If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Great Britain XVII - 26/04 to 4/05/25

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by Big Al, Aug 15, 2024.

Page 4 of 9
  1. jsm8b

    jsm8b Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    Messages:
    3,141
    Likes Received:
    7,490
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Escapee from the corporate bear-pit
    Location:
    Shropshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer

    Indeed your shot prompted me to look up when 45407 was last on the Far North line.
    First steam to Thurso was 48151 as far back as October 1998, then again with the first GB in 2007 and your trip in 2016 with 44871. I don't recall any other trips north of Dingwall going beyond Helmsdale or Brora (60163).
    If memory serves 2011 is the only occasion the Black 5s have been in tandem on the Far North line.
    Always willing to be corrected on that.
     
    jsm8b, Mar 31, 2025
    #61
    torgormaig likes this.
  2. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    22,582
    Likes Received:
    22,715
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I think you are correct. It's not a line that's covered often. And I believe that getting the train to visit both Wick and Thurso has not been easy. It appears that there are not plenty of paths available to fit a non standard journey like the GB.
     
    Big Al, Mar 31, 2025
    #62
  3. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    Messages:
    36,441
    Likes Received:
    9,905
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired-ish, Part time rail tour steward.
    Location:
    Northwich
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer

    Not quite sure of the connection between double headed steam and rolling stock issues?
     
    RalphW, Mar 31, 2025
    #63
  4. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    22,582
    Likes Received:
    22,715
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Two locos plus two support coaches plus a kitchen car plus a diesel to power the rolling stock hardly leaves much passenger carrying opportunity does it? I'm surprised you hadn't worked that one out.
     
    Big Al, Mar 31, 2025
    #64
    Leviathan and 26D_M like this.
  5. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    Messages:
    36,441
    Likes Received:
    9,905
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired-ish, Part time rail tour steward.
    Location:
    Northwich
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Well for a start going from Inverness to Thurso and back would not require 2 support coaches or didn't you consider that?
     
    RalphW, Mar 31, 2025
    #65
  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    22,582
    Likes Received:
    22,715
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Was just going by what seemed to happen in 2011 as per #57. It's hard to argue against the extra demand that 2025 constraints impose on train length though.
     
    Big Al, Apr 1, 2025
    #66
    Leviathan and 26D_M like this.
  7. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    4,029
    Likes Received:
    1,086
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    I've booked on it to fill in a missing section to Wick on the steam map, and also to say I've done a return steam journey between Inverness and Georgemas Jn.

    I was on 44871's run to Thurso in 2016 ((I seem to recall we were supposed to go to Wick, but issues on that branch meant going to Thurso instead - not that I was complaining!), and remember racing the rest of the train to the Commercial Hotel in Thurso on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Remember the owner being rather surprised at the crowds turning up! Looking at the times on the tour page, it's a 15-minute leg stretch at Wick before steaming south again.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Apr 3, 2025
    #67
    Oswald T Wistle, Waterbuck and Mick45305 like this.
  8. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    Messages:
    36,441
    Likes Received:
    9,905
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired-ish, Part time rail tour steward.
    Location:
    Northwich
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I'm also booked on the Wick/Thurso leg, only done it once before and that was on a 4 day diesel hauled Compass tour based in Inverness, so steam one way is the clincher for me.
     
    RalphW, Apr 3, 2025
    #68
    Bulleid Pacific, Waterbuck and Mick45305 like this.
  9. Waterbuck

    Waterbuck Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2009
    Messages:
    885
    Likes Received:
    611
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    West Yorkshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Long time since we chatted Ralph, hope we recognise each other.:)
     
    Waterbuck, Apr 3, 2025
    #69
    Butler Henderson likes this.
  10. Waterbuck

    Waterbuck Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2009
    Messages:
    885
    Likes Received:
    611
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    West Yorkshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Be good to see you, Swansea last year may have been the last time (though I've not been about much - saving up for this 11 days away)
     
    Waterbuck, Apr 3, 2025
    #70
    Bulleid Pacific likes this.
  11. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    Messages:
    36,441
    Likes Received:
    9,905
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired-ish, Part time rail tour steward.
    Location:
    Northwich
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Tall white haired old geezer with glasses.
     
    RalphW, Apr 3, 2025
    #71
    Waterbuck likes this.
  12. The Gricing Owl

    The Gricing Owl Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2023
    Messages:
    1,035
    Likes Received:
    1,959
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Owl and SR steam gricer
    Location:
    Near steam Man of Kent and Golden Arrow route
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Anyone have an idea of the sort of time this will leave Victoria on day one behind 35028 please?

    Bryan
     
    The Gricing Owl, Apr 3, 2025
    #72
  13. bobsungod

    bobsungod Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    Messages:
    534
    Likes Received:
    1,923
    8-44 ish
     
    bobsungod, Apr 3, 2025
    #73
    sunstream likes this.
  14. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    4,029
    Likes Received:
    1,086
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    Likewise, Alan. Think it's a case of grabbing the chance while it's there, as I suspect steam north of Dingwall - or Brora at the very best - will be extremely thin pickings in future. Can't say how many times I've looked at the map and thought Wick would be one that got away!
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Apr 4, 2025
    #74
    Waterbuck likes this.
  15. Mick45305

    Mick45305 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2013
    Messages:
    265
    Likes Received:
    598
    Location:
    Huddersfield
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Will be good to see you again Tom. Definitely seizing the chance to do the Far North line in its entirety. Will you be on the GB for the whole show, definitely in West Wales I suspect. Our latest itinerary mentioned Milford Haven.
     
    Mick45305, Apr 4, 2025
    #75
    Bulleid Pacific likes this.
  16. Bulleid Pacific

    Bulleid Pacific Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    4,029
    Likes Received:
    1,086
    Occupation:
    A Thingy...
    I'm not currently booked on other legs - sadly, my employment for the past eight years ends today following redundancy, so currently looking for something else - but as it's a Sunday, I could be tempted. The logistics would be pretty intense. I did Milford Haven with 71000 in 2008 - it was very much a last-minute change then! Haverfordwest was once my regular station.

    Another leg I'd be interested in is Grange-over-Sands to Edinburgh - a very rare curve at Gateshead, and a Bulleid doing it to boot.
     
    Bulleid Pacific, Apr 4, 2025
    #76
    Mick45305 likes this.
  17. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    22,582
    Likes Received:
    22,715
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The late arrival of Tornado to the GB party has done much to improve the loco mix for this tour. I wish it well as it seems that only the RTC attempts anything the remotely offers different routes than normal. You really can have too much of a good thing - Shap, S&C etc.
     
    Big Al, Apr 4, 2025
    #77
  18. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,911
    Likes Received:
    5,847
    Any info on the timings, particularly when it leaves Inverness?
     
    MellishR, Apr 4, 2025
    #78
  19. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    Messages:
    36,441
    Likes Received:
    9,905
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired-ish, Part time rail tour steward.
    Location:
    Northwich
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Nothing yet, but the web site does say early morning..#
     
    RalphW, Apr 4, 2025
    #79
  20. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    22,582
    Likes Received:
    22,715
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    My guess is 8 am from Inverness and back by 10 pm with maybe an hour at either Wick or Thurso. Either way it'll be a long day.
     
    Big Al, Apr 4, 2025
    #80
Page 4 of 9

Share This Page