CathEx Windsor to Faversham 26 July

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The name isn't "Shove It" by any chance?

 

More like "Scrap It".

 

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29 late off Faversham according to RTT

 

my shot at a very wet redhill this morning

 

Not wishing to digress from this thread but I suspect the diesel is there for insurance given 61306 is running a vacuum braked train. 70000, I suspect, was running on air brakes yesterday and so in the eventuality of a failure it could be moved - not so easy with a vac train - where's the nearest dual braked diesel these days? If that's what's required to keep vac only steam operating so be it! Rather that than none at all...what short memories we all have!

FYI on your last post, when a diesel is in the consist and the train is in vac mode, the diesel has to be running to supply air for it's own brakes via a translator, so being shut down and unmanned is not an option.

 

Al, I totally agree, but I guess sometimes someone still gets caught out as buseng must have been in this case.

I wouldn't suggest this every time, but can I suggest that if SD don't give him a full ticket refund that we all consider clubbing together on Nat Pres and refund buseng the price he paid for his ticket?

If we do go ahead with that it has to be on the basis that if in future a diesel is on the back and doesn't push the train at all during the trip we can't be expected to repeat this for unhappy diesel gricers.

 

It would help if the organisers were up front regarding the planned presence of a diesel and what it's there for.

 

Four shots from a rain swept Brixton

 

Thats seems fair, if there's an operational need for a diesel, fine, but be honest about it and let the customer decide for themselves, trying to decieve (deliberately or accidentally) is unlikely to inspire confidence in future booking.

I know WCRC are on something resembling probation currently, but looking at tour programmes, I can't see myself booking anything more steam wise until well into 2016, too many uninspiring, repetitive itineries, with increased timings, shorter steam legs and more diesel shoving, being prudent is one thing, but you still need to attract the customer, the Bristol - Weymouth for example is putting many off this year with the lack of unassisted steam haulage.

 

I think you have your wires crossed, I wasn't on today's (or any other) trip. Far too risky.
Saying that I wouldn't of minded being on yesterday's tour, solo steam on the mainline & an over 20 mile each way heritage steam ride.
I did a few WSR tours years ago back in the days of Daylight Railtours. Yes, back then the return from BL to Westbury was box hauled due to the lack of turning facilities on the WSR at the time.
At least you knew up front when you booked & that was it box wise.

 

For the perfect illustration of how/when to do it, look no further than the Vintage Trains 2015 thread and Ben's posts (roughly 61-68/ Page 4) that date back to mid-March. No ambiguity whatsoever about how they planned to set up their planned main line steam excursions and the general direction of their thinking on the diesel assistance issue. And their whole approach and open-ness has proved consistently helpful to me personally in planning/ deciding on participation in their tours or otherwise.

So, if VT can do it, why can't the other (so-called) leading players? Is it that they don't judge it to be sufficiently important to communicate on this topic to (what they perceive to be) their customer base? Or maybe they just can't be bothered (as with the total lack of proof-reading that is so often remarked in the posts on this forum) ? Or maybe its in the nature of the state of communications within their own supply chain that they just don't find out enough, soon enough.

Whatever the root cause, getting clarity back into the presentation and communication of the detail of the specification of main line steam trips, including proposed traction, simply has to happen to regain and inspire the confidence in future bookings that david1984 alludes to above.

 

As a TOC, do WCRC not give them some idea of what to expect from the rough spec they have submitted before thr Tour Promoter goes public with the tour ?, granted the goalposts can often move nearer the time, but there must be an idea at the planning stage that a diesel shunt is needed here, the loco cannot turn there, etc.

 

Just under three hours after Mayflower passed Chilham, this happened

Cows derail passenger train.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-33671351
The heavy crane is on its way from Bescot
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O14150/2015/07/27/advanced

I sincerely hope this was not caused by some gricer leaving a gate open. Or worse breaking down a fence

 

Never let it be said that the Studios of Knowwun do not not listen to their target audience and produce a range of films suitable for all tastes.

Here then is the Directors cut of the Faversham Cathedrals Express for those who appreciate the aesthetic finer points of the ass end of a Mk1.

 

I read about this on WNXX last night, never realised it was so closely connected with 61306's trip though.
Hope your last comment doesn't ring true & proven!