Pathfinder 2023

Program beginning to go live

https://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/our-excursions/


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Times are in RTT for the Cumbrian Fellsmam in April.
Stock appears to be coming up from Southall first thing.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...8/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=WR

Going to be a long old day for those of us doing the full run.
Out at 0540, back at 2310 and only a 75 min leg stretch at Appleby!
I'm glad we're in dining and have a hotel booked for the night before and after.

I would hope that with no shunting required at Carlisle and usually reasonable weather in April, this will be diesel free on the steam hauled section.

 

That seems an excessive amount of pick ups. Interesting that RTT shows stops at Wrexham and Chester but the Pathfinder website doesn't. Going north from Wolverhampton rather than west would save about 3-4 hours off the tour and make it a much more reasonable day out.

 

That was the original intention, and thus to start further south. However, weekend blocks between Stafford and Crewe meant this was the way around. Gave us a chance to return to a market that hasn’t seen much since Riviera moved out of Crewe.

 

Mk2 coaches appear to be the norm for Pathfinder now.

 

Hoping the steam runs will at least be Mk1s, since it appears to be using West Coast as TOC and coming from Southall.

 

Yeah its the same set up as RTC I would assume for Pathfinder steam trips.

 

The PF trip in Sep 2022 with Tangmere was supposed to be diesel-free. But it didn't work out that way.

Was so much hoping to see what Tangers could do over Shap and Long Drag. But when diesel confirmed I couldn't be bothered with it, and stayed at home.

Hope for your sake it is diesel-free this time.

 

This looks hopeful for a diesel-free trip? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U55039/2023-04-08/detailed

 

What makes you think it will be DL free ? The link doesnt seem to be anything to do with this trip which is 1013 off Preston and the usual CME path from Carnforth

 

As the steam comes on at Carnforth and off at Preston, my assumption was that the path I highlighted was for the diesel which would be detached at Carnforth and then run to Preston to pick up the return trip?

Ominously, this trip seems to have disappeared from the Pathfinder website, so is it still running?

 

Very worrying, I'm booked on it and have heard nothing from Pathfinder.

If it's not running then that's my birthday treat scuppered, just glad my hotel booking is flexible!

 

From email received today.

 

From website:


News update: Saturday 8 April - THE CUMBRIAN FELLSMAN

It is with regret, that due to the exceptionally low level of bookings, we have had to make the decision to withdraw this tour from our programme. This decision was not taken lightly and we would like to apologise for the disappointment caused to anyone who has booked on this train.

 

Not a good year for them so far as The Great Eastern (18/3) was cancelled as well.

 

That's a bummer. Not had any direct contact from Pathfinder yet either.

Might have to see if I can book onto the VT one instead.

EDIT: Oddly, I can't seem to see it on the News page https://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/news/ - Latest entry for me is about the Great Eastern... maybe they've pulled the announcement until after customers are contacted.

EDIT AGAIN: Just seen it in the newsletter they posted to Twitter.

 

RE the Fellsman trip - not a surprise given it is Easter Weekend.

 

OK, I must take back my criticism of Pathfinder for not contacting me.
They had actually sent me a letter by snail-mail, but it had fallen behind a plant pot in my porch and was only discovered this morning.
They have offered a 10% discount on a future tour if I transfer my booking, but there's nothing else steam hauled and none of the diesel tours really take my fancy. Oh well.

 

Hold fire for now. I'm sure I read in one of the magazines recently that they were planning to offer several steam tours, as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. Although I suppose that plan may now have changed, given that we're only in February and they've already had to pull 2 trips due to low bookings. A problem all of the smaller promoters are facing at the moment I think.

 

Pathfinder have announced two new steam tours:
9th Sept - Stations from Cardiff-Shrewsbury-Crewe and then via Shap to Carlisle and back via S&C.
https://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/events/the-cumbrian-fells-steam-express/

21st Oct - Stations Bristol-Birmingham-Crewe then diesel via Shap to Carlisle and steam back down the Cumbrian Coast
https://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/events/the-cumbrian-coastal/

Sadly, the pickup points make neither a suitable replacement for my original booking which picked up close to home, so I'll be giving them a miss.

It's a shame that it doesn't seem possible to do both steam on both Shap and Cumbrian Coast as used to be the case, else I might have been tempted to find suitable accommodation for the October one.