RTC 2018

Thanks, I have found them now, confusing website!

 

I think something similar has happened once before. Once Nigel (@meltonnorth) found out it was sorted very quickly.

 

Now listed see http://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-day-trips/uk_day_trips_list.html

 

Optimism that 46115 might be ready again by new year according to the advert.
EDIT: Now updated to indicate 45690 or 99.

 

But only listed for the 27/1 from Man Vic. The ones from Euston state 45699 Galatea or 45690 Leander . If I book I will probably get 45669 again (always turned up instead of 46115). Would like to travel behind 45690 again.

 

Good stuff. Apart from 'The Pennine Explorer', finally a chance to pause and save some money!

 

I would be ecstatic if I could travel behind 45669...

 

Operator error.

 

I hope we get some action from LMS Jubilee Bahamas 45596 in the not so distant future.

 

It has been reported 45596 will be based at Carnforth upon completion so it seems reasonable to assume it will be one of the pool there.

 

RTC have added more trips to their website up to the end of October see http://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-day-trips/uk_day_trips_list.html
No real suprises. The only new trip is Three Bridges to Oxford - http://www.railwaytouring.net/uk-day-trips/the-oxford-explorer

 

Indeed. From my perspective, Oxford Explorer useful for Chichester and Bramley, but looks generally a cheap year after April, which is looking pretty expensive anyway. Might do a repeat itinerary trip up north to keep my hand in and show willing.

 

Two steam engines on Shap and the S&C on 11th August; CME and Golden Express. Wonder if 60163 will be seen chasing a Jubilee over Shap as the Brit did in 2015??

 

Still no tours that start from Bristol or the Gloucester area, I know it’s a money making business, but for people like me who used to travel on them I have no opportunity, we seemed to have lost the Devonian tours that would go to Plymouth etc , I know we have the Sunday duchys but a Saturday trip could be more worthwhile.

 

50th anniversary of end of steam, feels somewhat underwhelming, considering the 40th and 45th anniversaries.
Makes you wonder if there will be any mainline steam by the 60th.

Still, we’ll still be in the EU next April, so we can still see how to really do Mainline steam in Germany in April.. 9 steam locos, 37 trains a day over a long weekend, plus heritage electrics, all for 72 Euro... standing by windows is a must, and the windows will be open, no need to ask “sir” for permission to use the loo and check all windows are closed before you go.

Mainline steam in the UK remains a lame beast, as the numbers of locos, passengers continue to dwindle and the excitement seems to have turned into mundane commercialism.

Elsewhere I just saw a prospectus which looks imho to be aimed at enthusiasts to invest in a TOC aiming to operate mainline steam and provide a return to shareholders, you must be kidding, I don’t believe the projected numbers and don’t believe a sustainable profitable charitable steam toc will survive in the short term, the market continues to look enthusiast unfriendly, so why would an enthusiast want to invest ?, as for a financier.. well the projected numbers look pretty bad, can’t see they would be interested either, unless it was just charitable donations.

Sorry to the fanboys and diehards, but I walked away from mainline steam a few years ago and haven’t seen much to attract me back.

 

To be fair, there are few UK tours left that run primarily for enthusiasts. The market has changed as there simply aren't the enthusiast numbers to sustain it. However, as an enthusiast, I am delighted that mainline steam appears to be thriving with the shift in the market towards dining and at least this still provides some opportunities to ride behind steam at speed, even if the onboard ambience is not so enthusiast friendly.

 

Agreed. I'm interested in the notion that the Germans do it much better. I have very limited knowledge of preserved operations overseas though. I'm aware that they operate some very intensive "Plandampf" operations over a few weeks of the year, but do they also operate the same breadth of tours across the network throughout the year as we do now in the UK?

As someone who was grateful even in the SLOA days where you typically had one tour a weekend run over a limited number of routes, I find the idea that UK mainline steam has gotten much worse to be strange (even though I take the point about more Draconian measures onboard).

 

I won't say your glass is half empty as I'm sure you don't actually possess a glass. Mainline steam in this country has always been different and the run down of the system to it's present threadbare state doesn't lend itself to the German Plandampf type operation. One thing I do agree on the way you are treated as an intelligent adult across the Channel is refreshing. The thought of being vitually chained to your seat in the UK does put me off ever travelling again.