Jacobite 2023

On a more positive note, if anyone is looking for a more relaxed pace of life, the old Beasdale station building is up for sale.https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135091283#/?channel=RES_BUY


The thought of leaning on the doorframe with a cup of coffee as a Black 5 pounds up the 1 in 48 into the station is very tantalising.

 

Cancelled until 3rd August, 19 days / 38 trains lost and counting.

 

Just roughly working it out. Around 650 seats per day over two trains. £50 average ticket price? Plus extras (wine, chocolates, souvenirs, etc.). That's about £750,000 income lost so far. Apparently it's about £30,000 to fit a Mk1 with CDL. Probably best part of a million quid to fit enough vehicles with CDL to cover the season, if they can't recruit enough stewards to man the doors.

 

That’s gross total though, obviously the net profit will be significantly less.

 

Not sure where you are getting 1m from? 2 x 7 coach sets = £420k at 30k.

 

WCRC have over a hundred coaches registered so that's £3m at that price. They made about £1.6m after tax last year.

 

That is 33 coaches on your numbers, not sure you would need to fit that many for two 7 coach sets.

 

How many to run their business as it has been in recent years? One rake for Southall, one for Carnforth, the Northern Belle and the Jacobite. Maybe fifty?

 

They don't use the same set of stock all year, they can't. They have to go back to Carnforth for tyre turning. Plus you need spare vehicles up at Fort William, you wouldn't want to try and run every day with two sets of 7 and 6 coaches. Yes, 13 coaches in daily use, but how many are used over the season? Won't be far off 30 I wouldn't have thought.

 

14 coaches are now in daily use. Afternoon train was retimed last year to allow both trains to pass at Arisaig vice Glenfinnan, the former of which has longer loops, faciliates the increase of train length to 7 coaches.

 

30 carriages for a 14 carriage operation? I doubt that. They are only doing 90 miles a day.

 

Apparently there is this thing called ‘flange wear’
I believe it’s quite a big thing on the West Highland Extension.

 

Hard to assume maintenance might be needed on such an intense operation.

 

The year I went they had jsut swapped the set that night, new one came up/old went back to Carnforth, and they said that was their 4th different set of the year. 4 sets of 7, 28 coaches.

 

Ask Ian Riley all those curves and check rails knocks hell out of the engines and stock. Apart from alongside Loch Eil and across Keppoch Moss there’s hardly a straight bit of track on the line

 

John, I’ve only been up there twice, but it’s something I’ve been very much made aware of from various different sources. (I believe the point you make is a reason 48151 hasn’t appeared since the mid 1990’s?)

From what began in the early 1980’s under Scotrail on a few selected days to the operation it is now is rather incredible.

I really don’t think our friend in South Wales appreciates how much hard work and what it takes goes into this, I’m guessing with his experience the other week it’s a case of grapes being sour?

 

48151 last appeared in 2006 the only time it has worked to Mallaig since 1998. It went to Fort William on a private charter with 61994 in 2008 which afaik was the last time it was in Scotland.

 

Cheers Sam I didn’t realise it was as late as that.

 

If I’m right it was also facing chimney first out of Fort William as well which would have created some interesting photographic opportunities.

 

I first went up there in 2001 for the photo charter and have been going at least once a year ever since so I’ve got to know the line quite well. I’m sure you are right about 48151, back in steam days it was 2-6-0s on the trains, the turntable at Mallaig was too small for a Black 5 but could just about take a B1.
It’s a challenge for the engine crew too, Beasdale Bank is 1 in 50 for most of the way with reverse curves and check rails. Going the other way the long slog up the Mhuidhe (pronounced Muddy) from Loch Eilt to Glenfinnan Summit is on a similar gradient and there are a lot of other shorter but equally steep climbs.
The current problems are unfortunate and no one on here is a party to the to what’s going on so it should be left to WCR and the ORR to sort out as I’m sure they will. Uninformed speculation does no good at all.