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GB5 / Cathedral Explorer

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by guycarr360, Sep 23, 2011.

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  1. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    As someone with a dearth of steam track north of the border, and having never been on GB anything, I've decided that some of the children's inheritance needs to be spent on one of these marathons in 2012. I'm with other people on this thread who would prefer the operators to give some indication of what they are planning will be up front as I have a view on what I travel behind. But I recognise that at such a distance from the events it is hard to be definitive, although I'd prefer no speculative promises! (I can after all remember the Green Arrow tour in the south in July 1966 when the closest that a V2 got to the train was the positioning of 60919 - failed twice, repaired once - in the shed road at Basingstoke as we called on our way home with 34002). Such is the problem with naming a loco for a particular trip - twas ever thus.

    Have decided on Cathedrals Explorer 2. Both are interesting (and expensive) but after a risk assessment I have come down on the side of SD where I can see some points in the itinerary when I will not be, either up at the crack of dawn or well into double figures with time spent in a seat! Time, as they say, will tell.
     
    Big Al, Sep 25, 2011
    #21
  2. Steamage

    Steamage Part of the furniture

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    Just a bit of fun: In the spirit of speculation and thinking through some of the issues, I predict:

    GBV
    - 4472 will be ready in time, but only just. 46115 will be on stand-by until a few days beforehand for the York-Edinburgh leg.
    - Braunton will not be available - as mentioned before, "if it wasn't for the bad luck, she'd have no luck at all..."
    - 6100 will not be ready. No surprise there.
    - 70013 will deputise for both 6100 and Braunton on GBV, running Glasgow - Stranraer - Glasgow - Hereford - Penzance over 4 days. "The Great Britannia" again!

    CathEx
    - Tornado will be replaced, perhaps by 4492 or 4472, on the London - York stretch, since there's no sign at the moment of WCRC taking on work with 60163.
    - 60009 will be ready in time.
    - 34067 will make it over the Highland line, despite being suggested motive power for The Golden Arrow Statesman around Kent the same day (at the time of writing, according to UKsteam.info. The Golden Arrow tours are not yet listed in Statesman Rail's on-line brochure, and Statesman often don't declare a particular loco.)
    I'm not going to attempt to predict what sort of path can found on the ECML on a Friday Lunchtime...

    Of course, the moment one makes a prediction, one knows it will be wrong - but how wrong, and in which direction? ;-) I wish both tours well, and will be out with my camera to record as much of them as I can. On past performance, things will change but the passengers will still have a great time, and some of the alterations may actually be improvements (remember 70013 and 44871 storming up the Lickey Bank in 2010?) As Malc says, above, these tours are really about the whole journey and if the possible replacement of an individual loco will spoil your enjoyment, these probably aren't the tours for you.
     
    Steamage, Sep 26, 2011
    #22
  3. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    6100 I believe has been advertised on the GB for 3 years in a row now, maybe 4th time lucky. ;-)
     
    ADB968008, Sep 26, 2011
    #23
  4. Oli15

    Oli15 Member

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    Haha, we can all live in hope, maybe one day in hopefully the not too distant future :)
     
    Oli15, Sep 26, 2011
    #24
  5. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    Fortune favours the brave.
     
    nanstallon, Sep 26, 2011
    #25
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