Pathfinder Tours 2019

Today appears to have marked the unveiling of a visually modified website for their 2019 programme, and with it the announcement of a number of interesting-looking tours/ day trips. I appreciate that for a variety of reasons Pathfinder didn't exactly exit 2018 as the UK's favourite tour operator/ promoter in some people's eyes, but with the passage of time, some of their latest offerings may well be worth a look.

Just a pity that the website, although more attractively presented, still currently has the look and feel of a beta software release at the moment - and retains some of the inconsistencies of content that we witnessed before. Big case in point - the description of No.9's outing on the Cumbrian Mountaineer (16th March) where in the lead paragraph of the tour description it states "After a diesel-hauled run over Shap Summit to a break at Carlisle, the steam locomotive takes over (expected to be A4 Pacific No. 60009 “Union of South Africa”)" but at the foot of the following pricing and timing information then states "Motive power is expected to be a diesel locomotive from Cardiff to Crewe where A4 Pacific No. 60009 “Union of South Africa” takes over". Very frustrating. "Caveat Emptor", I think.

Anyway, the programme as described now features three Tornado outings from Bristol - to Par (23 June - recreating last year's spectacular effort with Clan line), then to Kingswear on 6th July (originating from Tame Bridge Parkway) and the following weekend to Tenby on 14th July.

And for Deltic enthusiasts, two lengthy day trips from Willington/ Derby to York-Harrogate-Leeds-KGX-Cleethorpes-Sheffield-Willington on 11th May, then Tame Bridge Parkway-Penzance on 29th June.

At first sight, there appears to have been a further up-shift in pricing for 2019 - certainly for the steam trips. But initial impressions are that there does appear to be some interesting stuff here that might at least repay further consideration.

 

e.g. "The Pembroke Coast Express - Steam Hauled
A classic steam hauled excursion from Bristol to Kingswear and back ..."

 

Happy to say that I've already 'done' Pembroke Dock with another provider. Admittedly, the Vale of Glamorgan is something that hasn't been done in about ten years by steam (and took place before I could afford to take my railtouring seriously). That said, and with the experience I had before Christmas, unless its something with 35028 at the head (which would provide as near a near cast-iron guarantee of quality as you can get), then I'm still not booking another tour with them for the forseeable future. I'd rather not pay an extra £10 for the risk. It also seems the suggestion of a re-run of the HoW trip has gone to the clouds, too.

 

According to uksteam 60163 is already committed on 14th July to TBEL, doesn't sound very promising from the outset.

 

According to the TBEL website, the programme is still showing dates for 2018.

'Tour Programme'
The Torbay Express in 2018

''We look forward to welcoming you aboard in 2019. Sign up for our newsletter to be among the first to hear of new dates''

 

The trips with Tornado have been listed on the A1 Steam trust website since last month.

 

UK Steam now shows no steam tour other than The Pembroke Coast Express on 14th July.

 

And just to record that the Pathfinder website has now deleted any reference to the inclusion of Kingswear in the itinerary for this excursion!!! (Post No.2 above refers). In fact, the whole website has now been tidied up and is looking more like the kind of site that they would have intended to design and publish than the scruffy effort that we witnessed a few days ago.

And sadly, there is now absolute clarity about the bit-part that UoSA will play in the days proceedings on March 16th with the Cumbrian Mountaineer. Carlisle-Crewe only confirmed. Were it not for the fact that this is going to be one of the last occasions on which we would be lucky enough to experience No.9's illustrious capabilities, then "Hardly worth getting up in the morning for" is the sort of phrase that might otherwise have come to mind. But on this score it looks like 1020 Shireman has beaten me to it anyway with his post about No.9's "clockwise-so-not-steep-enough" outing with the Cotswold Venturer to Worcester in February.

So maybe after all we should be grateful for these last few fragments of A4 haulage on the main line. At least, pending SNG's return.

 

Edit. I had written nonsense. Now deleted.

 

Do you definitely mean 14th July? That's Bristol to Carmarthen with Tornado (amusingly, with a picture of Flying Scotsman).

I've booked on the TBE trip on 6th July. Very handy as it picks up in Worcester first and goes down to Bristol diesel-hauled, before becoming the normal TBE itinerary from there. Saves me making my own way down to Bristol to do the TBE, I'll just do this one instead.

 

No I didn't. Written in haste last night and now deleted. I was thinking of Tornado's 9th March trip. Dunno why I mixed it up with Pathfinder's.

 

I emailed Pathfinder yesterday to ask about that. They have replied that they "are awaiting confirmation that this tour will run in the Autumn".

 

Will see if my attitude softens by then.