RCS Heaton rake (which was air brake only anyway) was moved a long time ago, killing The Northern Echo reader specials. The nearest set will be either Carnforth or possibly Bo'ness and I know from past experience the cost of ECS moves. In fact, the trains that have run probably have depended on WCRC doing a favour for certain customers to make them viable at all (or not bankrupting the promoter!). Add to that the expectation a promoter would not unreasonably hold that a North East market may be less inclined to "splash the cash" on premier dining, and you actually have to sell more seats to generate the cash. Promoters say that its last last coach that keeps them in business and the prices I have heard for a tour tend to confirm that, so one or two a year as much as positioning moves is probably the best we can hope for in the cirucmstances "up north".

 

Well you obviously did a good job...not..... By the way getting people to talk about it, may make someone take note.

 

Ralph, have done exactly the same for 22 years now, and know all about risks, maybe when "things" improve, somebody may take a look at it again....