RTC daytrips 2013

They are. Only the Winter ones from Euston are on a Saturday. I would like to see some from Euston on a Saturday at other times of the year . It is a long day and I prefer to do long trips on a Saturday and then have a relaxing Sunday.

 

More RTC trips have been posted recently:- http://www.railwaytouring.net/uk_day_trips taking us up to Christmas. "Capital Christmas Express" starts at Weymouth again, but this time goes to Waterloo. Nothing at all to or from Swanage. Good to see Eastbourne back on the map with a "Sussex Belle" on 11h December, taking the same route as last year's train. I made some comments about geographical inaccuracies when details of the first "Blue Bell Explorer " (29th September) were posted last week. Regrettably, the same howler, the "North and South Downs of the Weald" has been repeated with the description of the second (9th November) tour, and the claim that the Uckfield line "has not seen steam trains for many years" isn't quite true. 45407 paid a visit about 5 years ago. Still, a top-and tailed train visiting Uckfield and Sheffield Park still makes for a good day out. The scenery on the Uckfield line may not be quite up to the S&C or the West Highland line, but it's a pretty line with some attractive stations. Wish I could have been on this one, but a glance at my diary reveals I have a prior commitment. Pity.

 

I raise this previously in post 190 on this thread and got no response. I do not trust the route so have not booked
Neither of the loco's listed for this trip ( 30777 and 34046) is available on the 21/9

 

Disappointing to see no work for 60007 so far.

Xmas Tynesider down to Kings X with her has always been a favourite, and before anybody says it, yes her mainline certificate is active again.

 

It is nice to see 9 trips between RTC and Steam Dreams scheduled to touch Sussex over the next four months, considering south of Redhill there is usually only three or four a year!

 

Yeah just noticed that as well but it is great news for us in Sussex (even though for the most part its 34067). But I'[ve only counted 8 not 9 but I may have missed one out.

Wednesday 11th December is a good day for Sussex based enthusiasts as there are 2 tours in the county that day. Gonna have to book that day off work I think!.

These are the Sussex based RTC tours for the rest of the year

21st September - The Royal Wessex - Three Bridges to Weymouth with motive power currently TBC
28th September - Blue Belle Explorer - Worcester Shrub Hill to Sheffield Park with 70013
9th November - Blue Belle Explorer - Cannon Street to Sheffield Park via Uckfield with 34067 and either a Black 5 or B1 on the back top and tailing
7th December - Bath Christmas Market - Three Bridges to Bath and Bristol with 34067
11th December - Christmas Sussex Belle - London Victoria to Eastbourne/Hastings with 34067

Add to that Steam Dreams Sussex tours tours

10th September - London Victoria to Sheffield Park with 60163
11th December - Horsham to Ely with 70000
14th December - Southend to Chichester with 60163

 

Been a long time since they ran a carol service to Chichester, used to be an annual thing but last I can recall was in about 2008. It makes a change to see steam down this part of the world on something other than Three Bridges to Bristol.

 

Good to see steam coming back to Eastbourne again on the Xmas Sussex Belle

 

You have missed one 16th December London to Salisbury and Sherborne via Haywards Heath

 

I had no idea about that one. Thanks. I didn't assume SD would use that route to go to Sherborne.

 

Just had notification of cancellation of a booking on The Lincoln Imp scheduled for 2nd November with 60009. (The original RTC description for this tour suggested either SNG or UoSA as possibilities for haulage). The reason now cited for cancellation is "due to operational difficulties with the locomotive".

According to a report in SR417 Down Main (P73) this day trip was planned as a jointly-marketed venture between the Gresley Society and RTC. The SR coverage of this story suggested that UoSA's owner, John Cameron, was committed to availability of 60009 for this trip to the extent that UoSA would have been withdrawn from the Great Gathering line up at the NRM on and around 2nd November to fulfil this commitment.

Does anyone have anything more substantive on this? There didn't appear to be a loco availability issue as recently as yesterday (6th August) when this trip was still appearing on the updated day trips part of RTC's website. And apparently the "Lindum Fayre", running with 60009 five weeks later in a similar path to the Lincoln Imp, remains a fixture in RTC's programme for the end of this year.

Todays news of the cancellation was hugely disappointing. I seem to be missing a big piece of the jigsaw with this story. Any insights or background would be welcome.

 

Just seen that the Buxton spa trip which was postponed 3 times by RYTC is now on for next year (15th March 2014), all those people who booked for the trip this year wont probably bother, as really the trip should have just been moved to another date (as most are)
Also wonder why most trips after 1st September fizzle out up in the North West and are mostly either London or South of Birmingham

 

Technically there's a 10th (Just) - Steam Dreams London-Bath train via Petersfield on 5th December will clip the very edge of West Sussex between Liphook and Liss.

 

I transfered to another trip ( Wandering 1500) after Ray Mason advised it would be next year, but likely to book on in the new year. They advised they were planning to run it on a Saturday in September ( could not run midweek due to pathing problems).With 70013 rumoured to be replacing 70000 at the Severn Valley, hauling the Worcester - Sheffield Park trip that 70000 was due to haul, 2 other postponed trips to find a date for, and the stock at Southall also used on the Sunday trips from Bristol, there were no dates left.

 

I just find it hard to understand how RYTC can just cancel trips and not re date them later as the a Sat in September, it surely must put alot off this trip, if the company keeps cancelling it from running, besides if 70013 cant do it, then others would be found from either Southall or even Crewe.
i am sure if i booked on it and it was cancelled 3 times then i would not bother and book with a company who would run it.

 

Gauging is an issue on the Hope Valley line, at one time the only locomotives that fitted were Black Fives not even Tornado fitted.I was booked on a SD trip from London with 70013 in 2009 which went to Sheffield instead due to the gauging problems. The only other proposed trip since on this line from London an SD one with Tornado was cancelled due to gauging. Pathing of a 60mph loco such as a Black Five on other paths of the route might be a problem.A return date for 70000 is not known. Availability of support crew is sometimes a bigger problem than loco availability.

 

Thanks Paul for your info, but when in British rail steam era, did they have the same problems, in respect of guaging?
I just got the impression a loco had to be of the same size/width,as to pass under bridges ect, otherwise there would be problems, or is it that NR have just kept on raising the tracks, instead of doing the job properly and keeping the line on original trackbed gradients.

 

Some locos are more gauge friendly than others and can go almost any where - Black 5's and Tornado. The later was built to fit the modern loading gauge which I believe is smaller than steam days. Some tracks have risen due to engineering works, while other track has moved e.g. there is a over bridge near Sherborne on the up line where the track has been moved once because even service trains were scraping the side of the bridge and has obviously moved again because Steam is banned from the up line for a second time).
6024 has been reduced in height to run on the Network . Halls are not allowed West of Plymouth, but have visted other places where apparently they were not allowed in Steam Days.