RTC 2014

Photos uploading to the computer had a great time on the Seaford - Brighton tour yesterday. Sad way to end the day with 70013 having to be pushed through London in Victoria when she suffered a broken ring in one of its cylinders. Excellent day though.

 

It's this sort of thing which made me vow some years ago never to go on a mainline steam trip in this country.

 

Unlikely to be 70013 since it is doing 2 Kent circulars the previous day for Steam Dreams

 

Ah, forgot about that trip. Did think about doing that trip when it was originally planned to go via Hastings. However, guess it depends on whether the support crew and locomotive are up for it; as it will still be warm, with 34046 bringing the trip back. We'll have to wait and see, but I hope we don't have a Class 57 wailing between Exeter and Salisbury on the return again...

 

44932 for the Swanage Belle on the 19th according to eticket. Repairs to Tangmere will not be completed in time.

 

Exactly. By following Mr. Howard's example I'd have missed out on some cracking runs over the years. Yes, I've had runs that have been bedevilled by all manner of problems but they are far outweighed by the nigh on faultless ones.

 

The ACE has been cancelled due to the uncertainty surrounding 34067's repair. Passengers are entitled to a £10 discount for any Dorset Coast Express in July. Might consider taking them up on that as I'm in London at the end of July in any case.

 

They don't have much luck with these ACE runs do they. A shame that it has been cancelled.
I am a bit hesitant about booking a DCE at the moment as two of the loco's in the pool are unavailable (34067 & 70000). At the moment it looks like 34046 will be top and tailing with a diesel. Also with the hot weather I fear the dreaded Summer Steam Ban may appear soon.

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We've been quite lucky this year, as there's been plenty of showers in between the sunshine. Regardless, a Dorset for £69 is a fairly reasonable offer- I just hope the work on 34067 is completed over the next month, otherwise another tour I'm booked on will be spiked (Valleys Explorer)...

 

Possibly due to that and similar uncertainty over Ollie's repair.

There's a silver lining, though. Since I won't have to get up at cough of sparrow on Sunday, I won't have to hurry home after working Ropley 'box on Saturday. If the weather's good, I might stay around and video the evening trains. There's a RAT and a Belle on Sat 21st. The Medstead chippy is rather good, too.

 

With Cromwell now fixed, Braunton neither having problems, I guess it's too late to Reinstate the tour...?

Although 70013 would have just come back off from 2 trips to Kent.

 

I think it is a bit too late, as many of us have accepted RTC's special offer of a 'Dorset' discount... However, it remains to be seen what will happen with the 'Valleys Explorer' next month. Whilst I want 34067 to be the motive power because:

a. I can never get enough mileage behind Bulleids

b. There is novelty value in that a Bulleid could be the first Pacific to traverse the Valleys

c. It gets an air-smoothed example of the class deeper into Wales, where the designer spent some of his childhood

However, if 34067 is not ready, I sincerely hope the tour gets a replacement locomotive rather than being cancelled outright.

 

I am actually pleased that they have cancelled rather than run it with the 'wrong' motive power or DL

Don

 

Having been on the one last April where we had the Class 57 screeching most of the way to Exeter (then defeating the object of its presence by breaking down during the climb of Semley), I'm inclined to agree with you. Anyway, I took up the offer, as London to Weymouth and return with two locomotives for £69 is a good deal.

 

This Saturday's Cumbrian Mountain Express via Tyne Valley has been postponed due to Fire Brigade strike. New date to be announced in due course.

 

Tony Streeter's column in latest issue of The Beano says that (most of?) this year's Dorset Coast Expresses will run with one steam and one diesel loco this year, following the plan used in previously when one of the planned steam locos wasn't available - steam all the way down, DL leading Weymouth-Southampton on the return, then reverse and up to London via Romsey & Andover. He suggests that 2 of the other RTC trains to Weymouth should have 2 steam locos, though he uses cautious language: Three Bridges-Weymouth on 5th July and the DCE on 9th July. I've found Tony to be quite well-informed on such matters in the past (unlike some SR articles) and this seems to be based on a conversation with Nigel Dobbing. I don't think anyone will be too surprised by this, even though the RTC web-site says 2 steamers will be used. I don't think any of last year's DCE trains ran with 2 steam locos, did they?

 

I had understood that the watering facilities, whilst often looking like fire engines, were actually supplied by a commercial company, run by ex-firefighters. Surely they won't be on strike as well?

Why therefore does the fire brigade strike mean trains need postponing?

Steven

 

Because of the possibility of lineside fires? It's very hot and dry out there. <BJ>

 

Network Rail steam ban according to Steam Dreams as quoted on the thread with that title on here.

Steven