The Great Britain X - 29/04/17 to 07/05/17

The RTC have announced the 2017 Great Britain tour...

Day 1: 6201 London to York, 60103 York to Edinburgh
Day 2: 70013 Edinburgh to Inverness (reverses at Dundee and Perth?)
Day 3: 62005 or 44871 Inverness to the Kyle and rtn
Day 4: 70013 Inverness to Perth, 62005 and 44871 Perth to Glasgow
Day 5: 44871 and 45407 Glasgow to Oban and rtn
Day 6: 46233 Glasgow to Oxenholme
Day 7: 46115 Grange-over-Sands to Bristol
Day 8: 6023 and 5029 or 34046 Bristol to Plymouth(?)
Day 9: 6023 and 5029 or 34046 Falmouth to London (via the B&H)

http://www.railwaytouring.net/travel-tours/the-great-britain-tour

James

 

Surprised


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Can already tell this won't go to plan as per usual...

 

Well, as I'll be living in Edinburgh shortly, I might have the week off and follow the Scottish portion around.

 

Devon/ Cornwall at the end is unusual, always known it be at the start of tour.

 

How is the reverse at Dundee and Perth going to be achieved? Two reverses, one loco.

 

Given it's a Sunday, there may be enough time to run round at Dundee and Perth (are there any loops at Dundee or Perth that could accomodate a 10 coach train?). Or the simpler option is to keep a diesel on the back.

James

 

It'll be WCRC so the diesel on the back is a foregone conclusion.

On a positive note, the word was that this years was going to be the last after two torrid years. Optimism prevails I suppose. This is the initial plan but revisions will probably occur. Good luck with it though,

 

Some of the earlier ones have headed to Scotland first

The 2017 version has seen a £500 hike in the price of a first class ticket and £54 on the optional day trip

As per usual, a supposed wish list of locos, which it'll be interesting to see what happens when it runs

Having done gb3, 4, 6, 7, half of 8(the fiasco) and 9 at present I can't see myself doing gb10 despite a number of mates already trying to persuade me

 

Oh ye of little faith, always with the negativity.

Dave B

 

Possibly tender first from Dundee to Perth which has happened in the past.

Dave B

 

Apart from 6023 & 5029, I'd say the there's a high chance all the allocated locos could feature.

 

Still seems a strange routing, why not straight up over the top via Stirling and Aviemore or round the coast via Aberdeen ?, that routing seems neither here nor there.

 

Although I can see why they are doing it, ie. to take in Forth and Tay bridges, I can see it going via Gleneagles. Oban is interesting, as is departure from Glasgow. If anything, apart from the bridges, it seems a logistically sound tour.

 

But woulden't going Edinburgh - Dundee - Aberdeen - Inverness achieve the bridges ?, only reason I can think for this routing is someone is determined to go over Slochd both ways.

 

It might be pathing. This year a path could not be found for a 60mph path via Aberdeen.

 

I think there was a 75mph path, though. The hills are the attraction. I'm hoping that once a turntable is available at Aberdeen, there will be a little more steam on the coast route.

 

When was the last time steam visited the Falmouth branch ?