The Great Britain VIII

Fair comment, and certainly one that gives food for thought !

 

People have been whispering in my in-box this evening, and the story they're telling is the same as 83B has heard, that NT have not reinstated WCRC's track access.

 

Good one, yes, sounds like words sent from on high to quote if asked certain questions, rather than a genuine opinion frankly !

 

Totally, completely and utterly agree. I think that is the main point that is developing here is that there have been plenty of warnings & advice and West Coast haven't acted. The SPAD was the final (& very serious) straw. A reader poll in the same magazine revealed that 93% agreed that Network Rail took the correct action in suspending West Coast, so not much sympathy with their pro-rail readership. I would suggest that this point of view is reflected on this forum too..

 

no i doubt it very much - they will just carry on with it and deal with complaints as they come in i reckon - i have yet to see an operator put their hands up and say sorry lets can it now and do it again another day - (with the recent exception of vintage trains and torbay express)
remember steam dreams ACE in 2011 too late to can it - hotels and excursions all booked - same with GB8 now

 

DRS has no steam passenger licence/ticket/approval to operate on the ML with network rail afaik - all this talk of temp contracts/agency staff etc etc are pub talk i'm afraid - impossible to sort this sort of thing out as many of you suggest - DB does not operate like that - plus the issue of contracts/permissions of anything be it crews stock locos simply does not work like that on the real railway especially at short notice like this.

I was amazed that DB has been able to operate WCRC owned stock - that hurdle did seem to have been overcome quite quickly however but loco and crewing operation is a more difficult hurdle

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55473/2015/05/01/advanced

A path has appeared to Edinburgh for Friday.

 

DB 67? 95mph

 

Network Rail have said today that there will be NO early cessation of the suspension and so we can discount WCR in involvement with any immediate arrangements for the GB8 or any other tour for that matter, which is very sad but that is fact.

 

Be interesting what's said onboard about that tomorrow?

No cumbrian coast and looks to be no steam too

Lunchtime start will probably pacify the normals with a scenic coach trip around the lake district

Certainly not my cup of tea, infact couldn't think of a worse way to spend a morning :-(

Any idea what sector it's under? I.e Dbs or drs resourcing?

 

this might help http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55475/2015/05/01/advanced

 

Given I've been quoted above within this thread above from my posts on wnxx, I thought I'd post the above.

Yes, I am onboard the tour

Yesterday was excellent with the Brit from Victoria to Exeter, the diesel then being necessary to penzance given the need to turn the Brit for today

Today was a complete non entity, which given what occurred, what was the point in the Brit being there?

In my view they should have turned the steam at Taunton and allowed to haul the train from Exeter to bristol avoiding the south Devon banks issue

That way we could possibly then have had steam?

I doubt whether steam will now appear for any of the remaining parts of the tour

 

Where?

Tom

 

Cheers

Looks to be Dbs

Would suggest a 67 as some normals have been complaining it's chilly whilst I've been in a t shirt!!!!

Scotland apparently will be colder so therms needed possibly

 

Thought a friday morning steam trip to Haverthwaite would be a reasonable gesture as I believe the hotel is nearby?

 

Like that idea, especially if they can get one of the fairburn tanks out

 

oh i agree BAl - the first D/H bit was awesome - but after losing Tangs we were down to one loco and the diesel journey home we was stuck to very slow tedious timings.
i had a bad experience on-board so recovery after that was unrecoverable and got worse - BUT enjoyed padstow, my hotel and the Bodmin railway tour though.

if you recall 71000 and 60163 were both at Bristol but could not be used on the ACE as they were DB operated - Isn't that where we all came in LOL

 

Nice idea, but I don't think the L&HR is open at the moment. Website says next train is 23rd May. It might be possible to lay on a special train on a Friday morning when you last ran last Sunday and will run again on Saturday (assuming you can rustle up footplate crew, guard and signalman), but if the line's shut for 6 weeks...

 

DBS I believe.