Eastern Rail Services

Good luck to them, a little more competition/option in the market will be a benefit.

Albeit I believe all the stock is Mk2's or 3's, so I assume all the arguments re WCR which have been debated to death will be repeated verbatim on here.

 

Hopefully won't be repeated, because it wont make the blindest bit of difference.

This is a good move for the overall health of the industry. To reference another comment on this forum, it moves some control away from 2 rich men and shows there is another way. It will also assist DB in rebuilding some of their steam experience.

 

Well, these are what I saw at Derby station on the Sunday of The Greatish Gathering:

 

Interesting. I imagine that may not be the chosen livery (perhaps the stock still carries a previous livery?) and the company name/logo looks amateurish. It all looks very insipid, BUT that may make no difference to bookings, of course.

 

And our "Canadian Correspondent" who used to complain endlessly about the state of the coach roof's at Swanage would be very unhappy with those.

 

As long as they're comfortable inside I would quite happily do a tour in them

 

From comments made re a tour using them earlier this year their air con is as temperamental as everyone else’s Mk2's so not particularly comfortable inside then.

 

I believe that's the Mk2 set that was used on the BLS shuttles.

Their Mk3 set has a different livery:



Dave B

 

UK Railtours had moved over to using ERS earlier this year I believe. I attended a rail-tour (March 2025 from memory) where the coaches were 'turquoise' blue (ex TfW?) and in terms of AC, of similar unreliability as seen from other suppliers of mk2s. The Train in question arrived and hadn't been through a washer for some time and thus the windows were an unbecoming yellow/verdigris hue. I have thought that Railtour operators have been struggling with mk2 coaching for some time now, it being a common occurrence and normal to expect to find toilets locked out, AC not working or 'temperamental'. I'm surprised a FTR on a coach operating without AC on a hot summer's day isn't given a greater level of attention given the adverse effect it can have on wellbeing of passengers.

 

Mk2D-F are fitted with proper air con. It's also getting on for 60 years old and designed to be run almost constantly, not once a week for a few hours. I'm sure a newer, more reliable design could be made and fitted, but I dread to think what the cost would be once you add in railway added tax to get it tested and certified.

 

I also think that on really warm days along with trains full to capacity and doors being constantly opened and closed, doesn't give the ageing equipment a fighting chance. I've been on rail tours in summer where trains parked in sidings with no airflow from vestibules and failing AC can render some passengers feeling thoroughly unwell.

 

I see UK Railtours are using ERS for the stock for a tour from Watford Junction to the ELR.
Perhaps showing us steam folks are becoming the "cheap end" of the market First and Dining is more expensive than the equivalent for an RTC or a Saphos trip. As is standard compared to RTC, (I thought Saphos had added standard back again next year, but could not see it mentioned).

 

IIRC the problems of air con can be affected by the traction; has any research been done on this aspect of the operation ?

 

Standard has returned to Statesman tours

 

Fred

Mk2 d,e,f coaches Motor Alternators and control gear can be affected by certain types of ETH supply from certain locos.
The MAs like a smooth, constant voltage.

With AC locos, the ETH drops out during neutral sections.
Diesel locos such as 47s, 57s & 67s have a smooth constant ETH output.

 

It has also been suggested that the aircon was designed for a kind of working fluid that is no longer allowed and does not work very well with the kind that is now allowed.

 

R12? Or worse still, ammonia?